Battery module with improved exhaust structure

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery module in which a negative electrode and a positive electrode terminal are disposed on an upper portion. A negative electrode lead and a positive electrode lead of a battery cell included in the battery module both protrude toward one side in the width direction of the battery cell. A plurality of such cells are stacked to form a cell stack and connected to a terminal by a plate-shaped bus bar frame disposed over the stack. The battery unit comprises a soft package for accommodating the electrode assembly, the negative electrode lead and the positive electrode lead protrude out of the soft package, and the sealing part is sealed by welding along the edge of the sealing part. The sealing part is composed of a first sealing part and a second sealing part, and the sealing strength of the second sealing part is higher than that of the first sealing part. The first sealing portion is disposed upward when the battery cell stack is accommodated within the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0084550 filed on July 8, 2022, and the entire contents of the disclosure of this patent application are included in this specification as a part of this specification.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery module with an improved exhaust structure. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a battery module with an improved exhaust structure capable of exhausting gas upward to prevent flames and heat from spreading to other adjacent battery modules in the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction when a fire occurs. Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries that are easy to apply according to product groups and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles driven by electric drive sources and energy storage devices. These secondary batteries have attracted attention as new energy sources that improve environmental protection and energy efficiency, not only because they have the main advantage of being able to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels, but also because they do not produce any byproducts due to energy use.

[0004] Although small mobile devices use one, two, or three battery cells per device, medium to large devices such as vehicles require high output and large capacity. Therefore, medium to large battery modules that electrically connect a plurality of battery cells are used.

[0005] Since the size and weight of the medium to large battery modules are expected to be made as small and light as possible, rectangular batteries and pouch type batteries, which can be stacked with high integration and have a small weight-to-capacity ratio, are mainly used as battery cells of the medium to large battery modules.

[0006] Figure 1 and Figure 2 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view showing a conventional battery module, respectively, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a single unit of a pouch-type battery cell constituting a conventional battery cell stack. Figures 1 to 3 The battery module 1 may generally include: a housing 4 , a battery cell stack 2 , a busbar frame 3 , and a terminal 5 including a positive terminal 5 a and a negative terminal 5 b .

[0007] The housing 4 may include: a U-shaped frame 41 having an open front end, an open rear end, and an open top; a pair of end plates 42 covering the open front end and the open rear end, respectively, and a top plate 43 covering the open top. The components of the housing 4 may be joined to another component by, for example, welding to form the housing 4.

[0008] The battery cell stack 2 may be formed by stacking a plurality of soft-pack type battery cells 21, and each battery cell 21 may include a soft pack 212 and an electrode assembly. The soft pack 212 is formed by folding a soft pack sheet in half, and an electrode lead 211 protrudes outward from both sides in the length direction X2 thereof, and a sealing portion 213 of a fusion seal is provided on three sides except the folded side and the electrode assembly is accommodated therein. The electrode lead 211 may include a positive electrode lead 211a and a negative electrode lead 211b.

[0009] The bus bar frame 3 may be electrically connected to the electrode lead 211, and also electrically connected to the terminal 5. The terminal 5 may be exposed to the outside through a terminal exposure portion 51 provided to the end plate 42, and electrically connected to the outside.

[0010] At the same time, there is a risk that the battery cell 21 may overheat and catch fire due to a short circuit. When the battery cell 21 catches fire, heat, flames, and exhaust gases generated by evaporation of the electrolyte in the battery cell 21 may be discharged from the battery cell 21. In the battery cell 21, the heat, flames, and exhaust gases are mainly discharged through the portion where the electrode lead 211 protrudes in the sealing portion 213 of the soft pack 212, and in the battery module 1, the heat, flames, and exhaust gases are mainly discharged through the terminal exposure portion 51 provided at the end plate 42 and exposing the terminal 5, and the joint area between the end plate 42, the top plate 43, and the U-shaped frame.

