Battery module and battery pack including same

Abstract

The battery module according to the present invention comprises: a cell unit laminated body comprising a plurality of cell units laminated in one direction; a bus bar frame assembly provided inside the cell unit laminate and electrically connecting the pouch-type battery cells; and a module case storing the cell unit stack and the bus bar frame assembly, in which the cell unit includes: at least one pouch-type battery cell; and a cell cover configured to surround the pouch-type battery cell and the bus bar frame assembly, and having a lower side opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery module, and more particularly, to a battery module having good safety against thermal events and a battery pack including the battery module.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0168019 filed in Korea on December 5, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0043170 filed in Korea on March 31, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] As technology develops and demand for various mobile devices, electric vehicles, energy storage systems (ESS), etc. has increased significantly, interest in and demand for secondary batteries as energy sources have also increased rapidly. Although nickel-cadmium batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries have been widely used as secondary batteries in the past, lithium secondary batteries are widely used today because they have the following advantages over nickel-based secondary batteries: free charge and discharge due to almost no memory effect, extremely low discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0004] Lithium secondary batteries generally use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively. Lithium secondary batteries include: an electrode assembly, in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate coated with positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively, are arranged with a separator interposed therebetween; and a housing (i.e., a battery case) that seals and stores the electrode assembly and electrolyte.

[0005] In general, secondary batteries may be divided into a can type battery in which an electrode assembly is accommodated in a metal can and a pouch type battery in which an electrode assembly is accommodated in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, according to the shape of a case.

[0006] At present, a widely used lithium secondary battery has an operating voltage of about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, in the case of an electric vehicle or a power storage device requiring a large capacity and a high output, a battery module or a battery pack is constructed by connecting a plurality of lithium secondary batteries in series and / or in parallel, and used as an energy source. In particular, in order to meet the output or capacity required for an electric vehicle, the battery module or the battery pack includes a large number of lithium secondary batteries.

[0007] Additionally, it is important to design the battery module or pack to be prepared for the occurrence of thermal events.

[0008] Reference Figure 1, a battery module according to the prior art (a battery module being developed by the present applicant) is constructed by stacking cell units, in which approximately 2 to 3 pouch-type battery cells are stored in a cell cover 2 in one direction to form a cell unit group 1, and a busbar frame assembly 3 is assembled to the cell unit group 1. Here, the cell cover may be configured to cover three faces (top side portion, left side portion, and right side portion) of 2 to 3 stacked pouch-type battery cells, and the busbar frame assembly may be configured to include a plurality of busbars welded to electrode leads located at the front or rear of the cell unit, and a busbar frame configured to support the plurality of busbars and cover the front / rear of the cell unit group. The frame cover may be further mounted to the front of the busbar frame.

[0009] The structure of a cell unit formed by storing 2 to 3 pouch-type battery cells in a cell cover and constructing a cell unit group by stacking multiple cell units is intended to prevent the propagation of thermal runaway of the pouch-type battery cells when a thermal event occurs and is intended for directional exhaust, in which the exhaust gas discharged from the triggering battery cell is guided and discharged in a predictable direction.

[0010] However, if Figure 1 As shown in the portion indicated by "GAP", due to the assembly tolerance between the battery cell group and the busbar frame assembly (or frame cover), a gap may be formed, making it likely that exhaust gas or particles will be discharged through this gap. If the exhaust gas, etc. is discharged in an unexpected direction, the directional exhaust for inducing the exhaust gas, etc. in the expected direction may fail. In addition, thermal damage may be caused to other battery modules or combustion products around the module, thereby increasing the damage. Therefore, a method for solving the above problem is needed. Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the prior art, and thus the present disclosure aims to provide a battery module with good directional exhaust performance, which discharges high-temperature gas in a desired direction when a thermal event occurs.

[0013] In addition, the present disclosure also provides a battery module that can increase the supporting force and rigidity of pouch-type battery cells and effectively prevent the propagation of heat energy between the pouch-type battery cells when a thermal event occurs.

[0014] The technical problems that the present disclosure seeks to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present invention described below.

[0015] Technical Solution

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery module is provided, which includes: a battery cell unit stack composed of a plurality of battery cell units stacked in one direction; a bus bar frame assembly, which is arranged inside the battery cell unit stack and is configured to electrically connect pouch-type battery cells; and a module housing, which is configured to store the battery cell unit stack and the bus bar frame assembly, wherein the battery cell may include: at least one pouch-type battery cell; and a battery cell cover, which is configured to surround the pouch-type battery cell and the bus bar frame assembly and has an open bottom.

