Battery module

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery module having an improved structure to ensure safety against thermal events and the like. A battery module according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a cell assembly having a plurality of stacked battery cells; a module case accommodating the cell assembly in an internal space thereof and having a vent hole formed therein; and an inner cover member covering a side surface having the vent hole in the module case, and having an inner rupture portion at a portion corresponding to the vent hole such that exhaust gas ejected from the cell assembly side can be discharged to the vent hole through the inner rupture portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0087933 filed in Korea on July 6, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0066698 filed in Korea on May 22, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the specifications and drawings of the above Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery, and more particularly, to a battery module with enhanced safety, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery module. Background Art

[0003] As the demand for portable electronic products such as smartphones, tablet computers, and smart watches is significantly increasing and electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, research on batteries installed in these vehicles, especially secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, is being actively conducted.

[0004] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries have almost no memory effect to ensure free charging and discharging compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, and lithium secondary batteries have attracted much attention due to their very low discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] Lithium secondary batteries mainly 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 positive and negative electrode plates coated with positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, are provided with a separator interposed therebetween; and an outer casing or battery casing, which is used to sealably accommodate the electrode assembly and the electrolyte.

[0006] Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be divided into can-type secondary batteries having an electrode assembly included in a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries having an electrode assembly included in a pouch of an aluminum laminate, according to the shape of the external material. In addition, can-type secondary batteries can be divided into cylindrical batteries and rectangular batteries according to their shapes. At present, it can be considered that secondary batteries (especially lithium secondary batteries) have three representative types: pouch type, rectangular type and cylindrical type.

[0007] Secondary batteries are widely used for driving or energy storage not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in large and medium-sized devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). In addition, as the electric vehicle-related industry has grown significantly in recent years, interest in batteries that can be regarded as core technologies is growing.

[0008] These secondary batteries may constitute a battery module in the form of a plurality of secondary batteries electrically connected and housed together in a module housing. In addition, a plurality of these battery modules may be connected to form a single battery pack.

[0009] In a battery module applied to a conventional battery such as a pouch-type battery, if a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs in one of the cells provided therein, heat propagation in which the event propagates to an adjacent cell may occur. In addition, if a plurality of battery modules are included in a battery pack, heat propagation may also occur between the battery modules. If such heat propagation occurs between cells and / or modules, problems such as flame exposure, rupture, or explosion may occur in the battery pack due to high heat energy.

[0010] In order to prevent these problems, it is urgent to develop a battery module or battery pack that can ensure high safety against the heat propagation phenomenon. Specifically, in the conventional technology, in order to solve these problems, a technology for preventing the spread of hot gas or flame between the battery module and the outside by applying a flame cover, etc. to the outside of the battery module has been applied. However, the structural coupling force between the flame cover attached to the module and the outside of the module is weak, so there are many cases where the flame cover is separated. Therefore, using this conventional technology, there is a problem that it is difficult to stably ensure the flame blocking effect on the battery module. Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the prior art, and therefore the present disclosure aims to provide a battery module and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery module, wherein the battery module has an improved structure to ensure safety from flames, gases, heat, sparks, etc. (hereinafter referred to as exhaust gases) generated inside or outside the battery module.

[0013] However, the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems described above, and other problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following disclosure.

[0014] Technical Solution

[0015] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery module is provided, comprising: a cell assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked on one another; a module housing configured to accommodate the cell assembly in an internal space and having an exhaust hole formed therein; and an inner cover member configured to cover a side surface having the exhaust hole formed therein at an inner side of the module housing, the inner cover member having an inner rupture portion formed in a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole, so that exhaust gas discharged from the cell assembly can be discharged to the exhaust hole through the inner rupture portion.

[0016] Here, the exhaust hole may be formed at an upper side of the module case, and the inner cover member may be located at an upper portion of the cell assembly.

[0017] In addition, the module case may include a U-shaped frame in which the bottom plate, the left plate, and the right plate are integrally formed, and a top plate coupled to the top of the U-shaped frame.

[0018] Furthermore, the inner rupture portion may be configured in the form of a notch.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner rupture portion may be formed in plural.

[0020] Furthermore, at least some of the plurality of internal rupture portions may be configured to have different rupture conditions.

[0021] Furthermore, the inner rupture portion may be configured to have different rupture conditions depending on positions in a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole.

[0022] In addition, the cell assembly may include a pouch-type cell as a battery cell, and the pouch-type cell may be configured so that a joining member for maintaining a folded structure of the sealing portion is partially attached to the sealing portion, and at least a portion of the portion not attached to the joining member is positioned to correspond to the inner rupture portion.

[0023] Furthermore, the inner cover member may have a protrusion protruding toward the battery cell assembly.

[0024] Furthermore, the inner cover member may be configured such that the inner rupture portion is relatively located in an outward direction.

[0025] Furthermore, the inner cover member may be formed to have a bent end such that the bent portion is interposed between the battery cell assembly and the module case.

[0026] Furthermore, the battery module according to the present disclosure may further include: an outer cover member configured to cover a side surface formed with the exhaust hole at an outer side of the module case, the outer cover member having an outer rupture portion provided in a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole.

[0027] Furthermore, the outer rupture portion may be inserted into the vent hole.

[0028] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided. The battery pack includes the battery module according to the present disclosure.

[0029] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes the battery module according to the present disclosure.

[0030] Beneficial Effects

[0031] According to the present disclosure, the safety of a battery module or a battery pack, or a device including the battery module or the battery pack (eg, an electric vehicle or an ESS) may be improved.

[0032] Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, thermal runaway propagation between battery cells or between battery modules can be prevented or delayed.

[0033] For example, when a thermal runaway occurs in one battery cell within a battery module, the exhaust gas (including heat, gas, flame, etc.) can be discharged through the exhaust holes provided on the top side of the battery module. At this time, it is possible to prevent the exhaust gas from affecting adjacent battery cells or adjacent battery modules through convection, radiation, conduction, etc.

[0034] Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the effect of blocking or suppressing heat transfer between adjacent battery cells or between adjacent battery modules can be stably ensured.

[0035] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the case where high-pressure exhaust gas is discharged from the battery cell due to thermal runaway, the cover member can be stably positioned between the battery cell and the module housing. Therefore, when the cover member protects the module housing, it is possible to prevent the problem that the structure of the module housing collapses due to flame or heat. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells or battery modules due to such structural collapse.

[0036] In addition to the above effects, the present disclosure may have various other effects, and these effects will be described in each embodiment, or any effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will not be described in detail. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the foregoing disclosure to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 4 is a view showing Figure 3 an enlarged view of part A1 of

[0042] Figure 5 and Figure 6is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an inner cover member according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an inner cover member and a top plate according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion in which a vent hole is formed in a battery module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Fig.10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of a battery module in which a vent hole is formed according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Fig.11 is shown along Fig.10 FIG. 5 is a diagram of a cross-sectional configuration along line A3-A3'.

[0047] Fig.12 and Fig.13 It is shown in sequence Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing that the inner rupture portion in the configuration is deformed and ruptured due to the pressure of the exhaust gas.

[0048] Fig.14 It is shown Fig.12 An enlarged view of the A6 section.

[0049] Fig.15 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a battery cell equipped in a battery cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Fig.16 is a perspective view showing an inner cover member according to another embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from a lower side.

[0051] Fig.17 It is shown Fig.16 A partially enlarged cross-sectional view of an inner cover member installed on the upper portion of a battery cell assembly.

[0052] Fig.18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Fig.19 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Fig. 20 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Fig.21 It is shown Fig. 20 An enlarged view of the A12 portion.

[0056] Fig. 22 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Fig.23 is shown in the connection Fig. 22 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where exhaust holes are formed in a battery module in a state of FIG.

[0058] Fig.24 is a schematic diagram showing some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Fig.25 is a schematic diagram showing some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Fig.26 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram showing deformation of an inner cover member and an outer cover member due to increase in internal pressure in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Fig. 27 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general meaning and dictionary meaning, but should be interpreted based on the meaning and concept 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.

[0063] Therefore, the descriptions presented herein are only preferred examples for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and it should be appreciated that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0064] At the same time, terms indicating directions such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "front" and "back" may be used in this specification, but these terms are only for convenience of description, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms may change according to the position, displacement or rotation of the target object or the position of the observer.

[0065] Furthermore, various embodiments are included in this specification, and any features that may be identically or similarly applied to different embodiments will not be described in detail, but features that are different for each embodiment will be described in detail.

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a battery module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing some components of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a battery module according to the present disclosure includes a battery cell assembly 100 , a module case 200 , and an inner cover member 300 .

[0068] The battery cell assembly 100 may include at least one battery cell 110 (specifically, a plurality of battery cells 110). Here, each battery cell 110 may represent a secondary battery itself, or may represent a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries. This specification will be described based on the case where the battery cell 110 represents a secondary battery.

[0069] The battery cell 110 (i.e., each secondary battery) may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a battery case. At this time, the battery case may be configured to have various shapes, and the battery cell 110 may be divided into a pouch-type cell, a cylindrical cell, a rectangular cell, and the like, according to the shape of the battery case. The type, shape, structure, and the like of the battery cell 110 are well known at the time of filing this application, and therefore will not be described in detail. In the present disclosure, various types of secondary batteries known at the time of filing this application may be applied. In addition, the battery cell 110 may be a lithium secondary battery, but of course may also be various other types of secondary batteries.

[0070] In the battery cell assembly 100, a plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked on top of each other in at least one direction. Figure 2 As shown, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked to be arranged in a horizontal direction, particularly in a left-right direction (X-axis direction). In addition, the plurality of battery cells 110 disposed in the battery cell assembly 100 may be electrically connected to each other in series and / or in parallel.

[0071] Meanwhile, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, the X-axis direction in which the plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked is referred to as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the horizontal direction orthogonal to the cell stacking direction is referred to as the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane is referred to as the up-down direction (vertical direction). In addition, in the case where the cell is a bag-type cell, the Y-axis direction may be referred to as the longitudinal direction of the cell. In addition, the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction may also be referred to as the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction, respectively.

