Battery module

Abstract

To provide a battery module.SOLUTION: The present disclosure is related to a battery module. A technical object is to provide a battery module including an electrical component in which the volume increase is suppressed and the manufacturing cost is saved by improving a structure of the electrical component therein. Thus, the present disclosure provides a battery module including a voltage measurement circuit part that is electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells and measures the voltage of the battery cells. The voltage measurement circuit part includes a main circuit part manufactured by a first system, and a fuse part electrically connected to the main circuit part and manufactured by a second system that is different from the first system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, and to a circuit configuration for measuring the voltages of a plurality of battery cells that constitute the battery module. [Background technology]

[0002] A secondary battery is a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery that cannot be charged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small portable electronic devices such as smartphones, feature phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and camcorders, while large-capacity secondary batteries are widely used as motor drive power sources for hybrid cars, electric cars, and the like, and as power storage batteries. Such secondary batteries include an electrode assembly consisting of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a case that houses the electrode assembly, and an electrode terminal connected to the electrode assembly.

[0003] The above information disclosed in such background of the invention is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background of the invention and, therefore, may include information that does not constitute prior art.

[0004] The battery module includes a number of battery cells. The battery module is configured to perform voltage measurement to check the charging state of the number of battery cells. Examples of electrical components for measuring the voltage of the battery cells include a wire harness and a flexible printed circuit assemble (FPCA). Conventionally, a wire harness has been used as an electrical component. However, as the number of battery cells constituting a battery module increases, a structure using a wire harness becomes very large in volume and difficult to apply. An FPCA can be used as an alternative material to the wire harness. However, the manufacturing process of the FPCA is more complicated than that of a wire harness, and therefore the manufacturing cost is high. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery module using electrical components that reduce manufacturing costs and suppress an increase in volume by improving the structure of the electrical components that make up the battery module, thereby solving the problems described above.

[0006] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a battery module including a voltage measurement circuit unit electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells and configured to measure voltages of the battery cells, The voltage measurement circuit unit includes a main circuit unit manufactured by a first method; The fuse unit is electrically connected to the main circuit unit and is manufactured by a second method different from the first method.

[0008] The main circuit unit can be manufactured by a flexible die cut (FDC) method.

[0009] The fuse unit may be manufactured using a flexible printed circuit (FPC) method.

[0010] The main circuit unit and the fuse unit may be electrically connected by thermal fusion.

[0011] The main circuit unit and the fuse unit may be electrically coupled to each other by a surface mount technology (SMT).

[0012] The main circuit unit and the fuse unit may be electrically connected by riveting.

[0013] The fuse portion may be formed to be thinner than the main circuit portion. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, in an electrical component that measures the voltage of a battery cell that constitutes a battery module, the main circuit unit is manufactured by a first method which has a low manufacturing cost, and the fuse unit is manufactured by a second method which has a higher manufacturing cost than the first method. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the main circuit unit which constitutes most of the voltage measuring circuit unit can be significantly reduced compared to when it is made by FPCA, thereby providing the effect that the manufacturing cost of the electrical components that constitute the battery module is reduced and the volume can be kept significantly smaller than a wire harness.

[0015] However, the effects that can be obtained through the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other technical effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] The following drawings of the present application illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention described below, serve to further assist in understanding the technical concepts of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. [Figure 1] 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a voltage measurement circuit unit that constitutes a battery module according to the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a fuse portion constituting the voltage measuring circuit portion shown in FIG. 1 is separated from a main circuit portion. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing a state before the fuse portion and the main circuit portion are coupled together. [Diagram 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a process of processing a main circuit pattern by the FDC method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to that, the terms and words used in the present specification and claims are not to be construed as being limited to their general or dictionary meanings, but are to be construed according to the meaning and concept that corresponds to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to describe his / her invention in the best way. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are only some of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not represent the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore, at the time of filing this application, there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace them. In addition, as used in the present specification, "comprise, include" and / or "comprising, including" specify the presence of the mentioned shapes, numbers, steps, operations, members, elements, and / or groups thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, numbers, operations, members, elements, and / or groups. In addition, when describing an embodiment of the present invention, the words "may" and "also" include "one or more embodiments of the present invention."

