Battery module with enhanced safety

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery module having enhanced safety by improving the structure to appropriately control the exhaust of a flame or the like generated inside the battery module. A battery module according to one aspect of the present invention includes a cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells that are stacked side by side in a vertically upright state and have a taping member partially attached to at least an upper end sealing portion, a module terminal electrically connected to the cell assembly, and a module case having the module terminal attached to an outer side, housing the cell assembly in an internal space, a top hole communicating with the internal space formed on an upper surface side, and at least a portion of an unattached section of the taping member located at an upper portion of the cell assembly in a drilled portion of the top hole.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0047032 filed on April 15, 2022, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0048357 filed on April 12, 2023, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0049002 filed on April 13, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0049009 filed on April 13, 2023, and the contents disclosed in the specifications and drawings of such applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery, and more particularly to a battery module with enhanced safety, a battery pack including the battery module, and an automobile. [Background technology]

[0003] As the demand for portable electronic products such as smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches is growing rapidly and electric vehicles are becoming more widely used, active research is being conducted on the batteries used in these products, especially secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0004] Currently, commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Of these, lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention for their advantages over nickel-based secondary batteries, such as the fact that they have almost no memory effect and can be freely charged and discharged, as well as their extremely low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive and negative active materials, respectively, and include an electrode assembly in which positive and negative plates coated with the positive and negative active materials are disposed with a separator interposed therebetween, and an exterior material, such as a battery case, that hermetically houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0006] In general, secondary batteries are divided into can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the exterior material.

[0007] Recently, secondary batteries are widely used for driving and storing energy not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium-sized and large devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). A battery module is formed by housing a plurality of such secondary batteries together inside a module case while being electrically connected. In this case, each secondary battery included in a battery module may be called a battery cell. A plurality of such battery modules are connected to form a battery pack.

[0008] However, when a battery pack includes multiple battery modules and each battery module includes multiple battery cells, the battery pack may be vulnerable to a thermal chain reaction between the battery modules or between the battery cells. For example, when an event such as thermal runaway occurs in one battery module, it is necessary to suppress the propagation of the thermal runaway to other battery modules or other battery cells. If the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules or battery cells is not suppressed, an event occurring in a particular battery module or battery cell may cause a chain reaction of thermal reactions in other battery modules or other battery cells, which may cause or increase the scale of an explosion or fire.

[0009] In particular, when an event such as thermal runaway occurs in one battery module, gas, flame, etc. may be randomly discharged to the outside. If the discharge of gas, flame, etc. cannot be appropriately controlled, gas, flame, etc. may be discharged toward other battery modules, causing a thermal chain reaction in the other battery modules. In particular, a module terminal may be present in front of a battery module, and a configuration for electrical connection with other battery modules or battery packs, such as a module bus bar, may be present. Therefore, if a flame is discharged in front of such a battery module, it may damage the module terminal in the battery pack, causing a short circuit. In addition, since other battery modules may be present in front of a battery module, if a flame is discharged in front of a specific battery module, the discharged flame may head toward other battery modules, leading to the spread of fire between battery modules.

[0010] If the thermal transfer between battery modules or battery cells cannot be adequately controlled, the voltage of the battery module or battery pack may suddenly drop, which may cause a sudden interruption of the device to which the battery module or battery pack is attached, and may cause unexpected damage. For example, if the voltage of the battery pack suddenly drops while an electric vehicle is running, it is difficult to secure enough time to move the electric vehicle to a safe place.

[0011] Furthermore, if the thermal propagation between battery modules or battery cells cannot be adequately controlled, and a fire or explosion occurs suddenly, there is a high possibility that it will result in loss of life. For example, if a thermal runaway occurs in an electric vehicle, it will be difficult for passengers to escape safely unless there is a certain amount of time before it progresses to a full-scale fire. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a battery module having an improved structure that can appropriately control the emission of flames, etc. generated inside the battery module, a battery pack including the battery module, and an automobile.

[0013] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a battery module according to one aspect of the present invention includes a cell assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked side by side in a vertically upright state and with a taping member partially affixed to at least an upper end sealing portion; a module terminal electrically connected to the cell assembly; and a module case configured to have the module terminal attached to an outer side, to house the cell assembly in an internal space, to have a top hole formed on an upper surface side that communicates with the internal space, and to have at least a portion of the unattached section of the taping member located at an upper portion of the cell assembly in a drilled portion of the top hole.

