Battery cells, battery packs including the battery cells, and vehicles

Abstract

A battery cell, a battery pack including the battery cell, and a vehicle are disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell includes: an electrode assembly including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator inserted between the positive and negative electrode plates; a battery can housing the electrode assembly; an electrical connection member electrically connected to the electrode assembly; and an insulator inserted between the battery can and the electrode assembly, wherein the insulator is fixed to the battery can.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0167533, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 21, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to battery cells, battery packs including the battery cells, and vehicles, and more specifically, to battery cells capable of preventing electrode assemblies from being ejected to the outside in the event of a thermal event, and battery packs including the battery cells, and vehicles. Background Technology

[0003] Secondary batteries, which offer high applicability across product categories and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electric sources.

[0004] These secondary batteries are gaining attention as a new energy source for enhancing environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, not only because of their major advantage of significantly reducing fossil fuel use, but also because they do not produce byproducts from energy use.

[0005] Currently widely used rechargeable batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such a single rechargeable battery cell is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V.

[0006] Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery module or battery pack can be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in series. Alternatively, depending on the required charge / discharge capacity of the battery pack, a battery module or battery pack can be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel. Thus, the number of battery cells included in a battery module or battery pack can be set in various ways according to at least one of the required output voltage and charge / discharge capacity.

[0007] Furthermore, secondary battery cells can be classified into cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, and pouch battery cells. In the case of a cylindrical battery cell, the positive and negative plates are wound together with a separator inserted between them as an insulator to form a wound electrode assembly, and then the electrode assembly and electrolyte are inserted into a battery can to form a battery.

[0008] Alternatively, a current collector plate can be used to electrically connect each of the positive and negative plates of the cylindrical battery cell, and an insulator can be inserted between the electrode assembly and the battery can to insulate the electrode assembly and the battery can.

[0009] Meanwhile, battery cells, including cylindrical battery cells, are prone to fires due to overcurrent and overheating caused by overcharging because they use organic electrolytes.

[0010] Furthermore, if a flame occurs in a cylindrical battery cell due to ignition, the flame may spread to adjacent battery cells, leading to thermal runaway. Therefore, to prevent thermal runaway, it is necessary to prevent the wound electrode assembly from being ejected from the cylindrical battery cell that has already caught fire from outside the battery canister.

[0011] However, in the case of conventional cylindrical battery cells, the problem is that when a thermal event occurs, the electrode assembly is ejected outside the battery canister due to the internal pressure of the battery cell, which leads to thermal runaway. Summary of the Invention

[0012] Technical issues

[0013] Therefore, this disclosure aims to provide a battery cell, a battery pack, and a vehicle including the battery cell, wherein the battery cell is fixed to the battery can by an insulator structure that prevents electrode assemblies from being ejected outside the battery can even if a thermal event occurs in any of the battery cells.

[0014] In addition, this disclosure aims to provide a battery cell, a battery pack including the battery cell, and a vehicle, which can prevent thermal runaway when a flame is transmitted to an adjacent battery cell.

[0015] In addition, this disclosure aims to provide a battery cell, a battery pack including the battery cell, and a vehicle, which can improve the safety of the battery cell.

[0016] However, the technical problems sought to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the description of the invention below that there are other problems not mentioned above.

[0017] Technical solution

[0018] In one aspect of this disclosure, a battery cell is provided, the battery cell comprising: an electrode assembly including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator inserted between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; a battery can housing the electrode assembly; an electrical connection member electrically connected to the electrode assembly; and an insulator inserted between the battery can and the electrode assembly, wherein the insulator is fixed to the battery can.

[0019] In an implementation, the electrical connection component may be a positive electrode contact or a positive current collector plate connected to the positive electrode plate of the electrode assembly.

[0020] In one embodiment, the insulator may include: a first portion located on the upper side of the electrode assembly; and a second portion extending from the first portion and inserted between the battery can and the electrode assembly, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion may be secured to the battery can.

[0021] In an embodiment, at least one of the first part and the second part may have a connecting protrusion or connecting groove formed therein, and the battery can may have a connecting groove or connecting protrusion formed therein and corresponding to the connecting protrusion or connecting groove formed in at least one of the first part and the second part.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first part may be formed in a circular shape, and the second part may extend from the first part in a cylindrical manner.