[0011] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the transfer of heat and flame between battery modules. Figure 4 and Figure 5 , when heat, flames, and exhaust gases are discharged from both ends in the length direction X1 of the battery module 1, there is a risk that a continuous fire may occur due to the transfer of heat to other adjacent battery modules 1 in the front-to-back direction X1. Since such continuous fires may occur particularly during accidents involving electric vehicles, it is necessary to prevent such continuous fires. However, in a battery module 1 having a structure in which the electrode lead 211 protrudes in the length direction X2 of the battery cell 21 and the terminal 5 is exposed at the end plate 42, the risk of such a chain fire is greater. In addition, when the end plate 42 falls off from the housing 4 due to the increase in the internal pressure of the housing 4, the risk is exacerbated. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the structure of the battery module so that heat, flames, and exhaust gases are not discharged directly toward other adjacent battery modules 1. Summary of the invention

[0012] Technical issues

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the related art, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery module having an improved structure in which heat, flames, and exhaust gas generated during fire of battery cells are discharged upward.

[0014] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery module having a structure that prevents an end plate from falling off to the outside of a case even though the internal pressure of the case rises due to the ignition of a battery cell.

[0015] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a structure of a battery module that improves space utilization and occupies a smaller volume compared to capacity.

[0016] Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack including a battery module having the above-mentioned improved structure and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0017] The aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above aspects, and other aspects and advantages not mentioned above can be clearly understood from the following description, and can be more clearly understood from the embodiments described herein. In addition, the various aspects and advantages in the present disclosure can be realized via the devices described in the attached claims and their combinations.

[0018] Technical Solution

[0019] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a battery module structure in which terminals protrude upward.

[0020] The battery module includes a housing, a battery cell stack, a bus bar frame and terminals.

[0021] The housing may include: a U-shaped frame having an open top, an open front end, and an open rear end; a pair of end plates covering the open front end and the open rear end, and a top plate covering the open top.

[0022] The U-shaped frame can be made of metal material. However, the U-shaped frame can be made of any other material.

[0023] The U-shaped frame can be manufactured by plastically deforming a single metal plate by pressing. Alternatively, the U-shaped frame can be manufactured by joining side walls and a bottom plate.

[0024] The end plate may be integrally formed with the U-shaped frame as a box frame having an open top. Alternatively, the end plate and the top plate may be integrally formed as a second U-shaped frame having an open bottom, an open front end, and an open rear end. Thus, the end plate may be prevented from falling off due to an increase in the internal pressure of the housing caused by a fire in the battery module. Here, the second U-shaped frame may be manufactured by plastically deforming a single metal plate by pressing.

[0025] The components constituting the housing may be joined to each other to form a single housing. The joining may be achieved by welding or by various methods such as friction fitting.

[0026] The battery cell stack may be housed in a case.

[0027] The battery cell stack can be manufactured by stacking a plurality of battery cells in the height direction Z2.

[0028] The battery cell may include an electrode assembly, an electrode lead protruding from the electrode assembly, and a soft pack accommodating the electrode assembly therein, the soft pack being formed of a soft pack sheet folded in half, the electrode lead 211 protruding outward, and a sealing portion 213 of a fusion seal provided on three sides except the folded side.

[0029] The electrode leads may include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead.

[0030] The electrode leads may protrude from both sides of the battery cell in the length direction X2, or may protrude from one side of the battery cell in the width direction Y2. Preferably, both the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may protrude from one side of the battery cell in the width direction Y2.

[0031] The sealing portion may include a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion having a stronger sealing strength than the first sealing portion.

[0032] The first seal and the second seal can have different seal strengths in different ways. For example, the weld area of ​​the first seal can be smaller than the weld area of ​​the second seal. For example, this can be achieved by using a sealing tool that applies pressure and heat to the seal in a way that the area of ​​the first seal is smaller than the area of ​​the second seal.

[0033] Alternatively, the number of times the first sealing portion is welded and sealed may be less than the number of times the second sealing portion is welded and sealed. For example, this can be achieved by subjecting the first sealing portion to only one seal and subjecting the second sealing portion to two seals with the same area or different areas.

[0034] Alternatively, for example, folding and tape may be applied to the second seal portion, and the first seal portion may not be processed. Here, folding may be a doubleside folding method of folding the second seal portion by curling twice or more.

[0035] The first seal may be provided at one end of the battery cell in the width direction, and the second seal may be provided at both ends of the battery cell in the length direction. Alternatively, the first seal may be provided at the middle portion of one end of the battery cell in the width direction, both ends of the battery cell in the width direction, or a portion where an electrode lead of the battery cell protrudes, and the second seal may be provided in an area other than the area where the first seal is provided.

