Battery module and battery pack and vehicle including same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery module, the battery module comprising: a cell stack comprising a plurality of battery cells; the module shell is configured to accommodate the battery cell stacking piece; and a top cover coupled to the top of the module case, where at least a portion of the top cover is configured to be separated from the module case by exhaust gases or flames discharged from the battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery module.

[0002] This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0090699 filed in Korea on Jul. 12, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries, which are easy to apply depending on the product group and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are commonly used in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by electric drive sources, as well as portable devices. These secondary batteries have attracted attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency, due to their main advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels and their other advantage of not producing byproducts resulting from energy use.

[0004] Currently, widely used secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. When a higher voltage is required, a battery module or battery pack can be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in series. Furthermore, a battery module or battery pack can be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel to increase the charge / discharge capacity. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery module or battery pack can be set in various ways depending on the desired output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] Furthermore, because battery cells undergo chemical reactions during charging and discharging, their performance may deteriorate if used in an environment above the appropriate temperature. If the heat is not controlled to the appropriate temperature, the battery cells may unexpectedly ignite or explode. Furthermore, battery modules have a structure in which these battery cells are collectively stored within a module housing. Therefore, if a thermal event occurs in one battery cell, the high-temperature gases and flames emanating from it could spread to adjacent battery cells, leading to a chain reaction of battery cell explosions, which is extremely dangerous.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a structure that discharges high-temperature gas or flame generated inside the battery module to the outside when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module, thereby preventing heat accumulation inside the battery module and preventing the discharged gas or flame from flowing back into the battery module. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] The present disclosure has been designed to solve the problems of the prior art, and therefore an object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery module that smoothly discharges the gas or flame generated inside the battery module to the outside of the battery module when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module, thereby effectively preventing or delaying the propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells.

[0009] Furthermore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery module that can prevent gas or flame discharged to the outside of the battery module from flowing back into the battery module when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module, thereby improving the safety and reliability thereof.

[0010] 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 above from the description of the present invention described below.

[0011] Technical Solution

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery module is provided, comprising: a battery stack comprising a plurality of battery cells; a module housing configured to accommodate the battery stack; and a top cover coupled to a top of the module housing, wherein at least a portion of the top cover is configured to be separated from the module housing by exhaust gas or flames discharged from the battery cells.

[0013] The module case may include a top plate forming an upper surface of the module case and having at least one first venting hole formed therein through which exhaust gas exhausted from the battery cells is exhausted, and the top cover may be coupled to the top plate.

[0014] The top cover may be adhered to the top plate.

[0015] The top cover may include at least one second vent hole disposed to cover the first vent hole and configured to be separated from the top plate by pressure of exhaust gas exhausted from the battery cells.

[0016] The top cover may include a plurality of top cover regions in which some of the second exhaust holes are formed, and the plurality of top cover regions may be configured to be separated from each other.

[0017] The top cover may include a cutting line provided between the plurality of top cover regions such that the corresponding top cover regions are disconnected.

[0018] When the battery cells are vented, only the roof cover regions of the plurality of roof cover regions that are arranged above the vented battery cells can be separated from the roof plate.

[0019] The remaining roof cover regions of the plurality of roof cover regions may be configured to remain coupled to the roof panel.

[0020] A plurality of second vent holes may be provided, and the plurality of second vent holes may be configured to form at least one vent hole array arranged in a row along a longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

[0021] A plurality of battery cells may be arranged to be stacked in one direction, and one of the vent hole arrays may be arranged to correspond to two or more of the battery cells.

[0022] A plurality of exhaust hole arrays may be provided so as to be arranged in one direction.

[0023] At least one of the vent hole arrays may be formed in each of the top cover regions.

[0024] Furthermore, the present disclosure provides a battery pack including the battery module according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Furthermore, the present disclosure provides a vehicle including the battery pack according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] According to an aspect of the present invention, high-temperature gas or flame generated in a battery cell when the battery cell is in an abnormal state can be smoothly discharged outside the battery module, thereby effectively preventing or delaying the propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells.

