Battery module with sealing section

Abstract

Battery module comprising: a first sub-module and a second sub-module, each containing a cell assembly having a plurality of battery cells and a protective cover enclosing at least a portion of the cell assembly, and facing each other in a first direction; and a sealing portion provided on the protective cover and arranged on at least a portion of a peripheral surface of the protective cover, wherein the sealing portion is formed by a plurality of sealing components that can be separated based on the peripheral surface of the protective cover.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThe disclosure disclosed in this patent document generally relates to a battery module having a sealing portion.BACKGROUNDSecondary batteries have an advantage that they can be charged and discharged unlike primary batteries, and thus, are attracting much attention as power sources for various mobile devices and electric vehicles.These secondary batteries may include battery cells in which an electrode assembly formed by stacking or winding positive electrode plates, negative electrode plates, and separators in a roll shape is accommodated in a case.A plurality of battery cells may be stacked in a predetermined direction and housed in a battery module. A plurality of battery modules may be connected in series / parallel and aligned in a predetermined arrangement to form a battery pack.Meanwhile, in a battery cell, thermal runaway may occur due to internal short circuits, overcharge, or the like, in which gas and flame are generated. In this case, a flame may arise in the triggering module which accommodates the battery cell, which flame propagates to an adjacent battery module and causes a fire there, which may lead to thermal propagation.Accordingly, there is a need for an interior sealing structure that delays or prevents flame formed in a battery module from being trapped on adjacent battery modules as much as possible.SUMMARYThe present disclosure may be implemented in some embodiments to provide a battery module in which the spread of a fire emanating from one battery module to adjacent battery modules may be delayed or substantially reduced.In a battery module according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the spread of a fire in one sub-module to an adjacent sub-module may be delayed or significantly reduced.A battery module according to an aspect of the present disclosure can be widely used for apparatuses in the field of environmental-friendly technology, for example, electric vehicles, battery charging stations, and other solar and wind power generation facilities using batteries. Moreover, a battery module according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be used in eco-friendly electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like to prevent climate conversion by suppressing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module includes a first sub-module and a second sub-module each including a cell array formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells and a protection cover accommodating at least a part of the cell array and facing each other in a first direction; and a sealing portion provided on the protection cover and disposed on at least a portion of a circumferential surface of the protection cover. The seal portion is formed by a plurality of seal components that can be separated based on the circumferential surface of the protective cover.The protection cover may include a center cover disposed near a cell array adjacent thereto; an end cover facing the center cover; and a side cover disposed parallel to a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells, and the sealing portion may be provided to surround at least one of the center cover, the end cover, or the side cover.The battery module may further include an upper cover and a lower cover facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the first sub-module and the second sub-module interposed therebetween, and each coupled to the protective cover. The top cover and the bottom cover may be coupled to the end cover, the center cover, and the side cover and disposed on the first sub-module and the second sub-module.The plurality of sealing components may include a first component provided on the top cover and arranged to face the center cover; a second component provided on the bottom cover and arranged to face the center cover; and a third component provided on the side cover and arranged to face the center cover. The top cover, the bottom cover, and the side cover may be connected to the center cover.The first component, the second component, and the third component may form a sealing portion disposed to surround a circumferential surface of the center cover when the top cover, the bottom cover, and the side cover are connected to the center cover.The end cover may have a chamfer formed at each corner, and the seal portion may have a chamfer component having a shape corresponding to the chamfer.The chamfer component may be provided at both ends of at least one of the first, second, or third components.The upper cover and the lower cover may be provided with the first component and the second component disposed at portions overlapping with distal ends of one side of the center cover and the side cover based on the second direction. The side cover may be provided with the third component provided at the distal end of one of its sides overlapping with the center cover in the stacking direction.The protective cover may be provided with a sealing groove that receives at least a portion of the sealing region.In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery module includes a first sub-module and a second sub-module each including a cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked in a first direction, a side cover facing the cell array in the first direction, and a center cover facing the cell array in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; an upper cover and a lower cover disposed with the first sub-module and the second sub-module therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; and a plurality of sealing components provided on the side cover, the upper cover, and the lower cover to face the center cover. The plurality of sealing components form a sealing portion arranged to surround at least a portion of the center cover in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the side cover, the top cover, and the bottom cover are coupled to the center cover.The seal portion may be disposed between a distal end of one side of the side cover, the top cover, the bottom cover, and the center cover.The center cover may be disposed between the cell array of the first sub-module and the cell array of the second sub-module.The above-described solution in the present disclosure is illustrative, and it should be understood that other configurations that are not mentioned are included in the present disclosure even if they are added.