End plate for battery frame, and battery module and battery pack comprising same

Abstract

The invention discloses an end plate for a battery frame and a battery module and a battery pack comprising the end plate. The end plate includes: a flat plate having insulating properties and including a first surface for receiving an external force, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in a first direction, and a pair of accommodating guides recessed from opposing peripheral portions toward a center in a second direction crossing the first direction; an external force absorbing member at least partially embedded in the accommodating guide to absorb an external force applied to the peripheral portion and uniformly adjust a distribution of stress in the flat plate with respect to the external force in a second direction; and a fixing member located on the second surface at each of the opposing peripheral portions to correspond to the external force absorbing member, and fixed to the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an end plate, and a battery module and a battery pack including the same, and more particularly, to an end plate capable of uniformly distributing stress caused by expansion pressure of battery cells, and a battery module and a battery pack including the same. Background Art

[0002] Battery modules including multiple battery cells and battery packs including multiple battery modules are widely used to provide power far greater than the energy storage capacity of the battery. For example, recently, as the number of transportation devices using electricity as energy has increased, the demand for high-capacity battery packs has been increasing.

[0003] Generally, a battery module includes a plurality of battery cells aligned in one direction and fixed by a module frame, a plurality of bus bars provided on the module frame to detect electrical characteristics of the respective cells, and a battery controller for controlling operations of the battery cells.

[0004] A module frame is provided, which includes a protection device for protecting battery cells from external vibration or impact occurring during operation of the battery module and a fixing device for fixing the battery module to a pack case when the battery module is used as a battery pack or an energy storage device.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute related (or prior) art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] End plates may be provided at opposite ends of the battery array to protect battery cells, and may include module interfaces for connecting adjacent battery modules to each other and bushings for fixing the modules, so as to impose maximum constraints in the design stage of the module frame.

[0007] Various constraints on the end plate design may be set to achieve high capacity and high efficiency of the battery module, such that the cell expansion characteristics within the battery module may not be fully considered during the design stage of the end plate.

[0008] However, recently, as demands for the life of a battery module increase, demands for solving the unevenness of stress in the end plate due to expansion pressure are increasing as a factor for improving the life of the battery module.

[0009] Therefore, an improved end plate capable of uniformly absorbing expansion pressure, and a battery module and a battery pack including the same may be desired.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to an end plate capable of absorbing expansion pressure of a battery cell and making internal stress of the battery cell uniform or substantially uniform.

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to a battery module including an end plate.

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to a battery pack including a battery module.

[0013] However, the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above problems, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other problems not mentioned here and aspects and features of the present disclosure that will solve such problems through the following description of the present disclosure.

[0014] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, an end plate for a battery frame includes: a flat plate having insulating properties and including a first surface configured to receive external force, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in a first direction, and a pair of accommodating guides recessed from opposite peripheral portions toward a center in a second direction intersecting the first direction; an external force absorber at least partially buried in the accommodating guide to absorb external force applied to the peripheral portion and uniformly adjust the distribution of stress in the flat plate relative to the external force in the second direction; and a fixing member located on the second surface at each of the opposite peripheral portions to correspond to the external force absorber and configured to be fixed to the outside.

[0015] In an embodiment, the accommodating guide may include: one or more separation portions extending from an entrance located in a side surface of the flat plate in a second direction and separated from the flat plate in a comb-tooth shape to separate adjacent recesses having a linear shape from each other; a bottom portion connecting adjacent separation portions to each other and providing a bottom of the recess; and a notch portion connected to the one or more separation portions and the flat plate to divide the recess between the entrance and the bottom, and to divide the recess into a main accommodating portion connected to the entrance and a secondary accommodating portion connected to the bottom portion.

[0016] In an embodiment, the bottom portion may have a rounded shape, such that the recess extends in a region adjacent to the bottom portion.

[0017] In an embodiment, the recessed portion may include an appendage protruding toward the bottom portion and having a breaking thickness configured to be selectively broken according to a magnitude of an external force.

[0018] In an embodiment, the fracture thickness may be in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0019] In an embodiment, the sidewalls of one or more separation portions adjacent to the notch portion and the sidewalls of the flat plate may include a notch accommodating portion that is recessed in the first direction and configured to accommodate a split notch that can be separated from the notch portion when the attachment is broken.

[0020] In an embodiment, the plate may comprise plastic having insulating properties.

[0021] In an embodiment, the external force absorber may include an elastomer configured to be injected into the accommodation guide as a solid.

[0022] In an embodiment, the external force absorber may include at least one of a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, and an elastomer.

[0023] In an embodiment, the fixing member may include: a bushing structure having a cylindrical shape fixed to the flat plate and extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions; and a bolt configured to extend through the bushing structure to be fixed to the object.

[0024] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module includes: a battery array, including a plurality of battery cells aligned along a first direction and having a length in the first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a drive controller, on the battery array and configured to control the operation of the battery cells; end plates, respectively located at the front and rear ends of the battery array to fix the battery cells in the first direction, and configured to absorb expansion pressure of the battery array to uniformly distribute internal stress in a second direction; and side plates, connected to the end plates to fix the side surfaces of the battery array.

[0025] In an embodiment, the end plate may include: a flat plate having insulating properties and including a first surface in contact with the battery array and configured to receive expansion pressure, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in a first direction, and a pair of accommodating guides recessed from opposite peripheral portions toward the center in a second direction; an external force absorber at least partially buried in the accommodating guide to absorb expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion and configured to uniformly adjust the distribution of stress in the flat plate relative to the expansion pressure in the second direction; and a fixing member located on the second surface at each of the opposite peripheral portions to correspond to the external force absorber and configured to be fixed to the outside.

[0026] In an embodiment, the accommodating guide may include: one or more separation portions extending from an entrance located in a side surface of the flat plate in a second direction and separated from the flat plate in a comb-tooth shape to separate adjacent recesses having a linear shape from each other; a bottom portion connecting adjacent separation portions to each other and providing a bottom of the recess; and a notch portion connected to the one or more separation portions and the flat plate to divide the recess between the entrance and the bottom, and to divide the recess into a main accommodating portion connected to the entrance and a secondary accommodating portion connected to the bottom portion.

