Battery module connection member and battery module assembly

Abstract

The utility model relates to a battery module connecting member and a battery module assembly. According to one aspect of the utility model, the battery module connecting member installed between the side surfaces of the battery module comprises a main body which extends along the side surfaces of the battery module; and a seating portion disposed at the front end and the rear end of the main body and protruding from at least one of the two side surfaces of the main body to be seated on a junction box disposed on the front surface and the rear surface of the battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a battery module, and more particularly to a battery module connecting member connected between battery modules to enhance rigidity, and a battery module assembly including the battery module connecting member. Background Art

[0002] Unlike primary batteries, which cannot be recharged, secondary batteries are batteries that can be charged and discharged. Secondary batteries are used not only in small high-tech electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and computers, but also as power sources for energy storage systems (ESS), electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles.

[0003] Secondary batteries widely used in energy storage systems and electric vehicles can be divided into lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. Such secondary batteries are repeatedly charged and discharged with an output voltage of about 25V to 42V per unit battery. Therefore, when a higher output voltage and power capacity are required, a plurality of battery cells are connected in series to form a battery module, or the battery modules are connected in series or in parallel, and other circuits are added to form a battery pack.

[0004] As electric vehicle specifications become more diverse, modules having various battery cell connection methods are being developed, and conventional battery modules are assembled by directly welding and attaching connection members to a battery case.

[0005] However, this is only possible by welding when assembling the conventional connection member to the housing, and deformation may occur during welding, which may cause interference between the battery modules. In addition, when the connection member is applied to both sides of the battery module, it is difficult to assemble the expanded battery module. Utility Model Content

[0006] The utility model aims to provide a battery module connecting component and a battery module assembly including the battery module connecting component, in which the connecting component is installed along the side surface of the battery module, and thus expansion can be prevented from occurring in the battery module, the side pressure of the battery module can be maintained, and heat transfer between the battery modules can be blocked.

[0007] The utility model also aims to provide a battery module connecting member and a battery module assembly including the battery module connecting member, in which the placement portion constituting the connecting member is arranged to have a symmetrical shape at its front and rear ends, and thus the connecting member can be used without distinguishing between the front and rear ends, thereby improving workability and shortening working time.

[0008] According to one aspect of the utility model, a battery module connecting member is provided, which is installed between the side surfaces of the battery module, and the battery module connecting member includes: a main body, which extends along the side surface of the battery module; and a placement portion, which is arranged at the front and rear ends of the main body and protrudes from at least one of the two side surfaces of the main body to be placed on a terminal block arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the battery module.

[0009] The seating portion may include: a first seating portion disposed to protrude to one side; and a second seating portion formed in a stepped shape from the first seating portion and disposed to protrude to the other side from the first seating portion.

[0010] The first seating portion may be seated on a lower surface of the junction box, and the second seating portion may be seated on an upper surface of the junction box.

[0011] The seating portion may include: a first seating portion protruding to one side; and a second seating portion formed to have the same height as the first seating portion and disposed to protrude from the first seating portion to the other side.

[0012] The seating portion may have a symmetrical shape with respect to the main body.

[0013] The seating portion may have a stepped shape, and the junction box may be seated on the stepped shape.

[0014] An insertion hole into which an electrical component is inserted may be formed in an upper surface of the seating portion.

[0015] The body may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending along a side surface of the battery module, and a side surface of the seating portion may be formed as a curved surface.

[0016] The body may be formed in a hollow shape, and the reinforcing ribs may be provided in multiple stages within the body.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery module assembly is provided, including: a battery module; and a battery module connecting member installed between adjacent side surfaces of the battery module and connecting the battery modules. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a battery module connecting member according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 is a front view showing a battery module connecting member according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a battery module assembly according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 is a front view showing a battery module assembly according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 is a plan view showing a battery module assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0024] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a battery module connecting member according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Since the utility model can be changed in various ways and has various embodiments, specific embodiments will be described in detail below. However, this is not intended to limit the utility model to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the utility model. When describing the utility model, when it is determined that the detailed description of the relevant known technology may obscure the gist of the utility model, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0026] Although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component.

