Battery module

Abstract

A battery module includes a bus bar configured to electrically connect a plurality of battery cells to each other, a holder bus bar configured to fix the bus bar, and a voltage measurement circuit portion configured to measure a voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells, and the voltage measurement circuit portion is integrally formed with the holder bus bar.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0174885, filed on December 5, 2023, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein relate to battery modules. Background Technology

[0004] Unlike primary batteries, which are non-rechargeable, secondary batteries are rechargeable. Low-capacity secondary batteries can be used in small portable electronic devices such as smartphones, feature phones, laptops, digital cameras, and camcorders, while high-capacity secondary batteries can be used as motor drive power sources for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and energy storage batteries. A secondary battery may include an electrode assembly with a cathode and an anode, a housing containing the electrode assembly, and electrode terminals connected to the electrode assembly.

[0005] A battery module comprises multiple battery cells. The battery module is configured to measure voltage to identify the state of charge (SOC) of each of the multiple battery cells. Examples of electronic components that measure the voltage of each battery cell may include wire harnesses, flexible printed circuit assemblies (FPCAs), etc. Wire harnesses have been used as electronic components in related technologies. However, as the number of battery cells in a battery module increases, the use of wire harnesses becomes difficult due to their large structural volume. FPCAs can be used as an alternative to wire harnesses. However, FPCAs are more expensive to manufacture due to the complexity of their manufacturing process compared to that of wire harnesses.

[0006] The information disclosed in the background section of this disclosure is provided to improve the understanding of the background section of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute related technology. Utility Model Content

[0007] According to one aspect of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module is provided that includes a coupling structure of a circuit for measuring the voltage of a battery cell and a retainer busbar. According to another aspect of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module is provided that has reduced manufacturing costs due to improved formation of the electronic components for measuring the voltage of the battery cells included in the battery module.

[0008] However, the aspects and technical problems to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned herein, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other aspects and problems to be solved from the description of this disclosure below.

[0009] Other aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the embodiments presented in this disclosure.

[0010] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module includes a busbar configured to electrically connect a plurality of battery cells to each other, a retainer busbar configured to fix the busbar, and a voltage measurement circuit portion configured to measure the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0011] The voltage measurement circuit section can be integrated with the holding busbar.

[0012] The voltage measurement circuit section can be formed on the surface of the retainer busbar using laser direct forming (LDS).

[0013] The battery module may also include an insulating film covering the voltage measurement circuit portion.

[0014] The insulating film may also contain polyimide (PI) resin or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) resin.

[0015] The voltage measurement circuit and the busbar can be electrically connected to each other via a wire bonding structure.

[0016] The voltage measurement circuit and the busbar can be electrically connected to each other via flexible printed circuit (FPC) components.

[0017] The voltage measurement circuit and the busbar can be electrically connected to each other via flexible die-cut (FDC) components.

[0018] The voltage measurement circuit and the busbar can be electrically connected to each other via lug terminals.

[0019] The component that electrically connects the voltage measurement circuitry to the busbar may include a fuse portion configured as an FPC.

[0020] The component that electrically connects the voltage measurement circuitry to the busbar may include a fuse section with a hybrid structure of FDC and FPC. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0022] The accompanying drawings illustrate some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are intended, together with the detailed description of the present disclosure described below, to provide a further understanding of the technical concept of the present disclosure; however, the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to what is shown in the drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the component structure of the busbar, busbar holder, and voltage measurement circuit portion included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A perspective view showing some components separated;

[0025] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken by line III-III shown;

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An enlarged view of area "A" shown;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the component structure of a battery module including a busbar, a busbar holder, and a voltage measurement circuit portion according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 5 A perspective view showing some components separated;

[0029] Figure 7 This shows that the fuse portion is formed in Figure 5 The view shown illustrates the construction of a component that electrically connects the voltage measurement circuitry to the busbar; and

[0030] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing an example shape of the connector terminal. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Reference will now be made in more detail to some embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals always denote the same elements. In this respect, the embodiments may take different forms and should not be construed as limited to the description set forth herein. Therefore, the embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to explain various aspects of this specification. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one” modify the entire list of elements if they precede the list of elements, without modifying any individual element in the list.

[0032] In this document, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concept of the present disclosure, based on the concepts that the inventors may appropriately define in order to best describe the principles of the utility model. Therefore, it should be understood that the configurations shown in the drawings and embodiments described in this specification are some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and do not necessarily represent all the technical ideas of the present disclosure, such that various equivalents and variations may exist at the time of filing this application. Where used herein, "comprising," "including," "containing," and / or "containing" designates the presence of the mentioned shapes, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, and / or groups of these, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more different shapes, numbers, operations, components, parts, and / or groups. Where embodiments of the present disclosure are described, "may" or "may" may include "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure."

[0033] For ease of understanding of this disclosure, the drawings may not be shown to scale, but the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated. In different embodiments, the same reference numerals may be given to the same components.