[0017] The battery cell cover may include: an upper cover portion, which is constructed to cover the top surface of the battery cell and the bus bar frame assembly stored in the battery cell cover; a first side cover portion and a second side cover portion, which extend downward from the left edge and the right edge of the upper cover portion, respectively, to cover the left and right sides of the battery cell; and a front cover portion and a rear cover portion, which extend downward from the front end and the rear end of the upper cover portion, respectively, to cover at least a portion of the bus bar frame assembly.

[0018] The cell cover may be designed such that the bottom side of the battery cell is open.

[0019] The cell cover may be configured such that the lengths of the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion are shorter than the length of the upper cover portion.

[0020] The battery cell cover can be constructed so that the first side cover part and the second side cover part have a symmetrical structure, and the part between one end of the first side cover part and one end of the second side cover part and the front cover part, and the part between the other end of the first side cover part and the other end of the second side cover part and the rear cover part respectively have side openings.

[0021] In the cell unit stack, at least one of the cell covers may have a terminal hole through which a terminal bus bar provided in the bus bar frame assembly passes.

[0022] The busbar frame assembly may include a busbar in the form of a metal bar and a busbar frame in the form of a plate configured to support the busbar, and the busbar frame may have a connecting groove, in which at least a portion of the end of the first side cover part and the end of the second side cover part are inserted to a predetermined depth in the stacked battery cell unit.

[0023] The module case may have a gas discharge hole provided on a bottom plate supporting the cell unit stack at a lower portion of the cell unit stack.

[0024] The gas discharge holes may be provided on the bottom plate at positions corresponding to positions where electrode leads of the pouch type battery cells of the cell ladder protrude.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack including the above-mentioned battery module may be provided.

[0026] Beneficial Effects

[0027] According to the present disclosure, a battery module having good directional exhaust performance can be provided, which discharges high-temperature gas and the like in a desired direction when a thermal event occurs.

[0028] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, a battery module may be provided that is capable of increasing the supporting force and rigidity of pouch-type battery cells and effectively preventing heat energy from propagating between the pouch-type battery cells when a thermal event occurs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a battery module according to the related art.

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

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic illustration Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the battery module in FIG.

[0032] Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cell cover before wing portions are bent according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5 is an example Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of the battery cell cover after the wings are bent.

[0034] Figures 6 to 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an assembly process of a cell unit assembly and a bus bar frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.10 is another partial cross-sectional view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to appropriately define the terms for the best interpretation. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification and the configurations proposed in the accompanying drawings only represent the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts of the present disclosure, so it should be understood that various equivalent substitutions and modifications may be made to the present disclosure when submitting an application.

[0038] For the sake of convenience of explanation and clarification, the size of each element or a specific part of each element shown in the drawings is exaggerated, omitted or simplified. Therefore, the size of each element does not fully reflect their actual size. The description of the related known functions or structures that may cover the subject of the present disclosure will be omitted.

[0039] Figure 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 This is a schematic illustration Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the battery module in FIG. Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cell cover before the wing portion is bent according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 5 is an example Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of the battery cell cover after the wings are bent.

[0040] 1. Referring to these drawings, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cell unit stack 100, a bus bar frame assembly 200, and a module case 300.

[0041] The battery cell unit stack 100 includes a plurality of battery cell units 101 stacked in one direction. Figure 3 Here, the cell unit 101 includes at least one pouch-type battery cell 110 and a cell cover 120 at least partially surrounding the pouch-type battery cell 110. In particular, as will be described in detail later, the cell cover 120 is configured to surround at least a portion of the bus bar frame assembly 200.

[0042] The bag-type battery cell 110 includes an electrode lead 111, an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a bag housing for storing and sealing the electrode assembly and the electrolyte. For example, the bag-type housing may be composed of two bag sheets, and a recess may be formed on at least one of the two bag sheets. The electrode assembly and the electrolyte are stored in the recess, and the edges of the two bag sheets are heat-melted. In the above-mentioned bag-type battery cell 110, the portion that receives the electrode assembly is called a receiving portion 112, the surrounding portion of the receiving portion 112 is called an edge, and the portion of the edge bag sheet that is heat-melted and sealed is called a sealing portion.