[0036] The battery cell stack can be housed in the housing with one side of the battery cell facing upward in the width direction. Therefore, when the battery cell catches fire, heat, flames, and exhaust gas can be guided to be discharged upward through the portion of the electrode lead protruding with relatively weak sealing strength.

[0037] Here, as described above, the first sealing portion is provided on at least a portion of one end portion of the battery cell in the width direction facing upward, so that heat, flames and exhaust gases can be guided to be discharged upward. That is, in the event of a fire in the battery cell, the first sealing portion having a relatively weak sealing strength opens due to the increase in the internal pressure of the battery cell, and thus heat, flames and exhaust gases can be guided to be discharged upward.

[0038] The electrode leads may be electrically connected to the bus bar frame. Electrode leads having the same polarity may be connected to the bus bar frame, or electrode leads having different polarities may be connected to the bus bar frame.

[0039] When the electrode leads protrude from both sides of the battery cell in the length direction, the busbar frame may have a plate shape interposed between the battery cell stack and a pair of end plates. Alternatively, when the electrode leads protrude from one side of the battery cell in the width direction, the busbar frame may have a plate shape interposed between the battery cell stack and the top plate.

[0040] The busbar frame may be electrically connected to the terminal. Here, the terminal may include a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and thus, a portion of the busbar frame may be connected to the positive terminal, and another portion thereof may be connected to the negative terminal.

[0041] The portion of the busbar frame connected to the electrode lead and the terminal may be made of metal, and the remaining portion may be made of synthetic resin. The synthetic resin may include a flame retardant synthetic resin.

[0042] The terminal can be exposed to the outside of the case through the terminal exposure portion provided on the top plate of the case opened upward. Since the terminal exposure portion points upward, heat, flames and exhaust gas can be guided to be discharged upward in the event of a fire in the battery module.

[0043] The above technical solution may also be applied to a battery pack including the battery module and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0044] Beneficial Effects

[0045] The present disclosure may provide a battery module having an improved structure in which heat, flame, and exhaust gas generated in the event of a fire in a battery cell are exhausted upward through an upwardly facing terminal and a terminal exposure portion.

[0046] On the other hand, the present disclosure may provide a battery module having an improved structure for exhausting gas upward through an electrode lead protruding upward.

[0047] In still another aspect, the present disclosure may provide a battery module having an improved structure, in which a first sealing portion has a relatively weak sealing strength and faces upward so that gas is discharged upward.

[0048] According to another effect of the present disclosure, a battery module including a shell with an improved structure is provided, wherein, by integrally molding the end plate with the top plate or the U-shaped frame, the end plate can be prevented from falling off to the outside of the shell even if the internal pressure of the shell increases due to a fire in the battery cell.

[0049] According to still another effect of the present disclosure, there is provided a structure of a battery module in which space utilization is improved by electrode leads, busbar plates, and terminals facing upward rather than in a length direction, and occupying a smaller volume than capacity.

[0050] In another aspect, the present disclosure may provide a battery pack including a battery module having the above-described improved structure and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0051] In addition to the above-described effects, various other effects may be produced according to the present disclosure, and descriptions of these effects are provided with reference to the various embodiments, or descriptions of effects that are easily predicted by a person of ordinary skill in the art are omitted, etc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery module.

[0053] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional battery module.

[0054] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a single unit of a pouch-type battery cell constituting a conventional battery cell stack.

[0055] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the transfer of heat and flame between battery modules

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the transfer of heat and flame between battery modules.

[0057] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a battery module in which a negative electrode terminal and a positive electrode terminal protrude on an upper surface of a case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a negative electrode lead and a positive electrode lead face upward and a welding area of ​​a first sealing portion is smaller than a welding area of ​​a second sealing portion.

[0059] Figure 8 The embodiment according to the present disclosure includes Figure 7 An exploded perspective view of a battery module including a battery cell having a plate-shaped bus bar frame interposed between a battery cell stack and a top plate.

