Rechargeable battery module

Abstract

A rechargeable battery module includes: a plurality of battery cells stacked in a first direction; a pair of end plates at opposite ends of the plurality of battery cells in the first direction; a pair of side plates at opposite sides of the plurality of battery cells in a second direction intersecting the first direction to connect the pair of end plates to each other; a heat diffusion portion between battery cells of the plurality of battery cells and having a first melting point; and a rigid / insulating portion embedded inside the heat diffusion portion to provide rigidity or insulation, and having a second melting point lower than the first melting point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rechargeable battery module, and more particularly, to a rechargeable battery module having heat dissipation performance and heat transfer blocking performance. Background Art

[0002] Unlike primary batteries, rechargeable batteries are batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. Small capacity rechargeable batteries can be used in portable small electronic devices such as smart phones, laptop computers and cameras. Large capacity and high density rechargeable batteries can be used as power sources or energy storage to drive motors such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles.

[0003] The rechargeable battery may be used as a rechargeable battery module including a plurality of battery cells connected in series and / or in parallel to be able to drive a motor of a hybrid vehicle requiring a relatively high energy density, for example.

[0004] For example, a rechargeable battery module may be formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells provided in a number corresponding to a required power amount in a frame to realize a relatively high-power rechargeable battery module (eg, a rechargeable battery module used with an electric vehicle).

[0005] The module frame includes side plates and end plates. When the battery cells in the module expand due to chemical reactions caused by charging and discharging, the side plates hold the end plates to prevent or substantially prevent the end plates from moving and keep the battery cells and internal components from being separated from the module. In this case, the side plates must maintain a limited space.

[0006] The battery cells are arranged in a module frame, and insulating cells for preventing or substantially preventing heat transfer, insulation, and enhancing module rigidity are used between the battery cells. Heat transfer is determined by the time when the first battery cell becomes an event and then the second battery cell becomes an event. Double-sided tape or adhesive attached to the insulating cells connects all of the battery cells in the plurality of battery cells, thereby enhancing the mechanical rigidity of the module.

[0007] In addition, a cooling plate is installed at the bottom of the module to prevent or substantially prevent the allowable temperature (e.g., 60° C.) of the battery cells from being exceeded during the fast charge, life, and driving modes of the battery cells of the module. The cooling plate suppresses the temperature increase of the battery cells by the cooling temperature, cooling flow rate, and cooling flow rate (speed) of the cooling fluid. Summary of the invention

[0008] According to an aspect of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a rechargeable battery module having a heat dissipation effect on the entire outer surface of a battery cell (e.g., five surfaces except the lower surface of the battery cell provided with a cooling plate) to achieve fast charging of a high-capacity battery cell.

[0009] According to another aspect of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a rechargeable battery module is provided that can improve heat dissipation performance between battery cells and can have heat transfer blocking performance between battery cells.

[0010] According to one or more embodiments, a rechargeable battery module includes: a plurality of battery cells stacked in a first direction; a pair of end plates located at opposite ends of the plurality of battery cells in the first direction; a pair of side plates at opposite sides of the plurality of battery cells in a second direction intersecting the first direction to connect the pair of end plates to each other; a heat diffusion portion located between battery cells among the plurality of battery cells and having a first melting point; and a rigid / insulating portion embedded inside the heat diffusion portion to provide rigidity or insulation and having a second melting point lower than the first melting point.

[0011] The rechargeable battery module may further include a cooling plate under the battery cells.

[0012] The rechargeable battery module may further include a bottom diffusion portion at the bottom of the battery cell, and the bottom diffusion portion may contact the cooling plate.

[0013] The rechargeable battery module may further include bus bars on upper sides of the battery cells to electrically connect electrode terminals of the battery cells.

[0014] The rechargeable battery module may further include an upper diffusion portion on an upper side of the battery cell except for the electrode terminal, and the upper diffusion portion may contact the bus bar.

[0015] The heat spreading portion may be formed of silicon (Si) or liquid crystal polymer (LCP). The rigid / insulating portion may be formed of polypropylene (PP) or polycarbonate (PC).

[0016] The heat diffusion portion may exist in a solid state at room temperature, and may have a larger volume when solidified than in a liquid state.

[0017] The battery cell may be configured to have a first temperature on its surface under event conditions, the heat diffusion portion may have a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and the rigid / insulating portion may have a melting point of a third temperature lower than the first temperature.