[0028] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, high-temperature gas or flame generated in the battery cells when the battery cells are in an abnormal state may be prevented from flowing back into the battery module, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery module.

[0029] In addition, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent or delay an event such as a fire or explosion due to thermal runaway of a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules or a device equipped with a plurality of battery modules.

[0030] Furthermore, the present disclosure may have various other effects, which will be described in each embodiment, or descriptions of effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present disclosure, serve to provide further understanding of the technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 3 is a plan view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a top cover with a second vent hole opened during thermal runaway of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating only a portion of a top cover detached during thermal runaway of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a top cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 8 is a plan view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating only a portion of a top cover detached during thermal runaway of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below 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 and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure based on the principle of allowing the inventor to appropriately define the terms for the best interpretation.

[0044] Therefore, the configurations proposed in the embodiments and drawings of this specification only indicate the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than representing all technical ideas of the present disclosure, and therefore it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be made thereto when this application is filed.

[0045] In addition, the present disclosure includes various embodiments. Repeated descriptions of substantially the same or similar configurations between the various embodiments will be omitted, and descriptions will be made based on the differences between them.

[0046] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as upward, downward, left, right, forward and backward directions are used in this specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are only for convenience of description and may vary depending on the position of the target object or the position of the observer.

[0047] For example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the X-axis direction shown in the figure may represent the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction may represent the front-back direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction on a horizontal plane (XY plane), and the Z-axis direction may represent the up-down direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0048] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a plan view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] refer to Figures 1 to 3 , a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cell stack 100 , a module case 200 , and a top cover 300 .

[0050] The cell stack 100 may include a battery cell 110. A plurality of battery cells 110 may be provided.

[0051] The plurality of battery cells 110 may be, for example, pouch-type secondary batteries. Each of the plurality of battery cells 110 may have an electrode lead 112. Specifically, the plurality of battery cells 110 may include an electrode assembly, a cell case 111 that houses the electrode assembly, and the electrode lead 112 that is connected to the electrode assembly and extends outside the cell case 111 to serve as an electrode terminal. The cell case 111 may house the electrode assembly in a storage space, and the edges around the storage space may be heat-fused to form a sealed portion.

[0052] A pair of electrode leads 112 may be provided, and the pair of electrode leads 112 may extend from both ends of the battery cell 110 (i.e., in the longitudinal direction (±Y axis direction)). In this case, the pair of electrode leads 112 may be a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead. The battery cell 110 may be configured so that the two electrode leads 112 are located only at one end in the Y axis direction (e.g., at one end in the +Y axis direction as needed).

[0053] like Figure 2As shown, a plurality of battery cells 110 can be arranged side by side in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) while standing in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). In this case, each battery cell 110 can be arranged so that the sealing portion points in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction) and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction), and so that the storage space points in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0054] The present disclosure is not limited to a specific type or shape of battery cells 110, and various battery cells 110 known at the time of filing this disclosure may be used to form the battery cell stack 100 of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, although a pouch-type secondary battery having high energy density and easy stacking is described as shown in the figure, it is obvious that a cylindrical or prismatic secondary battery can be applied to the battery cell 110.

[0055] The cell stack 100 may further include a barrier member 120. The barrier member 120 may be disposed between the battery cells 110. In particular, a plurality of barrier members 120 may be included in a single cell stack 100. The barrier member 120 may be disposed between each or more battery cells 110. In this embodiment, a barrier member 120 may be disposed between every two battery cells 110. According to the configuration implemented above in the present disclosure, the battery cells 110 may be partitioned or separated to prevent gas or flames from spreading to other barrier members 120 adjacent to the barrier member 120.

[0056] The barrier member 120 may be made of a material having excellent heat resistance and / or fire resistance, such as silicone or aerogel. According to the configuration implemented above in the present disclosure, the barrier member 120 may contribute to the structural rigidity of the battery cell 110 by compressing the battery cell 110 when the battery cell 110 expands.