[0060] Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery module in which an end plate and a first frame are integrally manufactured as a box frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Fig.10 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery module in which end plates and a top plate are integrally manufactured as a second U-shaped frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Fig.11 is a perspective view showing a battery cell in which the number of times the first sealing portion is welded and sealed is less than the number of times the second sealing portion is welded and sealed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Fig.12 It is shown Fig.11 Schematic diagram of a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion.

[0064] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram showing a battery cell in which folding and taping are performed only on a second sealing portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram showing a battery pack including a battery module according to the present disclosure.

[0066] Fig.15 It is shown that Fig.14 Schematic diagram of a vehicle with a battery pack.

[0067] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0068] 1: Battery module

[0069] 2: Battery cell stack

[0070] 21: Battery Cell

[0071] 211: Electrode lead

[0072] 211a: Positive lead

[0073] 211b: Negative lead

[0074] 212: Soft pack

[0075] 213: Sealing part

[0076] 213a: First sealing part

[0077] 213b: Second sealing portion

[0078] 213F: Folding part

[0079] 213T: Tape

[0080] 214: Electrode assembly

[0081] 3: Busbar frame

[0082] 4: Shell

[0083] 41: (First) U-shaped frame

[0084] 411: Bottom surface

[0085] 412: Sidewall

[0086] 42: End plate

[0087] 43: Top plate

[0088] 44: Box frame

[0089] 45: Second U-shaped frame

[0090] 5: Terminal

[0091] 5a: Anode terminal

[0092] 5b: Cathode terminal

[0093] 51: Terminal exposed part

[0094] P: Battery pack

[0095] V: Vehicle DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0096] The above aspects, features and advantages are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that a person skilled in the art in the art to which the present disclosure belongs can easily realize the technical spirit of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, if it is considered that a detailed description of a known technology related to the disclosed subject matter will make the main points of the present disclosure unnecessarily obscure, the detailed description is omitted. In the following, preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals may represent the same or similar components.

[0097] The terms "first", "second", etc. are used herein only to distinguish one component from another component. Therefore, the components should not be limited by the terms. Of course, unless otherwise specified, the first component may be the second component.

[0098] Throughout the disclosure, unless explicitly stated otherwise, each component may be provided as a single component or as a plurality of components.

[0099] When any component is described as being located "on the upper part (or lower part)" or "on (or below)" another component, any component may be directly located above (or below) the other component, however, additional components may be interposed between any component and the other component located above (or below) the any component.

[0100] When any component is described as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “coupled” to another component, the one component may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, however, an additional component may be “interposed” between the two components, or the two components may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “coupled” through the additional component.

[0101] Unless expressly stated otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It should be understood that the terms "include", "comprises", etc. set forth herein should not be interpreted as necessarily including all of the components or steps, but may be interpreted as excluding some of the components or steps or may be interpreted as including additional components or steps.

[0102] Throughout the disclosure, as used herein, the phrase "A and / or B" may mean A, B, or A and B, and the phrase "C to D" may mean C or more and D or less, unless stated otherwise.

[0103] In the following, for the convenience of description, with respect to the battery module, the direction passing through the two end plates of the battery module and parallel to the bottom surface of the frame is referred to as the front-to-back direction or length direction X1, the direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the individual battery cells included in the battery cell stack and parallel to the bottom surface of the frame is referred to as the left-right direction or width direction Y1, and the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the frame is referred to as the vertical direction or height direction Z1.

[0104] In addition, in this document, regarding the battery cell, the direction penetrating the two electrode leads and parallel to the battery cell is referred to as the length direction X2, and the direction perpendicular to the length direction and parallel to the battery cell is referred to as the width direction Y2. The direction perpendicular to the battery cell is referred to as the normal direction or the height direction Z2.

[0105] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0106] Figure 1 and Figure 2 They are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view showing a conventional battery module. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery module 1 may include: a housing 4 , a battery cell stack 2 , a bus bar frame 3 and terminals 5 .

[0107] The housing 4 may include: a U-shaped frame 41 having an open front end, an open rear end, and an open top; a pair of end plates 42 covering the open front end and the open rear end, respectively; and a top plate 43 covering the open top.

[0108] The U-shaped frame 41 may be made of a metal material. However, the U-shaped frame 41 may be made of any material.