[0023] In one implementation, the first part may be formed in a circular shape, and the second part may extend from the first part in the form of multiple straight lines.

[0024] In an implementation, the second part may include four straight sections, and the four straight sections may be spaced apart from each other by a preset gap.

[0025] In one embodiment, a connecting protrusion or connecting groove may be formed at the lower end of the second part, and a connecting groove or connecting protrusion corresponding to the connecting protrusion or connecting groove formed at the second part may be formed at the lower side of the battery can.

[0026] In one embodiment, the connecting protrusion may be configured to have a circular shape.

[0027] In one embodiment, the connecting protrusion or connecting groove formed at the second part can be fixed to the connecting groove or connecting protrusion formed at the battery can by bonding or adhesive.

[0028] In one embodiment, an inner groove may be formed in the connecting protrusion of the second part, and a protrusion may be formed in the connecting groove of the battery can, and the protrusion may be inserted into the inner groove.

[0029] In one embodiment, the inner grooves may be formed as a pair on the two sides of the connecting protrusions, and the protrusions may be formed as a pair on the two sides of the connecting grooves.

[0030] In one embodiment, the insulator may be made of perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA) with high heat resistance.

[0031] In another aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack including at least one of the aforementioned battery cells and a vehicle including at least one of the aforementioned battery cells are provided.

[0032] Beneficial effects

[0033] The embodiments of this disclosure, through a structure insulator fixed to the battery canister, have the effect of preventing electrode assemblies from being ejected outside the battery canister even if a thermal event occurs in any battery cell.

[0034] In addition, this disclosure has the effect of preventing thermal runaway when the flame is transmitted to adjacent battery cells.

[0035] In addition, this disclosure has the effect of improving the stability of battery cells.

[0036] However, the effects that can be obtained from this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the description of the invention below that other effects not mentioned above will be readily apparent. Attached Figure Description

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

[0038] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view showing a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A magnified view of part A.

[0041] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The diagram shows the insulator separating from the battery canister.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a plan view showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the separation of the insulator from the battery canister in a battery cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure connected to the battery canister.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure connected to the battery canister.

[0047] Figure 10 This is a perspective view showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 11 It shows according to Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the battery cell in the modified implementation.

[0049] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a battery pack including battery cells according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 13 This is a diagram showing a vehicle including a battery pack according to each embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0051] In the following, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before description, it should be understood that the terminology used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to its general or dictionary meaning, but rather interpreted based on its meaning and concept corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure, on the basis of allowing the inventors to appropriately define the terminology for best illustration. Therefore, the description presented herein is merely a preferred example for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure; thus, it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications can be made to the present disclosure without departing from its scope.

[0052] In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of corresponding elements or specific portions of each element are exaggerated, omitted, or simplified for ease of interpretation and clarification. Therefore, the dimensions of the corresponding elements do not perfectly reflect their actual dimensions. Descriptions of relevant known functions or configurations that may obscure the subject matter of this disclosure will be omitted.

[0053] In this specification, when a component is described as "connected to" or "attached to" another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or attached to the other component, or the component and the other component may be indirectly connected or attached via a connecting member disposed between them.

[0054] Furthermore, the description of common components in any embodiment of this disclosure can also be applied to common components in other embodiments. For example, configurations common to those configurations described in the first embodiment and those in the second embodiment can be referred to the foregoing description of the first embodiment, and these common configurations can also be applied to the second embodiment. Additionally, descriptions of the second embodiment applicable to the first embodiment can also be applied to the first embodiment. This also applies to other embodiments.

[0055] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view showing a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A magnified view of part A. Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A diagram showing the insulator separating from the battery canister. Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 6 This is a plan view showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the battery cell 10 includes an electrode assembly 100, a battery canister 200, an electrical connection member 300, a cell terminal 400, and an insulator 500. Figures 1 to 10 The description focuses on the case where the electrical connection member 300 includes the positive current collector plate 310, and... Figure 11 The description focuses on the case where the electrical connection member 300 includes the positive terminal 320.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 The electrode assembly 100 includes a positive electrode plate 110, a negative electrode plate 120, and a spacer 130 inserted between the positive electrode plate 110 and the negative electrode plate 120. It may have a structure in which the positive electrode plate 110, the negative electrode plate 120, and the spacer 130 are wound in one direction. Furthermore, a central hole 140 is formed at the center of the electrode assembly 100, and the central hole 140 may be of a wound type.