[0015] The module terminals may be located at the front of the module case.

[0016] In addition, a plurality of the taping members may be attached to the upper sealing portion of one battery cell at intervals in the front-rear direction.

[0017] Furthermore, at least a portion of the top hole may be configured to expose to the outside a portion between a plurality of taping members spaced apart in the front-rear direction.

[0018] The top hole may be configured such that a portion of the upper portion of the cell assembly to which the taping member is not attached is more exposed than a portion to which the taping member is attached.

[0019] Also, the module case may be configured such that the top holes are located above all of the battery cells included in the cell assembly.

[0020] In addition, the battery module according to an aspect of the present invention may include a thermistor configured to measure an ambient temperature and disposed on the upper side of the taping member.

[0021] In addition, the battery module according to one aspect of the present invention may include a top cover made of an electrically insulating material, interposed between an upper portion of the cell assembly and the module case, and having a cover hole formed in a portion opposite to the drilled portion of the top hole.

[0022] Also, the cover hole may be formed smaller than the top hole, and a plurality of cover holes may be arranged corresponding to one top hole.

[0023] Also, the cover hole may be formed in a honeycomb structure.

[0024] In addition, the battery module according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a printed circuit board interposed between the cell assemblies and the top cover and configured to transmit electrical signals to the cell assemblies, and the top cover may be configured such that the cover hole is not formed on an upper side of the printed circuit board.

[0025] In addition, the module case may be configured such that the top hole is also formed on an upper side of the printed circuit board.

[0026] In addition, the battery module according to an aspect of the present invention may include an isolation cover positioned outside the module case and configured to open and close the top hole in response to an internal pressure of the module case.

[0027] In addition, the battery module according to an aspect of the present invention may include a spacer disposed on the upper portion of the blocking cover.

[0028] In order to achieve the above object, a battery pack according to another aspect of the present invention includes a battery module according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0029] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle according to yet another aspect of the present invention includes a battery module according to an aspect of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to one aspect of the present invention, when gas or flame occurs inside a battery module, the exhaust of the generated gas or flame can be appropriately controlled.

[0031] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, a flame of a cell that has ignited inside a battery module can be guided to face in a direction other than the direction in which the electrode lead or module terminal is located.

[0032] Therefore, according to this aspect of the present invention, the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules is prevented, and the spread of fire is prevented or suppressed.

[0033] Furthermore, according to this aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring inside the battery pack.

[0034] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, when a battery cell catches fire, exposure of flames to the outside of the battery pack can be minimized.

[0035] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the problem of propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells or battery modules can be more effectively prevented or suppressed.

[0036] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, even if gas or flame is generated in a particular battery cell, the influence of the gas or flame on other adjacent battery cells can be prevented or minimized.

[0037] Therefore, according to this aspect of the present invention, even if a thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell or a specific battery module, it is possible to prevent or slow down thermal propagation between cells or modules, thereby providing time to take appropriate measures such as evacuating passengers or putting out a fire.

[0038] According to an aspect of the present invention, a battery module and an application device thereof having improved safety can be provided. In particular, when the battery module according to an aspect of the present invention is applied to an automobile, the safety of passengers can be more effectively guaranteed.

[0039] The present invention has many other advantages, which will be described in the respective embodiments, but explanations of advantages that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0040] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. [Diagram 3]2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery cell and a taping member included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion A3 in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a coupling configuration of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 13 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a partial configuration of the battery module of FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 14] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a blocking cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 15 is a diagram illustrating a schematic cross-sectional configuration of a battery module to which the blocking cover of FIG. 14 is applied. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion A9 in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a partial configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18]11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 11 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery cell and a taping member included in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 20] 13 is a view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery cell and a taping member included in a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 21] 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a front side inside a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 22] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a front side configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 23] 23 is a diagram showing one form in which the expansion member is expanded in the configuration of FIG. 22. FIG. [Figure 24] 1 is an exploded and enlarged perspective view illustrating a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 25] 2 is an enlarged view showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 26] 1A and 1B are diagrammatic views illustrating an example of an expansion configuration of an expansion member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of an expansion member according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] 13A to 13C are schematic diagrams illustrating the configuration of an expansion member according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the configuration of an expansion member according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 30] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 31] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rear side of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 32] FIG. 32 is an isolated view showing a part of the configuration of FIG. 31. [Diagram 33]1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which flames or the like are emitted from a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 34] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 35] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a rear side configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 36] FIG. 36 is an enlarged view of part C3 in FIG. 35. [Figure 37] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a front side configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is an exploded perspective view showing a partial configuration of FIG. 37. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the present specification and claims are not to be construed as being limited to their ordinary and dictionary meanings, but are to be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventors themselves can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention.