[0057] In addition, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The module case 200 may be configured to accommodate the cell stack 100 . Specifically, the module case 200 may have an inner space configured to accommodate the cell stack 100 .

[0058] In addition, reference Figure 2, the module housing 200 may include a housing body 210. For example, the housing body 210 may be configured as a U-shaped frame. In the case where the housing body 210 is configured as a U-shaped frame, the housing body 210 may be configured to cover both sides and the lower surface of the battery cell stack 100. The housing body 210 may include a left plate and a right plate covering both sides of the battery cell stack 100, and a lower plate covering the lower surface of the battery cell stack 100. In addition, the left plate, the right plate, and the lower plate may be configured as an integrated form. In this case, the upper side, the front side, and the rear side of the housing body 210 may be open. The housing body 210 may be made of a metal having rigidity and heat resistance so as to physically or chemically protect the stored battery cells 110.

[0059] The module housing 200 may further include a top plate 220. The top plate 220 may be configured to form the upper side of the module housing 200. If the housing body 210 is configured as a U-shaped frame, the top plate 220 may be coupled to the open upper side of the housing body 210. The top plate 220 may be coupled to the housing body 210 by welding. In this case, the coupled top plate 220 and housing body 210 may have a square tube shape with front and rear openings.

[0060] Furthermore, the housing body 210 may be configured so that the battery cells 110 can be inserted into it in one direction. For example, the battery cells 110 can be inserted into the housing body in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction). In other words, the housing body 210 may be configured so that the battery cells 110 can be inserted into it in a sliding manner.

[0061] In addition, the module housing 200 may include end plates 230 disposed on the front and rear openings of the housing body 210. The end plates 230 may be coupled to the housing body 210 by welding. Furthermore, although not shown for convenience, the end plates 230 may, for example, have an insulating material on the inside and a metallic material on the outside. Furthermore, the end plates 230 may be partially provided with holes or slits to expose components that need to be exposed to the outside, such as the positive terminal, negative terminal, or connector of the battery module 10.

[0062] Furthermore, the module housing 200 can be formed into various other shapes. For example, the module housing 200 can have a box-shaped lower housing having an upper opening and an upper cover covering the upper opening of the lower housing. In this case, the lower housing can be configured such that the left and right plates covering both sides of the cell stack 100 and the front and rear plates covering the front and rear sides of the cell stack 100 are integrally formed.

[0063] Alternatively, the module housing 200 may be configured as a single frame. For example, the housing body 210 may be configured as a square tube having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left surface, and a right surface and having a front opening and a rear opening. According to the module housing 200 including a single frame, the battery module 10 may be assembled by assembling the cell stack 100 and the busbar frame assembly 400 and inserting them into the interior of the single frame in a press-fit manner and by connecting the end plate 230 to the two openings of the single frame. In this case, for the press-fit connection, it may be configured so that there is almost no gap between the lower surface of the housing body 210 and the battery cell 110 and between the top plate 220 and the battery cell 110, and so that there is almost no gap between the two side surfaces of the housing body 210 and the two sides of the battery cell 110.

[0064] In addition, a first exhaust hole H1 may be formed in the top plate 220. The first exhaust hole H1 may be configured to exhaust exhaust gas generated in the battery cells 110 to the outside of the module case 200. The first exhaust hole H1 may be formed in the module case 200 to enable directional exhaust in one direction.

[0065] For example, Figure 3 As shown, first exhaust holes H1 may be formed in the top plate 220 to enable directional exhaust through the first exhaust holes H1 toward the top of the battery module 10. Specifically, a plurality of first exhaust holes H1 may be arranged at regular intervals in the horizontal direction (X-axis and Y-axis directions).

[0066] According to the above-implemented configuration of the present disclosure, when one battery cell 110 experiences thermal runaway and generates gas or the like, the gas or the like may be quickly discharged from both sides of the module case 200 in a specific direction.