[0072] Each battery cell 110 may have an electrode terminal 111. For example, Figure 2As shown, each pouch-type battery cell provided in the battery cell assembly 100 may have an electrode terminal 111 provided to protrude in the front-rear direction. The electrode terminal 111 may be referred to as an electrode lead, an electrode connector, etc. A plurality of battery cells 110 may be electrically connected to each other in series or in parallel through the electrode terminal 111. In addition, the battery module may further include a bus bar 120, etc., to facilitate connection between the plurality of electrode terminals 111 or to sense electrical signals from the electrode terminal 111.

[0073] The module housing 200 may be configured to have an empty space formed therein and to accommodate a plurality of battery cell assemblies 100 in the internal space. For example, the module housing 200 may include components for covering the upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side of the internal space. Specifically, the components for covering each direction may be configured in a plate shape. In addition, the battery cell assembly 100 may be located in the internal space of the module housing 200 defined in this manner. The module housing 200 may be at least partially made of metal and / or plastic material. For example, a specific portion of the module housing 200 may be made of aluminum material. In addition, another portion of the module housing 200 may be made of plastic material.

[0074] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in H1 in FIG. 2 , the module housing 200 may have an exhaust hole formed therein. The exhaust hole H1 may be formed in at least one side of the module housing 200 and configured such that the module housing 200 passes through the exhaust hole H1 in the inward and outward directions. Therefore, the internal space and the external space of the module housing 200 may be connected through the exhaust hole H1. Specifically, the exhaust hole H1 may become an outlet through which exhaust gas (e.g., flame, gas, or spark) is discharged when exhaust gas is generated from the battery cell assembly 100 inside the module housing 200.

[0075] The inner cover member 300 may be located inside the module housing 200. That is, the inner cover member 300 may be accommodated in the inner space of the module housing 200 together with the battery cell assembly 100. In addition, the inner cover member 300 may be configured to cover the side surface where the exhaust hole H1 is formed. More specifically, the inner cover member 300 may be located in a portion where the exhaust hole H1 is formed among several spaces between the battery cell assembly 100 and the module housing 200. In other words, the inner cover member 300 may be arranged inside the side surface where the exhaust hole H1 is formed in the module housing 200.

[0076] The inner cover member 300 may include a fire-resistant material. For example, the inner cover member 300 may include a material such as mica, ceramics, or an inorganic material, or may be made of such a material.

[0077] The inner cover member 300 may have an inner rupture portion 301. In addition, the inner rupture portion 301 may be provided at a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole H1. Figure 1 As shown, in a state where the inner cover member 300 is installed inside the module housing 200, the inner cover member 300 may be configured so that the inner rupture portion 301 is located at a portion where the vent hole H1 is formed. In this case, when the surface of the module housing 200 is observed from the outside of the module housing 200, the inner rupture portion 301 may be exposed to the outside through the vent hole H1. When the battery module is in a normal state, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured in a sealed form. Therefore, even if the inner rupture portion 301 is exposed through the vent hole H1, the battery cell assembly 100 located inside the inner rupture portion 301 will not be exposed to the outside through the vent hole H1.

[0078] The inner rupture portion 301 may be configured to rupture by pressure or heat. Specifically, when a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs in at least one battery cell 110 provided in the battery cell assembly 100, exhaust gas may be discharged. In this specification, exhaust gas may be a broad concept, which includes not only gases discharged from battery cells due to thermal runaway, but also gases, flames, sparks, active material particles, etc. generated by combustion. The inner rupture portion 301 may be configured to rupture when such a thermal event occurs in the battery cell assembly 100. Specifically, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured to be at least partially ruptured by the pressure or heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell assembly 100. When the inner rupture portion 301 ruptures, the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell assembly 100 may be discharged to the exhaust hole H1 through the ruptured portion of the inner rupture portion 301. In this way, the inner cover member 300 may close the exhaust hole H1 of the module housing 200 in a normal state, and may rupture to open the exhaust hole H1 during thermal runaway. Therefore, exhaust gas exhausted from the battery cell assembly 100 may be exhausted to the outside of the module case 200 through the exhaust hole H1 .

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, heat propagation between battery modules can be suppressed by the inner cover member 300. For example, even if exhaust gas containing flames or the like is discharged from a specific battery module, since other adjacent battery modules are provided with the inner cover member 300 made of a fire-resistant material, damage to the battery cell assembly 100 inside the other battery modules due to the heat of the exhaust gas or the like can be suppressed.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, in a normal state, since the inner cover member 300 closes the vent hole H1, the cell assembly 100 is not exposed to the outside through the vent hole H1. Therefore, foreign matter outside the battery module can be prevented from flowing into the cell assembly 100 through the vent hole H1.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the inner cover member 300 that protects the module case 200 from exhaust gas or heat is located inside the module case 200 , a coupling force between the inner cover member 300 and the module case 200 may be stably ensured.

[0082] Specifically, even if the exhaust gas discharged from another battery module flows to the outside of the module housing 200, since the inner cover member 300 is located inside the module housing 200, the problem that the coupling force between the inner cover member 300 and the module housing 200 is weakened due to the exhaust gas outside can be prevented. Therefore, the inner cover member 300 can stably maintain its position without being separated from the module housing 200 to the outside.

[0083] In addition, even for a battery module in which a thermal event has occurred, the effect of preventing the inner cover member 300 from detaching can be ensured. For example, in the case of thermal runaway, if the exhaust gas is discharged in the external direction through the exhaust hole H1, the inner cover member 300 will be strongly pressurized by the exhaust gas in the external direction. However, in the configuration of the present disclosure, since the module housing 200 is located outside the inner cover member 300, the inner cover member 300 can be continuously supported in the internal direction without detaching in the external direction.

[0084] In addition, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the structural collapse of the module housing 200 in the event of a thermal event can be effectively prevented. Specifically, when thermal runaway occurs inside the battery module, exhaust gas and heat may be concentrated in the portion of the module housing 200 where the exhaust hole H1 is formed, so that the corresponding portion may collapse structurally. However, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner cover member 300 made of a refractory material is located inside the portion of the module housing 200 where the exhaust hole H1 is formed, so that the module housing 200 can be protected. Therefore, even in the case where the exhaust gas is discharged through the exhaust hole H1, the structural collapse of the side surface of the module housing 200 where the exhaust hole H1 is formed can be prevented. Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells 110 or between battery modules due to the structural collapse of the module housing 200 can be prevented.

[0085] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust hole H1 may be formed at the upper side of the module case 200. In this case, the inner cover member 300 may be located at the upper side of the battery cell assembly 100.

[0086] For example, when the module case 200 is formed in an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, six side surfaces may be formed in the module case 200. At this time, the exhaust hole H1 may be formed in the upper surface of the module case 200. In addition, the inner cover member 300 may be located above the cell assembly 100 and below the upper surface of the module case 200.

[0087] Specifically, the inner cover member 300 is in the form of a sheet and may be interposed between the battery cell assembly 100 and the module housing 200. For example, when a plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked in a horizontal direction, the inner cover member 300 may be located in the upper portion of the battery cell assembly 100 in the form of being laid in the horizontal direction. In this case, it may be considered that the inner cover member 300 is arranged parallel to the plane (XY plane) on which the plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked.

[0088] According to this embodiment, the high-temperature exhaust gas can quickly move to the exhaust hole H1 at the top and be discharged to the outside. Therefore, in the case of thermal runaway, the exhaust process of the battery module can be carried out more smoothly. In addition, in the battery cell assembly 100, when the electrode terminal 111 of each battery cell 110 or the module terminal of the battery module is located in the front-to-back direction, the exhaust gas can be suppressed from moving to the electrode terminal 111 or the module terminal. Therefore, the module bus bar and the like provided at the module terminal can be prevented from being damaged by the exhaust gas.

[0089] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the module housing 200 may include a U-shaped frame 210 and a top plate 220 .

[0090] Here, the U-shaped frame 210 can be configured in the form of three unit sides provided in the module housing 200 integrated with each other. Specifically, the U-shaped frame 210 can be configured so that the bottom plate 211, the left plate 212 and the right plate 213 are formed integrally in the module housing 200. That is, the bottom plate 211, the left plate 212 and the right plate 213 of the U-shaped frame 210 can be manufactured in the form of a plate from the beginning, but can be distinguished from each other by additional processes such as bending. For example, the U-shaped frame 210 can be configured in such a way that the left and right ends of a plate laid in the horizontal direction are bent vertically upward, respectively. The U-shaped frame 210 can be opened at the top, the front side and the rear side.

[0091] The top plate 220 may be coupled to the top opening of the U-shaped frame 210. In addition, the top plate 220 may have left and right ends coupled to the top of the left plate 212 and the top of the right plate 213 of the U-shaped frame 210. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust hole H1 may be formed in the top plate 220. At this time, the inner cover member 300 may be located at the lower portion of the top plate 220.

[0092] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the assembly efficiency of the battery module can be improved. Specifically, according to this embodiment, the assembly process of the battery module can be performed by first inserting the battery cell assembly 100 into the inner space of the U-shaped frame 210 at the upper portion of the U-shaped frame 210, then installing the inner cover member 300 to the upper portion of the battery cell assembly 100, and then installing the top plate 220 to the upper portion of the inner cover member 300.

[0093] According to this assembly process, the process of positioning the inner cover member 300 inside the module housing 200 can be easily performed. Specifically, in the process of positioning the inner cover member 300 inside the module housing 200, the friction or tolerance between the inner surface of the module housing 200 and the inner cover member 300 may not be considered too much. In addition, according to the assembly configuration, by making the inner cover member 300 and the top plate 220 in close contact to minimize the space therebetween, it is also possible to contribute to reducing the volume of the battery module.

[0094] In this embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the module case 200 may further include an end frame 230. The end frame 230 may be coupled to the open ends at the front and rear sides of the U-shaped frame 210 to close the front and rear sides of the inner space of the module case 200.

[0095] Specifically, the end frame 230 may be located in a direction where the electrode terminal 111 of each battery cell 110 included in the cell assembly 100 is located. In this case, in order to ensure insulation of the electrode terminal 111, the end frame 230 may include an electrically insulating material such as a plastic material.

[0096] The components constituting the module housing 200 (e.g., the U-shaped frame 210, the top plate 220, and the end frame 230) may be connected to each other in various ways (e.g., welding, inserting, bonding, and hooking). Specifically, all or some components of the module housing 200 may be made of or include aluminum to have excellent weldability, thereby facilitating weight reduction and stably ensuring cooling performance.