[0027] In an embodiment, the side walls of one or more separation portions adjacent to the notch portion and the side walls of the flat plate may include a notch accommodating portion, which is recessed in the first direction and is configured to accommodate a split notch of the notch portion, and the split notch can be separated in the event of a rupture of an attachment having a rupture thickness that is selectively ruptured according to the magnitude of the expansion pressure.

[0028] In an embodiment, the driving controller may include: a bus bar connecting adjacent battery cells among a plurality of battery cells to each other; a circuit board electrically connected to the bus bar; and a battery controller on the circuit board to individually control operations of the battery cells.

[0029] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery modules aligned in a lower housing and electrically connected to each other; and an upper housing connected to the lower housing to separate the battery modules from the outside. Each of the battery modules includes: a battery array including a plurality of battery cells aligned along a first direction and having a length in the first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a drive controller on the battery array to control the operation of the battery cells; end plates located at the front and rear ends of the battery array, respectively, to fix the battery array in the first direction and configured to absorb expansion pressure of the battery array to uniformly distribute internal stress in the second direction; and side plates connected to the end plates to fix the side surfaces of the battery array.

[0030] In an embodiment, the end plate may include: a flat plate having insulating properties and including: a first surface in contact with the battery array and configured to receive expansion pressure, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in a first direction, and a pair of accommodating guides recessed from opposite peripheral portions toward the center in a second direction; an external force absorber at least partially buried in the accommodating guide to absorb expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion and uniformly adjust the distribution of stress in the flat plate relative to the expansion pressure in the second direction; and a fixing member located on the second surface at each of the opposite peripheral portions to correspond to the external force absorber and configured to be fixed to the outside.

[0031] In an embodiment, the accommodating guide may include: one or more separation portions extending from an entrance located in a side surface of the flat plate in a second direction and separated from the flat plate in a comb-tooth shape to separate adjacent recesses having a linear shape from each other; a bottom portion connecting adjacent separation portions to each other to provide a bottom of the recess; and a notch portion connected to one or more separation portions and the flat plate to divide the recess between the entrance and the bottom, and to divide the recess into a main accommodating portion connected to the entrance and a secondary accommodating portion connected to the bottom portion.

[0032] In an embodiment, the side walls of one or more separation portions adjacent to the notch portion and the side walls of the flat plate may include a notch accommodating portion, which is recessed in the first direction and is configured to accommodate a split notch of the notch portion, and the split notch can be separated in the event of a rupture of an attachment having a rupture thickness that is selectively ruptured according to the magnitude of the expansion pressure.

[0033] In an embodiment, the fixing member may include: a bushing structure having a cylindrical shape fixed to the flat plate and extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions; and a bolt configured to extend through the bushing structure to be fixed to the lower housing.

[0034] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the expansion pressure applied to the periphery of the end plate, where a high-strength fixing member is installed, can be partially absorbed by the elastic external force absorber, thereby reducing the expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion of the plate. As a result, the pressure difference between the peripheral portion and the central portion of the plate can be reduced, thereby increasing the uniformity of the stress distribution occurring within the plate.

[0035] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, even when a fixing member having high strength is provided at the peripheral portion of a flat plate, the uniformity of stress inside the plate can be increased, and a reduction in the life of the end plate due to the unevenness of stress can be suppressed.

[0036] However, aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects and features, and other aspects and features not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the detailed description described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings attached to this specification illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present disclosure, further describe aspects and features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a perspective view illustrating a battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2 Shown in more detail Figure 1A perspective view of an end plate of a battery module shown in FIG. Figure 3A Shown Shown Figure 2 A perspective view of a battery cell shown in FIG; Figure 3B Shown along Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of the battery cell shown in FIG. 1 taken along line aa′; Figure 4 FIG. 1 shows an example of a method including a method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 A perspective view of an end plate in a battery module shown in FIG. Figure 5 The external force absorbing member for absorbing the expansion pressure caused by the battery cell is provided in Figure 4 A perspective view of the state of the end plate shown in FIG; Figure 6 Shown Shown Figure 4 A plan view of the receiving guide of the end plate shown in ; Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 An enlarged view of a portion A housing a guide member as shown in FIG; Figure 8 The external force absorber is provided in Figure 6 The state of the receiving guide shown in ; Figure 9 Shown Figure 8 The external force absorber shown in FIG is ejected into the secondary housing portion; Figure 10 showing a graph showing the relationship between the pressure applied to the external force absorber and the elongation of the external force absorber; Figure 11 Shown Shown including Figure 1 A top perspective view of a battery pack of the battery module shown in FIG; and Figure 12 Shown Shown including Figure 1 A perspective view of a battery pack of a battery module is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general meaning or dictionary meaning, and should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concept of the present disclosure based on the principle that the inventor can, as his / her own lexicographer, appropriately define the concept of the term to best explain his / her invention.

[0039] The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts, aspects, and features of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace or modify the embodiments described herein at the time of filing this application.

[0040] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present. When an element or layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers. For example, when a first element is described as being “coupled to” or “connected to” a second element, the first element can be directly coupled to or directly coupled to the second element, or the first element can be indirectly coupled to or indirectly coupled to the second element via one or more intervening elements.

[0041] In the figures, the sizes of various elements, layers, etc. may be exaggerated for clarity. Identical reference numerals represent identical elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items. In addition, when describing embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure." Phrases such as "at least one of..." and "any of...", when following a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements, not the individual elements in that list. When phrases such as "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one selected from the group of A, B, and C," or "at least one selected from A, B, and C," are used to specify a list of elements A, B, and C, the phrase may refer to any suitable combination (or subset) of A, B, and C, as well as all suitable combinations (or subsets), such as A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C. As used herein, the term "use" and variations thereof may be considered synonymous with the term "utilize" and variations thereof, respectively. As used herein, the terms "substantially," "about," and similar terms are used as terms of approximation, not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values ​​that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize.