[0058] For example, the electrode assembly 100 can be manufactured by winding a stack formed by sequentially stacking a negative electrode plate 120, a separator 130, a positive electrode plate 110, and a separator 130 at least once. Here, the positive electrode plate 110 and the negative electrode plate 120 can be formed in sheet shape.

[0059] In other words, the electrode assembly 100 used in this embodiment can be a wound electrode assembly 100. In this case, additional separators 130 can be provided on the outer surface of the electrode assembly 100 for insulation from the battery canister 200. That is, the electrode assembly 100 can have any wound structure known in the related art.

[0060] A positive electrode active material may be coated on one or both sides of the positive electrode plate 110, and a first uncoated portion 111 without positive electrode active material may be formed at the end of the positive electrode plate 110. Figure 2 In this embodiment, a positive electrode plate 110 with a first uncoated portion 111 formed thereon can be provided; however, the battery cell 10 according to the present disclosure includes an embodiment in which the positive electrode plate 110 without the first uncoated portion 111 is formed. However, for ease of explanation, the following description will be based on the case where the first uncoated portion 111 is formed on the positive electrode plate 110. The first uncoated portion 111 can be wound multiple times around the center of the electrode assembly 100 such that they are exposed to the outside of the separator 130, thereby serving as an electrode contact.

[0061] The negative electrode plate 120 may have a negative electrode active material coated on one or both of its surfaces, and a second uncoated portion 121, uncoated with the negative electrode active material, may be formed at the end of the negative electrode plate 120. Figure 2 In this embodiment, a negative electrode plate 120 with a second uncoated portion 121 formed thereon can be provided; however, the battery cell 10 according to the present disclosure includes an embodiment in which a negative electrode plate 120 without the second uncoated portion 121 is formed. However, for ease of explanation, the following description will focus on the case where the second uncoated portion 121 is formed on the negative electrode plate 120. The second uncoated portion 121 can be exposed to the outside of the separator 130 while forming a plurality of windings at the center of the electrode assembly 100, and it can itself serve as an electrode contact.

[0062] That is, at least one of the positive electrode plate 110 and the negative electrode plate 120 may include an uncoated portion therein at the long side end along the winding direction, where no active material is coated. In addition, the first uncoated portion 111 and the second uncoated portion 121 may be configured to face opposite directions.

[0063] Here, the positive electrode active material coated on the positive electrode plate 110 and the negative electrode active material coated on the negative electrode plate 120 can be any active material known in the art, without limitation.

[0064] Additionally, the separator 130 can be formed of a porous polymer membrane as a single layer or multiple layers, the porous polymer membrane being made of, for example, a polyolefin-based polymer, such as ethylene homopolymer, propylene homopolymer, ethylene-butene copolymer, ethylene-hexene copolymer, or ethylene-methacrylate copolymer.

[0065] As another example, the separator 130 can be formed from a conventional porous nonwoven fabric, such as a nonwoven fabric made of high melting point glass fiber, polyethylene terephthalate fiber, etc.

[0066] At least one surface of the separator 130 may include a coating of inorganic particles. Additionally, the separator 130 itself may be formed of a coating of inorganic particles. The particles constituting the coating may have a structure in which they are bonded together by an adhesive to form interstitial volumes between adjacent particles.

[0067] Additionally, the central hole 140 of the electrode assembly 100 can be used to weld the unit terminal 400 (positive terminal) and the positive current collector plate 310. That is, the electrode assembly 100 can be configured to weld the unit terminal 400 and the positive current collector plate 310 by irradiating a laser beam through the central hole 140 of the electrode assembly 100.

[0068] Reference Figure 2 The electrode assembly 100 is stored in the battery can 200. For example, the battery can 200 can be formed in a cylindrical shape such that the electrode assembly 100 is stored inside the battery can 200 and electrically connected to the negative electrode plate 120 of the electrode assembly 100. Therefore, the battery can 200 can have the same polarity as the negative electrode plate 120, i.e., negative polarity.