[0018] In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale, and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated. In addition, the same reference numerals may be used to refer to the same components in different embodiments.

[0019] A statement that two comparison objects are "identical" means that they are "substantially identical." Thus, substantially identical also includes cases where there is a deviation that is considered to be a low level in the art, for example, a deviation within 5%. In addition, uniformity of a certain parameter in a given region may mean uniformity in an average sense.

[0020] It goes without saying that even if terms such as first and second are used to describe various elements, the elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another element, and it goes without saying that a first element is also a second element, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0021] Throughout the specification, unless specifically stated to the contrary, each element may be in the singular or in the plural.

[0022] When an arbitrary structure is arranged on the "top (or bottom)" of a component or on the "top (or bottom)" of a component, it may mean that the arbitrary structure is not limited to being arranged in contact with the top surface (or bottom surface) of the component, but may mean that other structures may be interposed between the component and the arbitrary structure arranged on the top (or bottom) of the component.

[0023] In addition, when a certain component is described as being "coupled", "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the components can be directly coupled or connected to each other, but that other components can be "interposed" between each component, or that each component can be "coupled", "coupled" or "connected" via other components. In addition, when a certain part is described as being electrically coupled to another part, this includes not only the case where they are directly coupled, but also the case where they are coupled via another element between them.

[0024] Throughout the specification, "A and / or B" means A, or B, or A and B, unless specifically stated to the contrary. That is, "and / or" includes all or any combination of the listed items. "C through D" means greater than or equal to C and less than or equal to D, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0025] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a voltage measuring circuit part constituting a battery module according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a fuse part constituting the voltage measuring circuit part shown in Fig. 1 is separated from a main circuit part. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 3 and is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the fuse part and the main circuit part are combined. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a process in which a main circuit pattern is processed by a flexible die cut (FDC) method.

[0026] 1 to 5, the battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells (not shown). A voltage measuring circuit unit 20 electrically connected to the battery cells is provided. The voltage measuring circuit unit 20 may be provided in a state of being coupled to, for example, a cell holder (not shown). The voltage measuring circuit unit 20 includes a main circuit unit 30 and a fuse unit 40. The main circuit unit 30 constitutes most of the voltage measuring circuit unit 20. The main circuit unit 30 may be manufactured by a first method. The first method is also an FDC method. The FDC method is manufactured by cutting a thin metal plate with a roller die for a conductor portion constituting a circuit, and bonding it to a flexible non-conductive resin plate. The FDC method is constructed by only physical processes. Therefore, the FDC method does not require processes such as photomasking, development, and etching, as compared with a general printed circuit board manufacturing method. As a result, the FDC method can be performed at a significantly lower cost than an FPC (flexible printed circuit) method. The width of the fine pattern produced by the FDC method can be as small as 0.3 mm. When an electric circuit needs to be formed with a fine pattern width of less than 0.3 mm, it is difficult to apply the FDC method. The main circuit part 30 is configured by bonding a main circuit pattern 32 to an FDC film resin 34. The main circuit pattern 32 can be formed by being physically cut using a roller mold. Referring to FIG. 5, the process of forming the main circuit pattern 32 while a metal sheet passes between an upper roller 100 and a lower roller 200 having a concave-convex pattern formed on the surface thereof can be diagrammatically understood.

[0027] The fuse unit 40 is electrically connected to the main circuit unit 30. The fuse unit 40 constitutes a safety device for preventing the spread of fire to nearby circuits when an overcurrent or short circuit occurs in the battery module. The fine pattern width of the electric circuit constituting the fuse unit 40 must be configured to be 0.08 mm or less. If the fine pattern width of the fuse unit 40 exceeds 0.08 mm, the fuse unit 40 cannot fully perform its role as a fuse. Therefore, the fuse unit 40 must be manufactured by a method different from the first method. The fuse unit 40 may be manufactured by a second method different from the first method. For example, the fuse unit 40 may be manufactured by an FPC method. The FPC method applies a chemical process, so that a fine pattern width of 0.08 mm or less can be realized. The fuse unit 40 is more expensive than the main circuit unit 30 in terms of manufacturing cost. The fuse unit 40 may be separately prepared by a coupon per reel. The reel-by-reel coupon means that several fuses can be wound into a roll structure and manufactured. The roll structured fuse coupon can be peeled off for use. The fuse section 40 is configured with a fuse pattern 42 formed on an FPC film resin 44. The fuse pattern 42 can be formed by chemical processes such as masking, developing, and etching, which are common FPC manufacturing methods.