[0042] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, first component, first region, first layer or first part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, second component, second region, second layer or second part.

[0043] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as “under,” “beneath,” “below,” “above,” and “on” may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, an element described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” or “on” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “under” can encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0044] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "an" are also intended to include the plural forms. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprises," "comprising," and / or variations thereof are used in this specification, the existence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components is indicated, but the existence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof is not excluded.

[0045] In addition, any numerical range disclosed and / or described herein is intended to include all subranges of the same numerical precision contained within the described range. For example, the range of "1.0 to 10.0" is intended to include all subranges between the described minimum value of 1.0 and the described maximum value of 10.0 (and including the described minimum value of 1.0 and the described maximum value of 10.0), that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limit described herein is intended to include all lower numerical limits contained therein, and any minimum numerical limit described in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits contained therein. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to amend this specification and the claims to explicitly describe any subranges contained within the range explicitly described herein. All such ranges are intended to be inherently described in this specification so that modifications to explicitly describe any such subranges will meet the requirements.

[0046] Referring to two compared elements, features, etc. as "the same" may mean that they are "substantially the same." Thus, the phrase "substantially the same" may include situations with what is considered in the art to be low variance (e.g., 5% or less). Additionally, when a parameter is referred to as uniform in a given area, it may mean that it is uniform with respect to the average value.

[0047] Throughout the specification, unless stated otherwise, each element may be in the singular or in the plural.

[0048] Arranging an arbitrary element “on (or below)” or “on (under)” another element may mean that the arbitrary element may be disposed in contact with the upper (or lower) surface of the element, and another element may also be interposed between the element and the arbitrary element disposed on (or below) the element.

[0049] Additionally, it will be understood that when a component is referred to as being “linked,” “coupled,” or “connected” to another component, the components may be directly “coupled,” “linked,” or “connected” to each other or another component may be “interposed” between the components.

[0050] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise stated, when "A and / or B" is stated, it means A, B, or A and B. That is, "and / or" includes any and all combinations of a plurality of listed items. When "C to D" is stated, unless otherwise stated, it means C or greater and D or less.

[0051] Figure 1 A perspective view illustrating a battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 Shown in more detail Figure 1A perspective view of the end plates of the battery module shown in FIG.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module 500 may include a battery array 100, a drive controller 200, an end plate 300 and a side plate 400, the battery array 100 includes a plurality of battery cells 110, the drive controller 200 controls the operation of the battery cells 110, and the end plates 300 are arranged at the front and rear ends of the battery array 100 to fix the battery cells 110.

[0053] The battery cells 110 may be aligned on the bottom plate along the first direction I and may be fixed by a pair of end plates 300 and a pair of side plates 400 .

[0054] Thus, the battery cells 110 aligned on the bottom plate can be fixed at each of the front, rear, left, and right sides to form the battery array 100, and can be separated from the outside by the cover C covering the upper portion of the battery array 100. The battery cells 110 separated from the outside by the end plates 300, the side plates 400, the bottom plate, and the cover C can be formed into a battery module 500 serving as a single energy storage device.

[0055] The battery cell 110 may include various suitable unit cells capable of generating electrical energy. Hereinafter, the battery cell 110 may be described in more detail as a secondary battery that can be reversibly charged and discharged.

[0056] Figure 3A Shown Shown Figure 2 A perspective view of a battery cell is shown in FIG. Figure 3B Shown along Figure 3A sectional view of the battery cell taken along line aa' shown in FIG.

[0057] Reference Figure 3A and Figure 3B A secondary battery 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one electrode assembly 10, a case 20 in which the electrode assembly 10 is embedded, and a cap assembly 30 connected to (e.g., coupled to or attached to) an opening of the case 20. The electrode assembly 10 may be formed by inserting a separator 13 as an insulator between a positive electrode plate 11 and a negative electrode plate 12 and winding or stacking the positive electrode plate 11, the separator 13, and the negative electrode plate 12.

[0058] An example in which the secondary battery 110 according to some embodiments is a prismatic lithium-ion battery will be described in more detail. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various suitable types of batteries, such as lithium polymer batteries or cylindrical batteries.

[0059] The positive electrode plate 11 and the negative electrode plate 12 may include a coated portion, which is a region where an active material is applied on a current collector made of a thin metal foil, and an uncoated portion 11 a , 12 a , which is a region where the active material is not coated.

[0060] The positive electrode plate 11 and the negative electrode plate 12 may be wound after the separator 13 as an insulator is interposed between the positive electrode plate 11 and the negative electrode plate 12. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the electrode assembly 10 may have a structure in which positive electrodes and negative electrodes, each including a plurality of sheets, are alternately stacked with a separator interposed therebetween.

[0061] The case 20 may form the overall appearance of the secondary battery 110 and may be made of a conductive metal such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or nickel-plated steel. In some embodiments, the case 20 may provide a space for accommodating the electrode assembly 10.

[0062] The cap assembly 30 may include a cap plate 31 covering the opening of the case 20, and the case 20 and the cap plate 31 may be made of a conductive material. The positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 connected to the positive electrode plate 11 and the negative electrode plate 12, respectively, may be installed to pass through the cap plate 31 and may protrude to the outside.

[0063] In other words, the positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 may be protruded to the outside to be respectively disposed at both end portions (eg, opposite end portions) of the case 20 extending in the second direction.

[0064] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the secondary batteries 110 aligned in a row in the first direction I can be arranged so that the positive electrode terminals 21 and the negative electrode terminals 22 are alternately positioned. Therefore, each secondary battery 110 can serve as an energy source whose output power increases in proportion to the number of at least some of the secondary batteries 110 connected in series to each other through the bus bars 210 described in more detail below.

[0065] The cap plate 31 may be made of a thin plate and may be connected to (e.g., bonded to or attached to) the opening of the housing 20. An electrolyte injection port 32 at which (e.g., in or on which) a sealing stopper 33 may be installed may be formed in the cap plate 31, and a vent 34 having a notch 34 a formed therein may be installed in the cap plate 31.