[0018] The first temperature may be 500° C. to 700° C., the heat diffusion portion may be formed of silicon having a melting point of the second temperature, and the rigid / insulating portion may be formed of polypropylene (PP) having a melting point of the third temperature.

[0019] The heat diffusion portion may include a first side portion inside the side plate on opposite sides of the stacked battery cells in the second direction, and the rigid / insulating portion may include a second side portion having a first thickness formed flat inside the first side portion.

[0020] The heat diffusion portion may further include a first end portion inside the end plate on opposite sides of the stacked battery cells in the first direction, and the rigid / insulating portion may further include a second end portion formed flat inside the first end portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

[0021] The rigid / insulating portion may further include a terminal mounting portion protruding from the second end portion out of the first end portion to be formed on an end plate of the pair of end plates, and the terminal mounting portion may fix a final terminal connected to the bus bar.

[0022] The heat diffusion portion may further include a first main portion between battery cells among the plurality of battery cells, the rigid / insulating portion may further include a second main portion embedded inside the first main portion of the heat diffusion portion, the first main portion of the heat diffusion portion may be coupled to the first side portion between the stacked battery cells, and the second main portion of the rigid / insulating portion may be coupled to the second side portion in a plane between the stacked battery cells.

[0023] The rigid / insulating portion may include a plurality of column portions extending between the stacked battery cells in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction and spaced apart in the second direction to have a width in the first direction, and a connecting portion connecting adjacent column portions to each other, and the heat diffusion portion may be configured so that the column portions and the connecting portion are embedded.

[0024] The column portion may be formed as a cylinder having a diameter, and the heat diffusion portion may be located on opposite sides of the column portion and the connection portion in the first direction to form a gap greater than the diameter between the column portion and a battery cell of the plurality of battery cells.

[0025] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a heat diffusion portion is provided between battery cells, and a rigid / insulating portion is embedded in the heat diffusion portion, so that during normal operation, the heat diffusion portion has a heat dissipation effect, and when an event occurs, the rigid / insulating portion melts to form an air layer in the heat diffusion portion, so that the battery cells can be thermally separated. Therefore, heat transfer between battery cells can be blocked during an event, while having heat dissipation performance during normal operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A perspective view illustrating a rechargeable battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 Example of a cooling plate provided Figure 1 A front view of a rechargeable battery module.

[0028] Figure 3 Example in Figure 2 A partial front view of the cooling plate with the middle side plate removed.

[0029] Figure 4 Example in Figure 2 A partial front view of the busbar with the middle side plate removed.

[0030] Figure 5 Examples along Figure 2 A plan cross-sectional view taken along line VV.

[0031] Figure 6 Example Figure 5 A partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of .

[0032] Figure 7 Examples along Figure 1 A longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII.

[0033] Figure 8 Example Figure 6 A magnified view of the heat diffusion and rigid / insulating parts.

[0034] Fig. 9 An enlarged cross-sectional view is shown, showing an example of a device arranged at Figure 6 The heat diffusion part and the rigid / insulating part between the battery cells in the battery.

[0035] Fig.10 Examples along Figure 6 A longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line XX.

[0036] Description of Reference Numerals

[0037] 10: Battery cell 11, 12: Electrode terminals

[0038] 20: End plate 30: Side plate

[0039] 40: Heat diffusion part 41: Bottom diffusion part

[0040] 42: Upper diffusion part 50: Rigid / insulating part

[0041] 51: Column part 52: Connection part

[0042] 60: cooling plate 70: bus bar

[0043] 71, 72: Final terminal 401: First side portion

[0044] 402: first end portion 501: second side portion

[0045] 502: Second end portion 511: Terminal mounting portion

[0046] D: diameter G: gap

[0047] t1: first thickness t2: second thickness

[0048] W: Width DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The present disclosure will be more fully described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some embodiments of the present invention are shown. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in a variety of ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative, rather than restrictive, in nature. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements.

[0050] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0051] Further, in this specification, it should be understood that when a component is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another component, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or it may be connected or coupled to the other component with one or more other components interposed or interposed therebetween.

[0052] Singular forms include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0053] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the first element may be referred to as the "second" element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the "first" element. Terms in the singular form may include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0054] In addition, terms such as "below", "lower", "above", and "upper" are used to describe the relationship of the configurations shown in the drawings. However, the terms are used as relative concepts and are described with reference to the directions indicated in the drawings, and are not intended to be limiting.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the inventive concept belongs. It should also be understood that terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with that in the relevant technical content and are clearly defined herein unless they are interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense.

