A battery module including a busbar frame for efficient connector layout and a battery pack including the battery module.

Abstract

The battery module according to the present invention includes: a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells; a busbar connected in a predetermined pattern to electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells; a sensing unit connected to each busbar to sense the voltage of the plurality of battery cells; a connector mounted on one side of the sensing unit; and a busbar frame including a frame body and a connector retainer, the frame body being arranged to cover the side of the cell stack and attach the busbar to the front surface of the frame body, the connector retainer being mounted such that the connector can be mounted thereon, wherein the connector retainer is rotatably disposed at the upper end of the frame body such that the connector is arranged in front of the busbar.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery module, and more specifically, to a connector arrangement structure for a space-saving layout of a connector used for voltage sensing of battery cells in the battery module.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application 10-2021-0018519, filed in Korea on February 9, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] A semi-permanent battery that can convert electrical energy into chemical energy and be repeatedly charged and discharged is called a secondary battery, which can be distinguished from a primary battery that cannot be used again after one use.

[0004] Examples of rechargeable batteries include lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, zinc-air batteries, and alkaline manganese batteries. Among these, lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries are arguably the most actively commercialized rechargeable batteries.

[0005] In particular, lithium-ion batteries have recently been actively used as batteries for electric vehicles due to their advantages of high energy density, light weight, small size, excellent safety, low discharge rate, and long lifespan. For reference, lithium-ion batteries are generally classified according to their manufacturing shape into cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch cells, and in addition to being used in electric vehicles, they can also be used as batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) and other electrical devices.

[0006] Currently, sufficient output to power an electric vehicle cannot be obtained from a single lithium-ion battery cell. To utilize the secondary battery as an energy source for electric vehicles, battery modules are configured by connecting multiple lithium-ion battery cells in series and / or parallel.

[0007] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, when the battery module includes pouch-type secondary battery cells, the electrode leads 1a and 1b of the pouch-type secondary battery cells are welded to the busbar 3. The busbar 3 is located on the front surface of the battery module, or on both the front and rear surfaces of the battery module, and multiple electrode leads 1a and 1b are welded to one busbar 3. Therefore, the secondary battery cells are connected in series and in parallel.

[0008] The voltage information of the secondary battery cells in the battery module is transmitted to the BMS (not shown) via a sensing unit 5 connected to each busbar 3 and a connector 2 connected to the sensing unit 5. The BMS controls the charging / discharging of the secondary battery cells by monitoring the state of each battery cell based on the voltage information. In conventional battery modules, the sensing unit 5 is typically a flat flexible cable (FFC) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and the connector 2 is located on the upper part of the busbar frame 4, which is located above the electrode leads 1a and 1b of the secondary battery cells.

[0009] Although increasing the width of the electrode leads has been considered recently due to increasing consumer demand for fast charging, when the widths of the electrode leads 1a, 1b and busbar 3 are increased (in the width direction of the battery module), the upper part of the busbar frame 4 is almost completely obscured. Therefore, connector 2 may be less... Figure 1 The arrangement is shown. However, when the position of connector 2 is completely different from its existing position, other components related to connector 2 should be rearranged or their structure should be completely changed. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Technical issues

[0011] This disclosure is designed to address problems in the related art, and therefore aims to provide a battery module in which, by redesigning the busbar frame, electrode leads and connectors with a large width can be provided on the busbar frame in a space-saving manner without interfering with each other.

[0012] These and other objects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the exemplary embodiments thereof. Moreover, it will be readily understood that the objects and advantages of this disclosure can be achieved by the means shown in the appended claims and combinations thereof.

[0013] Technical solution

[0014] In one aspect of this disclosure, a battery module is provided, comprising: a cell stack having a plurality of battery cells stacked in the cell stack; a busbar connected in a predetermined pattern to electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells; a sensing unit connected to each of the busbars to sense the voltage of the plurality of battery cells; a connector mounted on one side of the sensing unit; and a busbar frame including a frame body and a connector mounting portion, the frame body covering the side of the cell stack and allowing the busbar to be attached to the front surface of the frame body, the connector mounting portion for mounting the connector, wherein the connector mounting portion is rotatably disposed at the upper end of the frame body such that the connector is located in front of the busbar.

