Battery module and method for manufacturing battery module

Abstract

Provided are a battery module including an electronic component in which manufacturing costs of the electronic component can be reduced and an increase in volume of the electronic component can be suppressed by improving a structure of the electronic component, and a method of manufacturing the same. The battery module may include a voltage measurement circuit electrically connected to the battery cells to measure a voltage of the battery cells, the voltage measurement circuit including a main circuit manufactured using a first method, and a fuse electrically connected to the main circuit and manufactured using a second method different from the first method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One or more embodiments relate to a battery module, and to a circuit configuration for measuring temperatures of a plurality of battery cells of the battery module. Background Art

[0002] Unlike non-rechargeable primary batteries, secondary batteries are rechargeable and dischargeable. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small portable electronic devices such as smart phones, feature phones, notebook computers, digital cameras, and video cameras, and high-capacity secondary batteries are used as motor drive power sources for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, etc., energy storage batteries, etc. The secondary battery may include an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a housing that accommodates the electrode assembly, an electrode terminal connected to the electrode assembly, etc.

[0003] The above information disclosed in the art used as background for the present disclosure is only for enhancement of understanding of the present disclosure and may include information that does not constitute prior art.

[0004] The battery module includes a plurality of battery cells. The battery module is configured to measure voltage to identify the state of charge of each of the plurality of battery cells. Examples of electronic components that measure the voltage of each battery cell may include a wiring harness, a flexible printed circuit assembly (FPCA), and the like. Conventionally, a wiring harness has been used as an electronic component. However, as the number of battery cells in a battery module increases, it has become difficult to use the structure using a wiring harness due to the large volume of the structure. FPCA may be used as a substitute for the wiring harness. However, since the manufacturing process of FPCA is complicated compared to the manufacturing process of the wiring harness, the manufacturing cost of FPCA is high. Summary of the invention

[0005] One or more embodiments include a battery module including an electronic component, in which the manufacturing cost of the electronic component can be reduced and the increase in the volume of the electronic component can be suppressed by improving the structure of the electronic component.

[0006] However, aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other aspects not mentioned through the description of the present disclosure described below. Other aspects will be partially set forth in the description below, and will be partially apparent through the description, or can be learned by practicing the embodiments presented in the present disclosure.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments, a battery module includes a voltage measuring circuit electrically connected to a battery cell to measure a voltage of the battery cell, the voltage measuring circuit including a main circuit manufactured using a first method, and a fuse electrically connected to the main circuit and manufactured using a second method different from the first method.

[0008] According to another embodiment, the main circuit may include a conductor portion (or conductor part), which may be a cut thin metal plate and may be attached to a flexible non-conductive resin plate. This may be the result of the first method. This enables the use of a flexible die cutting (FDC) method to produce and apply a specialized physical process. In other words, the voltage measurement circuit may include: a main circuit having a conductor portion, the conductor portion including a cut thin metal plate forming a circuit on a flexible non-conductive resin plate; and a fuse electrically connected to the main circuit. The flexible non-conductive resin plate may also be referred to as an FDC film resin.

[0009] In the present disclosure, thin may include values ​​in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm.

[0010] According to another embodiment, the main circuit may have a structure in which the main circuit pattern is attached to an FDC film resin or a flexible non-conductive resin sheet. The conductor portion may form the main circuit pattern, in which case the main circuit pattern is then the circuit of the main circuit.

[0011] According to another embodiment, the width of the main circuit pattern (or in other words, the fine pattern) of the main circuit may be at least about 0.3 mm. The main circuit pattern may be a circuit of the main circuit or a part of a circuit of the main circuit. The main circuit pattern may include a cutout.

[0012] The first method may include a flexible die cutting (FDC) method.

[0013] According to the FDC method, the conductor portion of the main circuit can be manufactured by cutting a thin metal plate using a roller die, and by attaching the cut metal plate to a flexible non-conductive resin plate.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the fuse may include a fuse pattern (or in other words, a fine pattern) formed and / or attached to the FPC film resin. This may be the result of the second method. In other words, the voltage measurement circuit may include a fuse having a fuse pattern forming a circuit on the FPC film resin and a main circuit electrically connected to the fuse.