[0056] Figure 1 A perspective view illustrating a rechargeable battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 A rechargeable battery module according to an embodiment includes a plurality of battery cells 10, a pair of end plates 20, a pair of side plates 30, a heat diffusion portion 40, and a rigid / insulating portion 50 (see Figure 6 ).

[0057] In one embodiment, the battery cells 10 are formed into a prismatic shape and are stacked in a first direction (eg, an x-axis direction). A pair of end plates 20 are provided at both ends or opposite ends of the stacked battery cells 10 in the first direction to support the battery cells 10 in the x-axis direction.

[0058] A pair of side plates 30 are disposed on both or opposite sides of the battery cell 10 in a second direction (eg, y-axis direction) intersecting the first direction to connect the pair of end plates 20 to each other and support the battery cell 10 in the y-axis direction.

[0059] Figure 2 Example of a cooling plate provided Figure 1 A front view of a rechargeable battery module; Figure 3 Example in Figure 2 A partial front view of the cooling plate with the middle side plate removed.

[0060] See also Figure 1 to Figure 3 The rechargeable battery module according to an embodiment further includes a cooling plate 60 provided on the lower side of the battery cell 10 (or under the battery cell 10). The cooling plate 60 is provided on the bottom of the battery cell 10 so as not to exceed the allowable temperature (e.g., 60° C.) of the battery cell 10, such as during the fast charge, life, and driving modes of the rechargeable battery module. In an embodiment, the cooling plate 60 suppresses the temperature increase of the battery cell 10 based on the cooling temperature, flow rate, and flow rate of the cooling fluid.

[0061] The rechargeable battery module further includes a bottom diffusion portion 41 disposed on the bottom of the battery cell 10. That is, the bottom diffusion portion 41 and the heat diffusion portion 40 connect the lower side of the battery cell 10 and the battery cell 10 to promote diffusion of heat generated between the battery cells 10. In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 exists in a solid state at room temperature, and has a higher density in a liquid state than in a solid state and has a larger volume when solidified than in a liquid state.

[0062] The bottom diffusion portion 41 disposed at the bottom of the battery cell 10 contacts the cooling plate 60. Therefore, the heat of the battery cell 10 may be easily transferred and dissipated to the cooling plate 60 through the heat diffusion portion 40 and the bottom diffusion portion 41.

[0063] For long-distance driving of a vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery module according to an embodiment, the rechargeable battery module has a higher capacity (eg, 182 Ah / cell), and the time required for fast charging is reduced, for example, from 28 minutes to about 15 minutes.

[0064] For example, due to the demand for high capacity and fast charging, the cooling plate 60 may be used to control the temperature at 15° C. Therefore, the temperature deviation between the bottom of the prismatic battery cell 10 and the upper end of the battery cell 10 may be close to 30° C., which may hinder the performance and safety of the battery cell 10 .

[0065] The maximum allowable temperature deviation or ideal temperature deviation between the upper and lower ends of the battery cell 10 may be 8° C. In one embodiment, in order to achieve the allowable temperature deviation, the heat diffusion portion 40 and the rigid / insulating portion 50 are used. When the battery cell 10 operates normally, the heat diffusion portion 40 quickly performs heat transfer to stably perform heat diffusion.

[0066] In this case, the rigid / insulating portion 50 is embedded in the heat diffusion portion 40 to provide rigidity to the rechargeable battery module when the battery cell 10 is normally operated. In addition, the rigid / insulating portion 50 is configured to melt in an embedded state of the rigid / insulating portion 50 during an event of the battery cell 10, thereby forming an air layer inside the heat diffusion portion 40.

[0067] The air layer embedded in the heat diffusion portion 40 provides insulation between adjacent battery cells 10 and blocks heat diffusion between the battery cells 10. Air has a thermal conductivity of 0.02 Kcal / Mh°C, which is lower than that of glass fiber, water, glass, stainless steel, steel plate or aluminum, thereby providing excellent heat diffusion barrier performance.

[0068] Figure 4 Example in Figure 2 A partial front view of the busbar with the middle side plate removed. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 The rechargeable battery module according to an embodiment further includes a bus bar 70 .