[0028] The main circuit unit 30 and the fuse unit 40 may be electrically coupled to each other by thermal fusion. The main circuit unit 30 and the fuse unit 40 may be electrically coupled to each other by a surface mount technique (SMT). A representative example of the surface mount technique is coupling by soldering. The main circuit unit 30 and the fuse unit 40 may be electrically coupled to each other by riveting. In this manner, the main circuit unit 30 and the fuse unit 40 may be electrically coupled to each other by various techniques. The fuse unit 40 may be coupled to the main circuit unit 30 in a patch shape.

[0029] The thickness of the fuse portion 40 may be formed to be thinner than the thickness of the main circuit portion 30. Since the fuse portion 40 may be manufactured by the FPC method, which is the second method, the thickness as well as the fine line width of the circuit may be formed thinner and narrower than the main circuit portion 30.

[0030] In this manner, the main circuit unit 30 and the fuse unit 40 constituting the voltage measuring circuit unit 20 according to the present invention can be formed into a hybrid structure by combining them with each other using different manufacturing methods. The voltage measuring circuit unit 20 formed with the hybrid structure applies the FPC method, which has a high manufacturing cost, only to the necessary parts, and applies the FDC method, which has a low manufacturing cost and a simple structure, to the remaining parts, thereby providing an effect of significantly suppressing an increase in volume compared to the conventional configuration of electrical components using a wire harness. Also, compared to the voltage measuring circuit unit using the FPC method currently in wide use, the voltage measuring circuit unit 20 with the hybrid structure has an advantage of being able to realize a stable function that can sufficiently prevent the spread of fire while innovatively reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and that various modifications and variations are possible within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 20 Voltage measurement circuit section 30 Main circuit section 32 Main circuit pattern 34 FDC film resin 40 Fuse section 42 Fuse Pattern 44 FPC film resin 100 Upper roller 200 Lower Roller

Claims

1. A battery module including a voltage measurement circuit unit electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells and measuring a voltage of the battery cells, The voltage measurement circuit unit includes a main circuit unit manufactured by a first method; a fuse unit electrically connected to the main circuit unit, the fuse unit being manufactured by a second method different from the first method.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the main circuit unit is manufactured by a flexible die cut (FDC) method.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the fuse unit is manufactured by a flexible printed circuit (FPC) method.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the main circuit unit and the fuse unit are electrically connected to each other by thermal fusion.

5. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the main circuit unit and the fuse unit are electrically coupled to each other by a surface mount technology (SMT).

6. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the main circuit unit and the fuse unit are electrically connected by riveting.

7. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the fuse portion is formed to be thinner than the main circuit portion.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that the main circuit portion has a structure in which a main circuit pattern is bonded to an FPC film resin, and / or the fuse portion includes a fuse pattern formed on an FPC film resin.

9. 2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the main circuit portion includes a conductive portion and a flexible non-conductive resin plate, the conductive portion being a cut metal plate having a main circuit pattern formed thereon and bonded to the flexible non-conductive resin plate, and / or the fuse portion includes a fuse pattern formed on an FPC film resin.

10. 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein the width of the main circuit pattern of the main circuit portion is at least 0.3 mm, and / or the width of the fuse pattern of the fuse portion is 0.08 mm or less.

11. 1. A method for manufacturing a battery module including a voltage measurement circuitry electrically coupled to a plurality of battery cells and configured to measure a voltage of one or more of the battery cells, comprising: The voltage measuring circuit unit includes a main circuit unit and a fuse unit electrically connectable to the main circuit unit, and the method includes: manufacturing the main circuit unit by a first method; manufacturing the fuse portion by a second method different from the first method; electrically connecting the voltage measurement circuit unit to the plurality of battery cells. Methods including:

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first technique comprises a flexible die cut (FDC) technique.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the second method includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) method.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of electrically coupling the main circuit portion and the fuse portion by thermal fusion.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of electrically coupling the main circuit portion and the fuse portion by surface mount technology (SMT).

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of electrically coupling the main circuit portion and the fuse portion by riveting.

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