[0015] According to another embodiment, the fuse can be individually provided as a reel-based sample section. A reel-based sample section refers to a plurality of fuses wound into a curled structure that can be manufactured in the form of a plurality of reel-based sample sections. A reel-based sample that can have a curled structure can be used by unwinding and cutting it into individual sections. The fuse can be configured with a fuse pattern formed on the FPC film resin.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the width of the fuse pattern of the fuse may be about 0.08 mm or less.The fuse pattern may be a circuit of the fuse or a part of a circuit of the fuse.

[0017] According to another embodiment, a width of a main circuit pattern of the main circuit may be greater than a width of a fuse pattern of the fuse.

[0018] The second method may include a flexible printed circuit (FPC) method.

[0019] The main circuit and the fuse may be electrically coupled to each other by thermal fusion.

[0020] The main circuit and the fuse may be electrically coupled to each other through surface mounting technology (SMT).

[0021] The main circuit and the fuse may be electrically coupled to each other by riveting.

[0022] The thickness of the fuse can be smaller than the thickness of the main circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings attached to this specification illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present disclosure described later, are used to provide a further understanding of aspects of the present disclosure, and thus the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the matters shown in such drawings.

[0024] The above and other aspects of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent through the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 Schematically illustrates the construction of a voltage measurement circuit of a battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 The fuse of the voltage measuring circuit shown in FIG. 1 is separated from the main circuit of the voltage measuring circuit; Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the state before the fuse and the main circuit are connected to each other. Figure 3 the corresponding cross-sectional views; and Figure 5 The process of machining the main circuit pattern using the flexible die cutting (FDC) method is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] By referring to the detailed description and drawings of the embodiments, it is easier to understand the aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure and the methods for implementing them. The described embodiments are provided as examples so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the aspects of the present disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Therefore, redundant, irrelevant or unrelated to the description of the embodiments, or processes, elements and techniques that are not necessary for a person of ordinary skill in the art to fully understand the aspects of the present disclosure can be omitted. Unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals, characters or combinations thereof represent the same elements throughout the drawings and written descriptions, and therefore, their repeated descriptions can be omitted.

[0026] The described embodiments may have various modifications and may be embodied in different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments shown here. The use of "may", "can" or "may not" when describing an embodiment corresponds to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The present disclosure encompasses all modifications, equivalents and replacements within the conceptual and technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, each aspect of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with each other in part or in whole, and various interlocks and drives are technically possible. Each embodiment may be implemented independently of one another, or may be implemented together in association.

[0027] In the drawings, the relative sizes of elements, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. In addition, the use of cross-hatching and / or shading in the drawings is generally provided to make the boundaries between adjacent elements clear. As such, unless otherwise stated, the presence or absence of cross-hatching or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for specific materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the elements shown, and / or any other characteristics, attributes, properties, etc. of the elements.

[0028] Various embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional views that are schematic illustrations of embodiments and / or intermediate structures. Therefore, variations in the illustrated shapes due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are expected. In addition, for the purpose of describing embodiments according to the concepts of the present disclosure, the specific structural or functional descriptions disclosed herein are merely illustrative. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein should not be interpreted as being limited to the illustrated shapes of elements, layers, or regions, but rather include shape deviations caused by, for example, manufacturing.

[0029] For ease of explanation, spatial relative terms such as "under...", "below...", "lower", "under...", "under...", "above...", "upper", "upper side", etc. may be used here to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another (some) element or feature as shown in the figure. It will be understood that, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure, the spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or in operation. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, the element described as "under", "under" or "below" other elements or features will then be oriented to be "above" the other elements or features. Therefore, the example terms "under..." and "under..." can cover both upper and lower orientations. The device can be oriented in addition (for example, rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used here should be interpreted accordingly. Similarly, when the first part is described as being arranged "on" the second part, this means that the first part is arranged on the upper or lower side of the second part based on the direction of gravity without being limited to its upper side. Furthermore, the phrase "in a schematic cross-sectional view" means when a schematic cross-section taken by vertically cutting a subject portion is viewed from the side.