[0069] Here, the diameter of the battery can 200 is larger than the diameter of the electrode assembly 100. A gap of a predetermined size is formed between the battery can 200 and the positive current collector plate 310, and an insulator 500 can be inserted into the gap.

[0070] If the size of the electrode assembly 100 is increased while the size of the battery can 200 is determined according to the standard, the total capacity of the battery cell 10 increases, but the gap between the battery can 200 and the electrode assembly 100 decreases.

[0071] In other words, if the size of the electrode assembly 100 is increased to increase the total capacity of the battery cell 10, the gap between the battery can 200 and the electrode assembly 100 is reduced. Therefore, in order to increase the capacity of the battery cell 10, the insulator 500 must be able to be inserted into the reduced gap between the battery can 200 and the electrode assembly 100, and for this purpose, it is desirable that the thickness of the insulator 500 be as thin as possible.

[0072] The battery canister 200 houses the electrode assembly 100, and electrolyte can also be injected into the battery canister 200. Here, the battery canister 200 is a generally cylindrical container and can be made of a conductive material, such as a metal. The battery canister 200 can be made of a conductive metal, such as aluminum, steel, or stainless steel, but is not limited to these.

[0073] A through hole can be formed in the battery canister 200, and the unit terminal 400 can be connected to the through hole and electrically connected to the positive current collector plate 310 through the through hole. In addition, an insulator 500 can be inserted between the battery canister 200 and the positive current collector plate 310.

[0074] Electrical connection component 300 is electrically connected to electrode assembly 100. Figure 1 and Figure 10 In this context, the positive current collector plate 310, included in the electrical connection member 300, is electrically connected to the positive electrode plate 110 of the electrode assembly 100. For example, refer to... Figure 2 The positive current collector plate 310 is connected to the positive plate 110 of the electrode assembly 100.

[0075] The positive current collector plate 310 is made of a conductive metal material and is connected to the first uncoated portion 111 of the electrode assembly 100. The positive current collector plate 310 can be coupled to the upper portion of a coupling surface formed by bending the end of the first uncoated portion 111 in a direction parallel to the positive current collector plate 310. The bending direction of the first uncoated portion 111 can be, for example, toward the central wound portion of the electrode assembly 100.

[0076] When the first uncoated portion 111 is bent as described above, the space occupied by the first uncoated portion 111 can be reduced, thereby increasing the energy density. In addition, the bonding area between the first uncoated portion 111 and the positive current collector plate 310 can be increased, resulting in improved bonding strength and reduced resistance.

[0077] The unit terminal 400 is made of conductive metal material and is connected to a through hole in the battery canister 200, so that the unit terminal 400 is electrically connected to the positive current collector plate 310 through the through hole. In addition, the unit terminal 400 is electrically connected to the positive electrode plate 110 of the electrode assembly 100 through the positive current collector plate 310, thereby having positive polarity.

[0078] In other words, the unit terminal 400 can be used as the positive terminal. In addition, the battery canister 200 can be electrically connected to the negative plate 120 of the electrode assembly 100 as described above, thereby having negative polarity.

[0079] An insulator 500 is inserted between the battery can 200 and the positive current collector plate 310 for insulation. The insulator 500 prevents contact between the battery can 200 and the positive current collector plate 310. The battery cell 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure has a structure in which the insulator 500 is fixed to the battery can 200. This will be described in detail later.

[0080] based on Figure 2 The positive current collector plate 310 is connected to the upper side of the first uncoated portion 111, and the insulator 500 is connected to the upper side of the positive current collector plate 310. That is, the insulator 500 is housed inside the battery canister 200 and covers at least a portion of the electrode assembly 100, and can be configured to block the electrical connection between the first uncoated portion 111 and the battery canister 200.

[0081] Here, if the positive current collector plate 310 is located on the upper side of the first uncoated portion 111, the insulator 500 is connected to the positive current collector plate 310 at the upper side of the positive current collector plate 310 to block the electrical connection between the battery canister 200 and the positive current collector plate 310. Therefore, the insulator 500 can be made of a material with insulating properties.