[0109] The U-shaped frame 41 can be manufactured by plastically deforming a single metal plate by pressing. Alternatively, the U-shaped frame 41 can be manufactured by joining the side wall 412 and the bottom plate 411 to each other. The joining can be achieved in different ways such as welding, friction fitting or bolting.

[0110] The end plates 42 and / or the top plate 43 may be made of a metal material. However, the end plates 42 and / or the top plate 43 may be made of any material.

[0111] The U-shaped frame 41, the end plates 42 and the top plate 43 may be joined to each other to form the housing 4. The joining may be achieved in different ways such as welding, friction fitting or bolting.

[0112] The battery cell stack 2 can be formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells in the height direction Z2.

[0113] Figure 3 and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a single unit of a pouch-type battery cell constituting a conventional battery cell stack. Figure 3 The battery cell 21 may include an electrode assembly 214 , an electrode lead 211 protruding from the electrode assembly 214 , and a pouch 212 accommodating the electrode assembly 214 .

[0114] The soft package 212 can be a soft package sheet made of metal folded in half along the length direction X2, the electrode assembly 214 is inserted between them, the electrode lead 211 protrudes outward, and the welded sealing portion 213 is arranged on one side in the width direction and both sides in the length direction except the folded side.

[0115] Return to reference Figure 3 The electrode lead 211 may include a positive electrode lead 211 a and a negative electrode lead 211 b .

[0116] The electrode leads 211 may protrude from both sides of the battery cell 21 in the length direction X2 .

[0117] The battery cell stack 2 may be housed in the case 4 with one side in the width direction of the battery cells 21 facing upward.

[0118] The electrode leads 211 may be electrically connected to the bus bar frame 3. Here, the electrode leads 211 having the same polarity may be connected to each other or electrode leads having different polarities may be connected to each other.

[0119] The busbar frame 3 may be electrically connected to the terminal 5 .

[0120] The terminal 5 may include a positive terminal 5a and a negative terminal 5b. Therefore, a portion of the busbar frame 3 may be connected to the positive terminal 5a, and another portion thereof may be connected to the negative terminal 5b.

[0121] The portion of the busbar frame 3 connected to the electrode lead 211 and the terminal 5 may be made of a conductive material such as metal, and the remaining lower portion may be made of a non-conductive material such as synthetic resin. For example, the remaining lower portion may be made of a flame-retardant synthetic resin.

[0122] The terminal 5 may be exposed to the outside through a terminal exposure portion 51 provided at a portion of the housing 4 opened to the outside. Here, the battery module 1 may be connected to other adjacent battery modules through the terminal 5.

[0123] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the transfer of heat and flame between battery modules. Figure 4 and Figure 5, the battery module 1 can be arranged in a manner that the end plate 42 of the battery module 1 and another battery module arranged in front of or behind the battery module 1 face each other. When the battery cell 21 catches fire, heat, flames, and exhaust gases are discharged, and as the heat, flames, and exhaust gases move toward another adjacent battery module, the heat of the battery module 1 is transferred to another adjacent battery module, and a continuous fire may occur. In particular, when the electrode lead 211 protrudes in the length direction X2 of the battery cell 21, and the terminal 5 and the terminal exposure portion 51 are located at the end in the length direction X1 of the battery module 1, there is a greater risk of continuous fires similar to those described above.

[0124] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a structure of a battery module including a terminal, a terminal exposure portion facing upward, and a sealing portion, the sealing portion including a first sealing portion facing upward when a battery cell stack is accommodated in a case and a second sealing portion having a stronger sealing strength than the first sealing portion.

[0125] [First embodiment]

[0126] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a battery module in which a negative terminal and a positive terminal protrude on an upper surface of a case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 , the terminal 5 may be exposed upward through the terminal exposure portion 51 provided at the top plate 43 of the housing 4. The terminal exposure portion 51 and the terminal 5 may be provided at one end in the length direction of the top plate 43 and arranged in an aligned manner along the width direction of the housing.

[0127] Therefore, in the battery module according to this embodiment, when the battery module 1 catches fire, since there is no open end plate 42 and terminal exposure portion 51 facing upward, heat, flame and exhaust gas can be guided toward the upper side where the terminal 5 and the terminal exposure portion 51 are provided, rather than toward the end plate 42. Therefore, since heat, flame and exhaust gas are discharged upward, rather than in the front-rear direction, the risk of continuous fire caused by transferring heat to other adjacent battery modules can be reduced.