[0043] The electrode lead 111 may have one end connected to the electrode assembly inside the pouch case and the other end protruding outside the pouch case, and when the two pouch sheets are heat-fused, the portion between the one end and the other end may be fixed between the two pouch sheets. The portion of the electrode lead 111 exposed outside the pouch case may be used as an electrode terminal of the pouch-type battery cell 110.

[0044] The pouch-type battery cell 110 obtained by using two pouch sheets to encapsulate the electrode assembly may have four sealing portions (the protruding front and rear edges of the electrode lead 111, and the remaining two side edges (corresponding to the upper and lower edges of the battery cell 110 when it is arranged vertically as shown in the present embodiment)). In addition, the pouch-type battery cell 110 obtained by folding one pouch sheet to encapsulate the electrode assembly may have three sealing portions (corresponding to the protruding front and rear edges of the electrode lead 111, and one side edge). Hereinafter, among the sealing portions, the protruding front and rear edges of the electrode lead 111 will be referred to as the cell ladder 113.

[0045] One or more pouch-type battery cells 110 may be accommodated inside the cell cover 120. For example, the receiving portion 112 may stand upright, and about 2 to 3 pouch-type battery cells 110 stacked in a horizontal direction may be stored in the cell cover 120.

[0046] The cell cover 120 can be used to make the pouch-type battery cell 110 stand upright stably to be set inside the module housing 300, protect the pouch-type battery cell 110 from external impact, and, if some of the multiple battery cells 110 included in the battery module suffer thermal runaway, block heat energy (flame, high-temperature gas, etc.) from being transferred from the triggering battery cell 110 to other battery cells 110.

[0047] The cell cover 120 may be made of a metal material. For example, the cell cover 120 may be made of stainless steel (SUS) having high rigidity and a high thermal melting point.

[0048] Specifically, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cell cover 120 includes an upper cover portion 121, a first side cover portion 122, a second side cover portion 123, a front cover portion 124 and a rear cover portion 125, and its bottom is open.

[0049] The upper cover portion 121 is configured to cover the upper edge of the battery cell 110 stored inside the cell cover 120. In addition, the upper cover portion 121 is configured to extend further than the first and second side cover portions 122 and 123 to cover the top of the bus bar frame assembly 200.

[0050] The first side cover portion 122 is configured to extend downward from the left edge of the upper cover portion 121 to cover the left side of the battery cell 110 stored inside the cell cover 120. In addition, the second side cover portion 123 is configured to extend downward from the right edge of the upper cover portion 121 to cover the right side of the battery cell 110 stored inside the cell cover 120.

[0051] In the case where one battery cell 110 is stored in the cell cover 120, the left side of the battery cell 110 means the left side of the one battery cell 110, and the right side of the battery cell 110 means the right side of the single battery cell 110. Furthermore, in the case where a cell stack in which two or more battery cells 110 are stacked is stored in the cell cover 120, the left side of the battery cell 110 means the left side of the cell stack, and the right side of the battery cell 110 means the right side of the cell stack.

[0052] The first side cover portion 122 and the second side cover portion 123 may be configured to have a length shorter than that of the upper cover portion 121. Figure 5 As shown, the first side cover portion 122 and the second side cover portion 123 may be configured to extend downward from two edge lines of the upper cover portion 121 (excluding two ends of the upper cover portion 121 ), respectively.

[0053] The front cover portion 124 is configured to extend downward from the front end (along the -Y axis direction) of the upper cover portion 121 to cover at least a portion of the bus bar frame assembly 200. In addition, the rear cover portion 125 is configured to extend downward from the rear end (along the +Y axis direction) of the upper cover portion 121 to cover at least a portion of the bus bar frame assembly 200. That is, as Figure 3 As shown, the front cover portion 124 is configured to cover the bus bar frame assembly 200 connected to the front electrode leads 111 of the pouch type battery cell 110, and the rear cover portion 125 is configured to cover the bus bar frame assembly 200 connected to the rear electrode leads 111 of the pouch type battery cell 110.

[0054] For example, Figure 4 As shown, before the pouch-type battery cell 110 is stored in the cell cover 120, the cell cover 120 may be provided with a wing. Here, the wing means Figure 4 In the case of the cell cover 120 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the wing portion may be configured to be bent in a downward direction so that the wing portion forms the front cover portion 124 or the rear cover portion 125, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 shown.