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSCertain aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be explained in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a sub-module according to an embodiment. FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views schematically showing flame propagation to adjacent sub-modules. FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating prevention of flame propagation to adjacent sub-modules according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the assembly of a seal portion according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the assembly of a sub-module according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the assembly of a seal portion according to another embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the assembly of a seal portion according to another embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONFeatures of the present disclosure disclosed in this specification will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.From the detailed description of embodiments above, it is to be understood that the terms or words used in the following descriptions and claims should not be construed as being limited to their usual or dictionary meaning, but should be interpreted with a meaning and concept that coincides with the technical idea of the present disclosure, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms in order to explain its invention in the best manner.The same reference numerals or symbols in the respective drawings denote parts or components that substantially perform the same function.In the following description, singular terms include plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms such as "including", "configuring", and the like are intended to refer to the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and are to be understood not to exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.Moreover, in the following description, expressions such as the upper side, upper portion, lower, bottom, side, front side, rear side, and the like are expressed on the basis of the direction illustrated in the drawing, and it should be noted in advance that when the direction of the object is changed, it may be expressed differently.Moreover, in the following descriptions and claims, terms having ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", and the like may be used to distinguish between components. These ordinal numbers are used to distinguish identical or similar components from each other, and the meaning of the term should not be interpreted limitedly due to the use of these ordinal numbers. For example, components combined with these ordinal numbers should not be interpreted as having a limited order of use or arrangement due to the number. If necessary, the respective ordinal numbers may be used interchangeably.Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is for illustrative purposes only, and the present disclosure is not limited to the detailed embodiments described as examples.First, a battery module of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a sub-module according to an embodiment. FIGS. 1 to 3 are merely exemplary diagrams of the structure and shape of the sub-module 100 and the battery module 10, and it is to be understood that the detailed shape of the individual components is not limited to the drawings.A battery module 10 may include a plurality of sub-modules 100. For example, the plurality of sub-modules 100 may be configured by joining a first sub-module 100 aand a second sub-module 100 balong a direction (the X-axis direction in the drawings) to form a battery module 10. However, the battery module 10 is not limited to this structure, and may include three or more sub-modules 100.In the following description, a direction parallel to the direction in which the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 b confront each other is referred to as a first direction.The first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bincluded in the battery module 10 may have the same structure. For example, after manufacturing multiple sub-modules 100 of the same type, the sub-modules may be assembled to form the entire battery module 10.In the following description, "the first submodule 100 a" and "the second submodule 100 b" mean, for example, only one and the other of the two assembled submodules 100, and both may be understood as submodules 100 having the same structure. Moreover, "submodule 100" may be understood to mean one of the above-described "first submodule 100 a" and "second submodule 100 b".The battery module 10 may include a lower cover 300 and an upper cover 400 that support a plurality of sub-modules 100. An integrally molded lower cover 300 may be disposed to cover the lower surfaces of the plurality of sub-modules 100. Alternatively, an integrally molded upper cover 400 may be disposed to cover the upper surfaces of the plurality of sub-modules 100.However, the structures of the lower cover 300 and the upper cover 400 are not limited to those described above. For example, multiple lower covers or multiple upper covers may be provided to cover multiple sub-modules 100, and the multiple lower covers may be combined together to