[0043] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0044] Meanwhile, in this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, but such terms are used for convenience of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that they may change depending on the position of the object to be measured, the position of the observer, etc.

[0045] In addition, terms indicating directions such as inside or outside may be used in this specification, but unless otherwise specified, inside means the direction toward the central part of the battery module, and outside means the opposite direction.

[0046] In addition, although this specification includes various embodiments, in cases where the description of other embodiments is applicable to the same or similar parts, detailed descriptions will be omitted and the differences will be mainly described.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG.

[0048] 1 and 2, a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cell assembly 100, a module terminal 200, and / or a module case 300.

[0049] The cell assembly 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110. Here, each battery cell 110 may represent a secondary battery. The secondary battery may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a battery case. In particular, the battery cell 110 may be a pouch-type secondary battery. The configuration of such a pouch-type battery will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery cell 110 and a taping member 120 included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] 3, the battery cell 110 may be a pouch-type battery, and the case may be made of a pouch exterior material. In particular, the pouch-type battery may include a receiving portion and a sealing portion.

[0052] Here, the receiving portion may be a portion formed so as to protrude outward from the pouch exterior material that receives the electrode assembly, as shown by S1 in FIG. 3. The sealing portion may be a portion formed by fusing two pouch exterior materials at the outer periphery of the receiving portion S1, as shown by S2 in FIG. 3. In particular, when the pouch battery is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, the sealing portion S2 may be located at three or four edges at the outer periphery of the pouch battery. In this case, a pouch battery in which the sealing portion S2 is located at four edges may be referred to as a four-side sealed cell, and a pouch battery in which the sealing portion S2 is located at three edges may be referred to as a three-side sealed cell. For example, the battery cell 110 shown in FIG. 3 may be a three-side sealed cell in which the upper edge, the front edge, and the rear edge are sealed.

[0053] The battery cells 110 may be stacked in at least one direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the battery cells 110 may be stacked in a left-right direction (Y-axis direction). At this time, each battery cell 110 may be configured in a form in which it is erected in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction). For example, the battery cells 110 provided in the cell assembly 100 may be arranged in a left-right direction with the accommodating portion S1 facing the left-right direction and the sealing portion S2 facing the front-rear direction and upward, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Then, each battery cell 110 may be stacked in a form in which the accommodating portions S1 face each other.

[0054] Here, in order to more stably maintain the stacked state of the cell assembly 100, the battery cells 110 may be adhered to each other. For example, as shown by the portion DT in Fig. 2, a cell adhesive member may be interposed between the battery cells 110. In this case, the cell adhesive member DT may be in the form of a double-sided adhesive tape in which adhesive is applied to both sides of a substrate.

[0055] In the pouch-type cell, the electrode lead 111 may be disposed so as to protrude in the front-rear direction. For example, as shown in the embodiment of Fig. 3, the electrode lead 111 may be provided at each of the front (+X-axis direction) end and the rear (-X-axis direction) end of the pouch-type cell.

[0056] Meanwhile, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, the direction in which the battery cells 110 are stacked is the left-right direction, and the direction in which the electrode leads 111 are located in each battery cell 110 is the front-rear direction. Therefore, in each drawing, the X-axis direction will be described as the front-rear direction, and the Y-axis direction will be described as the left-right direction.

[0057] In the cell assembly 100, a taping member 120 may be attached to each of the battery cells 110. That is, in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cell assembly 100 may include the battery cells 110 and the taping member 120.

[0058] The taping member 120 may have an adhesive on at least one surface thereof and may be attached to the battery cell 110. Furthermore, the taping member 120 may be attached to a sealing portion of the battery cell 110. In particular, the taping member 120 may be attached to at least an upper sealing portion of the battery cell 110 when each battery cell 110 is arranged in an upright position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0059] 3, the sealing portion may include a front end sealing portion S2F, a rear end sealing portion S2R, and an upper end sealing portion S2U in the battery cell 110. In this case, the taping member 120 may be attached to the upper end sealing portion S2U located at the top of the multiple sealing portions.

