Battery module and assembled battery

Abstract

To further reduce contact of an ejection object ejected from an abnormal battery in which an abnormality has occurred, with a normal battery adjacent to the abnormal battery.SOLUTION: A battery module 1 includes: two or more batteries 20 disposed along a first direction and having a gas discharge mechanism 22; a heat insulating plate 30 disposed above the gas discharge mechanism 22 and having a hole 31 at a position overlapping the gas discharge mechanism 22 in plan view; and a case 10 disposed in close contact with an upper surface of the heat insulating plate 30 and housing the batteries 20. The heat insulating plate 30 is provided with a groove 32 connected to the hole 31 and at least one of one end 3a of the heat insulating plate 30 and the other end 3b of heat insulating plate 30 along a second direction intersecting the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery module and a battery pack. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery module including a cell (2) and an insulating plate (4), in which the insulating plate (4) is provided on the side of the electrical connection assembly (3) that is close to the upper case (12), and the insulating plate (4) is provided with a plurality of pressure relief holes (41), each of which is provided in correspondence with an explosion-proof valve (21) of the cell (2) (see Figure 2 and paragraph

[0047] of Patent Document 1).

[0003] According to the battery module described in Patent Document 1, ejected material ejected from the cell (2) due to thermal runaway of the cell (2) passes through the pressure relief hole (41) and falls onto the heat insulating plate (4), thereby preventing the ejected material from traveling to the cell (2) adjacent to the thermal runaway cell (2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Utility Model No. 218299959 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the battery module described in Patent Document 1, after the ejected material from the thermal runaway cell (2) passes through the pressure relief hole (41), there is a possibility that the gas and ejected material will flow into the normal cells (2) through the pressure relief hole (41) adjacent to the one through which the ejected material passed, which may adversely affect the normal cells (2).

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in light of this viewpoint, and a primary objective of the present disclosure is to provide a battery module and a battery pack that further reduce the likelihood that ejected material from an abnormal battery will come into contact with normal batteries adjacent to the abnormal battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The battery module of the present disclosure includes: two or more batteries arranged along a first direction and each having a gas release mechanism; a heat insulating plate disposed above the gas discharge mechanism and having a hole at a position overlapping with the gas discharge mechanism in a plan view; a case that is disposed in close contact with the upper surface of the heat insulating plate and that houses the battery; The heat insulating plate has a groove formed therein that connects the hole to at least one of one end of the heat insulating plate and the other end of the heat insulating plate along a second direction that intersects with the first direction.

[0008] The battery pack of the present disclosure includes: A battery pack in which two or more of the above-described battery modules are arranged in the second direction, the case is disposed between the heat insulating plate of one of the battery modules and the heat insulating plate of the other of the battery modules; One end of the groove of the one battery module and the other end of the groove of the other battery module are offset in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to further reduce the possibility that ejected material from an abnormal battery that has developed an abnormality will come into contact with a normal battery adjacent to the abnormal battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a heat insulating plate of a battery module according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a heat insulating plate of a battery module according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a first modified example of the heat insulating board according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a second modified example of the heat insulating board according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of a third modified example of the heat insulating board according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a fourth modified example of the heat insulating board according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of a fifth modified example of the heat insulating board according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a heat insulating plate of the battery pack according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a heat insulating plate of the battery pack according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The following describes in more detail a battery module and a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. While the description will be made with reference to drawings as needed, the various elements in the drawings are merely shown schematically and for illustrative purposes to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and the appearance and dimensional ratios may differ from those of the actual products.

[0012] As used herein, the term "plan view" refers to the state when an object (e.g., a battery module) is placed and viewed from directly above in the thickness (height) direction, and is synonymous with a plan view. For example, the term "plan view" refers to the state when viewed along the positive direction in the "Z direction" shown in FIG. 1 . Unless otherwise specified, the term "side view" refers to the state when an object (e.g., a battery module) is placed and viewed from the side perpendicular to the thickness (height) direction, and is synonymous with a side view. For example, the term "side view" refers to the state when viewed along the positive (or negative) direction in the "Y direction" shown in FIG. 1 . Unless otherwise specified, the term "front view" refers to the state when an object (e.g., a battery module) is placed and viewed from the front perpendicular to the thickness (height) direction, and is synonymous with a front view. For example, the term "front view" refers to the state when viewed along the positive direction in the "X direction" shown in FIG. 1 . The "positive direction" mentioned above refers to the directions of the X, Y, and Z arrows shown in the drawings, and the "negative direction" refers to the direction opposite to the X, Y, and Z arrows shown in the drawings. The X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to each other.