[0097] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing some components of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 3 It can be regarded as showing the state in which the top plate 220 is removed. Figure 1 implementation method.

[0098] Reference Figure 3, the inner cover member 300 may be configured to cover the top of the battery cell assembly 100. Specifically, when the battery cell assembly 100 is configured in the form of a plurality of battery cells 110 stacked in a horizontal direction, the inner cover member 300 may be configured to cover the tops of all battery cells 110 included in the battery cell assembly 100. In addition, the inner cover member 300 may be configured to have a shape and size that completely covers the upper side of the internal space defined by the U-shaped frame 210 and the end frame 230. For example, when the internal space defined by the U-shaped frame 210 and the end frame 230 is formed into a rectangular shape as viewed from the upper side, the inner cover member 300 may have a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape. In addition, the inner cover member 300 may be configured to have the same or similar shape, size, area, etc. as the top plate 220.

[0099] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, in the portion where the inner cover member 300 is located, the battery cell assembly 100 or the top plate 220 can be more stably protected from external factors of the battery module as a whole. For example, when the exhaust gas discharged from another battery module flows at the upper outer side of the battery module, more stable protection can be performed so that the exhaust gas does not affect the battery cell assembly 100 inside the battery module. Specifically, the problem of thermal damage to the battery cell assembly 100 inside the battery module or the propagation of thermal runaway caused by the heat of the external exhaust gas, etc., can be more reliably suppressed. In addition, in this case, the battery cell assembly 100 inside the battery module can be more reliably protected from foreign matter such as dust or conductors outside the battery module. In addition, in this case, the inner surface of the top plate 220 can be protected from the exhaust gas, heat, etc. generated inside the module housing 200.

[0100] When the battery module is in a normal state, the inner rupture portion 301 may be in a closed state. In this case, external exhaust gas or foreign matter can be prevented from flowing into the normal battery module through the exhaust hole H1. In addition, when an abnormal situation such as thermal runaway occurs inside the battery module, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured to rupture so that the internal exhaust gas can be discharged to the outside. That is, the inner rupture portion 301 can be transformed from a closed state to an open state by heat or exhaust gas. At this time, the inner rupture portion 301 can be ruptured in various forms so as to be able to penetrate the inner cover member 300 in the inner and outer directions.

[0101] Specifically, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured as a notch shape. Figure 4 This embodiment is described in more detail.

[0102] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 3 An enlarged view of part A1.

[0103] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The inner rupture portion 301 may be formed at at least one surface of the inner cover member 300. Specifically, the inner rupture portion 301 may be formed in a notch shape that is recessed inward from the surface of the inner cover member 300, such as Figure 4 For example, when the inner cover member 300 is configured in a sheet-like shape, the inner rupture portion 301 in a notch shape may be provided in a shape that partially reduces the thickness of the inner cover member 300 .

[0104] The notches N of the inner rupture portion 301 may be formed in a lattice shape. That is, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured in a form in which a plurality of notch lines prepared by extending the recessed notches N are formed so that the plurality of notch lines intersect with each other. For example, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured in a form in which at least one notch line extending in the left-right direction and at least one notch line extending in the front-rear direction are orthogonal to each other.

[0105] According to this embodiment, it is possible to more easily realize a configuration in which the inner rupture portion 301 is quickly ruptured in the case of thermal runaway, etc. Specifically, in this embodiment, in a normal state, the exhaust hole H1 is stably covered by the inner rupture portion 301, and the inner rupture portion 301 may be quickly ruptured due to the pressure of the exhaust gas, etc. In addition, in this embodiment, when the internal pressure increases, the inner cover member 300 may be more easily deformed due to the notch N. Therefore, due to the increase in the internal pressure, the inner rupture portion 301 may be more easily ruptured.

[0106] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the process of providing the notch N can be more easily performed. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the process of providing the inner rupture part 301 having a shape or size corresponding to the exhaust hole H1 can be easily achieved.

[0107] A notch N for forming the inner rupture portion 301 may be provided on the upper surface of the inner cover member 300. Figure 4 As shown, the inner rupture portion 301 may be formed in a downwardly concave shape on the upper surface of the inner cover member 300. In this case, it can be considered that the notch N is located on the side of the inner cover member 300 facing the exhaust hole H1. Therefore, the notch may be exposed to the outside of the module housing 200 through the exhaust hole H1.

[0108] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the exhaust gas is discharged from the battery cell assembly 100 inside the module housing 200, the inner rupture portion 301 of the inner cover member 300 can be quickly ruptured by the internal pressure of the exhaust gas. In an embodiment where the battery cell assembly 100 is located below the inner cover member 300, when the internal pressure increases due to the exhaust gas, the inner cover member 300 can be pressurized upward from the lower side. In this case, since the notch N is formed on the upper surface of the inner cover member 300, the inner rupture portion 301 can be quickly and smoothly ruptured by pressurization. At the same time, when the exhaust gas is discharged from another battery module and attempts to flow back through the exhaust hole H1, the inner cover member 300 can be pressurized downward from the upper side. At this time, since the notch N is not formed on the lower surface of the inner cover member 300, the inner rupture portion 301 will not be easily ruptured due to downward pressure. That is, according to this embodiment, it can be considered that the inner rupture portion 301 is configured to be easily ruptured due to the internal pressure (at the lower side) of the inner cover member 300, and not easily ruptured due to the external pressure (at the upper side).

[0109] The inner rupture part 301 may be formed in a plurality of the inner cover member 300. For example, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of inner rupture parts 301 spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction may be provided on the surface of the sheet-like inner cover member 300. In addition, each inner rupture part 301 may be formed by a plurality of notch lines.

[0110] In addition, a plurality of exhaust holes H1 may be formed in one module case 200. In addition, the inner rupture part 301 may be formed to correspond to each exhaust hole H1. For example, the inner rupture part 301 may be provided to correspond to the exhaust hole H1 in a one-to-one relationship.

[0111] According to this embodiment, even if exhaust gas is exhausted in any portion of the battery cell assembly 100 , the exhaust gas may be quickly exhausted to the outside through the inner rupture portion 301 and the exhaust hole H1 adjacent thereto.

[0112] Specifically, the inner cover member 300 may be configured such that at least one inner rupture portion 301 faces all of the battery cells 110 included in the battery cell assembly 100. Figure 2In the configuration shown, the battery cell assembly 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110 stacked in the left - right direction (X - axis direction). In addition, a plurality of exhaust holes H1 may also be arranged in the stacking direction (left - right direction) of the battery cells 110. In this case, it can be considered that the inner rupture portions 301 are provided directly corresponding thereto on the upper side of all the battery cells 110. Therefore, even if exhaust gas is generated in any of the battery cells 110, the exhaust gas can be smoothly discharged toward the exhaust holes H1 by rupturing the inner rupture portion 301 directly above it. In this embodiment, one inner rupture portion 301 may be arranged to correspond to one or more battery cells 110.

[0113] In addition, the inner cover member 300 may be configured such that two or more inner rupture portions 301 are arranged to correspond to one battery cell 110. For example, referring to Figure 2 , each battery cell 110 may be arranged longer in the front - rear direction (Y - axis direction) such that the electrode terminals 111 are located at the ends in the front - rear direction (Y - axis direction). At this time, two or more inner rupture portions 301 may also be arranged in the front - rear direction.

[0114] When observing one battery cell 110, it is difficult to accurately predict where the exhaust gas will be generated. Therefore, by arranging two or more inner rupture portions 301 to correspond to one battery cell 110 as in this embodiment, even if the exhaust gas is discharged in any part of the battery cell 110, the exhaust gas can be quickly discharged through the inner rupture portion 301 as close as possible.

[0115] In an embodiment where the inner cover member 300 includes a plurality of inner rupture portions 301, at least some of the rupture portions may have different rupture conditions. This will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 later.

[0116] Figure 5 and Figure 6 are perspective views schematically showing the configurations of the inner cover member 300 according to different embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0117] Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , in an embodiment where a plurality of inner rupture portions 301 are provided in one inner cover member 300, the rupture conditions of two or more inner rupture portions 301 may be configured differently. That is, when a plurality of inner rupture portions 301 are arranged in the horizontal direction, at least some of the inner rupture portions 301 may rupture under different conditions.

[0118] Here, the rupture condition of the inner rupture part 301 can be set by considering factors that may rupture the inner rupture part 301. For example, if the inner rupture part 301 ruptures due to pressure, the rupture condition can be set based on the magnitude of the pressure. That is, two or more inner rupture parts 301 can be configured to have different rupture pressure conditions. In this case, the two or more inner rupture parts 301 can rupture at different pressure magnitudes.

[0119] For two or more inner rupture parts 301, the rupture conditions can be set differently in various ways. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when the inner rupture part 301 has a plurality of notch lines, the rupture conditions of the inner rupture part 301 can be configured differently by forming the intervals between the notch lines and / or the number of notch lines differently. In this case, the inner rupture part 301 having a relatively narrow interval between the notch lines and a large number of notch lines can be set to have a lower rupture pressure than other inner rupture parts 301.

[0120] As another example, if the inner rupture part 301 is implemented in a notch manner, the notch depths of two or more inner rupture parts 301 may be configured differently. In this case, it can be considered that the inner rupture part 301 in which the notch depth is formed relatively deep can be set to have a lower rupture pressure than the other inner rupture parts 301.

[0121] As another example, by changing the width (horizontal length) of the notch, the inner rupture portion 301 can be configured to have different rupture conditions. In this case, the inner rupture portion 301 in which the notch width is formed relatively large can be set to have a lower rupture pressure than other inner rupture portions 301.

[0122] Specifically, the two or more inner rupture parts 301 may be configured to have different rupture conditions in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 and / or in the stacking direction of the battery cell 110. For example, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The inner cover member 300 shown may be Figure 2 and Figure 3 The inner cover member 300 shown in FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the drawings, the X-axis direction may be the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 , and the Y-axis direction may be the longitudinal direction of the battery cells 110 .

[0123] First, refer to Figure 5, a plurality of internal rupture parts 301 such as RY1, RY2, and RY3 may be spaced apart from each other along the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction) which is the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110. At this time, the internal rupture parts 301 arranged along the front-to-rear direction may be configured to rupture under different conditions. For example, the internal rupture part 301 indicated as RY1, the internal rupture part 301 indicated as RY2, and the internal rupture part 301 indicated as RY3 may respectively have notches formed to rupture under different pressure conditions.