[0069] The bus bar 70 is provided on the upper side of the battery cell 10 to electrically connect the electrode terminals 11, 12 of the battery cell 10. In one embodiment, the bus bar 70 can connect the battery cells 10 in parallel, and a plurality of bus bars 70 can connect the parallel connections in series again. Two of the bus bars 70 are electrically connected to the final terminals 71, 72 that output the final power of the rechargeable battery module.

[0070] The rechargeable battery module further includes an upper diffusion portion 42 formed on the upper side of the battery cell 10 except the electrode terminals 11, 12. That is, the upper diffusion portion 42 and the heat diffusion portion 40 connect the upper side of the battery cell 10 and the battery cell 10 to promote diffusion of heat generated between the battery cells 10 to the upper side of the battery cell 10.

[0071] The upper diffusion portion 42 disposed on the upper side of the battery cell 10 contacts the bus bar 70. In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 or the upper diffusion portion 42 is made of a non-conductive material so that a bus bar support between the bus bar 70 and the electrode terminals 11, 12 can be omitted. The removal or omission of the bus bar support simplifies the structure of the rechargeable battery module.

[0072] Figure 5 Examples along Figure 2 A plan cross-sectional view taken along line VV of ; Figure 6 Example Figure 5 A partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of .

[0073] See also Figure 1 to Figure 6 The heat diffusion portion 40, the bottom diffusion portion 41, and the upper diffusion portion 42 have a first melting point and may be made of, for example, silicon (Si).

[0074] In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40, the bottom diffusion portion 41, and the upper diffusion portion 42 made of silicon (Si) are provided on the entire outer surface of the battery cell 10, and the bottom diffusion portion 41 is in close contact with the cooling plate 60, so that the heat diffusion effect of the battery cell 10 can be maximized or increased. In one embodiment, silicon (Si) surrounds the entire outer surface of the battery cell 10, and the silicon is connected to the battery cell 10 in the form of a nanopore bonding structure.

[0075] The rigid / insulating portion 50 is embedded in the heat diffusion portion 40, has a second melting point lower than the first melting point, and provides rigidity or insulation. In one embodiment, for example, the heat diffusion portion 40 is made of silicon (Si), and the rigid / insulating portion 50 can be made of polypropylene (PP).

[0076] In one embodiment, the heat spreading portion 40 may be made of a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) containing silicon (Si) or carbon, and the rigid / insulating portion 50 may be made of polycarbonate (PC).

[0077] The battery cell 10 has a first temperature on its surface in the event of an event such as thermal runaway. The heat diffusion portion 40 has a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The rigid / insulating portion 50 has a melting point of a third temperature lower than the first temperature.

[0078] For example, the first temperature of the battery cell 10 during the event is 500°C to 700°C. The second temperature of silicon (Si) forming the heat diffusion portion 40 has a melting point of 1414°C, and therefore does not melt at the first temperature during the event and diffuses the first temperature to the entire surface of the battery cell 10 and the entire surface of the rechargeable battery module. Silicon (Si) has a melting point of 1414°C and a thermal conductivity of 149W / mK (about 82% of the thermal conductivity of aluminum). In one embodiment, the melting point of the heat diffusion portion 40 is 335°C to 1414°C.

[0079] In one embodiment, the third temperature of polypropylene (PP) forming the rigid / insulating portion 50 has a melting point of 165° C. and is melted due to the first temperature of the battery cell 10, thereby forming an air layer in the heat diffusion portion 40. The air layer is provided inside the heat diffusion portion 40 to block heat from being diffused to the battery cell 10 adjacent thereto.

[0080] In other words, the heat of the battery cell 10 causing the event can be blocked from spreading to the adjacent battery cell 10 by the air layer formed by the melting of the rigid / insulating portion 50, and can be quickly dissipated through the cooling plate 60. Polypropylene (PP) has a melting point of 165°C and a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W / mK. In one embodiment, the melting point of the rigid / insulating portion 50 is 145°C to 165°C.

[0081] In one embodiment, the melting point difference between the heat diffusion part 40 and the rigid / insulating part 50 may be 2 to 10 times the melting point of the rigid / insulating part 50. In one embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the heat diffusion part 40 is in the range of 10 W / mK to 149 W / mK, and the thermal conductivity of the rigid / insulating part 50 is in the range of 0.2 W / mK to 0.5 W / mK. The thermal conductivity difference between the heat diffusion part 40 and the rigid / insulating part 50 may be in the range of 20 to 745 times the thermal conductivity of the rigid / insulating part 50.