[0067] As described above, the first vent holes H1 provided in the top plate 220 are configured such that when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 10, gas or flame generated inside the battery module 10 can be discharged to the outside of the battery module 10. The remaining portion of the module housing 200 except for the first vent holes H1 can be sealed such that the gas or flame can be discharged in a straight line toward the first vent holes H1.

[0068] In addition, reference Figure 2 The battery module 10 of the present disclosure may further include a busbar frame assembly 400. The busbar frame assembly 400 may be disposed inside the module housing 200 and configured to cover at least one side of the cell stack 100. Figure 2 As shown, the bus bar frame assembly 400 may be coupled to the front and rear sides of the cell stack 100 .

[0069] The above busbar frame assembly 400 may include a busbar frame 410 and a plurality of busbars 420. The busbar frame 410 may be provided to be generally coupled to the front and rear sides of the battery cell stack 100. The busbar frame 410 may have a slit through which the electrode leads 112 of the battery cells 110 extend in the +Y axis or -Y axis direction. In addition, the busbar frame 410 may be formed of an electrically insulating material (such as a plastic material) and may be configured so that the busbars 420 can be attached to its outer surface.

[0070] In addition, the bus bar frame 410 may be coupled to the front side or the rear side of the cell stack 100 in a press-fit manner.

[0071] In addition, a plurality of bus bars 420 are intended to connect the battery cells 110 in series and / or in parallel, and can be formed into a rod shape using a metal material such as copper, aluminum, nickel, etc. The electrode leads 112 of the battery cells 110 can pass through the slits of the bus bar frame 410 and extend outside the bus bar frame 410, and the extended portions can be attached to the surface of the bus bars 420 by welding or the like. If the electrode leads 112 of the battery cells 110 and the bus bars 420 are welded to the front and rear sides of the cell stack 100 in a predetermined pattern, the battery cells 110 can be connected in series and / or in parallel.

[0072] In the configuration implemented above, refer to Figure 2 The module case 200 has an internal space to accommodate the cell stack 100 and the bus bar frame assembly 400 , and is configured to protect the cell stack 100 from external influences.

[0073] In addition, the battery module 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a top cover 300. Figures 4 to 6 The top cover 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in more detail.

[0074] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 is a diagram showing a top cover with a second vent hole opened during thermal runaway of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating only a portion of a top cover detached during thermal runaway of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] The top cover 300 may be coupled to the top of the module housing 200. For example, the top cover 300 may be provided by being attached to the top of the module housing 200. Specifically, the top cover 300 may be coupled to the top plate 220. The top cover 300 may be attached to the top plate 220 by an adhesive member. The adhesive member may include an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or the like.

[0076] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Describing the above in detail, at least a portion of the top cover 300 can be configured to be separated from the module housing 200 by exhaust gas or flames discharged from the battery cells 110. Specifically, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 10, the adhesive member may melt due to the pressure of the gas discharged from the battery cells 110, high-temperature dust, or flames, thereby reducing the adhesive strength between the module housing 200 and the top cover 300. The exhaust pressure of the exhaust gas discharged in a straight line through the first exhaust hole H1 can act on the area where the adhesive strength between the module housing 200 and the top cover 300 is reduced, and push the portion of the top cover 300 in the exhaust direction of the exhaust gas, thereby separating it from the module housing 200.

[0077] That is, in a normal state, the top cover 300 can shield the first exhaust hole H1 of the top plate 220 of the module housing 200 to protect the battery cell stack 100 inside the module housing 200. However, in a thermal event in which exhaust gas or flames are generated in some battery cells 110, at least a portion of the top cover 300 can be separated from the module housing 200 so that the exhaust gas or flames discharged in a straight line through the first exhaust hole H1 of the top plate 220 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery module 10 without interfering with the path.

[0078] According to the configuration implemented above in the present disclosure, since part of the top cover 300 is completely separated from the module housing 200, the first exhaust hole H1 is exposed to the outside of the battery module 10 instead of sealing the first exhaust hole H1, so that gas or flame can be completely discharged to the outside of the battery module 10.