[0013] [Battery module] First, a battery module 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. The battery module 1 includes a case 10, a battery 20, and a heat insulating plate 30 (see Figures 1 to 4). The battery module 1 may further include a tab assembly TA (see Figure 2).

[0014] -case- Case 10 may be made up of a first case 11 and a second case 12 (see FIG. 2). The first case 11 and the second case 12 may form a storage space that houses heat insulating plate 30, battery 20, and tab assembly TA. Note that while the example in FIG. 2 illustrates a mode in which the storage space is formed by two cases (first case 11 and second case 12), the present invention is not limited to this mode and the storage space may be made up of three or more cases.

[0015] The case CS may be made of any material, including a resin material (e.g., plastic) or a metal material. Examples of resin materials include polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), modified polyphenylene ether (m-PPE), and polyamide (PA). Examples of metal materials include aluminum. Note that a highly rigid material may be used for the case CS to more appropriately accommodate the battery 20 (described later) and other components.

[0016] Case 10 may have a rectangular shape in plan view, as exemplified in Figures 1 and 2. The rectangular shape may have a long side along a first direction (Y direction) in which batteries 20 housed in case 10 are arranged side by side, and a short side along a second direction (X direction) perpendicular to the first direction.

[0017] 1 and 2, the case 10 may be provided with a notch 11a that exposes an external output terminal OT of a tab assembly TA (described later) from the case 10. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the notch 11a may be provided on a side surface of the first case 11 on the ±Y direction side (a first direction in which the batteries 20 are arranged side by side). The notch 11a is not limited to being provided on the first case 11, but may also be provided on the second case 12. The position of the notch 11a may also be provided on the ±X direction surface of the case.

[0018] -battery- The batteries 20 are intended to be chemical batteries that convert mainly chemical energy into direct current power through a chemical reaction. The batteries 20 used in the battery module 1 of this embodiment are housed in the case 10 in a state where they are arranged along a first direction (the Y direction in FIG. 2 ). Note that the example in FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which 13 batteries 20 are arranged along the first direction. As exemplified in FIG. 2 , the shape of the batteries 20 is intended to be a rectangular parallelepiped battery. By using rectangular parallelepiped-shaped batteries 20, multiple batteries 20 can be housed in the case 10 in a juxtaposed state. Note that the shape of the batteries 20 may be any shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped, as long as multiple batteries 20 can be housed in the case 10 in a juxtaposed state. For example, the shape may be a polygonal columnar shape, a cylindrical shape, or an elliptical cylindrical shape.

[0019] A pair of terminals 21 (positive electrode, negative electrode) for outputting electric power may be provided on the outer surface of the battery 20. Electric power generated by a chemical reaction is extracted from the terminals 21. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the pair of terminals 21 are provided on the top surface of the battery 20.

[0020] Furthermore, the battery 20 may be provided with a gas discharge mechanism 22 that discharges ejected material (internal gas and / or solid material inside the battery) due to an internal abnormality to the outside of the battery 20. One example of the gas discharge mechanism 22 may be a gas discharge valve (or a safety valve or explosion-proof valve) that operates when the pressure inside the battery 20 increases. In the example of FIG. 2, the gas discharge mechanism 22 may be provided on the terminal surface (top surface) on which the pair of terminals 21 are provided. More specifically, the gas discharge mechanism 22 may be disposed so as to be sandwiched between the pair of terminals 21.

[0021] -Tub assembly- The tab assembly TA (see Figure 2) may include a base member BB, a tab TB and an external output terminal OT arranged on the base member BB, and an opening O provided in the base member BB and arranged to correspond to the gas exhaust mechanism 22 of the battery 20.

[0022] The base member BB may have a shape that corresponds to the case 10 in plan view and can be housed within the case 10. In the example of Fig. 2, the base member BB may have a rectangular shape in plan view. An insulating material may be used for the base member BB to electrically insulate it from the tab TB.