[0030] It will be understood that when an element, layer, region, or component is referred to as being "formed on," "on" another element, layer, region, or component, "connected to," or "(operably or communicatively) coupled to" another element, layer, region, or component, it may be directly formed on, directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element, layer, region, or component, or indirectly formed on, indirectly on, indirectly connected to, or indirectly coupled to the other element, layer, region, or component, such that one or more intervening elements, layers, regions, or components may exist. Additionally, this may be collectively referred to as direct or indirect coupling (or connection) and integral or non-integral coupling (or connection). For example, when a layer, region, or component is referred to as being "electrically connected" or "electrically coupled" to another layer, region, or component, it may be directly electrically connected or directly electrically coupled to the other layer, region, and / or component, or one or more intervening layers, regions, or components may exist. One or more intervening components may include switches, resistors, and / or capacitors, etc. When describing the embodiments, unless explicitly described as directly connected, the expression of connection indicates electrical connection, and "directly connected / directly coupled to" or "directly on" means that one component is directly connected or directly coupled to another component, or is directly on another component without intervening components.

[0031] In addition, in this specification, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is formed on another part, the formation direction is not limited to the upper direction, but includes forming the part on the side surface or in the lower direction. On the contrary, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is formed "below" another part, this includes not only the case where the part is "directly under" another part, but also the case where there is another part between the part and the other part. At the same time, other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between...", "directly between..." or "adjacent to..." and "directly adjacent to..." can be similarly interpreted. It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as "between" two elements or layers, it can be the only element or layer between the two elements or layers, or one or more intermediate elements or layers may also be present.

[0032] For the purposes of this disclosure, expressions such as "at least one of..." or "any one of..." or "one or more of...", when preceding or following a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements, without modifying the individual elements of the list. For example, "at least one of X, Y, and Z," "at least one of X, Y, or Z," "at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z," and "at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, or Z" may be interpreted as only X, only Y, only Z, any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z (such as XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ for example), or any variation thereof. Similarly, the expressions "at least one of A and B" and "at least one of A or B" may include A, B, or A and B. As used herein, "or" generally means "and / or", and the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items. For example, the expression "A and / or B" may include A, B, or A and B. Similarly, expressions such as "at least one of", "a plurality of", "one of", and other prepositional phrases before or after a list of elements modify the entire list of elements rather than the individual elements in the list.

[0033] It will be understood that, although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used here to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms do not correspond to a specific order, position or priority, but are only used to distinguish an element, member, component, region, area, layer, section or part from another element, member, component, region, area, layer, section or part. Therefore, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the first element, component, region, layer or part described below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part. Describing an element as a "first" element does not require or imply the presence of a second element or other elements. The terms "first", "second", etc. can also be used here to distinguish elements of different categories or groups. For simplicity, the terms "first", "second", etc. can respectively represent "first category (or first group)", "second category (or second group)", etc.

[0034] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one" and "one (kind / person)" are also intended to include plural forms, and plural forms are also intended to include singular forms. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprise", "include", "have" and variations thereof are used in this specification, the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components are indicated, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their groups are not excluded.

[0035] As used herein, the terms "substantially", "about", "approximately" and similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than as terms of degree, and are intended to explain the inherent deviations of measured or calculated values ​​that will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, "substantially" may include a range of + / -5% of the corresponding value. As used herein, "about" or "approximately" includes the stated value and refers to the acceptable deviation range of the specific value as determined by those of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" may refer to within one or more standard deviations, or within ±30%, ±20%, ±10%, ±5% of the stated value. In addition, when describing embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure".