[0034] The statement that two comparison targets are “identical” to each other can mean that they are identical or substantially identical. Therefore, cases where comparison targets are “identical” or “substantially identical” can include cases where they have a deviation considered to be low (e.g., 5% or less). If the uniformity parameter is uniform within a predetermined region, this may mean that it is uniform from an average perspective.

[0035] Although the terms "first," "second," etc., can be used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one component from others, and unless specifically stated otherwise, the first component can be described as the second component.

[0036] Throughout the instruction manual, unless otherwise specified, each component may be in the singular or plural.

[0037] If a component is arranged on top (or bottom) of another component or on top of (or below) another component, it can refer not only to the case where the component is arranged near the top (or bottom) surface of the other component, but also to the case where other components can be inserted between the other component and the component arranged on top of (or below) the other component.

[0038] If a component is described as "connected," "coupled," or "connectable" to another component, it should be understood that these components can be directly connected, coupled, or connected to each other, but other components can also be inserted between these components, or these components can be "connected," "coupled," or "connectable" to each other through other components. Similarly, if one part is electrically coupled to another part, this can include not only cases where they are directly connected to each other, but also cases where they are connected to another device between them.

[0039] Throughout this specification, "A and / or B" may mean A, B, or A and B, unless otherwise specified. That is, "and / or" may include all or any combination of the listed items. Unless otherwise specified, "C to D" may mean at least C but no more than D.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the component structure of a battery module including a busbar, a busbar holder, and a voltage measurement circuit portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 The perspective view shown shows some components separated. Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken from line III-III is shown. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An enlarged view of region "A" shown in the image. Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the component structure of a battery module including a busbar, a busbar holder, and a voltage measurement circuit portion according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 It is shown Figure 5 The perspective view shown shows some components separated. Figure 7 This shows that the fuse portion is formed in Figure 5 The diagram shows a view of the structure in which the voltage measurement circuit is electrically connected to the busbar. Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing an example shape of the connector terminal.

[0041] Reference Figures 1 to 8 The battery module according to this disclosure may include a plurality of battery cells 20. In embodiments, the battery cell 20 may be a prismatic (e.g., square) battery cell. A plurality of battery cells 20 may be provided. The battery cells 20 may be arranged (e.g., regularly arranged) in a housing (not shown).

[0042] In one embodiment, the battery module may include a busbar 30, a retainer busbar 40, a voltage measurement circuit section 50, an insulating film 60, and a connection component 70.

[0043] The busbar 30 is a component that electrically connects multiple battery cells 20 to each other. In one embodiment, the busbar 30 may include a conductive metal.

[0044] The retainer busbar 40 is a component that secures the busbar 30 in a specific location. In one embodiment, the retainer busbar 40 may comprise a synthetic resin. The busbar 30 may be coupled to a structure supported by an upper support and a lower support formed on the retainer busbar 40.

[0045] The voltage measurement circuit section 50 can perform the function of measuring the voltage of the battery cell 20. The voltage measurement circuit section 50 can be connected to the battery cell 20 via the busbar 30. The voltage measurement circuit section 50 can be integrally formed with the holder busbar 40. The voltage measurement circuit section 50 can be inseparably coupled to the holder busbar 40.

[0046] A voltage measurement circuit portion 50 may be formed on the surface of the holder bus 40. The voltage measurement circuit portion 50 may be formed on the upper surface of the holder bus 40. For example, the voltage measurement circuit portion 50 may be formed using laser direct forming (LDS). In one embodiment, LDS may be implemented by surface treating the portion constituting the voltage measurement circuit portion 50 with a laser and then plating it with copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) to form the circuit. The voltage measurement circuit portion 50 may be formed before the holder bus 40 and bus 30 are coupled to each other.

[0047] The insulating film 60 is a structure that covers the voltage measurement circuit section 50. The insulating film 60 provides electrical protection for the voltage measurement circuit section 50. In one embodiment, the insulating film 60 may comprise an insulating synthetic resin. For example, the insulating film 60 may also comprise polyimide (PI) resin or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) resin. The insulating film 60 may be attached to the voltage measurement circuit section 50 using, for example, heat compression or adhesive bonding.

[0048] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The voltage measurement circuit section 50 and the busbar 30 can be electrically connected to each other through the connection component 70 with the lead bonding structure.

[0049] Reference Figures 5 to 7 The voltage measurement circuit section 50 and the busbar 30 can be electrically connected to each other via a connecting element 70 that includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) component. Although the FPC component has a relatively high manufacturing cost, it has the advantage of precisely configured fuse sections 90. In this case, the connecting element 70 can be configured in a structure, for example, where nickel contacts and the FPC are coupled to each other.

[0050] The voltage measurement circuit section 50 and the busbar 30 can be electrically connected to each other via a connecting element 70 that includes a flexible die-cut (FDC) component. In one embodiment, the FDC component can be formed by cutting a thin conductive metal electrode plate into a pattern (e.g., a predetermined pattern) using upper and lower rollers and then adhering it to a resin film. The FDC component can have the advantage of low manufacturing cost. In this case, the connecting element 70 can be configured in a structure, for example, where a nickel tab and an FPC are coupled to each other.