[0055] The first side cover portion 122 and the second side cover portion 123 have a symmetrical structure, and as described above, their lengths are shorter than the length of the upper cover portion 121. Therefore, when the wing portion is bent at a right angle relative to the upper cover portion 121, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the portion between one end of the first side cover portion 122 and one end of the second side cover portion 123 and the front cover portion 124, and the portion between the other end of the first side cover portion 122 and the other end of the second side cover portion 123 and the rear cover portion 125 can be respectively provided with side openings O.

[0056] In addition, when constructing a battery module, although not shown, a bus bar frame assembly having a size corresponding to one cell cover 120 may be applied, or, as in the present embodiment, a bus bar frame assembly 200 having a size corresponding to a plurality of cell covers 120 stacked in one direction may be applied. That is, in any case, the configuration of the cell cover 120 including the side opening O according to the present disclosure makes it possible to accommodate the bus bar frame assembly 200 inside the cell cover 120 while surrounding it.

[0057] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 6 to 8 An implementation configuration of assembling a single bus bar frame assembly 200 to the stacked cell covers 120 will be briefly described.

[0058] First, the cell unit 101 is prepared so that 2 to 3 pouch-type battery cells 110 are accommodated in each cell cover 120. In this case, a battery cover having Figure 4 The battery cell cover 120 of the wing portion is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the battery cell units 101 are stacked in one direction to form a preassembled battery cell unit stack 100 .

[0059] Next, if Figure 7 As shown, the bus bar frame assemblies 200 are assembled to the front and rear sides of the preassembled cell unit stack 100 , respectively.

[0060] Then, if Figure 8 As shown, the wing portions of the cell cover 120 are all bent so that the bus bar frame assembly 200 is surrounded by the cell cover 120. If the bus bar frame assembly 200 and the cell unit 101 are assembled in this way, the bus bar frame assembly 200 may be disposed inside the cell unit stack 100.

[0061] In addition, it should be noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned assembly example. For example, the busbar frame assembly 200 and the pouch-type battery cell 110 may be assembled first and then stored as a whole in the stacked cell cover 120. That is, Figure 5The illustrated plurality of cell covers 120 may be stacked and then placed on the preassembled bus bar frame assembly 200 and the pouch type battery cells 110 to cover them.

[0062] As described above, since the battery module according to the present embodiment includes the cell cover 120 (which includes the upper cover portion 121, the first side cover portion 122, the second side cover portion 123, the front cover portion 124, and the rear cover portion 125), in a structure capable of covering five surfaces, the bus bar frame assembly 200 located at the front and rear of the pouch-type battery cell 110 and the pouch-type battery cell 110 can be completely covered, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 shown.

[0063] Return to reference Figure 6 The busbar frame assembly 200 may include a busbar frame 210 and a plurality of busbars 220. The busbar frame 210 may be configured in the form of a plate having a size substantially corresponding to the total width and height of the stacked cell covers 120 and disposed at both ends of the first side cover portion 122 and the second side cover portion 123 of the stacked cell covers 120 for coupling.

[0064] The bus bar frame 210 may have a lead slit 211 through which the electrode lead 111 of the pouch-type battery cell 110 passes in the +Y axis or -Y axis direction. In addition, the bus bar frame 210 may be made of a material having, for example, excellent electrical insulation and fire resistance, and may be configured to attach the bus bar 220 to its outer surface. In particular, the inner surface of the bus bar frame 210 facing the pouch-type battery cell 110 may be coated with a fire-resistant and heat-resistant material or a fire-resistant material.

[0065] In addition, the bus bar frame 210 may include a coupling groove 212 into which at least a portion of an end portion of the first side cover portion 122 and an end portion of the second side cover portion 123 are inserted to a predetermined depth in the stacked battery cell units 101 .

[0066] Specifically, if Figure 6 As shown, a plurality of coupling grooves 212 may be provided on the inner surface of the busbar frame along the stacking direction of the cell covers 120. The number of coupling grooves 212 may be configured as required depending on the number of stacked cell covers 120.

[0067] like Fig. 9 As shown, the coupling groove 212 may be configured to insert the end of the first side cover portion 122 of the cell cover 120 into the coupling groove 212 to a predetermined depth. In this case, the coupling groove 212 may be configured so that the end of the first side cover portion 122 of one cell cover 120 and the end of the second side cover portion 123 of the other cell cover 120 of the two stacked cell covers 120 are inserted into the coupling groove 212.