form a single structure.A sub-module 100 may include a cell array 110 having battery cells 1000 stacked in one direction and a plurality of protection covers 150, 160, and 170 for protecting the cell array 110.The cell array 110 may include a plurality of battery cells 1000 stacked side by side. The stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 1000 and the direction in which the sub-modules 100 are arranged may be perpendicular to each other. For example, the sub-modules 100 may be arranged on the top surface of the lower cover 300 in a first direction (X-axis direction), and the battery cells 1000 included in each sub-module 100 may be stacked in a second direction (e.g., Y-axis direction) that is perpendicular to the first direction (X-axis direction). In the following description, the "second direction" may be understood as the stacking direction of the battery cells 1000.The plurality of battery cells 1000 may be configured to convert chemical energy into electrical energy to power an external circuit, or to receive power from the outside and convert electrical energy into chemical energy to store power. The battery cell 1000 may be, for example, a nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery or a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery that can be charged and discharged.A plurality of battery cells 1000 may each be provided by accommodating an electrode assembly (not illustrated) formed by stacking a positive electrode plate (cathode plate) and a negative electrode plate (anode plate). The electrode assembly may be configured in a form in which the positive electrode plates and the negative electrode plates are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween so that their wide surfaces are opposed to each other. The separator may be configured to prevent an electrical short circuit between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate and allow ion flow. The separator may include, for example, a porous polymer film or a porous nonwoven fabric.Moreover, the electrode assembly can be accommodated in a case in various ways, for example, a stack type, a zigzag fold type (Z fold type), a stack fold type, or the like, in the form of a jelly roll formed by winding in a predetermined direction.The plurality of battery cells 1000 may be configured as pouch, prism, or cylinder type secondary batteries depending on the configuration of the case. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of battery cells 1000 may be provided as a pouch type and may be connected in series or in parallel while being stacked side by side to form a cell array 110.The protective covers 150, 160, and 170 may include an end cover 150 and a center cover 160 that cover at least one side and the other side of the cell assembly 110, and a plurality of side covers 170.The end cover 150 and the center cover 160 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction (X-axis direction), and the cell assembly 110 may be disposed between the end cover 150 and the center cover 160. The end cover 150 may be disposed adjacent to the side where a terminal portion 123 is disposed in the sub-module 100, and the center cover 160 may be disposed adjacent to the side where a sub-sensor module 130 is disposed in the sub-module 100.The side cover 170 may be disposed to face the wide surface of the battery cell 1000 to protect the side surface of the cell assembly 110.The end cover 150, the center cover 160, and the side cover 170 may be formed of a material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum or SUS) having sufficient rigidity to protect the sub-module 100 from external influences.The side cover 170 may be connected to the end cover 150 and the center cover 160, respectively. For example, a fastener (not shown) may penetrate the side cover 170 and be attached to the end cover 150 or the center cover 160. Alternatively, the side cover 170 may be connected and fixed to the end cover 150 and the center cover 160 without a separate fixing member. In this case, a joining method may use welding, but is not limited thereto.At the same time, the side cover 170 may also be coupled to a bus bar frame 122 disposed on the inside of the end cover 150 and the center cover 160.The end cover 150, the center cover 160, and the side cover 170 are fixedly coupled to each other, so that the sub-module 100 may have structural stability.The sub-module 100 may also include a bus bar assembly 120 electrically connected to the cell assembly 110 and an insulating cover 140 coupled to the bus bar assembly 120.The bus bar assembly 120 may include a plurality of conductive members (bus bars, 121) electrically connected to the battery cells 1000, and a bus bar frame 122 supporting the bus bars 121. Some of the plurality of bus bars 121 may be connected to a terminal portion 123 that can be connected to an external circuit. The terminal portion 123 may include a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal.Referring to FIG. 3, the bus bar assembly 120 may include a first bus bar assembly 120 adisposed on one side of the cell assembly 110 and a second bus bar assembly 120 bdisposed on the other side of the cell assembly 110. One of the first bus bar assembly 120 aand the second bus bar assembly 120 bmay include a pair of terminal portions 123, and the other may not include a terminal portion 123. For example, the first bus bar assembly 120 aincluding a pair of terminal portions 123 may be disposed between the end cover 150 and the cell assembly 110, and the second bus bar assembly 120 bincluding no terminal portion 123 may be disposed between the center cover 160 and the cell assembly 110. The terminal portion 123 of the first bus bar assembly 120 amay be disposed adjacent to the end cover 150 and exposed to the outside of the battery module 10. According to this structure, the terminal portions 123 may be spaced apart in the second direction (Y-axis direction) along an edge of the sub-module 100.A first insulating cover 141 may be disposed between the first bus bar assembly 120 aand the end cover 150, and a second insulating cover 142 may be disposed between the