[0124] In addition, the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 may be set to have a higher rupture condition than the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively on the center side. Figure 5 In the embodiment of, RY1 may be an inner rupture portion 301 relatively located outside compared to RY2. In this case, the inner rupture portion 301 indicated as RY1 may be configured to rupture under a higher pressure condition than the inner rupture portion 301 indicated as RY2. To this end, the intervals between the notch lines of RY1 may be formed wider than the intervals between the notch lines of RY2. In addition, the number of notch lines of RY1 may be formed to be less than the number of notch lines of RY2. In addition, since the inner rupture portion 301 indicated as RY2 is relatively located outside than the inner rupture portion 301 indicated as RY3, the rupture condition of RY2 may be formed to be higher than the rupture condition of RY3. In this case, the intervals between the notch lines of RY2 may be wider than the intervals between the notch lines of RY3. In addition, the number of notch lines of RY2 may be formed to be less than the number of notch lines of RY3.

[0125] In this embodiment, when a thermal runaway situation occurs at the battery cell assembly 100, the inner rupture portion 301 located on the central side in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 may be relatively first ruptured. Therefore, in the initial stage of thermal runaway, when the amount of exhaust gas discharged is not large, the exhaust gas is more likely to be discharged at the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 rather than at the outer portion. Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the effect of suppressing the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules can be improved. That is, it is very likely that other battery modules will be arranged adjacent to the outer portion in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110, and in this embodiment, the exhaust gas can be first discharged at a position as far away from other battery modules as possible.

[0126] Specifically, at the end of the battery cell 110 in the longitudinal direction, it is likely that the electrode terminal 111 of the battery cell 110 and the module terminal electrically connected to the electrode terminal 111 are arranged. In addition, in the portion where the module terminal is located, the module terminal of other battery modules is usually arranged adjacent thereto through a bus bar between modules. Therefore, as in this embodiment, if the exhaust gas is first discharged at the center side in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110, the problem of thermal runaway caused by the high temperature heat of the discharged exhaust gas propagating to other adjacent battery modules can be more reliably prevented.

[0127] Next, refer to Figure 6 , a plurality of internal rupture parts 301 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the left-right direction (X-axis direction) which is the stacking direction of the battery cells 110, as shown by RX1 and RX2. At this time, the internal rupture parts 301 arranged along the left-right direction may be configured to rupture under different conditions. For example, the internal rupture part 301 represented by RX1 and the internal rupture part 301 represented by RX2 may have notches formed therein to rupture under different pressure conditions, respectively.

[0128] In addition, the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively at the center side along the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 may be set to have a lower rupture condition than the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively at the outer side. Figure 6 In the embodiment of , RX2 may be an inner rupture portion 301 relatively located on the center side compared to RX1. In this case, the central inner rupture portion 301 indicated as RX2 may be configured to rupture under a lower pressure condition than the outer inner rupture portion 301 indicated as RX1. To this end, the intervals between the notch lines of RX2 may be formed narrower than the intervals between the notch lines of RX1, and the number of notch lines of RX2 may be formed greater than the number of notch lines of RX1.

[0129] In this embodiment, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell assembly 100, the inner rupture portion 301 located at the center side in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 may be relatively ruptured first. Therefore, the problem of thermal runaway propagating to other battery modules arranged outside the battery module in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 may be more effectively suppressed.

[0130] At the same time, Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the rupture conditions are differently formed in the inner rupture part 301 by changing the interval and number of the notch lines is described. However, as described above, the configuration of differently forming the rupture conditions can be achieved in various other ways (for example, by changing the depth or width of the notch).

[0131] As another example, the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively on the outer side in the longitudinal direction or the stacking direction of the battery cell 110 may be set to have a lower rupture condition than the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively on the center side. Figure 6 In an embodiment, the internal rupture portion 301 represented by RX1 and located on the outside in the stacking direction of the battery cell 110 can be set to have a lower rupture condition than another internal rupture portion 301 represented by RX2 (for example, by having a narrower interval between the notch lines, a larger notch depth, or a larger notch width).

[0132] Specifically, when the internal pressure of the battery module increases, the central portion of the module case 200 (e.g., the central portion of the top plate 220) may expand the most depending on the shape or material of the module case 200. In this case, the inner cover member 300 located on the inner side of the top plate 220 also receives the highest pressure at the central portion, so that the inner rupture portion 301 located on the central side may rupture first regardless of the position where thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell assembly 100.

[0133] For such a battery module, as in this embodiment, by setting the rupture condition of the inner rupture portion 301 located on the outside to be low, even if the exhaust gas is discharged at the outermost side of the battery cell assembly 100, the possibility that the exhaust gas is immediately discharged by the inner rupture portion 301 on the outside increases. Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust gas is not concentratedly discharged at a specific portion (central portion), but the exhaust gas can be discharged to the outside as quickly as possible at the location where the thermal runaway occurs.

[0134] Furthermore, in embodiments where the inner cover member 300 includes a plurality of inner rupture portions 301, at least some of the inner rupture portions may be configured to have different rupture sizes. Figure 7 A more detailed description is given.

[0135] Figure 7 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an inner cover member 300 and a top plate 220 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0136] Reference Figure 7 When a plurality of inner rupture parts 301 are formed in one inner cover member 300, two or more inner rupture parts 301 may be configured to have different rupture sizes (i.e., the size of the portion opened in the ruptured state). For example, two or more inner rupture parts 301 may be configured to have different sizes along the horizontal direction (X-axis direction or Y-axis direction).

[0137] In addition, the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively at the center side may be configured to have a larger rupture size than the inner rupture portion 301 located relatively at the outer side. Figure 7 In the embodiment, as shown by RY1', RY2' and RY3', a plurality of internal rupture portions 301 may be arranged in the front-rear direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110). At this time, the internal rupture portion 301 relatively closer to the center side may be formed to have a larger size than the internal rupture portion 301 relatively closer to the outer side. As a more specific example, RY2' relatively located on the center side may be formed to have a larger notch area than RY1'. In addition, RY3' relatively located on the center side may be formed to have a larger notch area than RY2'. At this time, the notch area may be made larger by increasing the length of the notch line or increasing the number of notch lines.

[0138] According to this embodiment, when the plurality of internal rupture portions 301 rupture, the emission amounts of the exhaust gas may be different in each part. Specifically, as Figure 7 in the embodiment, when the rupture size of the internal rupture portion 301 located on the center side increases, more exhaust gas may be emitted on the center side compared to the outer edge of the top plate 220. Therefore, the influence of the exhaust gas on other adjacent battery modules in the horizontal direction can be reduced.

[0139] In the embodiment in which the plurality of internal rupture portions 301 are formed with different rupture sizes, the exhaust holes H1 may also be formed to have different sizes. For example, as Figure 7 shown, a plurality of exhaust holes H1 may be formed in the top plate 220 arranged on the outer side (upper side) of the inner cover member 300 to respectively correspond to the plurality of internal rupture portions 301. At this time, the plurality of exhaust holes H1 may be arranged with different sizes to correspond to the rupture sizes of the corresponding internal rupture portions 301.

[0140] As a more specific example, in Figure 7 the embodiment, for each of RY1', RY2' and RY3' which are a plurality of internal rupture portions 301 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110, the corresponding exhaust holes H1 may be H1Y1', H1Y2' and H1Y3'. At this time, if the rupture sizes of RY1', RY2' and RY3' have a relationship such as RY1' < RY2' < RY3', the hole sizes of H1Y1', H1Y2' and H1Y3' may be formed to have a relationship such as H1Y1' < H1Y2' < H1Y3'. In this case, it can be considered that the size of the exhaust hole H1 formed on the center side is formed relatively larger compared to the size of the exhaust hole H1 formed on the outer side.

[0141] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the plurality of vent holes H1 have different opening areas corresponding to the rupture sizes of the corresponding inner rupture parts 301, it is possible to stably ensure the technical effect according to the difference in the rupture sizes of the inner rupture parts 301. Furthermore, in this case, by preventing the vent holes H1 from being formed unnecessarily large, it is possible to suppress the inflow of exhaust gas or foreign matter from the outside of the battery module through the vent holes H1.

[0142] At the same time, Figure 7 In the embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the rupture size is formed differently between the inner rupture parts 301 arranged along the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) of the battery module, but the rupture size may also be formed differently between the inner rupture parts 301 arranged along the left-right direction (X-axis direction) of the battery module. It will not be described in detail.

[0143] The inner rupture portion 301 may be configured to have different rupture conditions depending on the location. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 A more detailed description is given.

[0144] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of a battery module in which a vent hole H1 is formed according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 It can be shown Figure 1 An enlarged view of part A2.

[0145] like Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, an inner rupture portion 301 may be provided at a position corresponding to one exhaust hole H1. At this time, the inner rupture portion 301 may have different rupture conditions at each position in the portion corresponding to the exhaust hole H1. That is, in one inner rupture portion 301, the rupture conditions may be designed differently in some parts.

[0146] First, refer to Figure 8 In the embodiment, one inner rupture portion 301 may have a plurality of notch lines denoted by NY1, NY2, and NY3 arranged in the left-right direction in the portion exposed to the exhaust hole H1. At this time, two or more notch lines may have different rupture conditions (e.g., different rupture pressure conditions) from each other.

[0147] At this time, the rupture conditions may be set differently depending on the depth or width of the notch. Figure 8 Among the three notch lines NY1, NY2, and NY3, at least two notch lines may be configured to have different notch depths.

[0148] In addition, the inner rupture portion 301 may be configured so that the central side of the exhaust hole H1 has a relatively low rupture condition. Figure 8 In the embodiment of NY2, NY2 may be a notch line closer to the center side than NY1 or NY3. In this case, the notch line depth or width of NY2 may be formed deeper or larger than the notch line depth or width of NY1 and NY3.

[0149] According to this embodiment, in one inner rupture part 301, the center side of the exhaust hole H1 may be more easily ruptured. Therefore, since the ruptured portion of the inner rupture part 301 is located at the center side of the exhaust hole H1, a wide and stable communication area can be ensured between the inner rupture part 301 and the exhaust hole H1. In this case, the exhaust gas can be discharged more smoothly through the inner rupture part 301 and the exhaust hole H1.