[0068] Therefore, even without using a separate fastening member, the bus bar frame 210 may be fixedly coupled to the stacked cell covers 120. In addition, the stacked cell covers 120 may also be integrally held by the bus bar frame 210, avoiding gaps between the cell covers 120.

[0069] The bus bar 220 is a device for connecting the pouch-type battery cells 110 in series and / or in parallel, and may be configured in the form of a bar made of a metal material such as copper, aluminum, nickel, etc. The electrode lead 111 of the pouch-type battery cell 110 may extend to the outside of the bus bar frame 210 by passing through the lead slit 211 of the bus bar frame 210, and the extended portion may be attached to the surface of the bus bar 220 by welding or the like.

[0070] Two of the bus bars 220 may be used as electrode terminals of the battery module. Here, the bus bars 220 used as electrode terminals of the battery module will be specifically referred to as terminal bus bars 221 and 222, and the terminal bus bars 221 and 222 include a positive terminal bus bar 221 and a negative terminal bus bar 222. The terminal bus bars 221 and 222 may be provided to extend longer than the other bus bars 220 so that one end thereof may be exposed to the outside of the module housing 300.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, the battery module of this embodiment has terminal bus bars 221 and 222 with one end exposed to the top of the module housing 300. To this end, the module housing 300 has a housing terminal hole 311 on the top plate 310, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, and as Figure 6 As shown, the cell unit stack 100 has a terminal hole TH formed on the outermost cell cover 120 among the cell covers 120 to allow the terminal bus bars 221 and 222 to pass through the terminal hole TH.

[0072] The housing terminal hole 311 and the terminal hole TH may be insulated and sealed with, for example, an insulating gasket (not shown) or the like. In addition, depending on the structure or position of the terminal bus bars 221 and 222, the number or position of the terminal hole TH and / or the housing terminal hole 311 may be configured differently from the present embodiment. That is, although in the present embodiment, a terminal hole TH is provided in each of the two outermost cell covers 120, the terminal hole TH may be formed on the cell covers 120 other than the outermost cell covers 120, or may be formed on only a few cell covers 120. In addition, the terminal bus bars 221 and 222 may be configured to extend to the outside of the module housing 300 by passing through the side opening O of the cell cover 120, without configuring the terminal hole TH on the cell cover 120.

[0073] The module case 300 is provided to have an internal space capable of accommodating the cell unit stack 100 and the busbar frame assembly 200. The module case 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a top plate 310 covering the top surface of the internal space, a bottom plate 320 covering the bottom surface of the internal space, a pair of side plates 330 and 340 covering both side surfaces of the internal space, and a pair of end caps 350 and 360 covering the front and rear of the internal space, respectively.

[0074] Return to reference Figure 3 , the bottom plate 320 and the pair of side plates 330 and 340 may be integrally formed. The element obtained by integrally constructing the bottom plate 320 and the pair of side plates 330 and 340 is called a U-shaped frame. According to the module housing 300 including the U-shaped frame, the battery cell unit stack 100 may be placed inside the U-shaped frame, and then the top plate 310 may be coupled to the top of the U-shaped frame, and then the end caps 350 and 360 may be coupled thereto, thereby completing the assembly of the battery module.

[0075] Additionally, the thermal resin TR may be pre-applied to the bottom plate 320. Since the bottom of the cell cover 120 is open, the bottom plate 320 and the lower edges of the battery cell 110 may face each other. The thermal resin TR may be applied to avoid forming an empty space (air layer) between the bottom plate 320 and the lower edges of the battery cell 110, thereby maximizing the heat dissipation efficiency of the battery cell 110.

[0076] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the module housing 300 has a circular gas discharge hole 321 on the bottom plate 320. The module housing 300 has a plurality of gas discharge holes 321 disposed on the bottom (i.e., the bottom plate 320). Therefore, in the battery module according to the present disclosure, if gas, flame, etc. are generated in the battery cell 110, the gas, flame, etc. can be exhaust directionally in the downward direction of the module housing 300.