[0082] The insulator 500 can be formed into a structure in which the electrolyte can move. For example, the insulator 500 can be made of various materials that allow the electrolyte to move.

[0083] If the insulator 500 is made of various materials that allow the electrolyte to move in this way, the electrolyte can flow smoothly into the electrode assembly 100, and electrolyte byproducts can also be prevented from forming on the surface of the electrode assembly 100. Furthermore, this can improve the performance of the battery cell 10. However, as explained later, the insulator 500 can also be made of materials that allow the electrolyte to move and also have strong heat resistance.

[0084] The insulator 500 can be formed in a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the wound electrode assembly 100. For example, if the cross-section of the wound electrode assembly 100 is circular, the upper part of the insulator 500 can be circular.

[0085] Reference Figure 2 The negative current collector plate 600 is electrically connected to the negative electrode plate 120. The negative current collector plate 600 is connected to the second uncoated portion 121 of the electrode assembly 100. Based on Figure 2 The negative current collector plate 600 is connected to the lower part of the electrode assembly 100.

[0086] The negative current collector plate 600 is made of a conductive metal material such as aluminum, steel, copper, or nickel, and can be electrically connected to the second uncoated portion 121 of the negative electrode plate 120. Additionally, the negative current collector plate 600 can be electrically connected to the battery canister 200.

[0087] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Insulator 500 is fixed to battery canister 200, as will be explained later.

[0088] In such Figure 4 In the state shown where the insulator 500 is separated from the battery canister 200, the insulator 500 can be as follows: Figure 3 The connection shown is fixed to the battery canister 200. At this time, the insulator 500 can be connected to the battery canister 200 in various ways. For example, the insulator 500 can be connected by a force-fit method, but the connection method between the insulator 500 and the battery canister 200 is not limited to this.

[0089] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The insulator 500 can be configured to include a first part 510 and a second part 520.

[0090] The first part 510 can be positioned on the upper side of the positive current collector plate 310 located on the upper side of the electrode assembly 100 (see...). Figure 2 For this purpose, the first part 510 may be formed in a circular shape, but the shape of the first part 510 is not limited to a circular shape.

[0091] The second part 520 extends from the first part 510 and is inserted between the battery can 200 and the electrode assembly 100 (see [link]). Figure 2 ). Reference Figure 5 The second part 520 can be extended from the first part 510 in the form of multiple straight lines.

[0092] The number of 520s in Part Two can vary. Although Figure 5 and Figure 6 The illustration shows that the second part 520 includes four straight sections, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the second part 520 may include a different number of straight sections.

[0093] Additionally, if the second part 520 includes four straight sections, these four straight sections can be spaced apart by a preset gap. Figure 6 In the middle, the four straight sections are separated by a 90-degree gap, but the gap between the four straight sections is not limited to this.

[0094] Here, at least one of the first part 510 and the second part 520 can be fixed to the battery canister 200. However, for ease of explanation, the following description focuses on the case where the second part 520 is fixed to the battery canister 200.

[0095] The second part 520 can be connected to the battery can 200 in various ways, for example, via the connecting protrusion 521 and the connecting groove 210. For ease of explanation, the following description focuses on the case where the second part 520 is connected to the battery can 200 via the connecting protrusion 521 and the connecting groove 210.

[0096] A connecting protrusion 521 may be formed on the second part 520, and a connecting groove 210 corresponding to the connecting protrusion 521 formed on the second part 520 may be formed in the battery canister 200, and the connecting protrusion 521 of the second part 520 may be fixed by connecting to the connecting groove 210 of the battery canister 200.

[0097] However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and a connecting groove (not shown) may be formed in the second part 520 and a connecting protrusion (not shown) may be formed on the battery can 200. However, for ease of explanation, the following description will focus on the case where a connecting protrusion 521 is formed on the second part 520 and a connecting groove 210 is formed in the battery can 200.

[0098] The connecting protrusion 521 can be formed in various portions of the second part 520. For example, the connecting protrusion 521 can be formed at the lower end of the second part 520, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the figure. However, the location of the connecting protrusion 521 is not limited to this.