[0150] In addition, see Fig. 9 In the embodiment, one inner rupture portion 301 may have a plurality of notch lines denoted by NX1, NX2, and NX3 arranged in the front-rear direction in the portion exposed by the exhaust hole H1. In addition, at least two of the plurality of notch lines NX1, NX2, and NX3 may have different rupture conditions.

[0151] In addition, Fig. 9 In the embodiment of the present invention, the inner rupture part 301 may be configured so that the central side of the exhaust hole H1 has a relatively lower rupture condition. For example, compared with NX1, NX2 may be a notch line relatively located on the central side, and may be formed to have a deeper or wider notch line than NX1. In addition, compared with NX2, NX3 may be a notch line relatively located on the central side, and may be formed to have a deeper or wider notch line than NX2.

[0152] Specifically, in Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown, the exhaust hole H1 is formed to be larger in the Y-axis direction than in the X-axis direction, so that the longitudinal direction of the exhaust hole H1 can be referred to as the Y-axis direction. In this case, a greater number of notch lines can be formed along the longitudinal direction of the exhaust hole H1. That is, Fig. 9 As shown, the number of notch lines exposed in the exhaust hole H1 is greater in the Y-axis direction which is the longitudinal direction of the exhaust hole H1 than in the X-axis direction.

[0153] In this case, a configuration in which the fracture condition varies between a plurality of notch lines arranged in the longitudinal direction of the exhaust hole H1 can be achieved more easily and precisely. Further, in such an embodiment, a sufficient gap can be ensured between the notch line located on the center side of the exhaust hole H1 and the notch line located on the outer side of the exhaust hole H1. Therefore, a configuration in which a portion of the inner fracture portion 301 corresponding to the center side of the exhaust hole H1 is more likely to fracture can be achieved more easily. Accordingly, the fractured portion of the inner fracture portion 301 and the exhaust hole H1 can communicate better.

[0154] Fig.10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of a battery module in which an exhaust hole H1 is formed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, it can be considered that Fig.10 is Figure 8 or Fig. 9 another variation of. Fig.11 is a view showing a cross-sectional configuration along the line A3 - A3' of Fig.10 . In the embodiment of Fig.11 , the inner lid member 300 and the top plate 220 are shown to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), but this is only for convenience of illustration, and the inner lid member 300 and the top plate 220 may be in close contact with each other.

[0155] Referring to Fig.10 and Fig.11 , the inner fracture portion 301 may have an external notch line represented by NC. The external notch line NC may be configured in an annular shape corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the exhaust hole H1. For example, when the exhaust hole H1 is formed in a substantially elliptical shape, the external notch line NC may be formed in an elliptical annular shape along the periphery of the exhaust hole H1. Further, when the inner lid member 300 is located below the top plate 220, the external notch line NC of the inner fracture portion 301 may be located directly below or slightly inside the periphery of the exhaust hole H1. For example, as in the embodiment of Fig.11 , the external notch line NC may be located inside the exhaust hole H1 in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction). In this case, the external notch line NC of the inner fracture portion 301 may be formed to have a slightly smaller size than the exhaust hole H1.

[0156] According to this embodiment, a configuration in which the inner fracture portion 301 fractures along the external notch line NC can be achieved more easily. This will be described in more detail with reference to the configurations of Fig.12 and Fig.13 .

[0157] Fig.12 and Fig.13 are views sequentially showing the inner fracture portion 301 deforming and fracturing due to the pressure of the discharged gas in the configuration of Fig.11 .

[0158] First, refer to Fig.12 , when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell assembly 100, as shown by arrow A4, the exhaust gas may pressurize the inner cover member 300. In this case, the inner cover member 300 may be deformed so that the inner rupture portion 301 expands upward through the exhaust hole H1. Specifically, since the outer notch line NC of the inner rupture portion 301 is located directly below or further inside the edge of the exhaust hole H1 in the horizontal direction, the horizontal inner part of the outer notch line NC may be exposed upward through the exhaust hole H1 as a whole. More specifically, in Fig.11 and Fig.12 In the embodiment of FIG. 5 , two outer notch lines NC are shown, and it can be considered that the two outer notch lines NC are located inside the exhaust hole H1 in the horizontal direction.

[0159] At this time, if the deformation of the inner cover member 300 in the upward direction exceeds a certain level, the outer notch line NC may be broken. Fig.13 As shown, the inner rupture part 301 located on the inner side of the two outer notch lines NC can be separated from the inner cover member 300, and separated and detached to the outside through the exhaust hole H1, as shown by arrow A5. Therefore, due to the rupture of the inner rupture part 301, the space between the two outer notch lines NC can be opened and communicated with the exhaust hole H1. In this embodiment, the inner rupture part 301 formed between the two outer notch lines NC can be easily discharged to the outside of the exhaust hole H1, so that the ruptured part of the inner rupture part 301 and the exhaust hole H1 can be quickly and smoothly communicated.

[0160] At the same time, Fig.13 In the embodiment of FIG. 3 , the inner rupture portion 301 is depicted as being completely separated from the inner cover member 300 , but the inner rupture portion 301 may be implemented as being only partially separated from the inner cover member 300 .

[0161] In addition, the inner rupture part 301 may have a linear notch line extending in one direction together with the outer notch line NC, such as Fig.10 and Fig.11 Here, the linear notch line may extend in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) as shown in NX, and may extend in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction) as shown in NY. In addition, the linear notch line may include two or more notch lines extending in different directions in the form of crossing each other. In such an embodiment, at least some of the linear notch lines NX and NY may be located inside the outer notch line NC. For example, see Fig.11 In an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of linear notch lines NX may be located between two outer notch lines NC along a horizontal direction.

[0162] According to this embodiment, the rupture configuration of the inner rupture portion 301 can be realized more smoothly. Fig.12As shown by the middle arrow A4, when the inner rupture portion 301 is deformed by applying the pressure of the exhaust gas from the inside, the linear notch line NX can make the inner rupture portion 301 more easily deformed. Specifically, the linear notch line NX can be formed on the upper surface of the inner cover member 300. In this case, the inner rupture portion 301 can be bent more easily in the upward direction. Therefore, the magnitude or action speed of the force (e.g., tension) applied to the two outer notch lines NC can be increased. Therefore, the outer notch line NC ruptures faster, so that the inner rupture portion 301 can rupture more smoothly, and as a result, the exhaust gas can be discharged more smoothly.

[0163] In addition, the outer notch line NC and the notch lines NX and NY arranged therein may be formed opposite to each other in the cutting direction. Specifically, the outer notch line NC may be formed on the inner surface of the inner cover member 300 facing the battery cell assembly 100, and the linear notch lines NX and NY may be formed on the outer surface of the inner cover member 300 facing the module housing 200. For example, Fig.11 As shown, the linear notch lines NX, NY may be formed in a groove shape that is recessed in a downward direction on the upper surface of the inner cover member 300, and the outer notch line NC may be formed in a groove shape that is recessed in an upward direction on the lower surface of the inner cover member 300. Fig.10 The upper surface of the inner cover member 300 is shown to be exposed through the exhaust hole H1, so the outer notch line NC formed on the lower surface of the inner cover member 300 is indicated by a dotted line, but the outer notch line NC can be formed into a continuously elongated annular shape similar to an ellipse. Of course, the outer notch line NC can be formed as a whole in an annular shape without continuity. In addition, in this case, the outer notch line NC can be formed to penetrate the inner cover member 300.

[0164] According to this embodiment, the rupture performance of the inner rupture portion 301 can be further improved. Fig.14 Describe in more detail.

[0165] Fig.14 It is shown Fig.12 An enlarged view of the A6 section.

[0166] Reference Fig.12 and Fig.14, when the inner rupture portion 301 is pressurized by exhaust gas, the outer notch line NC may be a deformation starting point adjacent to the edge of the exhaust hole H1 in the inner cover member 300. At this time, the outer notch line NC may receive a force that bends approximately in the counterclockwise direction indicated by arrow A7. At the same time, the linear notch line NX located in the upwardly curved portion of the inner cover member 300 may receive a force that bends approximately in the clockwise direction indicated by arrow A8. That is, in one inner rupture portion 301, the outer notch line NC and the linear notch line NX may each receive a force that bends in different directions (i.e., opposite rotational directions).

[0167] Therefore, if Figures 11 to 14 As shown, the outer notch line NC and the linear notch line NX can be formed on opposite surfaces. Specifically, considering the rotation direction of the tension partially applied when the exhaust gas is pressurized, the outer notch line NC and the linear notch line NX can be formed on the inner surface and the outer surface of the inner cover member 300, respectively.

[0168] According to this embodiment, the inner rupture part 301 can be ruptured more quickly. In addition, in this case, the rupture shape of the inner rupture part 301 can be more easily controlled.

[0169] Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, when the inner rupture part 301 is provided together with both the outer notch line NC and the linear notch lines NX and NY, the outer notch line NC may be provided to have a lower fracture condition than the linear notch lines NX and NY.

[0170] For example, Fig.12 As shown, when the pressure of the exhaust gas is applied toward the inner rupture portion 301, the inner rupture portion 301 can be configured so that when the magnitude of the pressure exceeds a certain level, the outer notch line NC is ruptured before the linear notch lines NX and NY. To this end, the outer notch line NC can be configured to have a deeper or wider notch than the linear notch lines NX and NY.

[0171] According to this embodiment, Fig.13 As shown, the inner rupture portion 301 can be completely separated from the inner cover member 300 as a whole along the outer notch line NC. Therefore, the rupture shape of the inner rupture portion 301 can be neat, and a wider rupture area can be ensured. Specifically, when the outer notch line NC matches the size and shape of the exhaust hole H1, the communication area between the outer notch line NC and the exhaust hole H1 can be maximized. Therefore, it may be more advantageous in increasing the discharge performance of the exhaust gas passing through the inner rupture portion 301.

[0172] like Figure 2 As shown, the battery cell assembly 100 may include a pouch-type battery cell as the battery cell 110. This will be referred to as Fig.15 A more detailed description is given.