[0077] In addition, the pouch-type battery cell 110 may generate gas due to side reactions during charging and discharging. In particular, during overcharging and discharging, the internal pressure may increase significantly due to a large amount of gas, which may cause the pouch housing to expand. If the expansion deteriorates, the bonding strength of the hot-melt sealing portion may deteriorate, causing the sealing portion to rupture and spray gas, etc. In this case, the cell terrace 113 is likely to be damaged first compared to other parts, because the cell terrace 113 has lower airtightness due to the electrode lead 111 disposed therein, and generates more heat. Taking into account the structural characteristics of the pouch-type battery cell 110, in the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to minimize the diffusion of gas discharged from the battery cell 110, etc. inside the module housing 300, and to allow the gas to be discharged to the outside of the module housing 300 through the shortest path, such as Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the gas discharge hole 321 is provided at a location corresponding to the position of the cell step 113 from which the electrode lead 111 of the pouch type battery cell 110 protrudes.

[0078] In addition, if Fig. 9 As shown, each gas discharge hole 321 is configured to be located between the first side cover portion 122 and the second side cover portion 123 of each cell cover 120. In this case, the gap between the first side cover portion 122 and the second side cover portion 123, that is, the ratio of the width of the cell cover 120 to the diameter of the gas discharge hole 321 may preferably be determined within a range of 1:0.5 to 1:0.7.

[0079] According to this configuration, the gas or the like exhausted from the battery cell 110 accommodated in the specific cell cover 120 can be exhausted to the lower part of the module housing 300 only through the gas exhaust hole 321 located below the specific cell cover 120. That is, since the entire area around the gas exhaust hole 321 is blocked, the directional exhaust of the gas can be more effectively induced in the downward direction. In addition, the gas is effectively prevented from passing through and diffusing to other cell covers 120 adjacent to the specific cell cover 120.

[0080] According to the configuration of the battery module 10 according to the present disclosure described above, when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell 110, gas or the like can be more effectively guided to the gas discharge hole 321 provided at the bottom of the module housing 300. Therefore, compared with the conventional battery module, the battery module according to the present disclosure can have further improved directional exhaust performance.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the supporting force and rigidity of the pouch-type battery cells 110 may be improved, and when a thermal event occurs, the propagation of heat energy between the pouch-type battery cells 110 may be effectively blocked.

[0082] Furthermore, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may include one or more of the above-mentioned battery modules. Additionally, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may be applied to vehicles such as electric vehicles.

[0083] As described above, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs may make various modifications and variations within the technical concept of the present disclosure and the equivalent scope of the claims to be described below.

[0084] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, forward, and backward are used in this specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs that these terms are only for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the target object or the position of the observer.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: A battery cell unit stack, wherein the battery cell unit stack is composed of a plurality of battery cell units stacked in one direction; a bus bar frame assembly disposed inside the cell unit stack and configured to electrically connect pouch-type battery cells; as well as a module housing configured to store the battery cell unit stack and the bus bar frame assembly, Wherein, the battery cell unit comprises: at least one pouch-type battery cell; and a cell cover configured to surround the pouch-type battery cell and the bus bar frame assembly, the cell cover having an open bottom.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The battery cover comprises: an upper cover portion configured to cover top surfaces of the battery cell and the busbar frame assembly stored in the cell cover; a first side cover portion and a second side cover portion, the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion respectively extending downward from a left edge and a right edge of the upper cover portion to cover a left side and a right side of the battery cell; and A front cover portion and a rear cover portion extend downwardly from a front end and a rear end of the upper cover portion, respectively, to cover at least a portion of the bus bar frame assembly.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The cell cover is configured such that the bottom side of the battery cell is open.

4. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The cell cover is constructed as follows: The lengths of the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion are shorter than the length of the upper cover portion.

5. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The cell cover is constructed as follows: The first side cover portion and the second side cover portion have a symmetrical structure, and The portion between one end of the first side cover portion, one end of the second side cover portion and the front cover portion, and the portion between the other end of the first side cover portion, the other end of the second side cover portion and the rear cover portion respectively have side openings.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, in, In the battery cell unit stack, At least one of the cell covers has a terminal hole through which a terminal bus bar disposed in the bus bar frame assembly passes.

7. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The bus bar frame assembly includes a bus bar in the form of a metal bar and a bus bar frame in the form of a plate configured to support the bus bar, and The busbar frame has a coupling groove, and in the stacked battery cell units, at least a portion of the end of the first side cover portion and the end of the second side cover portion are inserted into the coupling groove to a predetermined depth.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The module case has a gas exhaust hole provided on a bottom plate supporting the battery cell unit stack at a lower portion of the battery cell unit stack.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, in, The gas discharge holes are provided on the bottom plate at positions corresponding to positions where electrode leads of the pouch-type battery cells of the cell ladder protrude. 10 . A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1 .

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