[0079] Furthermore, the top cover 300 can prevent gas or flames discharged to the outside from flowing back into the battery module 10. If a portion of the top cover 300 remains intact from the module case 200 and the adhesive member has reduced adhesive strength, the discharge of the exhaust gas or flame may be blocked and may penetrate into the loose interface between the top cover 300 and the module case 200 and flow back into the interior of the battery module 10. However, according to the configuration implemented above of the present disclosure, since the portion of the top cover 300 with reduced adhesive strength is separated from the module case 200 and has no effect on the exhaust gas or flame, the gas or flame discharged to the outside can be absolutely blocked from flowing back into the battery module 10.

[0080] The portion of the top cover 300 that is not separated from the module housing 200 can block high-temperature gases, flames, exhaust substances, etc., as well as heat generated from the battery cells 110. To this end, the top cover 300 can be made of a material with excellent heat resistance and / or fire resistance, such as mica, FRB (Fire Resistant Barrier) or a mat combined with silicon. FRB may include an inorganic material that is easily deformed and may be made of a material with excellent flame retardancy and fire resistance. Therefore, if the mat is formed by combining FRB and silicon, it will not shrink and maintain its shape even when high-temperature heat is generated, thereby stably blocking high-temperature gases or flames generated from the battery cells 110.

[0081] According to the configuration implemented above of the present disclosure, gas or flame generated inside the battery module 10 when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 10 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery module 10, and the gas or flame discharged to the outside of the battery module 10 can be prevented from flowing back into the battery module 10. Therefore, the propagation of heat to adjacent battery modules 10 can be minimized to effectively prevent or delay the propagation of thermal runaway, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the battery module 10.

[0082] At least a portion of the top cover 300 separated from the module case 200 during a thermal event may be provided in a predetermined local area to have a hole shape, preferably in a position above the first exhaust hole H1 to correspond thereto.

[0083] Specifically, the top cover 300 may include second exhaust holes H2. A plurality of second exhaust holes H2 may be provided to cover and correspond to the first exhaust holes H1. The second exhaust holes H2 may be provided at locations where the first exhaust holes H1 are formed and may have the same shape and size as the first exhaust holes H1. In other words, a hole may be formed in the top cover 300, and a member may be provided to cover the hole. The cover member and the hole may be collectively defined as the second exhaust holes H2.

[0084] refer to Figure 5 , the second vent holes H2 may be provided in the top plate 220 so as to be opened by the pressure of the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cells 110. Specifically, if the gas is discharged from the first vent holes H1 corresponding to the second vent holes H2, only the second vent holes H2 provided above the battery cells 110 may be configured to open in the top cover 300. To this end, a cutting groove may be formed along the shape of the second vent holes H2.

[0085] In addition, the battery module 10 according to the present disclosure can be assembled by storing the cell stack 100 in the case body 210, welding the top plate 220 and the end plate 230 to the case body 210 to complete the appearance of the battery module 10, and then applying an adhesive member to the top plate 220 and attaching the top cover 300 to the top plate 220. In this case, all remaining portions of the top cover 300 except the second vent H2 can be attached to the top plate 220 by an adhesive member. Specifically, since the second vent H2 is not attached to the top plate 220 by an adhesive member, the second vent H2 can be easily opened by the pressure of the exhaust gas.

[0086] Therefore, according to the configuration implemented above of the present disclosure, when a thermal event occurs, gas or flame generated inside the battery module 10 can be discharged to the outside of the module housing 200 through the opened second exhaust holes H2. In addition, at the same time, since the remaining second exhaust holes H2 remain sealed on the top plate 220, the exhaust gas can be prevented from flowing back into the module housing 200.

[0087] At least a portion of the top cover 300 that is separated from the module case 200 during a thermal event may have a strip shape, for example, along a longitudinal direction of the battery cell 10 .