[0023] The tab TB may connect the batteries lined up in the first direction (Y direction) in series by electrically connecting the terminal 21 (positive electrode) of one battery 20 to the terminal (negative electrode) of the other battery 20 among the batteries lined up in the first direction. Note that the batteries lined up in the first direction (Y direction) may also be connected in parallel by electrically connecting the terminal 21 (positive electrode) of one battery 20 to the terminal (positive electrode) of the other battery 20.

[0024] The external output terminal OT may output the power of the battery 20 electrically connected by the tab TB to the outside. Also, as described above, in order to expose the external output terminal OT from the case 10, the external output terminal OT may be provided so as to protrude from the outer edge of the base member BB.

[0025] As illustrated in FIG. 2, 13 openings O may be provided corresponding to the 13 batteries 20 arranged along the first direction. The openings O may be provided at positions overlapping the gas discharge mechanism 22 in a plan view. When an internal abnormality occurs in the battery 20 and ejected material is ejected from the gas discharge mechanism 22, the ejected material may pass through the openings O and be sent to the heat insulating plate 30 described below. The shape of the openings O may be any shape as long as it allows the material ejected from the gas discharge mechanism 22 to pass through. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the openings O are elliptical, but may also be circular or polygonal.

[0026] -Thermal insulation board- The insulating plate 30 has a shape that corresponds to the case 10 in plan view so that it can be housed within the case 10, and in the example of FIG. 2, it may have a rectangular shape in plan view. The insulating plate 30 is intended to have low heat conduction properties, and specifically, a material with a thermal conductivity of 0.1 W / (m·K) or less may be used. A material with this thermal conductivity can make it difficult for heat to be transmitted, even if heat is generated due to an internal abnormality in the battery 20.

[0027] The heat insulating plate 30 has holes 31 at positions overlapping the gas discharge mechanisms 22 of the batteries 20 in a plan view. The heat insulating plate 30 has grooves 32 extending from one end 3a to the other end 3b of the heat insulating plate 30 along a second direction (X direction) that intersects with the first direction in which the batteries 20 are arranged, and that are provided so as to cross the holes 31.

[0028] 2 and 3, thirteen holes 31 may be provided corresponding to the thirteen batteries 20 arranged along the first direction. Therefore, when an internal abnormality occurs in any of the thirteen batteries 20 and ejected material is ejected from the gas discharge mechanism 22, the ejected material will enter the insulating plate 30 through the hole 31 located above the corresponding gas discharge mechanism 22.

[0029] The ejected material that enters the groove 32 through the hole 31 in the insulating plate 30 flows along the groove 32 connecting to the hole 31 toward one end 3a and / or the other end 3b of the insulating plate 30. Note that the examples in FIGS. 2 and 3 show an embodiment in which the groove 32 connects the hole 31 to both one end 3a and the other end 3b of the insulating plate 30. However, this embodiment is not limited thereto, and the groove 32 may be, for example, a groove that connects the hole 31 to at least one of the one end 3a and the other end 3b of the insulating plate 30. In the battery module 1 of the present disclosure, the upper surface of the insulating plate 30 is disposed in close contact with the case 10. Specifically, the upper surface of the insulating plate 30 is disposed in close contact with the back surface of the top surface of the first case 11. In this specification, "close contact" is not limited to two components being in contact with each other, but also includes a state in which two components are close to each other but not in contact (a state in which the ejected material is close enough to the groove 32 into which the ejected material has entered that the ejected material does not enter the adjacent groove 32). Therefore, the ejected material is restrained by the groove 32 and the back side surface of the top surface of the first case 11. In addition to the heat insulating plate 30 and the first case 11 being arranged in close contact, the heat insulating plate 30 and the tab assembly TA may also be arranged in close contact.

[0030] According to the battery module 1 of the present disclosure described above, even if an abnormality occurs in some of the batteries 20 arranged in the first direction and ejected material is ejected from the gas discharge mechanism 22 of the battery 20 due to the abnormality in the battery 20, the ejected material passes through the hole 31 in the heat insulating plate 30 located above the gas discharge mechanism 22 and flows along the groove 32 provided across the hole. Then, because the heat insulating plate 30 and the case 10 are arranged in close contact with each other, the ejected material is blocked by the groove 32. This reduces the possibility of the ejected material coming into contact with the battery adjacent to the abnormal battery.