[0173] Fig.15 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a battery cell 110 equipped in a battery cell assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0174] Reference Fig.15 , the pouch-type cell is located on the pouch-type battery, and the battery case may be formed as a pouch-shaped exterior. In addition, the pouch-type battery may include a housing portion R and a sealing portion S. Here, the housing portion R is a portion in which an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and the like are housed. In addition, the sealing portion S may be provided at an edge portion of the housing portion R, and may be a portion to which the pouch-shaped exterior is fused. The housing portion R of the pouch-type battery may be formed in an approximately rectangular shape. Here, a battery in which a sealing portion S is formed at four sides (corners) of the housing portion R is referred to as a four-sided sealed cell, and a battery in which a sealing portion S is formed at three sides (corners) of the housing portion R is referred to as a three-sided sealed cell. Although in Fig.14 A three-sided sealed battery cell is shown in FIG. 1 , but the present disclosure is not limited to a specific form of pouch-type battery.

[0175] In terms of ensuring space, improving sealing performance, etc., at least a portion of the sealing portion S of the pouch-type battery cell may be folded. Fig.15 In the embodiment of the present invention, the upper sealing portion S in which the electrode terminal 111 of the pouch-type battery cell is not located may be folded toward the receiving portion R. At this time, as shown in B, a bonding member may be attached to the pouch-type battery cell to maintain the folded structure of the sealing portion S. Specifically, the bonding member B may be configured in a strip shape.

[0176] In addition, the bonding member B may be partially attached to the sealing portion S. Specifically, a plurality of bonding members B may be attached in one sealing portion so as to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110. Fig.15 In the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of bonding members B may be attached to the top sealing portion of the pouch-type battery cell so as to be spaced apart from each other along the Y-axis direction which is the longitudinal direction of the pouch-type battery cell. In this case, there may be a portion (e.g., a portion indicated by A9) to which the bonding member B is not attached in the top sealing portion of the pouch-type battery cell.

[0177] In this embodiment, the inner cover member 300 may be disposed to face the outer side of the top sealing portion S of the pouch-type battery cell. Figure 2 The battery cell assembly 100 may be configured in a form in which a plurality of pouch-type battery cells are stacked in a horizontal direction while standing upright in an up-and-down direction. In addition, the inner cover member 300 may be disposed on an upper side of the battery cell assembly 100 .

[0178] At this time, at least a portion of the portion of the top sealing portion S of the battery cell 110 included in the battery cell assembly 100 that is not attached to the joining member B can be positioned to correspond to the inner rupture portion 301. That is, the inner rupture portion 301 of the inner cover member 300 can be positioned to at least partially face the non-joining portion A9 in the sealing portion S of the battery cell 110. As a more specific example, when the inner cover member 300 is located on the upper side of the battery cell assembly 100, at least a portion of the non-joining portion A9 can be configured to overlap with the inner rupture portion 301 in the horizontal direction. In this case, the non-joining portion A9 can be located below the inner rupture portion 301 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Specifically, the inner cover member 300 may include a plurality of inner rupture portions 301, and all of the plurality of inner rupture portions 301 may at least partially overlap with the non-joining portion A9 of the battery cell 110.

[0179] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the exhaust gas is discharged from the battery cell 110, the exhaust gas can move toward the inner rupture portion 301 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Specifically, in the case of thermal runaway of the battery cell 110, the exhaust gas may be discharged first at the non-joining portion A9. In this embodiment, since the inner rupture portion 301 can be located in the discharge direction of the non-joining portion A9, the pressure of the exhaust gas applied to the inner rupture portion 301 can be as high as possible. Therefore, the inner rupture portion 301 can be ruptured faster. In addition, after the inner rupture portion 301 is ruptured, the exhaust gas can be discharged in a straight line direction as much as possible through the inner rupture portion 301 and the exhaust hole H1, so that the exhaust gas can be discharged more smoothly.

[0180] Fig.16 is a perspective view showing an inner cover member 300 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from a lower side. Fig.17 It is shown Fig.16 A partially enlarged cross-sectional view of an inner cover member 300 installed on an upper portion of a battery cell assembly 100 .

[0181] Reference Fig.16 and Fig.17 , the inner cover member 300 may have a protrusion as shown in P. Here, the protrusion P may have a shape protruding inwardly toward the battery cell assembly 100. For example, when the inner cover member 300 is located at an upper portion of the battery cell assembly 100, the protrusion P may be configured to protrude downward from the lower surface of the inner cover member 300.

[0182] like Fig.16 As shown, the protrusion P may be formed to be elongated in one direction (particularly the horizontal direction). At this time, the longitudinal direction of the protrusion P may be the same as the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110. For example, when the battery cell 110 is formed to be elongated in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction), the protrusion P may also be formed to be elongated in the front-to-back direction.

[0183] In addition, the protrusion P may be disposed between adjacent battery cells 110 along the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. Fig.17 As shown in FIG. 1 , when a plurality of battery cells 110 are arranged in parallel along the left-right direction (X-axis direction), the protrusion P may be provided at an upper side between two adjacent battery cells 110. Fig.16 As shown, a plurality of protrusions P may be provided in one inner cover member 300 . In this case, the plurality of protrusions P may be arranged in the upper space between different battery cells 110 .

[0184] In this embodiment, the protrusion P may block the movement of exhaust gas or heat between adjacent battery cells 110 or adjacent battery cell groups 110. Specifically, as Fig.17 As shown in A10 in FIG. 1 , an empty space may be formed between the battery cell assembly 100 and the inner cover member 300. In addition, exhaust gas or heat may move through the empty space. However, in this embodiment, the movement of exhaust gas or heat between adjacent battery cells 110 may be suppressed by the protrusion P. For example, Fig.17 In the embodiment, when exhaust gas is discharged from a specific battery cell 110 into the vacant space A10 on the upper side, movement of the exhaust gas along the stacking direction (X-axis direction) of the battery cells 110 can be minimized by the protrusion P. Therefore, the thermal runaway propagation problem between adjacent battery cells 110 or adjacent cell groups can be more effectively suppressed.

[0185] In this embodiment, the inner rupture portion 301 may be located between a plurality of protrusions P arranged in the horizontal direction. Fig.17 As shown, a plurality of notches N constituting the inner rupture portion 301 may be formed between two protrusions spaced apart in the X-axis direction. In addition, the protrusion P may be configured to divide the space between the cells or cell groups in the space between the cell assembly 100 and the lower surface of the inner cover member 300. That is, the protrusion P may be used as a partition for dividing the external space between the battery cells 110. At this time, a corresponding inner rupture portion 301 may be provided in the inner cover member 300 for each battery cell 110 or cell group separated by the protrusion P.

[0186] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, exhaust performance can be stably ensured for each battery cell 110 (or cell group) distinguished by the protrusion P, and propagation of thermal runaway can also be suppressed more effectively.

[0187] In addition, if Fig.17As shown, the cell assembly 100 may further include a barrier 120. The barrier 120 may be directly inserted between adjacent battery cells 110 (or cell groups). Specifically, the barrier 120 may be formed in a substantially upright plate shape and may be stacked with the battery cell 110 and included in the cell assembly 100.

[0188] Here, the barrier 120 may be a thermal barrier that blocks heat or flame. The thermal barrier may be made of a material having insulation properties or fire resistance, and may function to block heat or flame between adjacent battery cells 110. For example, the thermal barrier may include a material such as mica or silicone.

[0189] Alternatively, the barrier 120 may be a cooling member (e.g., a heat sink) interposed between the battery cells to perform cooling. In this case, a cooling path may be formed in the internal space of the barrier 120. Alternatively, a portion or end of the barrier 120 may be configured to be in direct contact with the cooling medium, or thermally coupled to another cooling configuration through which the cooling medium flows.

[0190] Alternatively, the barrier 120 may be configured to be interposed between the cells to absorb or buffer the expansion or deformation of the battery cells 110. For example, the barrier 120 may be made of an elastic material. In addition, the barrier 120 interposed between the battery cells 110 may be configured in various structures or shapes to have various other uses or functions.

[0191] In an embodiment where the barrier 120 is included between the battery cells 110, the protrusion P may be configured to be located outside the barrier 120. Fig.17 , the barrier 120 may be disposed between the cell groups each including two battery cells 110 . In addition, the protrusion P may be located at an upper side of the barrier 120 .

[0192] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the space above the battery cells 110 (cell group) separated by the barrier 120 can also be separated by the protrusion P. Therefore, the propagation of thermal runaway between adjacent battery cells 110 separated by the barrier 120 can be effectively suppressed. In addition, when the barrier 120 is a thermal barrier or a cooling member, the adjacent cells can be thermally isolated more reliably by the barrier 120 and the protrusion P.

[0193] Specifically, the protrusion P may be in direct contact with the barrier 120. Fig.17 As shown in A11 in FIG. 1 , the bottom of the protrusion P may be configured to contact the top of the barrier 120. In this case, the space separated by the protrusion P and the barrier 120 may be more reliably physically separated. Therefore, the movement of exhaust gas or heat between the battery cells 110 may be effectively prevented, thereby further improving the heat transfer prevention effect between the adjacent battery cells 110.

[0194] Fig.18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing some components of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, it can be considered that Fig.18 yes Fig.17 Another variation of the A11 part.

[0195] Reference Fig.18 , the end of the barrier 120 may be inserted into the protrusion P. More specifically, a slot (e.g., a portion indicated by I) may be formed in the protrusion P. For example, when the protrusion P is located above the barrier 120, the slot I may be formed on the lower surface of the protrusion P. In addition, the top of the barrier 120 may be inserted into the slot I.

[0196] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the spatial separation between the protrusion P and the barrier 120 can be more reliably achieved. Specifically, in this case, exhaust gas or the like can be more reliably blocked from moving to the gap between the protrusion P and the barrier 120. In addition, in this case, the connection strength between the protrusion P and the barrier 120 can be improved. Therefore, even under pressure due to exhaust gas, flame, etc., by minimizing the movement or detachment of the protrusion P or the barrier 120, the overall structural collapse of the battery module can be reliably prevented. In addition, even if vibration or impact is applied to the battery module in situations such as vehicle operation, the position of the protrusion P and the barrier 120 can be stably maintained. In addition, deformation of the position or stacking state of the battery cell assembly 100 can also be prevented or minimized thereby.