[0088] Specifically, refer to Figures 3 to 6 , the top cover 300 may include a plurality of top cover areas 310. A number of second exhaust holes H2 may be formed in each of the plurality of top cover areas 310. The plurality of top cover areas 310 may be provided to be separated from the top plate 220. Specifically, when an event occurs in the battery cell 110, the second exhaust holes H2 are first opened by exhaust gas generated from the battery cell 110, and when a flame is generated inside the module housing 200 by the exhaust gas or sparks and is discharged through the first exhaust holes H1, the adhesive strength between the top cover 300 and the module housing 200 may be reduced by the high temperature heat of the flame, so that the top cover area 310 provided above the battery cell 110 may be separated.

[0089] In this case, the top cover 300 can be configured so that the plurality of top cover regions 310 are integrally manufactured so as to be separated from each other. According to the configuration implemented above in the present disclosure, compared with the case where the plurality of top cover regions 310 are manufactured separately and then combined to form one top cover 300, it is possible to reduce costs and time when manufacturing the battery module 10, thereby improving productivity.

[0090] The top cover 300 may include a cut line L. The cut line L may be provided between the plurality of top cover regions 310. The cut line L may be provided as a dashed or solid line by forming a groove in a portion of the top cover 300. The cut line L may be configured to be weaker than adjacent regions so that the cut line L can be easily broken when the adhesive strength between the top cover 300 and the top plate 220 decreases. When the cut line L is provided, the corresponding top cover region 310 can be disconnected by gas or flames discharged from any battery cell 110.

[0091] Specifically, refer to Figure 5 During the exhaust process of the battery cell 110, only the top cover area 310 disposed above the battery cell 110 to be exhausted among the plurality of top cover areas 310 may be separated from the top plate 220. In addition, the remaining top cover areas 310 except the separated top cover areas 310 may remain connected to the top plate 220. For example, Figure 5 As shown, when a flame is generated in the battery cell 110, the adhesive member of the top cover area 310 provided above the exhausted battery cell 110 may melt due to the high temperature heat of the flame, thereby reducing the adhesive strength between the top cover area 310 and the top plate 220, so that only the portion of the top cover 300 located above the battery cell 110 can be separated.

[0092] According to the configuration implemented above of the present disclosure, the flame existing inside the module housing 200 can be efficiently discharged through the separated top cover area 310. In addition, according to the configuration implemented above of the present disclosure, since only a portion of the top cover area 310 is separated, it is possible to prevent the gas or flame discharged through the separated top cover area 310 from flowing back into the module housing 200 through other areas that remain coupled to the top plate 220.

[0093] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a top cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] A plurality of second exhaust holes H2 may be provided. The plurality of second exhaust holes H2 may form an exhaust hole array A. The exhaust hole array A may be formed by arranging the second exhaust holes H2 in a row along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110. Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust hole array A can be formed by a plurality of second exhaust holes H2 arranged in a row along the Y-axis direction. According to the embodiment configuration of the present disclosure, even if a thermal event occurs at any position in the battery cell 110, gas or flame generated from the battery cell 110 can be discharged to the outside of the battery module 10 through the second exhaust holes H2 included in the exhaust hole array A disposed above the battery cell 110.

[0095] refer to Figures 4 to 7, a plurality of vent arrays A may be provided, and the plurality of vent arrays A may be arranged parallel to each other along one direction, that is, along the direction in which the battery cells 110 are stacked (the X-axis direction). In this case, at least one vent array A may be formed in each top cover area 310. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, one vent array A and the top cover area 310 may be provided to correspond to two or more battery cells 110. In this case, as described above, the first vent H1 may be provided to correspond to the position and size of the second vent H2.

[0096] In the battery module 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the barrier member 120 may be disposed between every two battery cells 110, and one top cover region 310 may be disposed above the portion between the barrier members 120. One vent hole array A may be formed for each top cover region 310.

[0097] According to the configuration achieved above, even if a thermal event occurs in either of the two battery cells 110, the specific top cover area 310 in which the exhaust hole array A is formed above the battery cells 110 can be separated from the top plate 220 by the pressure and / or heat of the exhaust gas. As a result, gas or flame can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery module 10 through the separated top cover area 310.