[0066] The positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 can be electrically connected to the positive electrode current collector 40 and the negative electrode current collector 50, respectively, which are welded and joined to the positive electrode uncoated portion 11a and the negative electrode uncoated portion 12a, respectively. For example, the positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 can be welded and joined to or integrally connected to (e.g., bonded to or attached to) the positive electrode current collector 40 and the negative electrode current collector 50, respectively.

[0067] The positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 respectively welded and connected to (e.g., bonded to or attached to) the positive electrode collector 40 and the negative electrode collector 50 may be connected to (e.g., bonded to or attached to) the first and second lower insulating members 60 and 70 and one end of the first and second separating members 80 and 90.

[0068] Although the battery cells 110 are described as being arranged in a row to form a single cell row, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a plurality of cell rows may be provided according to desired output power of the battery module 500 .

[0069] Refer again Figure 2 , the driving controller 200 capable of individually controlling the operation of the battery cells 110 may be disposed on the battery cells 110 aligned along the first direction I.

[0070] The driving controller 200 may include bus bars 210 connecting adjacent battery cells 110 to each other, a circuit board 220 electrically connected to the bus bars 210 , and a battery controller 230 provided on the circuit board 220 to individually control operations of the battery cells 110 .

[0071] The bus bar 210 may electrically connect adjacent battery cells 110 to each other by connecting the positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 adjacent to each other.

[0072] The bus bar 210 may be made of a conductive member that electrically connects adjacent battery cells 110 to each other by connecting (e.g., bonding or attaching) the positive electrode terminals 21 and the negative electrode terminals 22 of the adjacent battery cells 110 to each other. For example, the bus bar 210 may be made of a low-resistance metal plate and may be connected to the positive electrode terminals 21 or the negative electrode terminals 22 of the adjacent battery cells 110.

[0073] In other words, the battery cells 110 may be aligned such that the positive electrode terminals 21 and the negative electrode terminals 22 are alternately arranged along the first direction I, and the bus bars 210 may connect the positive electrode terminals 21 and the negative electrode terminals 22 of adjacent battery cells 110 to each other. Thus, at least some of the battery cells 110 disposed in the battery array 100 may be connected to each other in series via the bus bars 210.

[0074] In some embodiments, the bus bars 210 may be disposed along rows along both ends (eg, opposite ends) of the respective battery cells 110 in the second direction II, and the vents 34 may be exposed at central portions of the battery cells 110 .

[0075] For example, the circuit board 220 may include a printed circuit board that can be provided as a flexible board and on which a fine circuit for signal transmission is printed. Each bus bar 210 may be connected to the circuit board 220 via a detection line and may detect operating information of each corresponding battery cell 110 and transmit the detected operating information to the circuit board 220.

[0076] In some embodiments, the circuit board 220 can be configured as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and can be configured in various suitable shapes. Therefore, the circuit board 220 can be deformed into various suitable shapes on the battery array 100, thereby reducing installation space restrictions and increasing the freedom to install various additional devices.

[0077] In some embodiments, the battery operation information may include the voltage and driving temperature of each battery cell 110. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and in addition to the voltage and driving temperature, various suitable types of operation information may be included according to the needs of the battery module 500 or the battery pack 1000 equipped with the battery module 500 (described in more detail below).

[0078] The detected operation information of the battery cells 110 may be transmitted to the battery controller 230 provided on the circuit board 220 to be processed.

[0079] For example, the battery controller 230 may be provided on an upper surface of the circuit board 220 and may include a control process for processing information about an operating state of each battery cell 110 to individually control the operation of the battery cell 110 .

[0080] The battery controller 230 may individually control each of the battery cells 110 by processing individual operation information of the battery cells 110 detected through the detection line. Therefore, the battery module 500 may be driven in an optimal operation state.

[0081] In some embodiments, the battery controller 230 may include a battery management system (BMS) that performs a monitoring operation for each battery cell 110 , cell balancing for reducing deviations between the battery cells 110 , and cell operation control for suppressing overcharge and overdischarge of each battery cell 110 .

[0082] In some embodiments, the bus bar 210 , the circuit board 220 , and the battery controller 230 may be fixed to a bus bar holder provided on the battery array 100 , and may be provided to be separated from the outside by a cover C.

[0083] In some embodiments, the battery module 500 can be configured as a hexahedron having a rectangular cross-section defined by a first direction I and a second direction II. Therefore, the drive controller 200 can be configured as a rectangular flat (or substantially flat) structure covering the upper surface of the battery array 100. Accordingly, the drive controller 200 can also be configured as a quadrilateral extending along the first direction I.

[0084] In some embodiments, end plates 300 may be disposed at the front and rear ends of the battery array 100 to secure the battery cells 110 in a first direction I, and side plates 400 may be disposed at both sides (e.g., opposite sides) of the battery array 100 to secure the battery cells 110 in a second direction II.

[0085] In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail below, the side plate 400 can be configured to surround the bushing structure 331 provided in the end plate 300 (for example, around the periphery of the bushing structure 331 provided in the end plate 300), and the external force absorber 320 provided between the bushing structure 331 and the battery array 100 can be configured to be covered by the side plate 400.

[0086] Figure 4 FIG. 1 shows an example of a method including a method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 A perspective view of the end plates in the battery module shown in FIG. Figure 5 The external force absorber for absorbing the expansion pressure caused by the battery cell 110 is provided in the Figure 4 A perspective view of the state in which the end plate is shown.

[0087] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The end plate 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include an insulating flat plate 310 , an external force absorber 320 , and a fixing member 330 .

[0088] For example, the insulating flat plate 310 may include a first surface S1 to which expansion pressure is applied as an external force, a second surface S2 spaced apart from the first surface S1 by a thickness in a first direction I, and a pair of accommodating guides RG recessed from two peripheral portions (e.g., opposite peripheral portions) toward the center along a second direction II as a width direction.

[0089] The flat plate 310 may be positioned at the front end of the battery array 100 and may make surface contact with the side surface of the battery cell 110 positioned at the first position along the first direction I. In other words, the flat plate 310 may be positioned at the front end of the battery array 100. Figure 3A The surface of the case 20 of the secondary battery 110 shown in FIG. 1 may be in surface contact with the insulating flat plate 310 positioned at the front end of the battery array 100 .