[0197] Fig.19 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0198] Reference Fig.19 , the inner cover member 300 may be configured such that the inner rupture portion 301 is located relatively outside compared to other portions. Fig.19 In the embodiment of the present invention, the inner cover member 300 may be mounted to the lower portion of the top plate 220. At this time, the inner cover member 300 may be configured so that the inner rupture portion 301 protrudes upward relatively than other portions. Specifically, such a protruding configuration may be implemented inside a normal battery module that does not generate exhaust gas, etc.

[0199] In addition, the inner cover member 300 and the top plate 220 may be configured to be in close contact with each other, and the inner rupture portion 301 may be provided to correspond to the exhaust hole H1. Therefore, when the inner rupture portion 301 is configured to protrude outward, the inner rupture portion 301 may be inserted into the exhaust hole H1. Specifically, when the protrusion degree of the inner rupture portion 301 is designed to be at or above a certain level, the inner rupture portion 301 may protrude outward more than the exhaust hole H1.

[0200] Furthermore, when the inner rupture portion 301 is configured to protrude from the inner cover member 300, the inner cover member 300 may have an inclined portion at the inner rupture portion 301 or in a region toward the inner rupture portion 301. Fig.19 Like the portion indicated by E in the embodiment of FIG. 3 , the inner cover member 300 may have an inclined surface that gradually moves away from the inner rupture portion 301 in the outer direction (+Z-axis direction).

[0201] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when exhaust gas is generated from the battery cell assembly 100, the exhaust gas can be more easily guided toward the inner rupture portion 301, such as Fig.19 Specifically, in this embodiment, the exhaust gas can be smoothly guided to the inner rupture portion 301 along the inclined portion E of the inner cover member 300. In addition, according to this embodiment, since a relatively wide space is formed near the inner rupture portion 301, the exhaust gas can be concentrated on the inner rupture portion 301. Therefore, the inner rupture portion 301 can be ruptured faster.

[0202] In addition, when the inner rupture portion 301 is inserted into the exhaust hole H1 as in this embodiment, the assembly position of the inner cover member 300 is guided, so that it is possible to improve the assembly efficiency between the inner cover member 300 and the top plate 220. In addition, in this case, even after assembly, the connection characteristics between the inner cover member 300 and the top plate 220 can be improved.

[0203] Fig. 20 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 20 , the top plate 220 is shown separated from the other components. Fig.21 It is shown Fig. 20 An enlarged view of the A12 portion.

[0204] Reference Fig. 20 and Fig.21 , the inner cover member 300 may be configured so that the end portion is bent, as shown in C. For example, as shown in Fig. 20 As shown, the inner cover member 300 may have left and right ends that are bent downward. In addition, the end bending configuration (ie, the bent portion C of the inner cover member 300) may be interposed between the cell assembly 100 and the module housing 200. For example, referring to Fig.21 , the right end of the inner cover member 300 may be bent downward to provide a right bent portion C. In addition, the right bent portion C may be interposed between the outermost right side of the battery cell assembly 100 (e.g., the rightmost battery cell 110) and the right plate of the U-shaped frame 210. Fig. 20In the embodiment, the bent portion C may also be formed on the left side of the inner cover member 300 , and the left bent portion C may be interposed between the outermost left side of the battery cell assembly 100 and the left plate of the U-shaped frame 210 .

[0205] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner cover member 300 can be more stably located in the inner space of the module housing 200. Specifically, even when pressure is applied by exhaust gas or external vibration, or when an impact occurs, since the end of the inner cover member 300 is interposed between the battery cell assembly 100 and the module housing 200, displacement or shape deformation may not easily occur.

[0206] In addition, according to this embodiment, leakage of exhaust gas through the space between the outermost portion of the battery cell assembly 100 and the module case 200 can be reduced. Fig.21 In the embodiment, due to the right bent portion C, the exhaust gas introduced into the upper space of the outermost right battery cell 110 can be blocked from moving in the right direction toward the module housing 200. Therefore, in this embodiment, the gas leakage suppression effect between the module housing 200 (e.g., the side plate of the U-shaped frame 210) and the cell assembly 100 can be further improved.

[0207] At the same time, if Fig. 20 and Fig.21 As shown, the battery cell assembly 100 may further include an insulating pad 130 located at the outermost side of the battery cell 110 in the stacking direction. The insulating pad 130 may be made of a material having electrical insulation properties (e.g., a polymer) and may be interposed between the battery cell assembly 100 and the module housing 200. In addition, by including a material having elasticity, the insulating pad 130 may be configured to absorb expansion when the battery cell 110 included in the battery cell assembly 100 expands.

[0208] In a configuration in which the insulating pad 130 is included at the outermost side of the cell assembly 100, the bent portion C of the inner cover member 300 may be located above the insulating pad 130 in a space between the outermost battery cell 110 of the cell assembly 100 and the side plate of the U-shaped frame 210. That is, when the insulating pad 130 is disposed at the outermost side of the cell assembly 100, a vacant space corresponding to the thickness of the insulating pad 130 may be formed between the outermost battery cell 110 and the module case 200. At this time, the bent portion C of the inner cover member 300 may be inserted into the vacant space.

[0209] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the coupling characteristics of the inner cover member 300 can be increased while minimizing the volume increase of the battery module caused by the inner cover member 300. Specifically, the end of the bent portion C of the inner cover member 300 can contact the end of the insulating pad 130. For example, in Fig.21In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the lower end of the bent portion C may be in contact with the upper end of the insulating pad 130. In this case, leakage of the exhaust gas toward the bent portion C of the inner cover member 300 may be more effectively prevented.

[0210] Fig. 22 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.23 is shown in the connection Fig. 22 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where the exhaust hole H1 is formed in a state of the battery module. For example, Fig.23 can be considered as joining Fig. 22 A cross-sectional view taken along line A13-A13' of the battery module in the state of FIG.

[0211] Reference Fig. 22 and Fig.23 The battery module according to the present disclosure may further include an outer cover member 400. The outer cover member 400 may be formed on the outside of the module housing 200. Specifically, the outer cover member 400 may be configured to cover the side surface of the module housing 200 where the exhaust hole H1 is formed at the outside. Fig. 22 and Fig.23 As shown, the cover member 400 may be configured to be located on an upper side of the top plate 220 in which the exhaust hole H1 is formed, and to cover the upper side of the top plate 220 .

[0212] The outer cover member 400 may have an outer rupture portion 401. The outer rupture portion 401 may be formed in the same or similar shape and configuration as the inner rupture portion 301 of the inner cover member 300. Specifically, the outer rupture portion 401 may be formed in a notch shape on the surface of the outer cover member 400. For example, the outer rupture portion 401 may be formed in a downwardly concave shape on the outer surface (e.g., the upper surface) of the outer cover member 400, such as Fig.23 As shown in N in FIG. For the outer rupture portion 401, the various embodiments described above with respect to the inner rupture portion 301 may be applied in the same or similar manner. For example, for the configuration of the outer rupture portion 401, the various embodiments described above with respect to the inner rupture portion 301 may be applied in the same or similar manner. Figures 3 to 14 In addition, the material of the outer cover member 400 may also be the same as or similar to that of the inner cover member 300. For example, the outer cover member 400 may be made of or include a material such as mica, ceramics, or an inorganic material.

[0213] The outer rupture portion 401 may be formed at a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole H1. Fig.23As shown, the outer rupture part 401 may be formed above the portion in which the exhaust hole H1 is formed. At this time, the inner rupture part 301 may be formed below the portion in which the exhaust hole H1 is formed. Therefore, it can be considered that the outer rupture part 401 of the outer cover member 400 and the inner rupture part 301 of the inner cover member 300 are arranged to face each other with the exhaust hole H1 interposed therebetween.

[0214] In this embodiment, when exhaust gas flows into the exhaust hole H1, the outer cover member 400 may be configured to discharge the introduced exhaust gas to the outside of the module housing 200. That is, the outer cover member 400 blocks the exhaust hole H1 in a normal state, and when exhaust gas flows into the exhaust hole H1 and pressure increases, the outer rupture part 401 may rupture to open the exhaust hole H1 to the outside.

[0215] In addition, the inner cover member 300 and the outer cover member 400 may be located on both sides of the module housing 200 formed with the exhaust hole H1. In this case, when the internal pressure of the module housing 200 increases, the inner rupture portion 301 of the inner cover member 300 may be ruptured first, and then the outer rupture portion 401 of the outer cover member 400 may be ruptured.

[0216] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the module housing 200 can be more effectively protected from the exhaust gas discharged from another exhaust hole H1 or another battery module. Specifically, the exhaust gas may have a very high temperature and may contain flames, sparks, high-temperature particles, etc. In this case, the module housing 200 may be melted or damaged due to the external high temperature, or the battery cell assembly 100 therein may be thermally damaged, or thermal runaway may occur therein. In addition, the portion of the module housing 200 where the exhaust hole H1 is formed may have weak structural rigidity, and the exhaust hole H1 may be reversely introduced to damage the inner rupture portion 301. However, in the case where the outer cover member 400 is located outside the module housing 200 in this embodiment, the module housing 200 or the internal components of the module housing 200 can be effectively prevented from being damaged or thermal runaway due to the exhaust gas present outside the module housing 200. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since two fire-resistant plates (i.e., the inner cover member 300 and the outer cover member 400) are respectively applied to the top and bottom of the top plate 220, the protection effect of the external high temperature and high pressure environment can be further improved. For example, even if the outer cover member 400 is broken due to high-temperature and high-pressure exhaust gas discharged from an adjacent battery module, the inner cover member 300 can still exist on the inner side of the top plate 220. Therefore, the battery cell assembly inside the top plate 220 can be effectively protected from the external exhaust gas, etc.

[0217] Specifically, at the side where the exhaust hole H1 is formed, the inner cover member 300 and the outer cover member 400 may be in close contact with the module case 200. Fig.23 , the outer cover member 400 may be laminated on the upper side and the inner cover member 300 may be laminated on the lower side with the top plate 220 interposed therebetween.

[0218] In this embodiment, the outer side (upper side) of the exhaust hole H1 formed in the top plate 220 can be closed (sealed) by the outer cover member 400, and the inner side (lower side) thereof can be closed (sealed) by the inner cover member 300. In addition, air can be contained in the exhaust hole H1. In this case, it can be considered that an air insulation layer is formed in the exhaust hole H1. In addition, due to the air insulation layer, heat transfer between the inside and outside of the battery module can be reduced. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules can be further improved.