[0128] Figure 7 Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a negative electrode lead and a positive electrode lead face upward and a welding area of ​​a first sealing portion is smaller than a welding area of ​​a second sealing portion. Figure 7 , the sealing portion 213 may include a first sealing portion 213 a and a second sealing portion 213 b having a stronger sealing strength than the first sealing portion 213 a .

[0129] The first sealing portion 213a and the second sealing portion 213b may have different sealing strengths in different ways. In order to have a difference in sealing strength, the first sealing portion 213b may have a relatively weaker sealing strength than the second sealing portion 213b, so that when the internal pressure of the battery cell 21 increases due to the ignition of the battery cell 21, the first sealing portion 213b opens first, thereby guiding the heat, flames and exhaust gas caused by the ignition to be discharged through the opening of the first sealing portion 213a.

[0130] Here, the first sealing portion 213a may be disposed to face upward when the battery cell stack 2 is accommodated in the housing 4. Therefore, in the battery module according to this embodiment, heat, flame, and exhaust gas generated in the event of a fire in the battery cell 21 are exhausted upward relative to the battery cell stack 2 through the portion where the first sealing portion 213a is disposed, and are also exhausted upward relative to the battery module 1 through the portion where the terminal 5 and the terminal exposure portion 51 are disposed.

[0131] In addition, the first seal 213a can have a smaller weld seal area than the second seal 213b. For example, this can be achieved by using a sealing tool that applies pressure and heat to the seal 213 in a manner that the area of ​​the first seal 213a is smaller than the area of ​​the second seal 213b.

[0132] [Second embodiment]

[0133] Return to reference Figure 7 , in addition to the first embodiment, the electrode lead 211 may include a positive electrode lead 211 a and a negative electrode lead 211 b protruding from one side in the width direction Y2 of the battery cell 21 .

[0134] In addition, the first seal portion 213a may be provided at one end portion in the width direction Y2 of the battery cell 21, and the second seal portion 213b may be provided at both ends in the length direction X2 of the battery cell 21. Alternatively, the first seal portion 213a may be provided at the middle portion of one end portion in the width direction of the battery cell 21, both ends in the width direction of the battery cell 21, or a portion from which the electrode lead 211 of the battery cell 21 protrudes, and the second seal portion 213b may be provided in a region other than the region where the first seal portion 213a is provided.

[0135] Therefore, in a battery cell according to an embodiment, when the internal pressure of the battery cell 21 rises due to the heat, flame, and exhaust gas generated when the battery cell 21 catches fire, the seal of one side in the width direction of the sealing portion 213 (the portion from which the electrode lead 211 of the battery cell 21 protrudes) and the seal of the first sealing portion 213a are more easily released than the rest of the sealing portion, so that the heat, flame, and exhaust gas can be guided toward one side in the width direction of the battery cell 21 to be discharged from the interior of the battery cell 21.

[0136] Figure 8 The present invention includes an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 An exploded perspective view of a battery module having a battery cell and having a plate-shaped busbar frame interposed between a battery cell stack and a top plate. Figure 8 The battery cell stack 2 stacked with the battery cells 21 can be accommodated in the housing 4 with one side of the battery cells 21 facing upward in the width direction. Therefore, the positive lead 211a and the negative lead 211b can be arranged in an aligned manner along the width direction Y1 of the battery module 1 above the upper surface of the battery cell stack 2.

[0137] The busbar frame 3 may be interposed between the battery cell stack 2 and the top plate 43. The portion of the busbar frame 3 connected to the electrode lead 211 and the terminal 5 may be made of a conductive material such as metal, and the remaining lower portion may have a plate shape and be made of a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin. The synthetic resin may include a flame-retardant synthetic resin. Therefore, the busbar frame 3 may be connected downward to the electrode lead 211 and upward to the terminal 5.

[0138] The terminal 5 may be exposed upward through the terminal exposure portion 51 provided on the top plate 43 of the housing 4. For example, the terminal exposure portion 51 and the terminal 5 may be arranged at one end in the length direction of the top plate 43 and aligned in the width direction Y1.