[0082] In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 includes a first main portion between battery cells among the plurality of battery cells 10 and a first side portion 401 on the inner side of the side plate 30 on both sides or opposite sides of the stacked battery cells 10 in a second direction (e.g., y-axis direction), and the rigid / insulating portion 50 includes a second main portion embedded in the inside of the first main portion of the heat diffusion portion 40 and a second side portion 501 formed flat in the first side portion 401 having a first thickness t1.

[0083] In one embodiment, the first side portion 401 and the second side portion 501 are formed to correspond to the entire area of ​​the side plate 30 in order to prevent or substantially prevent heat generated from the battery cells 10 from being diffused into the side plate 30 .

[0084] In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 further includes a first end portion 402 on both sides or opposite sides of the stacked battery cells 10 in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) on the inner side of the end plate 20, and the rigid / insulating portion 50 further includes a second end portion 502 formed flat in the first end portion 402 having a second thickness t2 greater than the first thickness t1 (see Figure 7 ).

[0085] In one embodiment, the first end portion 402 and the second end portion 502 are formed to correspond to the entire area of ​​the end plate 20 in order to prevent or substantially prevent heat generated from the battery cell 10 from being diffused into the end plate 20 .

[0086] Under normal operating conditions other than battery events, the first end portion 402 of the heat spreading portion 40 and the second end portion 502 of the rigid / insulating portion 50 are molded with the end plate 20. In one embodiment, the end plate 20 is formed of aluminum to provide mechanical rigidity.

[0087] Figure 7 Examples along Figure 1 A longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7, the rigid / insulating portion 50 includes a terminal mounting portion 511 that protrudes from the second end portion 502 out of the first end portion 402 to be formed on the end plate 20 .

[0088] The terminal mounting portion 511 fixes the final terminals 71, 72 coupled or connected to the bus bar 70. The terminal mounting portion 511 may prevent or substantially prevent heat generated from the final terminals 71, 72 from being transferred to the bus bar 70 and the battery cell 10.

[0089] Figure 8 Example Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of the heat diffusion part and the rigid / insulating part; Fig. 9 An enlarged cross-sectional view is shown, showing an example of a device arranged at Figure 6 The heat diffusion part and the rigid / insulating part between the battery cells; Fig.10 Examples along Figure 6 A longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line XX.

[0090] See also Figure 8 to Figure 10 , between the stacked battery cells 10 , the first main portion of the heat diffusion portion 40 is coupled to the first side portion 401 , and the second main portion of the rigid / insulating portion 50 is coupled to the second side portion 501 in a plane between the stacked battery cells 10 .

[0091] Therefore, in one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 including the first side portion 401 separates the battery cells 10 and surrounds each of the battery cells 10. The rigid / insulating portion 50 including the second side portion 501 is embedded in the heat diffusion portion 40 that separates the battery cells 10 and surrounds each of the battery cells 10 so as to separate the battery cells 10 together with the heat diffusion portion 40 and surround each of the battery cells 10.

[0092] In one embodiment, for example, the rigid / insulating portion 50 includes a plurality of column portions or a plurality of columns 51 and a connecting portion 52 that couples or connects adjacent column portions 51 to each other. The column portions 51 are formed to extend between the stacked battery cells 10 along a third direction (e.g., z-axis direction) intersecting the first direction (e.g., x-axis direction) and the second direction (e.g., y-axis direction) and are spaced apart from each other along the second direction to have a width in the first direction. In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 is configured so that the column portions 51 and the connecting portion 52 are embedded.

[0093] In one embodiment, the heat diffusion portion 40 is located between adjacent battery cells 10 together with the embedded pillar portion 51 and the connection portion 52. When the pillar portion 51 is melted, a sufficient air layer is formed within the heat diffusion portion 40. The connection portion 52 can be connected to the air layer in the entire outer surface area of ​​the battery cell 10 without reducing the rigidity of the heat diffusion portion 40 when melted.

[0094] In one embodiment, the column portion 51 is formed as a cylinder having a diameter D, and the heat diffusion portion 40 is provided on both sides or opposite sides of the column portion 51 and the connecting portion 52 in a first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) to form a gap G greater than the diameter D between the column portion 51 and the battery cell 10.

[0095] When melted, the column portion 51 has a size that can form a sufficient air layer while ensuring the gap G, and when not melted, the connection portion 52 prevents or substantially prevents a reduction in the rigidity of the heat diffusion portion 40 between the battery cells 10 .