second bus bar assembly 120 band the center cover 160. The first insulating cover 141 and the second insulating cover 142 may be coupled to the first bus bar assembly 120 aand the second bus bar assembly 120 b, respectively. The first insulating cover 141 and the second insulating cover 142 may include an insulating material to prevent the end cover 150 and the center cover 160 from being electrically short-circuited to the bus bar 121.The terminal portion 123 may be disposed adjacent to an edge of the sub-module 100. For example, the terminal portion 123 may be disposed in the first bus bar assembly 120 adisposed between the end cover 150 and the cell assembly 110. For example, the terminal portion 123 included in each sub-module 100 may be disposed on the outside of the battery module 10.In addition, the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bmay be assembled such that the center covers 160 are opposed to each other.In the drawing, the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bare illustrated with the center covers 160 aand 160 b, respectively (see FIG. 4A ), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be provided with a structure in which a center cover 160 is disposed between the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 b.Since a center cover 160 is disposed between the cell array 110 of the first sub-module 100 aand the cell array 110 of the second sub-module, the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bmay share a center cover 160 with each other.When assembling the two sub-modules 100, the side covers 170 included in the respective sub-modules 100 may be connected to each other. For example, the side cover 170 of the first sub-module 100 aand the side cover 170 of the second sub-module 100 bmay be joined to each other while facing each other in the first direction (X-axis direction). The connection of the side cover 170 of the first sub-module 100 aand the side cover 170 of the second sub-module 100 bmay be by welding, but is not limited thereto.The upper and lower portions of the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bmay be covered by the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300, respectively.The bottom cover 300 may be coupled to the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 b. For example, a fixing member 310 may be fixed to the center cover 160 by penetrating the lower cover 300, and thus the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bmay be fixed to the lower cover 300. Moreover, another fastening member 320 may be fastened to the end cover 150 by penetrating the lower cover 300.The top cover 400 may be coupled to the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 b. For example, a fixing member 410 may be fixed to the center cover 160 by penetrating the upper cover 400, and thus the first sub-module 100 aand the second sub-module 100 bmay be fixed to the lower cover 300. Moreover, another fastener 420 may be fastened to the end cover 150 by piercing the top cover 400.In a state where the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300 are connected to the sub-modules 100, the end cover 150 of the sub-module 100 may be disposed adjacent to an edge of the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300. In addition, the center cover 160 may be disposed at the center portion of the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300 in the first direction (X-axis direction).The lower cover 300 and the upper cover 400 may be respectively connected to the side cover 170 of the sub-module 100. For example, in a state where the sub-modules 100 are fixed to the lower cover 300, the side covers 170 may be in contact with the lower cover 300 and connected to each other along the contacted portion. Also, when the upper cover 400 is disposed on the upper portion of the sub-module 100, the side covers 170 may be in contact with the upper cover 400 and connected to each other along the contacted portion.In this way, the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300 may be combined with the sub-modules 100 to form the entire battery module 10.In the battery module 10, the end cover 150 and the side cover 170 of each sub-module 100 may be exposed to the outside of the battery module 10. For example, the upper surface of the battery module 10 may be formed by the upper cover 400, the lower surface by the lower cover 300, and the side surface by the end cover 150 and the side cover 170. In this case, the center covers 160 of the respective sub-modules 100 inside the battery module 10 face each other and cannot be exposed to the outside of the battery module 10 because they are covered by the upper cover 400, the lower cover 300 and the side cover 170.In this way, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a plurality of sub-modules 100. The plurality of sub-modules 100 have an advantage of improving the efficiency of the assembly process and the energy efficiency by simplifying the connection and the assembly relationship between the sub-modules 100.However, when a fire occurs in one of the plurality of sub-modules 100 and becomes a so-called trigger sub-module, the trigger sub-module may be susceptible to heat propagation in which heat and flames are propagated to the adjacent sub-module 100.FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views schematically showing flame propagation to adjacent sub-modules. FIGS. 4A and 4B show that the first submodule 100 afunctions as a trigger submodule by way of example.The flame may pass through the gap between any of the plurality of protective covers 150, 160, and 170, the top cover 400, and the bottom cover 300.Referring to the arrows in FIGS. 4A and 4B, it can be seen that the flame propagates toward the second sub-module 100 bthrough the gap between at least one of the upper cover 400, the lower cover 300, and the side cover 170, and the center cover 160 in the cell assembly 110 of the first sub-module 100 ain the event of a fire. Since the first submodule 100 aand the second submodule 100 bare arranged side by side, in the event of a fire in one submodule 100, the heat and the flames can be relatively easily propagated to the other submodule 100.FIGS. 4A and 4B are examples of flame propagation. As described above, a flame occurring in a sub-module 100 may be discharged through a gap between at least two adjacent members among the end cover 150, the center cover 160, the side cover 170, the top cover 400, and the bottom cover 300. In contrast to FIGS. 4A and 4B, there is the risk in this case of fire propagation between the battery module 10 and the adjacent other battery module 10.Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a sealing portion 200 is provided in the protective covers 150, 160, and 170 so that a flame generated in one sub-module 100 among the plurality of sub-modules 100 can be prevented from spreading to another sub-module 100 or an adjacent battery module 10.FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the prevention of flame propagation to an adjacent submodule, according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the assembly of a seal portion according to an embodiment.Referring to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a sealing portion 200 disposed to surround the protective covers 150, 160, and 170 to block a gap between the protective covers 150, 160, and 170 and at least one of the upper cover 400 or the lower cover 300.The sealing portion 200 may include an elastic material for sealing the gap. Moreover, the sealing portion 200 may include a heat-resistant material to prevent it from being deformed or melted by the heat of the flame generated from the battery cell 1000.The structure of the seal portion 200 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Meanwhile, for the purpose of better understanding, the seal portion 200 is described as being provided while surrounding the central cover 160, but may of course be provided in the end cover 150 and the side cover 170.Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with a sealing portion 200 on a center cover 160 of at least one of a plurality of sub-modules 100.The seal portion 200 may be disposed between members adjacent to the center cover 160, e.g., the side cover 170, the top cover 400, and the bottom cover 300, and the center cover 160. Therefore, flames can be prevented from propagating through the gap between the center cover 160 and the adjacent members.Referring to FIG. 6, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with a seal groove SG into which the seal portion 200 may be at least partially inserted in a portion thereof where the seal portion 200 is disposed. For example, the seal groove SG may be formed while surrounding the edge surface of the center cover 160, and the seal portion 200 may be disposed so as to surround the center cover 160 while being inserted into the seal groove SG.FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the assembly of a sub-module according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, the battery module 10 of the present disclosure may be provided in which the upper cover 400, the lower cover 300, and the side cover 170 are coupled to the center cover 160 on which the sealing portion 200 is provided.When adjacent parts are assembled while the seal portion 200 is disposed on an assembled body, e.g., the center cover 160 as illustrated in FIG. 7, a gap may be generated or assembly may be difficult even after the assembly is completed due to deformation of the seal portion 200 during assembly, assembly tolerance, or the like.For example, when the side cover 170 fixes the center cover 160 to the upper cover 400 or the lower cover 300 by the fixing member 310 or 410, the seal portion 200 may be partially deformed by elasticity due to the fixing force between the side cover 170 and the center cover 160. In this state, when the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300 are combined, the latest combined cover member may be difficult to combine due to deformation of the seal portion 200, or the seal portion 200 may deviate from a predetermined position and may not be able to completely close the gap.Accordingly, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure described below, a sealing portion 200 may include a plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 connected to adjacent cover members.FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the assembly of the seal portion according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, adjacent cover members equipped with the sealing components 201, 202, and 203 may be combined into a single sealing portion 200.Specifically, a battery module 10 according to an embodiment may include a cell array 110 aformed by stacking a plurality of battery cells and protection covers 150, 160, and 170 accommodating at least a part of the cell array 110 a, a first sub-module 100 aand a second sub-module 100 bfacing each other in a first direction, and a sealing portion 200 provided on the protection covers 150, 160, and 170 to surround the circumferential surfaces of the protection covers 150, 160, and 170. In this case, the seal portion 200 may be formed of a plurality of seal components 201, 202, and 203 that can be separated based on the circumferential surface of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170.In this specification, the "circumferential surface of the protective cover 150, 160, 170" may mean a surface through which a fluid, e.g., gas, passes, and more specifically, at least one surface facing the respective components of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170 and not the cell array 110 a.For example, the "circumferential surface of the protective cover 150, 160, 170" may mean the circumferential surface of at least one of the end cover 150, the center cover 160, or the side cover 170.In this case, the "circumferential surface of the end cover 150" may refer to at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface (the Z-axis direction facing surface), or the side surface (the Y-axis direction facing surface) of the end cover 150. Moreover, the "circumferential surface of the center cover 160" may refer to at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface (the Z-axis direction facing surface), or the side surface (the Y-axis direction facing surface) of the center cover 160. Moreover, the "circumferential surface of the side cover 170" may refer to at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface (the Z-axis direction facing surface), or the side surface (the X-axis direction facing surface) of the side cover 170.The "circumferential surface of the protective cover 150, 160, 170" may mean, for example, at least one surface (a portion) of the above-described circumferential surfaces of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170.The sealing portion 200 may include a plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 provided on other cover members adjacent to the mounting bodyThe plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 may include a first component 201 provided on the top cover 400, a second component 202 provided on the bottom cover 300, and a third component 203 provided on the side cover 170.With this structure, the plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 can form a sealing portion 200 that is disposed on the center cover 160 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the side cover 170, the upper cover 400, and the lower cover 300 are combined with the protective covers 150, 160, and 170, specifically, the center cover 160.In this case, the seal portion 200 may be disposed on at least a part of the circumferential surface of the center cover 160. For example, the seal portion 200 may be disposed to enclose at least a part of the center cover 160. In this specification, "enclosing" does not mean that all parts of the circumferential surface of the center cover 160 are enclosed, but rather, is disposed on at least one partial surface (a portion) of the circumferential surface of the center cover 160.When the seal portion 200 is positioned at a location at which it can at least partially block the flow of fluid flowing in the gap between the components of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170, it may be referred to as the seal portion 200 of the present disclosure, and it may not necessarily be positioned so as to surround the entire circumference. In the drawing, the plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 are illustrated as four in total including a first component 201 and a second component 202, and two third components 203, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the number of the plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 may correspond to the number of the peripheries of the assembly (center cover; 160 in the drawing).For example, when the upper cover 400 and the lower cover 300 are not combined with the center cover 160, the sealing portion 200 may be provided as two third components. Although each sealing component is illustrated in a straight shape in the drawing, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and one of the plurality of sealing components may be provided in a "["" shape and the other may be provided in an "l" shape. Moreover, at least one of the plurality of sealing components may be provided in an "L" shape, and may be disposed on two sides of the center cover 160, respectively.For example, when the seal portion 200 of the present disclosure includes two or more seal components separable from each other, they may all be said to be included in the present disclosure.When the seal portion 200 is formed of a plurality of separable seal components 201, 202, and 203, it should be understood as included in the present disclosure even if the seal portion is provided so as to surround at least a part of the periphery of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170. For example, it is sufficient if at least one of the first component, the second component, or the third component is disposed only on a part of the circumference of the center cover 160.The upper drawing of FIG. 8 shows the state before assembling the cover members (side cover 170, upper cover 400, lower cover 300) adjacent to the center cover 160. At this time, the seal portion 200 is in a state in which the plurality of seal components 201, 202, and 203 are separated.The lower drawing of FIG. 8 shows the state in which the above-mentioned adjacent cover members are assembled with the center cover 160. At this time, a plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 may form a single sealing portion 200 by surrounding the periphery of the center cover 160. The plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 may form the sealing portion 200 only when adjacent cover members are assembled. For example, the seal portion 200 may be formed only when the battery module 10 is assembled and the adjacent cover members and the center cover 160 are combined, and when the cover members are separated, the seal portion 200 may be separated into a plurality of seal components 201, 202, and 203. Accordingly, the seal portion 200 may also be referred to as a seal component assembly formed by assembling a plurality of seal components together.With this structure, deformation of the seal portion 200 during the assembly process of the battery module 10 can be significantly prevented, and the problem that the cover members are difficult to assemble due to assembly tolerances during the assembly process can be reduced.FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the assembly of a seal portion according to another embodiment.Because the center cover 160 is connected to the side covers 170 on both sides and to the top and bottom sides, respectively, of the top cover 400 and the bottom cover 300, assembly may be difficult due to low tolerances during the assembly process. For example, when the lower cover 300 is finally assembled while the side cover 170 and the upper cover 400 are coupled to the center cover 160, the assembling of the lower cover 300 may become difficult depending on the thickness of the sealing portion 200, or even when it is assembled, the stress may concentrate only on the lower cover 300, which may impair the durability of the battery module 10.Accordingly, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a