[0099] Additionally, the connecting groove 210 can be formed in various parts of the battery canister 200. For example, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the connection groove 210 can be formed on the lower side of the battery can 200 to correspond to the connection protrusion 521 of the second part 520. However, the position of the connection groove 210 is not limited to this.

[0100] Here, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The connecting protrusion 521 may be configured to have a circular shape, but the shape of the connecting protrusion 521 is not limited to this, and the connecting protrusion 521 may have a wider variety of shapes.

[0101] In addition, such as Figure 2 Like in the middle, possessing the same Figure 5 An insulator 500 of similar shape is fixed and connected to the battery canister 200.

[0102] Insulator 500 can be made of various materials with high heat resistance. For example, insulator 500 can be made of heat-resistant perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), but the material of insulator 500 is not limited to this.

[0103] If the insulator 500, made of a material with high heat resistance, is connected and fixed to the battery canister 200 in this manner, even if a thermal event occurs in the battery cell 10, the electrode assembly 100 will be blocked by the insulator 500 fixed to the battery canister 200 and will not be ejected to the outside of the battery canister 200.

[0104] Furthermore, this prevents thermal runaway when the flame is transmitted to adjacent battery cells 10. Additionally, this improves the stability of the battery cells 10.

[0105] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the separation of the insulator from the battery canister in a battery cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] Reference Figure 7 The connecting protrusion 521 of the second part 520 can be formed in a square shape, and correspondingly, the connecting groove 210 of the battery can 200 can also be formed in a square shape, but the shapes of the connecting protrusion 521 and the connecting groove 210 are not limited to these.

[0107] Additionally, the connecting protrusion 521 formed on the second part 520 can be fixed to the connecting groove 210 formed in the battery canister 200 by bonding or adhesive.

[0108] For example, after the bonding material 523 is applied to the inner side of the connecting groove 210, the connecting protrusion 521 can be configured to be inserted into the connecting groove 210 and fixed by the bonding material 523.

[0109] Alternatively, for example, double-sided tape (not shown) may be attached to the inside of the connecting groove 210, or double-sided tape (not shown) may be attached to the end of the connecting protrusion 521, and then the connecting protrusion 521 and the connecting groove 210 may be secured.

[0110] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure connected to the battery canister.

[0111] Reference Figure 8 An inner groove 522 may be formed in the connecting protrusion 521 of the second part 520, and a protrusion 211 may be formed in the connecting groove 210 of the battery can 200, and the protrusion 211 may be configured to be inserted into the inner groove 522.

[0112] Here, the inner grooves 522 can be formed as a pair on the two sides of the connecting protrusions 521. Furthermore, the protrusions 211 can be formed as a pair on the two sides of the connecting grooves 210. Here, the pair of protrusions 211 can be connected to the pair of inner grooves 522 respectively, thereby increasing the connection strength between the connecting protrusions 521 and the connecting grooves 210.

[0113] However, the groove 522 and the protrusion 211 do not necessarily have to be formed as a pair, and the shape and number of the groove 522 and the protrusion 211 can vary.

[0114] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure connected to the battery canister.

[0115] Reference Figure 9 The inner groove 522 can be formed on one side of the connecting protrusion 521. Additionally, the protrusion 211 can be formed on one side of the connecting groove 210 at a position corresponding to the inner groove 522 of the connecting protrusion 521. Here, a protrusion 211 can be connected to an inner groove 522, thereby increasing the connection strength between the connecting protrusion 521 and the connecting groove 210.

[0116] Figure 10 This is a perspective view showing the insulator in a battery cell according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0117] Reference Figure 10 The first portion 510 can be positioned on the upper side of the positive current collector plate 310. For this purpose, the first portion 510 can be formed in a circular shape, but the shape of the first portion 510 is not limited to a circular shape.

[0118] The second portion 520 can extend from the first portion 510 in a cylindrical manner. Additionally, the connecting protrusion 521 can be formed along the lower periphery of the cylindrical second portion 520. In this case, the connecting groove 210 can be formed along the inner periphery of the battery can 200 to correspond to the connecting protrusion 521 formed along the lower periphery of the second portion 520.

[0119] Figure 11 It shows according to Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the battery cell in the modified implementation.