[0036] In addition, any numerical range disclosed and / or described herein is intended to include all sub-ranges of the same numerical precision contained in the described range. For example, the range of "1.0 to 10.0" is intended to include all sub-ranges between the described minimum value 1.0 and the described maximum value 10.0 (and including the described minimum value 1.0 and the described maximum value 10.0), that is, with a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limit described here is intended to include all lower numerical limits contained therein, and any minimum numerical limit described in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits contained therein. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to modify this specification and claims to explicitly describe any sub-range contained in the scope explicitly described here. All such ranges are intended to be inherently described in this specification so that the modification of any such sub-range is explicitly described to meet the requirements.

[0037] 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 present disclosure belongs. It will also be understood that terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and / or this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0038] Figure 1 The structure of a voltage measurement circuit of a battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 The fuse of the voltage measurement circuit shown in FIG. 1 is separated from the main circuit of the voltage measurement circuit. Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along line III-III shown in FIG. Figure 4 is with Figure 3 Correspondingly, it is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the fuse and the main circuit are combined with each other. Figure 5 The process of machining the main circuit pattern using the flexible die cutting (FDC) method is schematically shown.

[0039] Reference Figures 1 to 5 In one or more embodiments, a battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery cells. The battery module may include a voltage measurement circuit 20 electrically connected to each of the plurality of battery cells. In one or more embodiments, the voltage measurement circuit 20 may be mounted to be coupled to, for example, a cell holder. The voltage measurement circuit 20 may include a main circuit 30 and a fuse 40.

[0040] The main circuit 30 may constitute a large part of the voltage measurement circuit 20. The main circuit 30 may be manufactured using a first method. The first method may be an FDC method. According to the FDC method, the conductor portion of the circuit may be manufactured by cutting a thin metal plate using a roller die and attaching the cut metal plate to a flexible non-conductive resin plate. The FDC method may include only physical processes. As a result, unlike a general printed circuit board manufacturing method, the FDC method does not require processes such as photomasks, development, etching, etc. As a result, the FDC method may be performed at a cost much lower than that of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) method. The width of a fine pattern manufactured using the FDC method may be at least about 0.3 mm. If the circuit appropriately includes a fine pattern having a width less than 0.3 mm, it may be difficult to use the FDC method. The main circuit 30 may have a structure in which a main circuit pattern 32 is attached to an FDC film resin 34 (or in other words, a flexible non-conductive resin plate 34). The main circuit pattern 32 may be formed by being physically cut using a roller die. Figure 5 Schematically depicting a process of forming the main circuit pattern 32 when the metal sheet passes between the upper roll 100 and the lower roll 200 , which may include uneven patterns on their surfaces, respectively.

[0041] The fuse 40 may be electrically connected to the main circuit 30. The fuse 40 may constitute a safety device in the battery module for reducing or preventing the spread of fire to nearby circuits in the event of overcurrent and / or short circuit. The width of the fine pattern of the circuit of the fuse 40 may be about 0.08 mm or less. If the width of the fine pattern of the fuse 40 exceeds about 0.08 mm, the fuse 40 may not be satisfactorily used as a fuse. The fuse 40 may be manufactured using a method different from the first method. The fuse 40 may be manufactured using a second method different from the first method. For example, the fuse 40 may be manufactured using an FPC method. Since a chemical process is applied to the FPC method, a fine pattern width of about 0.08 mm or less may be achieved. In terms of manufacturing cost, the fuse 40 is more expensive than the main circuit 30. The fuse 40 may be individually provided as a reel-based sample. A reel-based sample refers to a plurality of fuses that can be wound into a coiled structure. A fuse sample having a coiled structure may be used by unwinding and cutting it. The fuse 40 may be configured with a fuse pattern 42 formed on an FPC film resin 44. Like a general FPC manufacturing method, the fuse pattern 42 may be formed by a chemical process such as masking, developing, etching, etc.

[0042] The main circuit 30 and the fuse 40 may be electrically coupled to each other by thermal fusion. The main circuit 30 and the fuse 40 may be electrically coupled to each other using surface mount technology (SMT). An example of SMT may be a welding-based coupling. The main circuit 30 and the fuse 40 may be electrically coupled to each other using rivets. The main circuit 30 and the fuse 40 may be electrically coupled to each other using various methods. The fuse 40 may be coupled to the main circuit 30 in the form of a patch.