[0015] The connector can be fixedly mounted on the connector mounting part and can be located in front of the frame body at a position lower than the uppermost end of the cell stack.

[0016] The connector mounting portion may include: a first support plate extending horizontally from the uppermost end of the frame body; and a second support plate hinged to one end of the first support plate.

[0017] The frame body may include a horizontal plate located below the first support plate and protruding from the front surface of the frame body parallel to the first support plate, wherein the busbar is arranged below the horizontal plate along the arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells.

[0018] The horizontal plate may include a slit through which a sensing terminal branching from the sensing unit passes vertically.

[0019] The protruding length of the horizontal plate is sufficient to support the surface of the second support plate, so that the second support plate does not contact the busbar.

[0020] The horizontal plate may include an insertion portion having a spherical shape at its end, and the second support plate may include a groove portion, wherein the insertion portion press-fits into the groove portion when the second support plate is rotated 90° relative to the first support plate.

[0021] The plurality of battery cells may be pouch-type battery cells, wherein the width of each of the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells is 70% to 90% of the height of the cell stack.

[0022] In another aspect of this disclosure, a cell stack including at least one battery module is also provided.

[0023] In another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle comprising a battery cell stack is also provided.

[0024] Beneficial effects

[0025] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a battery module may be provided in which a connector may be disposed on the side of the cell stack without interfering with the electrode leads.

[0026] Electrode leads and connectors with widths greater than conventional electrode lead widths can be mounted on the busbar frame without interfering with each other, and the connectors can be positioned so as not to protrude above the top of the cell stack. For example, when a connector protrudes above the top of the cell stack, it may interfere with the inlet or inner wall of the module housing when the connector is housed within the module housing. However, according to the connector and busbar frame construction of this disclosure, interference between the connector and the module housing can be eliminated.

[0027] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on the specification and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure; therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a view showing a portion of a battery module used to describe the arrangement of connectors for voltage sensing according to the prior art.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the structure of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded 3D diagram.

[0032] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the busbar frame.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged view showing the connector arrangement structure of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a view showing the connector mounting portion of the busbar frame before and after bending, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 7 A modified view of the connector mounting section. Detailed Implementation

[0036] In the following, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before description, it should be understood that the terminology used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to its general and dictionary meaning, but rather is interpreted based on the principle that inventors are allowed to appropriately define terms for best interpretation, and on the meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, the description presented herein is merely a preferred example for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure; thus, it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] These embodiments are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. Therefore, for clarity, the thickness and dimensions of each element shown in the drawings may be enlarged, omitted, or schematically depicted. Thus, the dimensions of each element do not absolutely reflect the actual dimensions or proportions.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the structure of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded 3D diagram.

[0039] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cell stack 10, a busbar 20, a sensing unit 30, a connector 40, and a busbar frame 50.

[0040] The cell stack 10 can be a collection of battery cells 11. For example, the battery cells 11 can be stacked vertically while also being stacked in the left-right direction (±Y-axis direction) to form the cell stack 10. The battery cell 11 is a pouch-type battery cell in which the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead are positioned relative to each other.

[0041] The pouch-type battery cell 11 includes an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a pouch for packaging the electrode assembly and the electrolyte. The electrode assembly has a stacked structure of a positive electrode plate, a separator, and a negative electrode plate. The positive and negative electrode plates are provided with electrode connectors, and one or more electrode connectors are connected to electrode leads 12. The electrode leads 12 can extend from the inside of the pouch to the outside and can serve as electrode terminals of the battery cell 11. Electrode leads 12 are a general term for both positive and negative electrode leads.

[0042] The casing may include a thin metal film, such as an aluminum film, to protect internal components, such as electrode assemblies and electrolytes, and to complement electrochemical properties and improve heat dissipation for the electrode assemblies and electrolytes. The aluminum film may be positioned between an internal adhesive layer and an insulating layer formed of insulating material to ensure electrical insulation.