[0090] Similarly, the plate 310 may be positioned at the rear end of the battery array 100 and may make surface contact with the side surface of the battery cell 110 positioned at the rearmost position along the first direction I. In other words, the plate 310 positioned at the rear end of the battery array 100 may be in surface contact with the side surface of the battery cell 110 positioned at the rearmost position along the first direction I. Figure 3A The surface of the case 20 of the secondary battery 110 shown in FIG. 1 may be in surface contact with the insulating flat plate 310 positioned at the rear end of the battery array 100 .

[0091] Therefore, pressure caused by expansion of the battery cells 110 constituting the battery array 100 may be accumulated in the first direction I and may be concentratedly applied to the flat plates 310 positioned at the front and rear ends.

[0092] In some embodiments, the flat plate 310 may be provided in a three-dimensional shape that sufficiently covers the side surface of the case 20 of the secondary battery 110 , and may be made of an insulating material that may be electrically insulated from the secondary battery 110 .

[0093] For example, the flat plate 310 can be made of a plastic having excellent molding and electrical insulation properties. In other words, as will be described in more detail below, the flat plate 310 can be made of a suitable material having excellent molding properties so that the receiving guide RG provided as a linear recess R can be accurately formed in the flat plate 310.

[0094] The flat plate 310 may include a first surface S1 that contacts the battery cells 110, and a second surface S2 that is spaced apart from the first surface S1 by a thickness and on which the fixing members 330 are disposed. Both the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 may be flat or substantially flat surfaces. Therefore, the expansion pressure generated by the battery cells 110 may be uniformly or substantially uniformly applied to the first surface S1, and the fixing members 330 may be arranged in a linear shape in the third direction III.

[0095] A receiving guide RG including a plurality of recesses R extending from the side surfaces toward the center may be provided on both peripheral portions (e.g., opposing peripheral portions) of the first surface S1 and the second surface S2. An external force absorber 320 capable of absorbing expansion pressure as an external force applied to the first surface S1 may be provided in the receiving guide RG, thereby preventing or substantially preventing internal stress of the flat panel 310 caused by the expansion pressure from concentrating on the fixing member 330.

[0096] The fixing members 330 for fixing the battery module 500 may be provided at two peripheral portions (e.g., opposite peripheral portions) of the flat plate 310 in the second direction II, and the battery cells 110 may be in surface contact with the entire or substantially the entire first surface S1. Therefore, the expansion pressure of the battery cells 110 may be applied across the entire surface of the flat plate 310.

[0097] However, the fixing members 330 provided at the two peripheral portions of the flat plate 310 may have a sufficient degree of rigidity desired for fixing, so that although the central portion of the flat plate 310 may expand due to the expansion pressure, the two peripheral portions of the flat plate 310 may maintain or substantially maintain the original shape due to the strength of the fixing members 330. Therefore, the internal stress of the flat plate 310 corresponding to the expansion pressure of the battery cells 110 may be concentrated on the two peripheral portions where the fixing members 330 are provided.

[0098] The stress concentration on the outer portion of the flat plate 310 may reduce the life of the end plate 300 , resulting in a reduced life of the entire battery module 500 .

[0099] The receiving guide RG may be provided inside both peripheral portions of the plate 310 where the fixing member 330 having high strength is located, and an external force absorber 320 capable of absorbing expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portions may be provided.

[0100] The expansion pressure applied to the fixing member 330 having high strength can be partially absorbed, thereby preventing or substantially preventing stress concentration on the relative peripheral portions of the flat plate 310 and increasing the uniformity of distribution of internal stress occurring in the flat plate 310 in the second direction II.

[0101] Figure 6 Shown Shown Figure 4 A plan view of the receiving guide of the end plate shown in FIG. Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 An enlarged view of the portion A accommodating the guide member is shown in FIG.

[0102] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7, the receiving guide RG according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a separation portion 311 , a bottom portion 312 , and a notch portion 313 .

[0103] The separation portion 311 may extend from an inlet IN provided at a side surface of the plate 310 in the second direction II, and may be separated from the plate 310 in a comb-teeth shape to separate adjacent linear recesses R.

[0104] In other words, when the recesses R are formed at appropriate intervals (e.g., certain intervals or predetermined intervals) from the side surface of the flat plate 310 , the flat plate 310 positioned between adjacent recesses R may be formed as separation portions 311 for separating the recesses R. Therefore, when n recesses R (where n is a natural number) are formed on the side surface of the flat plate 310 , (n−1) separation portions 311 may be positioned between the n recesses R.

[0105] The recesses R may have a receiving width (e.g., a set receiving width) RW and may be aligned at intervals corresponding to the width of the separation portion 311 along the first direction I. The drawing illustrates a receiving guide RG in which two recesses R are separated by a single separation portion 311, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the number of recesses R constituting the receiving guide RG may be variously modified according to the capacity of the battery cell 110 and battery characteristics.

[0106] The recess R may have a height the same as or substantially the same as that of the flat plate 310 in the third direction III, and may have a length in the second direction II greater than the width of the fixing member 330. In other words, the recess R may be provided as a three-dimensional space defined (e.g., restricted) by the accommodation width RW, the height, and the length.

[0107] The bottom of the recess R along the second direction II may be circular and may have a semicircular flat surface having a diameter D greater than the accommodation width RW. Therefore, when the external force absorber 320 accommodated in the recess R is compressed by the expansion pressure, the semicircular flat surface may be uniformly or substantially uniformly compressed due to the bottom having a semi-cylindrical shape extending in the third direction III.

[0108] Accordingly, when the external force absorber 320 absorbs expansion pressure, the expansion pressure can be absorbed uniformly or substantially uniformly throughout the entire area of ​​the external force absorber 320, so that the distribution of stress inside the external force absorber 320 can also be set uniformly or substantially uniformly.