[0031] [Preferred battery module embodiment] 2 and 3, in a preferred embodiment of the battery module 1, the grooves 32 may extend from one end 3a to the other end 3b of the heat insulating plate 30 and cross the holes 31. When the grooves 32 cross the holes 31 and extend from one end 3a to the other end 3b, ejecta generated by malfunction of the batteries 20 can flow in both directions, toward the one end 3a and the other end 3b.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the battery module 1, one end 3c of the groove 32, which reaches one end 3a of the heat insulating plate 30, may be positioned at a position offset in the first direction (Y direction) from an imaginary line V1 (see FIG. 3) that is parallel to the second direction (X direction) and passes through the center C of the hole 31. Specifically, the imaginary line V1 may be offset in the Y direction from an imaginary line V2 that connects the midpoint of the Y-direction length of one end 3c of the groove 32 to the midpoint of the Y-direction length of the other end 3d of the groove 32. The center C of the hole 31 is intended to be the intersection of the bisector of the Y-direction length of the hole 31 and the bisector of the X-direction length of the hole 31. With this configuration, when an internal abnormality occurs in the battery 20, ejected material ejected from the gas discharge mechanism 22 can be directed to a position offset in the first direction from the center C of the hole 31. By lengthening the path along which the ejected material flows, more ejected material can be retained in the groove.

[0033] The groove 32 may have a length along the first direction that narrows toward one end 3a of the insulating plate 30 and / or toward the other end 3b of the insulating plate 30. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the length Y2 of the groove 32 in the Y direction at one end 3c may be narrower than the length Y1 of the groove 32 in the Y direction at the center C of the hole 31. By designing the groove 32 in this way, the speed of the ejecta flowing along the groove 32 can be increased toward the outer periphery of the insulating plate 30.

[0034] The length of the groove 32 along the first direction may be shortest at one end 3c and the other end 3d of the groove 32. Specifically, the length Y2 (see FIG. 4) may be shortest in the length of the groove 32 along the first direction (Y direction). By minimizing the length Y2 of the groove 32 along the first direction at one end 3c and the other end 3d of the groove 32, the following effects are achieved. When an abnormality occurs in the battery 20, ejected matter is discharged from the gas discharge mechanism 22 of the battery 20 in which the abnormality occurred. The ejected matter flows into the hole 31 and the groove 32 that overlap with the gas discharge mechanism 22 of the battery in which the abnormality occurred, and flows toward the one end 3c or the other end 3d. Here, by minimizing the length Y2 at one end 3c and the other end 3d of the groove 32, the gas and ejected material flowing through the groove 32 is discharged at a maximum ejection speed by constricting the ejected material toward the portion of the case 10 (first case 11) that faces the groove 32 in the X direction. This makes it possible to intentionally split the case 10 (first case 11) and release the ejected material outside the battery module.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2 , the grooves 32 may be provided on the surface of the insulating plate 30 opposite the surface facing the battery 20. Specifically, the grooves 32 may be provided on the upper surface of the insulating plate 30. As described above, the upper surface of the insulating plate 30 is disposed in close contact with the case 10 (first case 11). In other words, the multiple flow paths for discharging gas and ejected material, formed by the respective grooves 32 and the case 10 (first case 11), are independent of each other. Therefore, the ejected material is blocked by the grooves 32. In other words, ejected material that flows into the grooves 32 through the holes 31 from an abnormal battery 20 is confined within the grooves 32 by the back surface of the top surface of the first case 11, both side surfaces of the grooves 32, and the bottom surface of the grooves 32. Therefore, the ejected material that reaches the grooves 32 can be prevented from entering adjacent grooves.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4 , the groove 32 may have a first region R1 having a constant length along the first direction (Y direction), a second region R2 whose length along the first direction narrows toward one end 3 a of the insulating plate 30, and a third region R3 whose length along the first direction narrows toward the other end 3 b of the insulating plate 30. The lengths of the second region R2 and the third region R3 along the second direction (X direction) may be shorter than the length of the first region R1 along the second direction. By setting the first region R1, the second region R2, and the third region R3 with such dimensions, the length of the first region R1 along the second direction is relatively long, thereby ensuring a large space near the hole 31 through which the ejected material can flow. This reduces clogging of the groove 32 by deposits caused by the ejected material.