[0139] Therefore, in the battery module according to this embodiment, when the relatively weak seal of the portion adjacent to the lead 211 and the first seal 213a in the seal portion 213 of the battery cell 21 is released, the heat, flame, and exhaust gas generated during the ignition of the battery cell 21 are guided and discharged above the direction in which the electrode lead 211 protrudes. In addition, the terminal 5 and the terminal exposure portion 551 are provided on the top plate 43 and face upward, so that the heat, flame, and exhaust gas from the battery cell 21 are guided and discharged above the battery module 1 through the terminal exposure portion 51. Since the heat, flame, and exhaust gas are discharged upward, rather than forward and backward, the risk of continuous fire caused by transferring heat to other adjacent battery modules can be reduced.

[0140] In addition, since the electrode lead 211 faces upward, the electrode lead 211 and the busbar frame 3 are not provided on both sides of the length direction X2 of the battery cell stack 2, and can be flat. Therefore, the space utilization of the battery module 1 can be maximized, and a battery module with a larger capacity relative to the volume can be provided.

[0141] [Third embodiment]

[0142] Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery module in which an end plate and a first frame are integrally manufactured as a box frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 In addition to the second embodiment, the end plate 42 and the U-shaped frame 41 may be integrally formed into a box frame 44 having an open top.

[0143] Since the electrode lead 211, the busbar frame 3 and the terminal 5 are arranged on the top plate 43 instead of the end plate 42, this structure is convenient for application. When the electrode lead 211, the busbar frame 3 and the terminal 5 are arranged on the end plate 42 integrally formed with the U-shaped frame 41, it is difficult to assemble the battery cell stack 2, the busbar frame 3 and the terminal 5 having protrusions on both sides in the length direction thereof in the box frame 44 with only the top open. However, the battery cell stack 2, the busbar frame 3 and the terminal 5 according to the embodiment without protrusions on both sides in the length direction and the width direction thereof can be accommodated in the box frame 44 only by inserting downward into the box frame 44 with only the top open.

[0144] In the battery module according to the embodiment, this structure reduces the risk of the end plate 42 falling off from the housing 4 in the event of a fire in the battery module 1, and also greatly reduces the risk of the end plate 42 and the three side joint areas of the U-shaped frame 41 being joined to each other on both sides in the length direction thereof being separated due to the increase in the internal pressure of the housing 4. Therefore, the risk of continuous fire caused by the heat, flame, and exhaust gas generated in the event of a fire in the battery module 1 is discharged from the end plate 42, and the heat, flame, and exhaust gas can be further guided to be discharged upward.

[0145] [Fourth embodiment]

[0146] Fig.10 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery module in which the end plate and the top plate are integrally manufactured as a second U-shaped frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.10 In addition to the second embodiment, the end plate 42 and the top plate 43 may be integrally formed into a U-shaped frame having an open front end, an open rear end, and an open bottom. Hereinafter, the U-shaped frame 41 is referred to as a first U-shaped frame 41, and a U-shaped frame integrally formed by the end plate 42 and the top plate 43 is referred to as a second U-shaped frame 45.

[0147] The second U-shaped frame 45 may be made of a metal material. However, the U-shaped frame 41 may be made of any material.

[0148] The second U-shaped frame 45 may be manufactured by plastically deforming a single metal plate by pressing. Alternatively, the second U-shaped frame 45 may be manufactured by joining the end plates 42 and the top plate 43. The joining may be achieved by various methods such as welding, friction fitting, or bolting.

[0149] In the battery module according to the embodiment, the above structure reduces the risk of the end plate 42 falling off from the housing 4 in the event of a fire in the battery module 1, and also significantly reduces the risk of the junction area between the end plate 42 and the top plate 43 being detached due to the increase in the internal pressure of the housing 4. Therefore, the risk of the heat, flames, and exhaust gases generated in the event of a fire in the battery module 1 being discharged toward the end plate 42 and causing continuous fires in other adjacent battery modules is also reduced, and the heat, flames, and exhaust gases can be further directed upward relative to the battery module 1.

[0150] In addition, when the first U-shaped frame 41 and the second U-shaped frame 45 are manufactured by plastically deforming a single metal plate by pressing, all components of the housing 4 can be provided by only two pressing processes, which results in a manufacturing advantage.