chamfer component 205 may be provided in which a chamfer cp is formed at the corner of the center cover 160 and a plurality of sealing components are provided in a shape corresponding to the chamfer cp. The chamfer component 205 may be provided in at least one of the plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203.In the upper drawings of FIG. 9, the left drawing is a drawing showing that the third component 203 is provided with the chamfering component 205, and in the upper drawings of FIG. 9, the right drawing is a drawing showing that the first and second components 201 and 202 are provided with the chamfering components 205.By this structure, referring to the lower drawing of FIG. 9, the gap between the center cover 160 where the chamfer cp is formed and the adjacent cover members (side cover; 170, upper cover; 400, lower cover; 300) can be filled. Thereby, the reliability in assembling the above-described adjacent cover members with the center cover 160 can be further improved.Meanwhile, the embodiments described above in FIGS. 8 and 9 will be described based on the fact that a plurality of sealing components 201, 202, and 203 are provided on the cover members (side cover; 170, upper cover; 400, lower cover; 300) that are respectively adjacent to the center cover 160, and the cover members adjacent to the center cover 160 are combined with the center cover 160 so that the first to third components 201, 202, and 203 form the sealing portion 200.However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the seal portion 200 may be formed on one or more of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170.For example, in contrast to the drawing, a plurality of sealing components may be provided on the cover members (end cover; 150, upper cover; 400, lower cover; 300) that are adjacent to the side cover 170, and when the cover members adjacent to the side cover 170 are combined with the side cover 170, the plurality of sealing components may form a sealing portion 200.In the present disclosure, for example, the sealing portion 200 may be provided on at least one of the protective covers 150, 160, and 170, and the sealing portion 200 may be formed when adjacent cover members provided with a plurality of sealing components of the battery module 10 are assembled together.As set forth above, according to an embodiment, a battery module can be provided in which the spread of a fire occurring in a battery module to an adjacent battery module can be delayed or minimized.According to an embodiment, a battery module may be provided in which a fire occurring in one sub-module may be delayed or minimized so as not to spread to an adjacent sub-module.Aspect 1) A battery module, comprising: a first submodule and a second submodule each including a cell array having a plurality of battery cells and a protection cover accommodating at least a part of the cell array and facing each other in a first direction; and a sealing portion provided on the protection cover and disposed on at least a portion of a circumferential surface of the protection cover, wherein the sealing portion is formed by a plurality of sealing components separable based on the circumferential surface of the protection cover.Aspect 2) The battery module according to Aspect 1, wherein the sealing portion is formed of a plurality of sealing components that can be separated on the basis of the circumferential surface of the protective cover.Aspect 3) The battery module according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the protective cover comprises: a center cover disposed near a cell array adjacent thereto; an end cover facing the center cover; and a side cover disposed parallel to a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells, and wherein the sealing portion is provided to cover at least one of the center cover, the end cover, or the side cover.Aspect 4) The battery module of the foregoing aspects, further comprising an upper cover and a lower cover facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the first sub-module and the second sub-module interposed therebetween, and each coupled to the protective cover, wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are coupled to the end cover, the center cover, and the side cover, and are disposed on the first sub-module and the second sub-module.Aspect 5) The battery module of the foregoing aspects, wherein the plurality of sealing components include: a first component provided on the top cover and arranged to face the center cover; a second component provided on the bottom cover and arranged to face the center cover; and a third component provided on the side cover and arranged to face the center cover, and wherein the top cover, the bottom cover, and the side cover are coupled to the center cover.Aspect 6) The battery module of the preceding aspects, wherein the first component, the second component, and the third component form a sealing portion disposed to cover a circumferential surface of the center cover when the top cover.Aspect 7) The battery module according to the preceding aspects, wherein the end cover includes a chamfer formed at each corner, and the sealing portion includes a chamfer component having a shape corresponding to the chamfer.Aspect 8) The battery module according to the preceding aspects, wherein the chamfer component is provided at both ends of at least one of the first component, the second component, or the third component.Aspect 9) The battery module of the foregoing aspects, wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are provided with the first component and the second component disposed on portions thereof overlapping the distal ends of one side of the center cover and the side cover based on the second direction, and the side cover is provided with the third component provided on the distal end of one side thereof overlapping the center cover based on the stacking direction.Aspect 10) The battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective cover is provided with a seal groove that receives at least a part of the seal portion.Aspect 