[0037] In a specific embodiment of the insulating plate 30, the insulating plate 30 may cover two or more batteries 20. Two or more grooves 32 are provided corresponding to the number of batteries 20, and the grooves 32 may be arranged independently without intersecting with each other. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the grooves 32 may be arranged parallel to the second direction (X direction). In this embodiment, the grooves 32 are arranged independently without intersecting with each other, so that ejected material that reaches the grooves 32 can be prevented from coming into contact with batteries adjacent to the abnormal battery.

[0038] [Modification of battery module] Next, first to fifth modifications of the battery module 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIGS. 5 to 9 are schematic plan views of first to fifth modifications of the heat insulating plate 30 of the battery module 1, respectively. By mounting the heat insulating plates 30a to 30e of the first to fifth modifications, the battery module may be modified. In describing the battery modules of the first to fifth modifications, explanations of points common to the description in the above [Battery Module] section will be omitted as appropriate. In other words, the following description will focus on points that are different from the description in the above [Battery Module] section.

[0039] -Variation 1- 5, in a plan view of the first modification, the center C of the hole 31 may be located on an imaginary line V3 connecting one end 3c of the groove 32a that reaches one end of the insulating plate 30a and the other end 3d of the groove 32 that reaches the other end of the insulating plate 30. With this configuration, the discharge path of the ejected material from the hole 31 to the one end 3c of the groove 32a (or the other end 3d of the groove 32a) can be the shortest distance, and the time required to discharge the ejected material from the battery module can be shortened.

[0040] -Variation 2- In the second modification, as shown in Fig. 6, the sides of the insulating plate 30b that form the groove 32b in a plan view may be curved. More specifically, of the sides that form the groove 32b in a plan view, both sides in the first direction (the side on the +Y direction side and the side on the -Y direction side that form the groove 32b) may be curved. With this configuration, the discharge path of the ejected material from the hole 31 to one end 3c of the groove 32b (or the other end 3d of the groove 32b) can be made longer than in the battery module 1 of the first modification, and more ejected material can be held in the groove.

[0041] -Modification 3 and Modification 4- In the third modification, as shown in FIG. 7 , in the insulating plate 30c, the length Y3 of the hole 31 in the Y direction and the maximum length Y4 of the groove 32c in the Y direction may be the same. The length Y3 of the hole 31 in the Y direction may refer to the length along the Y direction in FIG. 7 passing through the center of the hole 31. With this configuration, the size of the groove 32c can be made smaller than in the other modifications described above. In other words, the third modification can reduce the area of the portion of the insulating plate 30c where the thickness is reduced due to the formation of the groove 32 compared to the other modifications described above. This allows the third modification to improve the strength and / or thermal insulation performance of the insulating plate 30c compared to the other modifications described above. Furthermore, in the third modification, one side of the edges of the groove 32c in the first direction (the edge of the groove 32c on the −Y direction side) in a plan view may be curved. Configuring the groove 32c in this way allows the thickness of the insulating plate to be increased over a wide range, thereby ensuring the strength and / or thermal insulation performance of the insulating plate. Note that instead of the configuration of groove 32c in Modification 3, in heat insulating plate 30d, one side of groove 32d in the first direction (the side of groove 32d on the -Y direction side) may be linear, as in Modification 4 shown in Fig. 8. When groove 32 is shaped as in Modification 4, it is possible to make the groove larger than the groove in Modification 3, and more ejected material can be held in the groove.

[0042] -Variation 5- In Modification 5, as shown in FIG. 9 , in a heat insulating plate 30e, the shape of the groove 32e may be point-symmetric with respect to the center C of the hole 31 in a plan view. In this specification, "point symmetry" refers not only to two elements having a strict geometric point-symmetric relationship, but also to a state in which, when one element is rotated 180° about the center, the outer contour of the element overlaps with the outer contour of the other element, or the sides constituting the outer contours of the two elements are parallel to each other. By making the shape of the groove 32e point-symmetric with respect to the center C of the hole 31 as in Modification 5, one end 3c of the groove 32e and the other end 3d of the groove 32e can be offset in the Y direction. In other words, the position from which the ejected material is discharged from one end of the groove can be made different from the position from which the ejected material is discharged from the other end of the groove.