[0219] For example, due to thermal runaway of another battery module, high temperature particles may accumulate on the upper surface of the outer cover member 400 of the top plate 220. In this case, due to the air insulation layer formed in the exhaust hole H1 of the top plate 220, the phenomenon that heat is transferred from the external high temperature particles to the inside of the top plate 220 can be suppressed.

[0220] Specifically, in this embodiment, except for the portion where the exhaust hole H1 is formed, the portion between the top plate 220 and the outer cover member 400 and the portion between the top plate 220 and the inner cover member 300 may adhere to each other. In this case, the air contained in the exhaust hole H1 may remain only in the exhaust hole H1.

[0221] According to this embodiment, the outer rupture portion 401 and the inner rupture portion 301 can be stably supported at the exhaust hole H1 due to the air layer. Therefore, deformation or damage caused by the outer rupture portion 401 or the inner rupture portion 301 not being properly supported due to gravity, vibration, external impact, etc. (for example, deformation in the form of gradual bending toward the exhaust hole H1) can be reduced. In addition, in this case, when the inner rupture portion 301 is deformed toward the exhaust hole H1 when exhaust gas is generated and the internal pressure of the module housing 200 increases, the outer rupture portion 401 may also be pushed outward and deformed due to the pressure of the air layer. Therefore, in the case of thermal runaway, the outer rupture portion 401 can be ruptured faster. Therefore, the exhaust performance of the battery module can be further improved.

[0222] In addition, as in this embodiment, when the outer cover member 400 and the inner cover member 300 and the module case 200 are adhered to each other, exhaust gas and the like can be prevented from flowing into the gap therebetween. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the exhaust gas flowing into the gap from being guided to other battery cells 110 and the like, thereby suppressing the thermal runaway from propagating to other battery cells 110.

[0223] Fig.24is a schematic diagram showing some components of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig.24 Can be Fig.23 A variation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0224] Reference Fig.24 , the outer rupture part 401 can be at least partially inserted into the vent hole H1. That is, when the battery module is in a normal state, the outer cover member 400 is attached to the outside of the module housing 200, and the portion formed with the outer rupture part 401 can be inserted into the vent hole H1. In this case, it can be considered that the outer rupture part 401 is positioned toward the inside of the battery module rather than other parts of the outer cover member 400. For example, Fig.24 As shown, the outer cover member 400 is attached to the upper surface of the top plate 220, and the outer rupture part 401 is formed to be recessed downward so as to be completely inserted toward the exhaust hole H1. In this case, it can be considered that the outer rupture part 401 is positioned downward relative to other parts of the outer cover member 400.

[0225] According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, due to the insertion configuration of the outer rupture portion 401 in the exhaust hole H1, the assembly position of the outer cover member 400 is guided, so that the assembly efficiency of the battery module can be improved. In addition, in this case, since the horizontal movement of the outer cover member 400 is suppressed in a state of being attached to the outside of the module housing 200, the coupling characteristics between the outer cover member 400 and the module housing 200 can be improved.

[0226] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, damage to the outer rupture portion 401 by exhaust gas or the like flowing outside the battery module can be suppressed. Fig.24 As shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 4 , when the exhaust gas discharged from another battery module flows in the horizontal direction on the upper side of the battery module, the contact of the exhaust gas with the outer rupture part 401 can be reduced. Therefore, in this case, the exhaust gas discharged from another battery module can be more effectively prevented from being reversely introduced through the exhaust hole H1.

[0227] Fig.25 is a schematic diagram showing some components of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig.25 Can be Fig.23 A variation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0228] Reference Fig.25 , similar to Fig.24 In the embodiment, the outer rupture portion 401 has an inwardly concave shape, but is different from Fig.24In the embodiment, the inner rupture part 301 may also have a shape that is concave downward. That is, in a normal battery module state where thermal runaway does not occur, the inner rupture part 301 may be formed to be concave downward in a shape that is substantially parallel to the outer rupture part 401.

[0229] According to this embodiment, the gap between the inner rupture part 301 and the outer rupture part 401 can be widened. Therefore, since the air insulation layer between the inner rupture part 301 and the outer rupture part 401 is ensured to a certain level or more, the insulation effect can be more sufficiently ensured in the exhaust hole H1.

[0230] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the internal pressure increases, the inner rupture portion 301 and the outer rupture portion 401 may be reversed from a concave shape to a convex shape. Fig.26 A more detailed description is given.

[0231] Fig.26 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram showing deformation of the inner cover member 300 and the outer cover member 400 due to increase in internal pressure in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig.26 can be seen as shown in Fig.25 In the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the inner cover member 300 and the outer cover member 400 are deformed due to exhaust gas.

[0232] Reference Fig.26 When exhaust gas is generated inside the module housing 200 (eg, at the bottom of the inner cover member 300) and the internal pressure increases, the inner rupture portion 301 of the inner cover member 300 may be opened from the inner rupture portion 301 of the inner cover member 300. Fig.25 The downward curved shape shown is reversed to Fig.26 The upward curved shape shown.

[0233] At this time, due to this reverse deformation, the inner rupture part 301 can be ruptured faster. Specifically, when the notch represented by N is formed in the inner rupture part 301, if the inner rupture part 301 is reversed, the notch opens wider, thereby further improving the rupture speed of the inner rupture part 301.

[0234] also, Fig.26 The pressure shown by the dashed line can be applied to the outer rupture portion 401 by exhausting gas or the inner rupture portion 301. Similarly, due to this pressure application, the outer rupture portion 401 can also be Fig.25 The downwardly curved shape shown in FIG. Fig.26 The upwardly curved shape shown. In addition, due to this reverse deformation, when the notch etc. is opened, the outer rupture portion 401 can be ruptured faster.

[0235] According to this embodiment, it is possible to further increase the rupture speed of the outer rupture portion 401 and the inner rupture portion 301. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the exhaust performance of the battery module.

[0236] Fig. 27 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0237] Reference Fig. 27 , the battery pack according to the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules according to the present disclosure, as shown in M. In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may also include various components in addition to the battery module M according to the present disclosure. For example, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may also include components of a battery pack known at the time of filing this application, such as a BMS (battery management system), a bus bar, a relay, a current sensor, etc.

[0238] In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include a battery pack housing, such as Fig. 27 As shown in PC in. The battery pack case PC may provide a space in which a battery module M according to the present disclosure may be accommodated. Specifically, when the battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules M, the battery pack case PC may have a partitioned space to accommodate the plurality of battery modules individually using a beam or the like. In addition, an exhaust device represented by VD may be provided on at least one side of the battery pack case PC of the battery pack according to the present disclosure. The exhaust device VD may perform a function of discharging the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust hole H1 of each battery module from the inside of the battery pack case PC to the outside. The exhaust device VD may always be maintained in an open state, or may be configured to switch from a closed state to an open state under specific circumstances (for example, when the internal pressure increases).

[0239] As another example, a battery pack according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure, but may not include a separate battery pack housing, and may be configured so that the module housing 200 of the battery module is used as a battery pack housing PC. In this case, components of the battery pack (e.g., BMS, bus bars, and relays) may be included inside the module housing 200. This type of battery pack is also referred to as a cell-to-pack (CTP) because the battery cell 110 is directly accommodated in the battery pack housing PC. Recently, the development of this CTP type of battery pack is also active, and the present disclosure may be applied to this CTP type of battery pack. In this case, the exhaust hole H1 is formed in a housing member serving as the battery pack housing PC and the module housing 200, and the inner cover member 300 may be located on the inner side of the housing member. In addition, the outer cover member 400 may be located on the outer side of the battery pack housing.

[0240] The battery module or battery pack according to the present disclosure can be applied to a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle. That is, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure or a battery pack according to the present disclosure. In addition, in addition to the battery module or battery pack, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may also include various other components included in the vehicle. For example, in addition to the battery module according to the present disclosure, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may also include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and the like.

[0241] The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, as various changes and modifications within the scope of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description.

[0242] [reference numerals]

[0243] 100: Battery cell components

[0244] 110: Battery cell, 111: Electrode terminal

[0245] 120: Barrier

[0246] 130: Insulation pad

[0247] 200: Module housing

[0248] 210: U-shaped frame

[0249] 211: bottom plate, 212: left plate, 213: right plate

[0250] 220: Top plate

[0251] 230: End frame

[0252] 300: Inner cover component

[0253] 301: Internal rupture

[0254] 400: Outer cover component

[0255] 401: External rupture

[0256] H1: Exhaust hole

[0257] N: Notch

[0258] P: protrusion

[0259] C: Bend

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: A battery cell assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other; a module housing configured to accommodate the battery cell assembly in an internal space and having a vent hole formed in the module housing; as well as An inner cover member is configured to cover a side surface on which the exhaust hole is formed at the inner side of the module housing, and the inner cover member has an inner rupture portion formed in a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole, so that exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell assembly can be discharged to the exhaust hole through the inner rupture portion.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The exhaust hole is formed on the upper side of the module housing, and Wherein, the inner cover component is located on the upper part of the battery core assembly.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The module case includes a U-shaped frame in which a bottom plate, a left plate, and a right plate are integrally formed, and a top plate coupled to a top of the U-shaped frame.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The inner rupture portion is configured in the form of a notch.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The inner rupture portion is formed in plurality.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, in, At least some of the plurality of inner rupture portions are configured to have different rupture conditions.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The inner rupture portion is configured to have different rupture conditions according to positions in a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The cell assembly includes a pouch-type cell as the battery cell, and The pouch-type battery cell is configured such that a joining member for maintaining a folded structure of a sealing portion is partially attached to the sealing portion, and at least a portion of a portion not attached to the joining member is positioned to correspond to the inner rupture portion.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The inner cover member has a protrusion protruding toward the battery cell assembly.

10. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The inner cover member is configured such that the inner rupture portion is relatively located in an outward direction.

11. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The inner cover member is formed to have a bent end such that a bent portion is interposed between the battery cell assembly and the module case.

12. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: An outer cover member configured to cover a side surface where the exhaust hole is formed at an outer side of the module case, the outer cover member having an outer rupture portion provided in a portion corresponding to the exhaust hole.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, in, The outer rupture portion is inserted into the exhaust hole. 14 . A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1 . 15 . A vehicle comprising the battery module according to claim 1 .

Images