[0109] The bottom portion 312 may be a portion that closes the recess R at the end of the recess R and may constitute a portion of the flat plate 310. Therefore, the bottoms of adjacent recesses R may have a configuration that is connected to each other. In other words, the bottom portion 312 is provided as an area that remains at the outer portion of the flat plate 310 and is not formed into the recess R.

[0110] The notch portion 313 may be connected to the separation portion 311 and the flat plate 310 to divide the recess R between the inlet IN and the bottom, and may separate the recess R into a main receiving portion R1 connected to the inlet IN and a sub-receiving portion R2 connected to the bottom portion 312 .

[0111] In other words, the notch portion 313 may be positioned at the middle of the recess R and may divide the recess R. For example, the notch portion 313 may be provided in a V shape with an appendage protruding toward the bottom portion 312 and may have a braking thickness selectively broken according to the magnitude of external pressure.

[0112] The notch portion 313 may include a leg portion 313 a connected between adjacent separation portions 311 or between the flat plate 310 and the separation portion 311 , and an attachment portion 313 b connected to the leg portion 313 a positioned to be inclined toward the bottom portion 312 .

[0113] The notch portion 313 may be provided so that the appendage 313 b breaks when an expansion pressure exceeding the shape elastic force due to the shape elastic modulus obtained by the V-shape is applied to the outer peripheral portion of the flat plate 310 .

[0114] When the notch portion 313 breaks, the external force absorber 320 accommodated and compressed in the main receiving portion R1 may be compressed by an expansion pressure sufficient to break the notch portion 313 and may be extruded into the sub-receiving portion R2 to form an external force absorber 320e.

[0115] Therefore, by using a portion of the expansion pressure as the fracture energy of the notch portion 313 , the expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion of the flat plate 310 may be reduced, and the internal stress of the peripheral portion may be reduced.

[0116] In some embodiments, the thickness of the attachment 313 b may be in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the thickness of the attachment 313 b may be variously modified according to the expansion pressure of the battery cell 110 and the configuration of the flat plate 310 .

[0117] The notch accommodating portion 314 may be provided at a lower portion of the notch portion 313, the split notch 313S of the notch portion 313 being separated when the attachment 313b is broken (eg, see Figure 9 ) can be accommodated in the recessed accommodating portion 314.

[0118] The split notch 313S blocks the flow of the external force absorber 320 extruded from the main receiving portion R1 to the secondary receiving portion R2. Thus, a cavity having a constant or substantially constant size in the first direction I can be formed along the sidewalls of the separation portion 311 adjacent to the notch portion 313 and the sidewalls of the flat plate 310. Thus, a notch receiving portion 314 recessed in the first direction can be provided at the lower side of the notch portion 313.

[0119] Therefore, in the event that the attachment 313b of the notch portion 313 breaks, the leg 313a fixed to the separation portion 311 or the flat plate 310 can form a split notch 313S, and by accommodating and squeezing the split notch 313S into the notch accommodating portion 314 provided at the side through the extrusion force of the external force absorber 320, the split notch 313S can be prevented or substantially prevented from generating resistance to the flow of the external force absorber 320.

[0120] As an example, the external force absorber 320 may be made of an elastic body injected into the receiving guide RG and provided as a solid.

[0121] Figure 8 The external force absorber is shown to be arranged on Figure 6 The state in which the guide is accommodated is shown in FIG. Figure 9 Shown Figure 8 The external force absorber is ejected into the sub-accommodation portion as shown in FIG.

[0122] In the case where the end plates 300 are provided at the front and rear ends of the battery array 100 , the external force absorber 320 may be embedded or buried in the main receiving portion R1 through the inlet IN using injection molding.

[0123] The external force absorber 320 may be first formed as a molten injection product in a gel state or a solution state and then injected into the main receiving portion R1 through a molding nozzle. The injected molten liquid may solidify to form the external force absorber 320 as a solid material having elasticity.

[0124] For example, the external force absorber 320 may be made of an elastic body including any one of a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, and / or an elastomer.

[0125] When the external force absorber 320 is embedded in the main receiving portion R1 that receives the guide member RG, the expansion pressure applied to the outer portion of the flat plate 310 can be dissipated to compress the elastic external force absorber 320, thereby reducing the expansion pressure applied to the flat plate 310. Therefore, by reducing the expansion pressure as an external force applied to the outer portion of the flat plate 310, the pressure difference applied to the outer portion and the central portion of the flat plate 310 can be reduced. The reduction in the pressure difference applied to the flat plate 310 can increase the uniformity of the distribution of stress occurring within the flat plate 310.

[0126] Therefore, even in the case where a fixing member 330 having high strength is provided at the peripheral portion of the flat plate 310, the external force absorber 320 can reduce the magnitude of the pressure applied to the peripheral portion of the flat plate 310, thereby improving the uniformity of the internal stress and preventing or substantially preventing a reduction in the life of the end plate due to the unevenness of the stress in the flat plate 310.

[0127] In some embodiments, in the early stage of the life of the battery module 500 , the elasticity of the external force absorber 320 may be sufficient to substantially reduce the pressure applied to the peripheral portion of the plate 310 only when the external force absorber 320 is accommodated in the main accommodation portion R1 .

[0128] However, as the battery module 500 ages, the expansion of the battery cells 110 increases, and the expansion pressure also increases. Therefore, a greater expansion pressure is applied to the battery module 500 at the end of its life compared to the expansion pressure at the early stage of its life.

[0129] Figure 10 A graph showing the relationship between the pressure applied to the external force absorber and the elongation of the external force absorber is shown.

[0130] Reference Figure 10 When an expansion pressure exceeding the pressure corresponding to the allowable elongation AS of the external force absorber 320 is applied, the elongation of the external force absorber 320 changes significantly even if the expansion pressure changes slightly.

[0131] Therefore, when the battery module 500 is used until the end of its expected lifespan, as the battery cells expand, the expansion pressure applied to the plate 310 also suddenly increases. As a result, the extension of the external force absorber 320 suddenly increases, and thus, new stress concentration is generated by the extended external force absorber 320.