[0027] The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the utility model. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly states otherwise. In this application, although terms such as "including" or "having" are intended to represent the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, it should be understood that the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not excluded.

[0028] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when “connected” is used, it does not mean that two or more components are directly connected, but may mean that two or more components are indirectly connected through other components, that they are not only physically connected but also electrically connected, or that they are integrated although referred to by different names according to location or function.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of a battery module connecting member and a battery module assembly including the battery module connecting member according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components will be given the same figure marks and their repeated description will be omitted.

[0030] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a battery module connecting member according to an embodiment of the present utility model, Figure 2 is a front view showing a battery module connecting member according to an embodiment of the present utility model, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a battery module assembly according to an embodiment of the utility model, Figure 4 is a front view showing a battery module assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a plan view showing a battery module assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] As shown in the figure, the battery module connecting member according to an embodiment of the utility model is a battery module connecting member installed between the side surfaces of the battery module, and may include a main body 10 extending along the side of the battery module and a placement portion 20, the placement portion 20 being arranged at the front and rear ends of the main body 10 and protruding from at least one of the two side surfaces of the main body to be placed on a junction box 32 arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the battery module 30.

[0032] The body 10 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending a predetermined length along the side surface of the battery module 30. The body 10 may have a side height of about half that of the battery module 30, but is not limited thereto.

[0033] An insertion hole 12 for inserting an electrical component is formed in the upper surface of the body 10. An electrical component such as a battery monitoring unit (CMU) of the battery module 30 may be inserted into the insertion hole 12. In the drawings, the insertion hole 12 is shown as two insertion holes formed spaced apart from each other along the upper surface of the body 10, but is not limited thereto and may be formed as one hole.

[0034] Reference Figure 4 Since the main body 10 is installed along the side surface of the battery module 30, expansion in the battery module 30 can be prevented, the side pressure of the battery module 30 can be maintained, and heat transfer between the battery modules 30 can be blocked.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 , the main body 10 is made into a hollow shape with an empty interior, and the reinforcing ribs 14 may be provided in multiple stages within the main body 10. The reinforcing ribs 14 are provided in two stages in the figure, but are not limited thereto, and may be provided in three or more stages. Therefore, when the reinforcing ribs 14 are formed inside the main body 10 formed long in the front-rear direction, the main body 10 is torsion-resistant. Therefore, the main body 10 is firmly mounted on the battery module 30, and the coupling between the battery modules 30 may be maintained. In addition, the side surface of the placement portion 20 may have a curved shape.

[0036] The seating portion 20 may be provided to protrude at each of the front and rear ends of the body 10. The seating portion 20 may be provided to protrude so as to be seated on the junction box 32 provided on the front and rear surfaces of the battery module 30. In addition, the side surface of the seating portion 20 may have a curved shape. The junction box 32 is a portion electrically connected to a battery cell stack constituting the battery module 30, and may be formed to protrude toward one side from the front and rear surfaces of the battery module 30.

[0037] In this embodiment, the seating portion 20 may include: a first seating portion 21, which is configured to protrude to one side (left side); and a second seating portion 22, which is formed in a stepped shape from the first seating portion 21 and is configured to protrude to the other side (right side) from the first seating portion 21. That is, the seating portion 20 may include the first seating portion 21 and the second seating portion 22 protruding in opposite directions at the front and rear ends of the body 10.

[0038] When the first seating portion 21 is formed in a stepped manner at the upper portion and the second seating portion 22 is formed in a stepped manner at the lower portion, the first seating portion 21 and the second seating portion 22 may have a stepped shape. In this case, the end of the junction box 32 may be seated on the upper surface of the second seating portion 22, or may be seated in close contact with the lower surface of the first seating portion 21. Therefore, when one of the two junction boxes 32 provided in two adjacent battery modules 30 is seated on the upper surface of the second seating portion 22 and the other is seated on the lower surface of the first seating portion 21, the front and rear surfaces of the adjacent battery modules 30 are restricted from moving up and down, thereby ensuring that the connection between the battery modules 30 is firmly maintained.