[0043] In the pouch-type battery cell 11 according to this embodiment, the width W of the electrode lead 12 is greater than that in a conventional battery cell, such as... Figure 3 As shown. For example, in the pouch-type battery cell 11 of this embodiment, the width W of the electrode lead 12 can be 70% to 80% of the height of the cell stack 10. In this way, when the width of the electrode lead 12 is increased, the heat generation during the rapid charging of the battery cell is effectively reduced.

[0044] When the electrode leads 12 are connected to the corresponding busbars 20 in a predetermined pattern, the battery cells 11 are connected in series or in a combination of series and parallel. A busbar 20 is a strip-shaped conductor capable of electrically connecting the battery cells 11.

[0045] Multiple busbars 20 can be provided, and the multiple busbars 20 can be attached to the busbar frame 50 in a direction corresponding to the stacking direction of the battery cells 11. The electrode leads 12 of each battery cell 11 can pass through the opening 51a of the busbar frame 50 and be led out to the front of the busbar frame, and the led-out portion of the electrode leads 12 can be bent and then laser welded to the surface of the busbar 20.

[0046] For example, when one battery cell 11 is the Nth cell and the subsequent cells are the (N+1)th, (N+2)th, ..., the Nth, (N+1)th, (N+2)th, ... cells can be configured to have alternating polarities in the stacking direction of the battery cells 11. The positive electrode lead of the Nth cell and the negative electrode lead of the (N+1)th cell located on the front surface of the cell stack 10 are placed and soldered to a busbar 20, while the positive electrode lead of the (N+1)th cell and the negative electrode lead of the (N+2)th cell located on the rear surface of the cell stack 10 are placed and soldered to another busbar 20. When the electrode leads 12 of all battery cells 11 are soldered to the busbar 20 in this manner, the battery cells 11 can be connected in series.

[0047] In another example, when the electrode leads 12 of the battery cells are arranged in a group of two or three consecutive battery cells 11 with the same polarity in the same direction and the positive leads of one group and the negative leads of the other group are integrally welded to a busbar 20, the battery cells 11 can be connected in series and parallel.

[0048] The sensing unit 30 is a component used to sense the node voltage of the series-connected battery cells 11 and send the voltage information of each battery cell 11 to the battery management system (BMS). The BMS monitors the state of the battery cells 11 and controls the charging / discharging of the battery cells 11 through the sensing unit 30.

[0049] The sensing unit 30 can be implemented as a thin-film cable, such as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or a flat flexible cable (FFC). An FPCB can be manufactured by placing a copper-clad laminate on a base film, laminating a dry film, performing exposure, development, and etching processes to form conductors at regular intervals, and then attaching a cover film. An FFC can be manufactured by arranging conductors at regular intervals on a base film and laminating a cover layer on the conductors.

[0050] The sensing unit 30, as a thin-film cable, can handle a large number of signals with minimal volume because the conductor has excellent conductivity and the insulation between the conductors is fully ensured by an insulating film.

[0051] Return to reference Figure 3 According to this embodiment, the sensing unit 30 includes: a first portion 31 located on the cell stack 10 and extending along the longitudinal direction (±X-axis) of the cell stack 10; a second portion 32 extending from both ends of the first portion 31 along the width direction (±Y-axis) of the cell stack 10; and a sensing terminal 33 branching from the second portion 32 to contact the busbar 20.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, connector 40 can be mounted on the end of sensing unit 30, and when another cable connector 60 is connected to connector 40, the signal can be transmitted to BMS (not shown).

[0053] The battery cell stack 10 can be housed in a module housing (not shown) having a rectangular tube shape. Typically, the module housing (not shown) has an internal space corresponding to the volume of the battery cell stack 10. Therefore, when the connector 40 is positioned higher than the upper end of the battery cell stack 10, the connector 40 is blocked by the entrance or inner wall of the module housing when the battery cell stack 10 is inserted into the module housing, thus preventing the battery cell stack 10 from being inserted.