[0051] In this embodiment, the voltage measurement circuit section 50 and the busbar 30 can be electrically connected to each other via a lug terminal, which serves as a connecting member 70. The lug terminal has the advantage of being easily used as a connecting member with a known structure that is conventionally used.

[0052] The connection member 70 that electrically connects the voltage measurement circuit section 50 to the busbar 30 may include a fuse section 90 configured as an FPC. If an overcurrent flows from the battery cell 20, the fuse section 90 can electrically protect the voltage measurement circuit section 50. In one embodiment, the FPC may have the advantage of precisely forming a fuse section 90 with a width of 0.08 mm or less.

[0053] In an embodiment, the connection component 70 electrically connecting the voltage measurement circuit portion 50 to the busbar 30 may include a fuse portion 90 in a hybrid structure that is a mixture of an FDC and an FPC. FDCs can be manufactured at low cost, but may be limited in the width of the circuit pattern formed to be smaller than a certain size. While FPCs may be expensive to manufacture, they may be advantageous for manufacturing precise fuse portions 90 because the width of the resulting circuit pattern can be formed much smaller than the width of an FDC. Therefore, where most of the circuitry is manufactured using an FDC and precise fuse portions 90 (e.g., only precise fuse portions 90) are manufactured using an FPC, and the use of hybrid components such as thermocoupled components can provide the effect of maintaining consistent quality and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0054] In one embodiment, the voltage measurement circuit section 50 may include a temperature sensor 80. In one embodiment, an FDC / FPC hybrid structure may also be used to connect the temperature sensor 80 to a component of the voltage measurement circuit section 50. The temperature sensor 80 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the battery cell 20.

[0055] As described above, in the battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the voltage measurement circuit portion for measuring the voltage of the battery cell is integrally formed with the retainer busbar. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be reduced and the assembly process can be simplified, thereby providing an innovative increase in productivity. The voltage measurement circuit portion and the busbar can be connected to each other in various forms. If the components electrically connecting the voltage measurement circuit portion to the busbar are formed in a hybrid structure of FDC and FPC, as in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, manufacturing costs can be reduced by applying FDC, and by applying FPC, precise safety devices can be efficiently configured for the fuse portion 90.

[0056] As described above, in one or more embodiments of the battery module according to this disclosure, the voltage measurement circuit portion for measuring the voltage of the battery cell is integrally formed with the holder busbar. Therefore, it is not necessary to assemble the voltage measurement circuit portion and the holder busbar through a separate process, thereby providing a significant cost reduction effect.

[0057] Furthermore, as in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, if the voltage measurement circuit portion is formed on the holder busbar using LDS, the quality and durability of the voltage measurement circuit portion can be improved.

[0058] Furthermore, as in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, if the components connecting the voltage measurement circuit portion to the busbar include the FPC and FDC, the cost of configuring fuse portions that prevent or substantially prevent the voltage measurement circuit portion from being damaged by overcurrent can be reduced.

[0059] However, the aspects and effects that can be obtained through this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other technical aspects and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of this disclosure herein.

[0060] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to some exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes within the technical spirit of this disclosure and the equivalent scope of the claims set forth below.

[0061] In a battery module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the voltage measurement circuit portion for measuring the voltage of a single battery cell is integrally formed with the holder busbar. Therefore, it is not necessary to assemble the voltage measurement circuit portion and the holder busbar through a separate process, thereby providing a significant cost reduction effect.

[0062] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are to be considered descriptive and not for limiting purposes. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should generally be considered applicable to other similar features or aspects in other embodiments. While one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized by, Comprising: a busbar configured to electrically connect a plurality of battery cells to each other; a holder busbar configured to fix the busbar; and a voltage measurement circuit portion configured to measure a voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells, the voltage measurement circuit portion is integrally formed with the holder busbar. The voltage measurement circuit portion is formed on a surface of the holder busbar by laser direct structuring (LDS).

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising an insulating film covering the voltage measurement circuit portion.

3. The battery module of claim 2, wherein, The voltage measurement circuit portion and the busbar are electrically connected to each other by a wire bonding structure.

4. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The voltage measurement circuit portion and the busbar are electrically connected to each other by a flexible printed circuit (FPC) member.

5. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The voltage measurement circuit portion and the busbar are electrically connected to each other by a flexible die cutting (FDC) member.

6. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The voltage measurement circuit portion and the busbar are electrically connected to each other by a tab terminal.

7. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The member electrically connecting the voltage measurement circuit portion to the busbar includes a fuse portion configured as an FPC.

8. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The member electrically connecting the voltage measurement circuit portion to the busbar includes a fuse portion having a hybrid structure of an FDC and an FPC.

9. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, ​

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