[0132] In order to prevent new stress concentration, the breaking thickness of the attachment 313b of the notch portion 313 may be constructed (eg, may be set) so that the attachment 313b of the notch portion 313 breaks when the external force absorber 320 is elongated to the allowable elongation AS due to the expansion pressure.

[0133] For example, the allowable elongation AS may be in the range of about 50% to about 70% of the maximum elongation of the external force absorber 320. In some embodiments, the allowable elongation AS may be 60% of the maximum elongation.

[0134] Therefore, the external force absorber 320 can be configured so that the notched portion 313 can break at an allowable elongation relative to the maximum expansion pressure that may occur at the final stage of the life of the battery module 500. Therefore, even at the final stage of the life of the battery module 500, external forces can be sufficiently absorbed to ensure uniform distribution of stress in the flat plate 310, thereby increasing the uniformity of internal stress in the end plate throughout the expected life of the battery module 500.

[0135] In the case where the notch portion 313 is broken, the recess R may be formed as an integral recess RS having a reduced size due to the expansion pressure applied to the flat plate 310 (see, for example, FIG. Figure 9 In other words, the main receiving portion R1 and the sub-receiving portion R2 may be connected to each other to form an integrated recess RS having an increased size, and due to the expansion pressure sufficient to brake the notch portion 313, the size of the integrated recess RS may have an accommodation width smaller than that of the recess R before the notch portion 313 is broken.

[0136] With the external force absorber 320 injected into the receiving guide RG, the side plate 400 may be fastened to one side of the battery array 100. For example, the side plate 400 may be provided as a fixing member 330 extending to the end plate 300 and may cover the external force absorber 320. Thus, the external force absorber 320 may be separated from the external environment, thereby preventing the external force absorber 320 from being damaged.

[0137] In some embodiments, the fixing member 330 may be positioned at opposite peripheral portions of the second surface S2 to correspond to the external force absorber 320 , and may fix the battery module 500 to the outside.

[0138] For example, in the case of configuring a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules 500 , the fixing members 330 may fix corresponding battery modules 500 to a case of the battery pack.

[0139] In some embodiments, the fixing member 330 may include a bushing structure 331 having a cylindrical shape fixed to the plate 310 and extending in the third direction III, and a bolt 332 passing through the bushing structure 331 to be fixed to an external object.

[0140] For example, the bushing structure 331 and the bolt 332 may be means for stably fixing the battery module 500, and thus may be provided as a structure having sufficient strength. Therefore, in order to prevent stress concentration on the fixing member 330 due to the expansion pressure applied to the plate 310, the external force absorber 320 may be positioned between the fixing member 330 and the battery cell 110 as a medium for absorbing the expansion pressure.

[0141] A portion of the expansion pressure may be absorbed by the external force absorber 320 , and the remaining pressure may be applied to the fixing member 330 , so that the pressure applied throughout the entire flat panel 310 may remain uniform or substantially uniform.

[0142] According to the battery module 500 described above, the external force absorber 320 can be provided at the outer portion of the flat plate 310 constituting the end plate 300 to reduce the amount of expansion pressure applied to the high-strength fixing member. Therefore, the pressure difference between the outer portion and the central portion of the flat plate 310 can be minimized or reduced, thereby increasing the uniformity of the distribution of internal stress generated within the flat plate 310 in response to the expansion pressure.

[0143] Therefore, the battery module 500 can operate more stably until its expected lifespan.

[0144] Figure 11 Shown Shown including Figure 1 A top perspective view of a battery pack of a battery module is shown in FIG. Figure 12 Shown Shown including Figure 1 A perspective view of a battery pack of a battery module is shown in FIG.

[0145] Reference Figure 11 and Figure 12 The battery pack 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery modules 500 and a housing 600 for accommodating the battery modules 500 .

[0146] For example, the housing 600 may include an upper housing 610 and a lower housing 620 that accommodate the battery module 500 and are connected (eg, coupled or attached) to face each other.

[0147] The battery modules 500 can be provided in an appropriate number according to the desired output power. The battery modules 500 can be electrically connected to each other using module bus bars 710, and the battery modules 500 can be electrically connected to each other using module bus bars in a series / parallel or series-parallel combination scheme to obtain the desired electrical output power.

[0148] The external force absorber 320 may be provided between the fixing member 330 having high strength and the battery cell 110 in the end plate 300 of each battery module 500 , and the external force absorber 320 can partially absorb the expansion pressure of the battery cell to reduce the expansion pressure applied to the fixing member 330 .

[0149] Therefore, damage to the end plate 300 due to expansion pressure can be prevented by reducing the stress difference between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the end plate 300. Each battery module 500 can operate stably until its expected lifespan, and thus the lifespan of the battery pack 1000 including the battery module 500 can also be extended.

[0150] The battery module 500 may have the same Figures 1 to 10 The configuration of the described battery module 500 is the same or substantially the same, and thus, a redundant description thereof may not be repeated.

[0151] According to the end plate and the battery module and battery pack including the end plate as described above, the expansion pressure applied to the periphery of the end plate 300, where the fixing member 330 having high strength is provided, can be partially absorbed by the elastic external force absorber 320, thereby reducing the expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion of the flat plate 310. Therefore, the pressure difference applied to the peripheral portion and the central portion of the flat plate 310 can be reduced, thereby increasing the uniformity of the stress distribution occurring inside the flat plate 310.

[0152] According to some embodiments, even when a fixing member 330 having high strength is provided at the outer portion of the flat plate 310, the uniformity of stress inside the flat plate 310 can be increased, and a reduction in the life of the end plate 300 due to the non-uniformity of stress can be suppressed.

[0153] Although the present disclosure has been described above with respect to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Various modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present disclosure and the equivalent scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An end plate for a battery frame, the end plate comprising: A flat plate having insulating properties and comprising: a first surface configured to receive an external force; a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in a first direction; and a pair of receiving guides recessed from opposite peripheral portions toward a center in a second direction intersecting the first direction; an external force absorber at least partially buried in the accommodation guide to absorb external force applied to the peripheral portion and uniformly adjust distribution of stress in the flat plate with respect to the external force in the second direction; and A fixing member is located on the second surface at each of the opposing peripheral portions so as to correspond to the external force absorber and is configured to be fixed to the outside.