11) The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising an upper cover and a lower cover arranged with the first sub-module and the second sub-module therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and wherein each of the first sub-module and the second sub-module includes a side cover facing the cell array in the first direction and a center cover facing the cell array in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the plurality of sealing components are disposed on each of the side cover, the upper cover, and the lower cover to face the center cover, the plurality of sealing components form the sealing portion arranged to cover at least a portion of the center cover in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the side cover, the top cover and the bottom cover are coupled to the center cover.Aspect 12) The battery module according to Aspect 11, wherein the sealing portion is disposed between a distal end of one side of the side cover, the top cover, the bottom cover, and the center cover.Aspect 13) The battery module according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the center cover is disposed between the cell array of the first sub-module and the cell array of the second sub-module.Only specific embodiments of certain embodiments will be described. Variations, improvements, and extensions of the disclosed embodiments and other embodiments may be made based on the disclosure of this patent document. In the above-described embodiments, some components may be omitted and implemented, and the respective embodiments may be implemented in combination with each other.

Claims

A battery module, comprising: a first sub-module and a second sub-module each including a cell array having a plurality of battery cells and a protection cover accommodating at least a part of the cell array, and opposing each other in a first direction; and a sealing portion provided on the protection cover and disposed on at least a portion of a circumferential surface of the protection cover, wherein the sealing portion is formed by a plurality of sealing components separable based on the circumferential surface of the protection cover.The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is formed of a plurality of sealing components that can be separated based on the circumferential surface of the protective cover.The battery module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective cover comprises: a center cover disposed in the vicinity of a cell array adjacent thereto; an end cover opposed to the center cover; and a side cover disposed in parallel to a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells, and wherein the sealing portion is provided to cover at least one of the center cover, the end cover, or the side cover.The battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an upper cover and a lower cover facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the first sub-module and the second sub-module interposed therebetween, and each coupled to the protective cover, wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are coupled to the end cover, the middle cover, and the side cover, and are disposed on the first sub-module and the second sub-module.The battery module of any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of sealing components comprises: a first component provided on the top cover and arranged to face the center cover; a second component provided on the bottom cover and arranged to face the center cover; and a third component provided on the side cover and arranged to face the center cover, and wherein the top cover, the bottom cover, and the side cover are coupled to the center cover.The battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first component, the second component, and the third component form a sealing portion arranged to cover a circumferential surface of the center cover when the top cover is coveredThe battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the end cover has a chamfer formed at each corner, and the sealing portion includes a chamfered component provided in a shape corresponding to the chamfer.The battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chamfered component is provided at both ends of at least one of the first component, the second component, or the third component.The battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are provided with the first component and the second component disposed on portions thereof overlapping the distal ends of one side of the center cover and the side cover based on the second direction, and the side cover is provided with the third component provided on the distal end of one side thereof overlapping the center cover based on the stacking directionThe battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective cover is provided with a sealing groove that receives at least a part of the sealing portion.The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising an upper cover and a lower cover disposed with the first submodule and the second submodule therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; wherein each of the first sub-module and the second sub-module includes a side cover facing the cell array in the first direction and a center cover facing the cell array in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the plurality of sealing components are respectively disposed on the side cover, the top cover, and the bottom cover so as to face the center cover, the plurality of sealing components form the sealing portion disposed so as to cover at least a portion of the center cover in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the side cover, the top cover, and the bottom cover are coupled to the center cover.The battery module according to claim 11, wherein the sealing portion is disposed between a distal end of one side of the side cover, the top cover, the bottom cover, and the center cover.The battery module of claim 11 or 12, wherein the center cover is disposed between the cell array of the first sub-module and the cell array of the second sub-module.

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