[0096] In one embodiment, for example, the diameter D of the column portion 51 is 1 mm to 3 mm, but may be adjusted according to the capacity of the battery cell 10. In one embodiment, the width W of the connection portion 52 is 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. In one embodiment, the width W may be 20% to 50% of the diameter D (W = (0.2 to 0.5) D).

[0097] The ratio of width W to diameter D may be selectively applied according to the number of battery cells 10 in the rechargeable battery module, the length of the rechargeable battery module (eg, in the x-axis direction), and the weight of the battery cells 10 relative to the weight of the entire rechargeable battery module.

[0098] In the present embodiment, the column portion 51 is illustrated as a circular column; however, for example, the column portion 51 may be formed as any of a square column, a rhombus column, a regular octagonal column, a regular dodecagonal column, and a star column. According to the shape of the column portion 51, the integrity of the column portion 51 and the heat diffusion portion 40 may be enhanced.

[0099] While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered to be some suitable embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery module comprising: A plurality of battery cells are stacked in a first direction; a pair of end plates located at opposite ends of the plurality of battery cells in the first direction; a pair of side plates at opposite sides of the plurality of battery cells in a second direction intersecting the first direction to connect the pair of end plates to each other; a heat diffusion portion located between battery cells of the plurality of battery cells and having a first melting point; as well as A rigid / insulating portion is embedded in the interior of the heat diffusion portion to provide rigidity or insulation and has a second melting point lower than the first melting point. 2 . The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising a cooling plate under the battery cells.

3. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 2, further comprising a bottom diffusion portion at the bottom of the battery cell, and The bottom diffusion portion contacts the cooling plate. 4 . The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising a bus bar on an upper side of the battery cell to electrically connect electrode terminals of the battery cell.

5. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 4, further comprising an upper diffusion portion on an upper side of the battery cell excluding the electrode terminal, and The upper diffusion portion contacts the bus bar. 6 . The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the heat diffusion portion is formed of silicon or liquid crystal polymer.

7. The rechargeable battery module of claim 6, wherein the rigid / insulating portion is formed of polypropylene or polycarbonate. 8 . The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the heat diffusion portion exists in a solid state at room temperature, and has a higher density in a liquid state than in a solid state and has a larger volume when solidified than in a liquid state.

9. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1, wherein The battery cell is configured to have a first temperature on a surface thereof in the event of an event, The heat diffusion portion has a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and The rigid / insulating portion has a melting point at a third temperature lower than the first temperature.

10. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 9, wherein The first temperature is 500°C to 700°C, The heat diffusion portion is formed of silicon having the melting point of the second temperature, and The rigid / insulating portion is formed from polypropylene having the melting point at the third temperature.

11. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1, wherein The heat diffusion portion includes a first side portion on an inner side of the side plate on opposite sides of the stacked battery cells in the second direction, and The rigid / insulating portion includes a second side portion having a first thickness formed flat within the first side portion.

12. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 11, wherein The heat diffusion portion further includes a first end portion on an inner side of the end plate on opposite sides of the stacked battery cells in the first direction, and The rigid / insulating portion further includes a second end portion formed flat within the first end portion and having a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

13. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 12, wherein The rigid / insulating portion further includes a terminal mounting portion that projects from the second end portion out of the first end portion to be formed on an end plate of the pair of end plates, and The terminal mounting portion fixes a final terminal connected to the bus bar.

14. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 11, wherein The heat diffusion portion further includes a first main portion between battery cells among the plurality of battery cells, The rigid / insulating portion further comprises a second main portion embedded within the interior of the first main portion of the heat diffusion portion, Between the stacked battery cells, the first main portion of the heat diffusion portion is coupled to the first side portion, and The second main portion of the rigid / insulating portion is coupled to the second side portion between the stacked battery cells.

15. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 1, wherein The rigid / insulating portion includes a plurality of column portions extending between the stacked battery cells in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction and spaced apart in the second direction to have a width in the first direction, and a connecting portion connecting adjacent column portions to each other, and The heat diffusion portion is configured to embed the column portion and the connection portion.

16. The rechargeable battery module according to claim 15, wherein The column portion is formed as a cylinder having a diameter, and The heat diffusion portion is located on opposite sides of the column portion and the connection portion in the first direction to form a gap greater than the diameter between the column portion and a battery cell among the plurality of battery cells.

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