[0043] The thickness of the fuse 40 may be smaller than that of the main circuit 30. The fuse 40 may be manufactured using a second method (eg, an FPC method) so that the thin line width of the circuit of the fuse 40 and the thickness of the fuse 40 may be smaller than those of the main circuit 30, respectively.

[0044] By using different manufacturing methods for the main circuit 30 and the fuse 40 of the voltage measurement circuit 20 to combine them with each other, the voltage measurement circuit 20 can have a hybrid structure. The voltage measurement circuit 20 having a hybrid structure can adopt the FPC method that provides high manufacturing cost only for appropriate parts, and can apply the FDC method that provides low manufacturing cost and a simple structure, thereby significantly suppressing the increase in volume of the electronic component if compared with the conventional construction of the electronic component based on the wiring harness. Compared with the comparative example of the voltage measurement circuit applying the FPC method, the voltage measurement circuit 20 having a hybrid structure can innovatively reduce its manufacturing cost, and can achieve a safety function of satisfactorily reducing or preventing the spread of fire.

[0045] Although the present disclosure has been described through some embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereby, and a person skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes within the technical spirit of the present disclosure and the equivalent scope of the appended claims set forth.

[0046] According to the present disclosure, in an electronic component for measuring the voltage of a battery cell of a battery module, a main circuit can be manufactured using a first method that provides a low manufacturing cost, and a fuse can be manufactured using a second method that provides a manufacturing cost higher than the manufacturing cost of the first method, while significantly reducing the manufacturing cost of the main circuit constituting a large part of the voltage measurement circuit compared to a main circuit manufactured using the FPC method, while reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic component of the battery module, and while maintaining a significantly small volume of the electronic component compared to a wiring harness.

[0047] However, aspects that can be obtained through the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects, and other aspects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art through the described description of the present disclosure.

[0048] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein should be considered only in a descriptive sense, and not for the purpose of limitation. The description of aspects within each embodiment should generally be considered to be applicable to other similar aspects in other embodiments. Although one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: A voltage measurement circuit is electrically connected to the battery cell to measure the voltage of the battery cell, and the voltage measurement circuit includes: a main circuit manufactured using a first method; and A fuse is electrically connected to the main circuit and is manufactured using a second method different from the first method.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The first method includes a flexible die cutting method.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The second method includes a flexible printed circuit method.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The main circuit and the fuse are electrically coupled to each other by thermal fusion.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The main circuit and the fuse are electrically coupled to each other through a surface mounting technology.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The main circuit and the fuse are electrically coupled to each other by riveting.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the fuse is smaller than the thickness of the main circuit.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The main circuit has a structure in which a main circuit pattern is attached to a flexible die-cut film resin, and / or wherein the fuse includes a fuse pattern formed on the flexible die-cut film resin.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The main circuit includes a conductor portion and a flexible non-conductive resin board, wherein the conductor portion is a cut metal plate forming a main circuit pattern attached to the flexible non-conductive resin board, and / or wherein the fuse includes a fuse pattern formed on a flexible die-cut film resin.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: A width of the main circuit pattern of the main circuit is at least 0.3 mm, and / or wherein a width of the fuse pattern of the fuse is 0.08 mm or less.

11. A method for manufacturing a battery module, the battery module comprising a voltage measurement circuit, the voltage measurement circuit being electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells and configured to measure a voltage of one or more of the plurality of battery cells, the voltage measurement circuit comprising a main circuit and a fuse electrically connectable to the main circuit, the method comprising the following steps: Manufacturing the main circuit using a first method; manufacturing the fuse using a second method different from the first method; as well as The voltage measurement circuit is electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first method includes a flexible die cutting method.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The second method includes a flexible printed circuit method.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The method further comprises: The main circuit and the fuse are electrically coupled to each other by thermal fusion.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The method further comprises: The main circuit and the fuse are electrically coupled to each other by a surface mounting technology.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The method further comprises: The main circuit and the fuse are electrically coupled to each other by riveting.

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