[0098] In addition, according to this configuration, gas or flame exhausted from the battery cells 110 disposed between adjacent blocking members 120 can be exhausted to the outside of the module case 200 only through the first exhaust holes H1 located between the adjacent blocking members 120 and the separated top cover region 310. That is, since the surrounding areas of the first exhaust holes H1 are completely blocked, directional exhaust of gas in an upward direction can be more effectively caused.

[0099] Figure 8 is a plan view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating only a portion of a top cover detached during thermal runaway of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] In addition, the battery module 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured such that two or more exhaust hole arrays A are formed in each roof region 310 .

[0101] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, in a battery module 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a barrier member 120 may be provided between every two battery cells 110, and a top cover region 310' may be provided above the portion between the two barrier members 120. Two vent hole arrays A may be formed in one top cover region 310'. That is, in a battery module 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, one top cover region 310' may be provided for every four battery cells 110.

[0102] According to the configuration implemented above, when a thermal event occurs in a battery cell 110, adjacent battery cells 110 can explode sequentially. In this case, as the number of battery cells 110 corresponding to a top cover region 310' increases, the internal pressure and / or temperature may further increase due to the gas or flames discharged from the battery cells 110, allowing the top cover region 310' to separate from the top plate 220 more quickly. As a result, the gas or flames inside the battery module 10 can be discharged to the outside of the module housing 200 more quickly, thereby further ensuring safety.

[0103] Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] refer to Figure 10 The battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure as described above. The battery pack 1 according to the present disclosure may further include a battery pack housing 2 for storing the above-mentioned components (such as a BMS (Battery Management System) for integrated control of charging and discharging of one or more battery modules, a current sensor, a fuse, etc.).

[0105] Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] refer to Figure 11 The vehicle 3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more battery packs 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure or a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 3 according to the present disclosure may be, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The vehicle 3 includes four-wheeled vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles. The vehicle 3 receives power from the battery pack 1 or the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and drives.

[0107] As described above, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical concept of the present disclosure and the equivalent scope of the claims to be described below.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: a cell stack comprising a plurality of battery cells; a module housing configured to accommodate the battery cell stack; as well as a top cover coupled to the top of the module housing, At least a portion of the top cover is configured to be separated from the module housing by exhaust gas or flame discharged from the battery cell.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The module housing comprises: a top plate forming an upper surface of the module housing and having at least one first exhaust hole formed therein, through which exhaust gas exhausted from the battery cells is exhausted, and Wherein, the top cover is coupled to the top plate.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The top cover is adhered to the top plate.

4. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The top cover comprises: At least one second vent hole is provided to cover the first vent hole and is configured to be separated from the top plate by pressure of the exhaust gas exhausted from the battery cells.

5. The battery module according to claim 3, in, The top cover includes a plurality of top cover areas, a number of the second exhaust holes are formed in the top cover areas, and Wherein, the plurality of top cover areas are configured to be separated from each other.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, in, The top cover comprises: A cutting line is provided between the plurality of roof cover regions so as to disconnect the corresponding roof cover regions.

7. The battery module according to claim 5, in, When the battery cells discharge gas, only the roof cover region disposed above the discharged battery cells among the plurality of roof cover regions is separated from the roof plate.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, in, The remaining roof cover regions among the plurality of roof cover regions are configured to remain coupled to the roof panel.

9. The battery module according to claim 5, in, A plurality of second exhaust holes are provided, and The plurality of second exhaust holes are configured to form at least one exhaust hole array arranged in a row along a longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, in, The plurality of battery cells are arranged to be stacked in one direction, and Wherein, one of the exhaust hole arrays is configured to correspond to two or more of the battery cells.

11. The battery module according to claim 10, in, A plurality of exhaust hole arrays arranged along the one direction are provided.

12. The battery module according to claim 11, in, At least one exhaust hole array is formed in each of the top cover regions. 13 . A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1 .

14. A vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 13.

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