[0151] [Fifth embodiment]

[0152] Fig.11 and Fig.12 1 is a perspective view and a schematic diagram showing a battery cell in which the number of times the first sealing portion is welded and sealed is less than the number of times the second sealing portion is welded and sealed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.11 and Fig.12 In the first to fourth embodiments, the number of times the first sealing portion 213a is welded and sealed may be less than the number of times the second sealing portion 213b is welded and sealed. For example, this may be achieved by subjecting the first sealing portion 213a to only one seal S and subjecting the second sealing portion 213b to two seals S1 and S2 having the same area or different areas.

[0153] [Sixth embodiment]

[0154] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram showing a battery cell in which folding and tape are applied only to the second sealing portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.13 In the first to fourth embodiments, the second sealing portion 213b may be folded and taped, and the first sealing portion 212a may not be processed. Here, the folding may be a double-sided folding method in which the second sealing portion is folded by curling it twice or more.

[0155] Fig.14 and Fig.15 2 are schematic diagrams respectively showing a battery pack including a battery module and a vehicle including the battery pack. Fig.14 and Fig.15 The present disclosure may provide a battery pack P including a battery module 1 and a vehicle V on which the battery pack P is mounted. Since manufacturing methods of the battery pack P and the vehicle V described above are well known to those skilled in the art, descriptions thereof are omitted herein.

[0156] It should be understood that the described embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive in all aspects, and the scope of the present disclosure will be represented by the following claims rather than the detailed description described. And the meaning and scope of the claims to be described later and all changes and modifications derived from equivalent concepts should be interpreted as included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0157] Embodiments are described above with reference to their multiple illustrative embodiments. However, the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments and drawings set forth herein, and those skilled in the art may obtain many other modifications and embodiments within the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, although not explicitly described in the description of the embodiments, the effects and predictable effects based on the configurations in the present disclosure are also included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery module, the battery module being housed in a battery pack, having a plurality of battery modules connected to each other and arranged side by side in a front-to-rear direction or a left-to-right direction, the battery module comprising: case; a battery cell stack accommodated in the housing, the battery cell stack including stacked battery cells; a bus bar frame that electrically connects electrode leads provided in the battery cells of the respective stacks constituting the battery cell stack body to each other; and a positive terminal and a negative terminal electrically connected to the busbar frame, each of the positive terminal and the negative terminal protruding above the upper surface of the case, Wherein, the battery cell comprises: Electrode assembly; electrode leads; and a soft pack containing the electrode assembly and having a welded seal portion having the electrode lead protruding from the welded seal portion, The weld seal portion includes a first seal portion and a second seal portion having a seal strength greater than that of the first seal portion, and The first sealing portion faces upward in a state where the battery cell stack is accommodated in the case.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are arranged along one end portion in the length direction of the upper surface of the case and aligned with each other in the width direction of the case.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The electrode leads include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead. The positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead protrude from one side in the width direction of the battery cell, The first sealing portion is provided on at least a portion of one end portion in the width direction of the battery cell, and The battery cell stack is accommodated in the case, and the one side of the battery cells in the width direction faces upward.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The welding area of ​​the first sealing portion is smaller than the welding area of ​​the second sealing portion.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The number of times the first sealing portion is welded and sealed is smaller than the number of times the second sealing portion is welded and sealed.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The second seal portion is folded and taped after the weld sealing, and the first seal portion is not folded and taped.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The bus bar frame has a plate shape and is interposed between the battery cell stack and the upper surface of the case.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein: The bus bar frame includes a flame retardant synthetic resin.

9. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The housing comprises: a first U-shaped frame having an open top, an open front end, and an open rear end; a pair of end plates, the pair of end plates respectively covering the open front end portion and the open rear end portion of the first U-shaped frame; and A top plate covers the open top of the first U-shaped frame.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: The pair of end plates and the first U-shaped frame are integrally formed into a box frame having an open top.

11. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: The pair of end plates and the top plate are integrally formed into a second U-shaped frame having an open bottom, an open front end, and an open rear end.

12. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein: The first U-shaped frame and the second U-shaped frame are manufactured by plastically deforming a single metal plate through pressing.

13. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein: The first U-shaped frame and the second U-shaped frame are joined to each other by welding.

14. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1.

15. A vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 14.

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