[0043] [Battery pack] Next, the battery pack of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the battery pack of one embodiment, Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of the heat insulating plate of the battery pack of one embodiment, and Figure 12 is a schematic plan view of the heat insulating plate of the battery pack of one embodiment. Note that the case 10 is not shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0044] In describing the battery pack 100 of the present disclosure, a description of the points in common with the configuration of the battery module 1 will be omitted as appropriate. That is, the following description will focus on points that differ from the description of the battery module 1 described above.

[0045] The battery pack 100 has two or more of the above-described battery modules 1 arranged in the second direction (X direction). As shown in Fig. 10, the battery modules 1a to 1c are electrically connected to each other using external output terminals OT exposed from the case 10. In the illustrated example, three battery modules 1 are arranged in the second direction.

[0046] A case 10 (first case 11) is disposed between the insulating plate 30 of one battery module 1a and the insulating plate 30 of the other battery module 1b. Therefore, when the ejected material flowing along the groove 32 of the insulating plate 30 is discharged from one end 3c and / or the other end 3d of the groove 32, the ejected material strikes the case 10 and tears it open, allowing the ejected material to be discharged outside the battery pack 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the other end 3d of the groove 32 of one battery module 1a and the one end 3c of the groove 32 of the other battery module 1b are offset in the first direction (Y direction). Therefore, when the ejected material strikes the case 10 and tears it open, causing the ejected material to be discharged outside the battery pack, the ejected material can be prevented from passing through the groove of the insulating plate of the adjacent battery module and entering the adjacent battery module.

[0047] More specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 , one battery module 1a and the other battery module 1b may be arranged alternately, so that the other end 3d of the groove 32 of one battery module 1a is offset in the first direction from the one end 3c of the groove 32 of the other battery module 1a. As used herein, "alternate" refers to a relationship in which one battery module is rotated 180° in plan view relative to the other adjacent battery module. When one battery module 1a and the other battery module 1b are arranged alternately in this manner, the positions of the one end 3c and the other end 3d of the groove 32 of one battery module 1a are aligned on an imaginary line Va (see FIG. 11 ) along the second direction, and the positions of the one end 3c and the other end 3d of the other battery module 1b are aligned on an imaginary line Vb (see FIG. 11 ) along the second direction, but an offset occurs in the first direction (Y direction) between the imaginary line Va and the imaginary line Vb. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ejected material discharged from the groove of one battery module 1 from passing through the groove 32 of the other battery module 1 and entering the other battery module.

[0048] Furthermore, even when one battery module 1a and the other battery module 1b are not arranged alternately, as long as the other end 3d of the groove 32e of one battery module 1a and one end 3c of the groove 32e of the adjacent other battery module 1b are not positioned opposite each other, as shown in Fig. 12, ejected material discharged from the groove can be prevented from passing through the groove of the other battery module and entering the battery module. Specifically, in the modified example shown in Fig. 9 above, the other end 3d of the groove 32e of one battery module 1a and one end 3c of the groove 32e of the other battery module 1b can be offset in the first direction (Y direction), and ejected material discharged from the groove of one battery module can be prevented from passing through the groove of the other battery module and entering the battery module.

[0049] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but should be defined based on the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure also includes all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