2. The end plate according to claim 1, wherein The receiving guide comprises: one or more separation portions extending from an inlet located in a side surface of the plate in the second direction and separated from the plate in a comb-teeth shape to separate adjacent recesses having a linear shape from each other; a bottom portion connecting adjacent separated portions to each other and providing a bottom of the recess; and A notch portion is connected to the one or more separation portions and the flat plate to divide the recess between the inlet and the bottom portion and to divide the recess into a main receiving portion connected to the inlet and a sub-receiving portion connected to the bottom portion.

3. The end plate according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom portion has a circular shape such that the recess extends in a region adjacent to the bottom portion.

4. The end plate according to claim 2, wherein: The notch portion includes an appendage that protrudes toward the bottom portion and has a breaking thickness configured to be selectively broken according to a magnitude of the external force.

5. The end plate according to claim 4, wherein: The fracture thickness is in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm.

6. The end plate according to claim 4, wherein: The side walls of the one or more separation portions adjacent to the notch portion and the side wall of the flat plate include a notch accommodating portion that is recessed in the first direction and configured to accommodate a split notch separated from the notch portion when the attachment is broken.

7. The end plate according to claim 1, wherein The plate comprises plastic having the insulating properties.

8. The end plate according to claim 1, wherein The external force absorber includes an elastic body configured to be injected into the accommodation guide as a solid.

9. The end plate according to claim 1, wherein The external force absorber includes at least one of a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, and an elastomer.

10. The end plate according to claim 1, wherein The fixing member comprises: a bushing structure having a cylindrical shape fixed to the flat plate and extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; and A bolt is configured to extend through the bushing structure to be secured to an object.

11. A battery module, comprising: a battery array comprising a plurality of battery cells aligned along a first direction and having a length in the first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a drive controller on the battery array and configured to control the operation of the battery cells; end plates, respectively located at a front end and a rear end of the battery array to fix the battery cells in the first direction and configured to absorb expansion pressure of the battery array to uniformly distribute internal stress in the second direction; as well as A side plate is coupled to the end plate to fix a side surface of the battery array.

12. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein: The end plate comprises: a flat plate having insulating properties and comprising: a first surface in contact with the battery array and configured to receive the expansion pressure; a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in the first direction; and a pair of receiving guides recessed from opposite peripheral portions toward the center in the second direction; an external force absorber at least partially buried in the accommodation guide to absorb the expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion and configured to uniformly adjust distribution of stress in the flat plate with respect to the expansion pressure in the second direction; and A fixing member is located on the second surface at each of the opposing peripheral portions so as to correspond to the external force absorber and is configured to be fixed to the outside.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein: The receiving guide comprises: one or more separation portions extending from an inlet located in a side surface of the plate in the second direction and separated from the plate in a comb-teeth shape to separate adjacent recesses having a linear shape from each other; a bottom portion connecting adjacent separated portions to each other and providing a bottom of the recess; and A notch portion is connected to the one or more separation portions and the flat plate to divide the recess between the inlet and the bottom portion and to divide the recess into a main receiving portion connected to the inlet and a sub-receiving portion connected to the bottom portion.

14. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein: The side walls of the one or more separation portions adjacent to the notch portion and the side walls of the flat plate include a notch accommodating portion, which is recessed in the first direction and is configured to accommodate a split notch of the notch portion, the split notch being separated when an attachment having a breaking thickness that is selectively broken according to the magnitude of the expansion pressure breaks.

15. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein: The drive controller includes: a bus bar connecting adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells; a circuit board electrically connected to the bus bar; and A battery controller is on the circuit board to individually control the operation of the battery cells.

16. A battery pack, comprising: a plurality of battery modules aligned in the lower housing and electrically connected to each other; as well as an upper housing coupled to the lower housing to separate the battery module from the outside, Wherein, each battery module in the battery module includes: a battery array comprising a plurality of battery cells aligned along a first direction and having a length in the first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a driving controller on the battery array to control the operation of the battery cells; end plates, respectively located at the front and rear ends of the battery array to fix the battery array in the first direction and configured to absorb expansion pressure of the battery array to uniformly distribute internal stress in the second direction; and A side plate is coupled to the end plate to fix a side surface of the battery array.

17. The battery pack according to claim 16, wherein: The end plate comprises: a flat plate having insulating properties and comprising: a first surface in contact with the battery array and configured to receive the expansion pressure; a second surface spaced apart from the first surface by a thickness in the first direction; and a pair of receiving guides recessed from opposite peripheral portions toward the center in the second direction; an external force absorber at least partially buried in the accommodation guide to absorb the expansion pressure applied to the peripheral portion and uniformly adjust distribution of stress in the flat plate with respect to the expansion pressure in the second direction; and A fixing member is located on the second surface at each of the opposing peripheral portions so as to correspond to the external force absorber and is configured to be fixed to the outside.

18. The battery pack according to claim 17, wherein: The receiving guide comprises: one or more separation portions extending from an inlet located in a side surface of the plate in the second direction and separated from the plate in a comb-teeth shape to separate adjacent recesses having a linear shape from each other; a bottom portion connecting adjacent separated portions to each other to provide a bottom of the depression; and A notch portion is connected to the one or more separation portions and the flat plate to divide the recess between the inlet and the bottom portion and to divide the recess into a main receiving portion connected to the inlet and a sub-receiving portion connected to the bottom portion.

19. The battery pack according to claim 18, wherein: The side walls of the one or more separation portions adjacent to the notch portion and the side walls of the flat plate include a notch accommodating portion, which is recessed in the first direction and is configured to accommodate a split notch of the notch portion, the split notch being separated when an attachment having a breaking thickness that is selectively broken according to the magnitude of the expansion pressure breaks.

20. The battery pack according to claim 17, wherein: The fixing member comprises: a bushing structure having a cylindrical shape fixed to the flat plate and extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; and A bolt is configured to extend through the bushing structure to be fixed to the lower housing.

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