[0039] Meanwhile, fastening holes 24 for fastening a component such as a wire clamp are formed in the first seating portion 21 and the second seating portion 22 .

[0040] Reference Figure 5In this embodiment, the placement portion 20 may have a symmetrical shape with respect to the main body 10. In the drawings, the shape of the placement portion 20 is as described above, but is not limited thereto, and the placement portion 20 only needs to have a symmetrical shape. Therefore, when the placement portion 20 has a symmetrical shape, the connecting member can be used without distinguishing between the front and the back, thereby improving workability. In addition, the same pressure can be applied to a gap filler (not shown) provided under the placement portion 20.

[0041] Furthermore, since the connection member for the battery module is installed only between the battery modules 30 without being separately welded to the case (not shown) of the battery system, the welding process is omitted and the working time can be reduced.

[0042] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a battery module connecting member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to the drawings, in the present embodiment, the seating portion 20 may be provided to protrude at the front and rear ends of the main body 10. The seating portion 20 may be provided to protrude so as to be seated on the junction box 32 provided on the front and rear surfaces of the battery module 30. Therefore, the seating portion 20 may include a first seating portion 21 provided to protrude to one side (left side) and a second seating portion 22 provided to protrude from the first seating portion 21 to the other side (right side). That is, the seating portion 20 may include the first seating portion 21 and the second seating portion 22 protruding in opposite directions at the front and rear ends of the main body 10.

[0044] In this embodiment, unlike the above-described embodiment, the first placement portion 21 and the second placement portion 22 may protrude from both sides at the same height without being stepped with each other. Then, the first placement portion 21 and the second placement portion 22 may be placed on the upper surface of the junction box 32 provided on the front and rear surfaces of the battery module 30.

[0045] Meanwhile, the battery module assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention may include the battery modules 30 and a battery module connecting member installed between adjacent side surfaces of the battery modules 30 and connecting the battery modules 30 .

[0046] A plurality of battery modules 30 may be arranged in parallel to form a battery module assembly. In the drawings, the battery module 30 is illustrated as two units connected, but this is not limited thereto, and three or more units may be arranged in parallel according to the battery system.

[0047] According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the connection member is installed along the side surface of the battery module, expansion in the battery module can be prevented, the side pressure of the battery module can be maintained, and heat transfer between the battery modules can be blocked.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the placement portion constituting the connection member is provided to have a symmetrical shape at the front and rear ends thereof, the connection member can be used without distinguishing between the front and the rear, thereby improving workability and shortening working time.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can modify and change the present invention in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0050] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0051] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0101474, filed on August 3, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A battery module connecting member, the battery module connecting member being installed between side surfaces of a battery module, characterized in that: The battery module connecting member comprises: a main body extending along a side surface of the battery module; and Sealing portions are provided at the front and rear ends of the body and protrude from at least one of both sides of the body to be seated on junction boxes provided on the front and rear surfaces of the battery module, respectively.

2. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the placement parts includes: a first seating portion, the first seating portion protruding to one side; and A second seating portion is stepped from the first seating portion and protrudes from the first seating portion to the other side.

3. The battery module connecting member according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first placement portion is placed on a lower surface of one of the junction boxes, and the second placement portion is placed on an upper surface of the one of the junction boxes.

4. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the placement parts includes: a first seating portion, the first seating portion protruding to one side; and A second seating portion having the same height as the first seating portion and protruding from the first seating portion to the other side.

5. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The seating portion has a symmetrical shape with respect to the main body.

6. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The seating portion has a stepped shape, and the junction box is seated on the stepped shape.

7. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the seating portion has an insertion hole into which an electric component is inserted.

8. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The body has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending along a side surface of the battery module, and a side surface of the seating portion has a curved surface.

9. The battery module connecting member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The body is formed in a hollow shape, and reinforcing ribs are arranged in multiple stages inside the body.

10. A battery module assembly, characterized in that: The battery module assembly comprises: battery modules; and The battery module connecting member according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is installed between adjacent side surfaces of the battery modules and connects the battery modules.

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