[0120] Reference Figure 11 The electrical connection member 300 is electrically connected to the electrode assembly 100. Here, the positive electrode contact 320 included in the electrical connection member 300 is electrically connected to the positive electrode plate of the electrode assembly 100.

[0121] Meanwhile, the insulator has been described in detail above, and therefore will not be described again.

[0122] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a battery pack including battery cells according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] Reference Figure 12 The battery pack 20 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more battery cells 10 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above. In addition, the battery pack 20 may also include a housing 21 for storing the battery cells 10 and various devices for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery cells 10, such as a BMS, a current sensor and a fuse.

[0124] Figure 13 This is a diagram showing a vehicle including a battery pack according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0125] Reference Figure 13 The vehicle 30 according to embodiments of this disclosure may include one or more battery cells 10 or one or more battery packs 20 according to each of the above embodiments. Here, the vehicle 30 includes various vehicles configured to use electricity, such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles.

[0126] Although terms indicating direction, such as up, down, left, right, forward, and backward, are used in this specification, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains that these terms are merely for ease of interpretation with reference to the accompanying drawings and may vary depending on the position of the target object or the observer's position.

[0127] As described above, although this disclosure has been described with reference to limited embodiments and accompanying drawings, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical concept of this disclosure and the equivalent scope of the claims described below. Therefore, the foregoing embodiments should be considered descriptive only and not for limiting purposes. That is, the true scope of the technical concept of this disclosure is defined by the claims, and all equivalent variations or modifications thereto should be interpreted as included within the scope of this disclosure.

[0128] Industrial applicability

[0129] This disclosure relates to battery cells, battery packs including the battery cells, and vehicles, and is particularly applicable to industries related to secondary batteries.

Claims

1. A battery cell, comprising: An electrode assembly, the electrode assembly including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator inserted between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; A battery can, in which the electrode assembly is housed; An electrical connection component, the electrical connection component being electrically connected to the electrode assembly; as well as An insulator, which is inserted between the battery can and the electrode assembly. The insulator is fixed to the battery canister.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, in, The electrical connection component is a positive electrode contact or a positive current collector plate connected to the positive electrode plate of the electrode assembly.

3. The battery cell according to claim 1, in, The insulator includes: The first part, located on the upper side of the electrode assembly; and The second part extends from the first part and is inserted between the battery can and the electrode assembly. At least one of the first part and the second part is fixed to the battery canister.

4. The battery cell according to claim 3, in, At least one of the first portion and the second portion has a coupling protrusion or coupling groove formed therein, and the battery can has a coupling groove or coupling protrusion formed therein and corresponding to the coupling protrusion or coupling groove formed in at least one of the first portion and the second portion.

5. The battery cell according to claim 3, in, The first part is formed in a circular shape, and The second part extends from the first part in a cylindrical manner.

6. The battery cell according to claim 3, in, The first part is formed in a circular shape, and The second part extends from the first part in the form of multiple straight lines.

7. The battery cell according to claim 6, in, The second part comprises four straight sections, and The four straight sections are spaced apart from each other by a preset gap.

8. The battery cell according to claim 3, in, A connecting protrusion or connecting groove is formed at the lower end of the second part, and The lower side of the battery can has a connecting groove or connecting protrusion that corresponds to the connecting protrusion or connecting groove formed in the second part.

9. The battery cell according to claim 8, in, The connecting protrusion is configured to have a circular shape.

10. The battery cell according to claim 8, in, The connecting protrusion or connecting groove formed at the second portion is fixed to the connecting groove or connecting protrusion formed at the battery can by bonding or adhesive.

11. The battery cell according to claim 8, in, An inner groove is formed in the connecting protrusion of the second part, and a protrusion is formed in the connecting groove of the battery can, and the protrusion is inserted into the inner groove.

12. The battery cell according to claim 11, in, The inner grooves are formed as a pair on the two sides of the connecting protrusions, and the protrusions are formed as a pair on the two sides of the connecting grooves.

13. The battery cell according to claim 1, in, The insulator is made of perfluoroalkoxyalkanes (PFAs) with high heat resistance.

14. A battery pack comprising at least one battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A vehicle comprising at least one battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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