[0050] Aspects of the battery module and battery pack of the present disclosure are as follows. <1> two or more batteries arranged along a first direction and each having a gas release mechanism; a heat insulating plate disposed above the gas discharge mechanism and having a hole at a position overlapping with the gas discharge mechanism in a plan view; a case that is disposed in close contact with the upper surface of the heat insulating plate and that houses the battery; A battery module, wherein the insulating plate has a groove that connects the hole to at least one of one end of the insulating plate or the other end of the insulating plate along a second direction that intersects the first direction. <2> The groove extends from one end of the heat insulating plate to the other end and is provided so as to cross the hole. <1> The battery module according to claim 1. <3> one end of the groove that reaches the one end of the heat insulating plate is provided at a position that is parallel to the second direction and shifted in the first direction with respect to an imaginary line that passes through the center of the hole, The other end of the groove, which reaches the other end of the heat insulating plate, is provided at a position shifted in the first direction with respect to the imaginary line. <1> or <2> The battery module according to claim 1. <4> The groove has a length along the first direction that narrows toward one end side of the insulating board and / or toward the other end side of the insulating board. <1> ~ <3> 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: <5> the length of the groove along the first direction is smallest at one end and the other end of the groove; <1> ~ <4> 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: <6> The sides constituting the groove in a plan view are curved. <1> ~ <5> 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: <7> The groove is provided on a surface of the heat insulating plate opposite to a surface facing the battery. <1> ~ <6> 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: <8> The groove has a first portion having a constant length along the first direction, a second portion whose length along the first direction narrows toward one end of the insulating plate, and a third portion whose length along the first direction narrows toward the other end of the insulating plate, The lengths of the second portion and the third portion along the second direction are shorter than the length of the first portion along the second direction. <1> ~ <7> 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: <9> the heat insulating plate covers the two or more batteries, Two or more of the grooves are provided corresponding to the number of the batteries, and each groove is arranged independently without intersecting with another. <1> ~ <8> 10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein: <10> <1> ~ <9> a battery pack in which two or more battery modules according to any one of the preceding items are arranged in the second direction, the case is disposed between the heat insulating plate of one of the battery modules and the heat insulating plate of the other of the battery modules; One end of the groove of the one battery module and the other end of the groove of the other battery module are offset in the first direction. <11> the one battery module and the other battery module are arranged alternately, the groove of the one battery module is provided such that one end and the other end are positioned on an imaginary line along the second direction; the groove of the other battery module is provided such that one end and the other end are positioned on an imaginary line along the second direction; <10> The battery pack described in [Industrial Applicability]

[0051] The present disclosure can be suitably used as a battery module and battery pack that can further reduce the possibility of ejection from an abnormal battery coming into contact with a normal battery adjacent to the abnormal battery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Battery Module 100 battery packs 10 cases 11 Case 1 11a Notch 12 Case 2 20 batteries 21 terminals 22 Gas exhaust mechanism 30, 30a~30e Heat insulating board 3a One end of the insulation board 3b Other end of the insulation board 31 holes 32,32a~32e Groove 3c One end of the groove 3d Other end of groove TA Tab Assembly OT external output terminal BB base material TB Tab O opening R1 1st section R2 2nd part R3 3rd part

Claims

1. two or more batteries arranged along a first direction and each having a gas release mechanism; a heat insulating plate disposed above the gas discharge mechanism and having a hole at a position overlapping with the gas discharge mechanism in a plan view; a case that is disposed in close contact with the upper surface of the heat insulating plate and that houses the battery; A battery module, wherein the insulating plate has a groove that connects the hole to at least one of one end of the insulating plate or the other end of the insulating plate along a second direction that intersects the first direction.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the groove extends from one end of the heat insulating plate to the other end thereof and crosses the hole.

3. one end of the groove that reaches the one end of the heat insulating plate is provided at a position that is parallel to the second direction and shifted in the first direction with respect to an imaginary line that passes through the center of the hole, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the other end of the groove, which reaches the other end of the heat insulating plate, is provided at a position shifted in the first direction from the imaginary line.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the groove has a length along the first direction that narrows toward one end of the insulating plate and / or toward the other end of the insulating plate.

5. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the groove along the first direction is smallest at one end and the other end of the groove.

6. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the sides constituting the groove in a plan view are curved.

7. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is provided on a surface of the heat insulating plate opposite to a surface facing the battery.

8. The groove has a first portion having a constant length along the first direction, a second portion whose length along the first direction narrows toward one end of the insulating plate, and a third portion whose length along the first direction narrows toward the other end of the insulating plate, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the lengths of the second portion and the third portion along the second direction are shorter than the length of the first portion along the second direction.

9. the heat insulating plate covers the two or more batteries, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein two or more of the grooves are provided corresponding to the number of the batteries, and the grooves are arranged independently without intersecting each other.

10. A battery pack in which two or more battery modules according to claim 1 are arranged in the second direction, the case is disposed between the heat insulating plate of one of the battery modules and the heat insulating plate of the other of the battery modules; One end of the groove of the one battery module and the other end of the groove of the other battery module are offset in the first direction.

11. the one battery module and the other battery module are arranged alternately, the groove of the one battery module is provided such that one end and the other end are positioned on an imaginary line along the second direction; 11. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein the groove of the other battery module is provided so that one end and the other end are positioned on an imaginary line along the second direction.

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