[0054] However, according to the construction of the busbar frame 50 and connector 40 in this embodiment, because the connector 40 can be stably located below the upper end of the cell stack 10, such as Figure 2 As shown, this will not cause the aforementioned problem (interference between the connector and the inlet of the module housing when the cell stack 10 is inserted into the module housing (not shown)).

[0055] Reference Figure 3 as well as Figures 4 to 8 Describe the construction of the busbar frame 50.

[0056] The busbar frame 50 includes a frame body 51 and a connector mounting part 54.

[0057] like Figure 3As shown, the frame body 51 is an injection-molded structure having a plate shape and a size sufficient to cover the side of the cell stack 10 (where the electrode leads 12 of the battery cells 11 are located). Busbars 20 can be attached to the front surface of the frame body 51, and openings 51a can be provided on both sides of each busbar 20 in the frame body 51, through which the electrode leads 12 can be removed.

[0058] The frame body 51 can cover the entire side of the cell stack 10. Therefore, the height of the frame body 51 can be almost equal to the height of the cell stack 10, and the connector mounting part 54 can be located at the upper end of the frame body 51. Figure 5 As shown, since the connector mounting portion 54 is an element for supporting the connector 40, the connector mounting portion 54 only needs to have a size sufficient to mount the connector 40 thereon. Although in this embodiment the connector mounting portion 54 is located at the center of the upper end of the frame body 51, the design can be changed so that the connector mounting portion 54 is located at a position other than the center of the upper end when needed.

[0059] The space below the connector mounting section 54 can be used entirely as the space for the busbar 20 and the electrode lead 12. That is, a large portion of the frame body 51 can be used as space to sufficiently increase the width of the electrode lead 12 and to position the busbar 20 with appropriate dimensions.

[0060] The connector mounting part 54 for fixedly mounting the connector 40 can rotate downward from the upper end of the frame body 51 together with the connector mounted on it when the connector 40 is mounted on the frame body 51.

[0061] For example, the connector mounting portion 54 may include a first support plate 55 extending horizontally from the uppermost end of the frame body 51 and a second support plate 56 hinged to the end of the first support plate 55, such as... Figure 4 As shown.

[0062] When connector 40 is mounted on second support plate 56 and second support plate 56 is rotated 90° relative to the end of first support plate 55, as Figure 5 As shown, the connector 40 can be positioned in front of the frame body 51, lower than the uppermost end of the cell stack 10. In this case, not only do the busbar 20 and electrode leads 12 have a large width, but the connector 40 can also be positioned on the side of the cell stack 10 in a space-saving manner, and as described above, when the cell stack 10 is inserted into the module housing, collision between the connector 40 and the inner wall of the module housing can be prevented.

[0063] The busbar frame 50 according to this embodiment also includes a horizontal plate 52 on the frame body 51. The horizontal plate 52 may be located below the first support plate 55 and may protrude from the front surface of the frame body 51 parallel to the first support plate 55. The busbar 20 may be arranged below the horizontal plate 52 along the arrangement direction of the battery cell 11.

[0064] The horizontal plate 52 can protrude long enough to support the surface of the second support plate 56, such that the second support plate 56 does not contact the busbar 20 during rotation. Preferably, the horizontal plate 52 can contact the second support plate 56 when the second support plate 56 is at a 90° angle relative to the first support plate 55.

[0065] Furthermore, the horizontal plate 52 includes a slit O through which the sensing terminal 33, branching from the sensing unit 30, passes vertically. The slit O is large enough to accommodate the sensing terminal 33. In this configuration, the sensing terminal 33 can be positioned from top to bottom of the horizontal plate 52 via the slit O and can be securely attached to the plate surface of the frame body 51 without raising it. The sensing terminal 33 can be fixed to the upper end of the corresponding busbar 20 using, for example, laser welding or bonding.

[0066] Next, we will refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 An example of using the connector mounting part 54 according to this embodiment is described.

[0067] When electrode leads 12 and sensing terminals 33 are soldered to busbar 20, if connector 40 is in front of busbar 210, it will interfere with the assembly process. Therefore, firstly, as Figure 6 As shown, the electrode lead 12 is connected to the sensing terminal 33 with the second support plate 56 horizontally fixed relative to the first support plate 55. In this case, the second support plate 56 can be horizontally fixed relative to the first support plate 55 by using an angle-adjustable hinge.

[0068] Next, after the electrode lead 12 and the sensing terminal 33 are connected to the busbar 20, as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the second support plate 56 rotates so that the connector 40 is positioned below the uppermost end of the cell stack 10. Because in this embodiment, when the second support plate 56 rotates 90°, the second support plate 56 contacts the end of the horizontal plate 52, thus preventing the second support plate 56 from colliding with the electrode leads 12 of the battery cell 11.

[0069] In variations of this construction, such as Figure 8As shown, the horizontal plate 52 may include an insertion portion 52a with a spherical shape at its end, and the second support plate 56 may include a groove portion 56a, wherein when the second support plate 56 rotates 90° relative to the first support plate 55, the insertion portion 52a is press-fitted into the groove portion 56a.

[0070] According to this variation, because the second support plate 56 is fixed to the horizontal plate 52, movement of the second support plate 56 can be suppressed even under impact or vibration. Therefore, according to this variation, the connector 40 can be more stably fixed even when the battery module is used under conditions of continuous impact or vibration than in the above embodiment.

[0071] As described above, the battery module configuration according to this disclosure not only has wide electrode leads 12 and busbars 20, but also allows the connector 40 for voltage sensing to be located in the front region of the busbar frame 50 in a space-saving manner without interfering with each other.

[0072] The disclosed cell stack may include one or more battery modules according to the present disclosure. In addition to the battery modules, the cell stack according to the present disclosure may also include a battery pack housing for housing the battery modules and various means for controlling the charging and discharging of each battery module, such as a main BMS, a current sensor, and fuses.

[0073] The battery module according to this disclosure can be applied to vehicles such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. That is, a vehicle may include the battery module according to this disclosure.

[0074] While one or more embodiments of this disclosure have been described with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will understand that when terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used to indicate directions, these terms are merely for ease of explanation and can vary depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, etc.

Claims

1. A battery module, the battery module comprising: A cell stack, in which multiple battery cells are stacked; Busbars are connected to the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells in a predetermined pattern; A sensing unit connected to each of the busbars to sense the voltage of the plurality of battery cells; A connector, which is mounted on one side of the sensing unit; as well as A busbar frame includes a frame body and a connector mounting portion. The frame body covers the sides of the battery cell stack and allows the busbar to be attached to the front surface of the frame body. The connector mounting portion is for mounting the connector. The connector mounting portion is rotatably disposed at the upper end of the frame body, such that when the connector rotates 90° together with the connector mounting portion, it is positioned in front of the busbar. The connector mounting portion includes: a first support plate extending horizontally from the uppermost end of the frame body; and a second support plate hinged to one end of the first support plate.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The connector is fixedly mounted on the connector mounting part and is located in front of the frame body at a position lower than the uppermost end of the cell stack.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The frame body includes a horizontal plate located below the first support plate and projecting from the front surface of the frame body parallel to the first support plate. The busbar is arranged below the horizontal plate along the arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein, The horizontal plate includes a slit through which sensing terminals branching from the sensing unit pass vertically.

5. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein, The protruding length of the horizontal plate is sufficient to support the surface of the second support plate, so that the second support plate does not contact the busbar.

6. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein, The horizontal plate includes an insertion portion having a spherical shape at its end, and the second support plate includes a groove portion, wherein the insertion portion press-fits into the groove portion when the second support plate is rotated 90° relative to the first support plate.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple battery cells are pouch-type battery cells. The width of each of the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells is 70% to 90% of the height of the cell stack.

8. A cell stack comprising at least one battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A vehicle comprising a battery cell stack according to claim 8.

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