[0060] The taping member 120 may be attached not only to the upper sealing portion S2U but also to the receiving portion S1. Furthermore, when the battery cell 110 is viewed from the front, the receiving portion S1 may be disposed to protrude to the left and / or right with the upper sealing portion S2U as the center. In this case, the taping member 120 may have a central portion attached to the upper sealing portion S2U and both left and right ends attached to the receiving portions S1 disposed in the left and right directions, respectively.

[0061] Meanwhile, in order to reduce the space occupied by the battery cells 110 inside the battery module, at least one sealing portion S2 may be folded. For example, referring to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the upper sealing portion S2U where the electrode lead 111 is not located may be folded. Such folding of the sealing portion S2 may be called side folding or wing folding. Also, the manufacturing process in which the sealing portion S2 is folded twice, or the portion where the process is performed, may be called double side folding (DSF). The configuration shown in FIG. 3 can be said to be a double side folding form of the upper sealing portion S2U.

[0062] In this embodiment in which the upper sealing portion S2U is folded, the taping member 120 may be configured to maintain the folded shape. For example, the taping member 120 may be attached to the battery cell 110 in a form that fixes the upper sealing portion S2U and the receiving portions S1 on both sides in a state in which the upper sealing portion S2U is folded twice.

[0063] In particular, the taping member 120 may be partially attached to the upper sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110. That is, the taping member 120 may be attached only to a certain portion, not to the entirety, of a particular sealing portion of the battery cell 110. Therefore, in the particular sealing portion of the battery cell 110, there are both a section to which the taping member 120 (tape) is attached and a section to which the taping member 120 is not attached.

[0064] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the taping member 120 is partially attached to the upper end sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110, so that there may be an untaped section where the taping member 120 is not attached, such as the portion indicated by A1.

[0065] The taping member 120 fixes the folding structure of the sealing portion to reduce the occupied space of the cell assembly 100. In addition, the taping member 120 can suppress swelling in the Z-axis direction of the cell assembly 100. That is, during use of the battery cell 110, gas may accumulate inside the cell, causing a swelling phenomenon of the cell, but the taping member 120 can suppress the cell from expanding upward.

[0066] The module terminal 200 may be electrically connected to the cell assembly 100. In particular, the cell assembly 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110, which may be electrically connected to each other in series and / or parallel. The plurality of battery cells 110 thus electrically connected may be connected to other components outside the battery module, such as other battery modules or pack terminals. For example, the module terminal 200 may be connected to an inter-module bus bar to be connected to other battery modules.

[0067] The module terminal 200 can be regarded as a gateway of an electrical path through which a charging current and a discharging current for the cell assembly 100 flow and which is provided to connect the charging and discharging current to other components located outside the battery module. The module terminal 200 may include two terminals, i.e., a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

[0068] A module terminal 200 may be attached to the outside of the module case 300. That is, the module terminal 200 may be configured to be exposed to the outside of the battery module to facilitate connection with external components. In particular, the module terminal 200 may be located on the upper surface side of the battery module to improve connection convenience.

[0069] The module case 300 may be formed in an empty space inside and configured to accommodate the cell assembly 100 in the internal space. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the module case 300 may include a main body frame 310 formed in a tubular shape with both ends open, and an end frame 320 covering both end openings of the main body frame 310. The main body frame 310 in this form may be open at the front and rear and include a left plate, a right plate, an upper plate, and a lower plate. The left plate, the right plate, the upper plate, and the lower plate may be formed in an integrated form, and such a main body frame 310 may also be called a mono frame. The end frames 320 located at the front and rear of the main body frame 310 may also be called a front frame (front plate) and a rear frame (rear plate), respectively.

[0070] In such an embodiment, the module case 300 defines an interior space by the main frame 310 and the end frames 320, and many components including the cell assembly 100 can be housed in the defined interior space.

[0071] Furthermore, the module case 300 may be formed in various other forms. For example, the left side plate, the right side plate, and the lower plate may be configured in an integrated form. In this case, the integrated case portion may be referred to as a U-frame. Alternatively, the module case 300 may include a box-shaped lower case in which the left side plate, the right side plate, the front plate (front frame), and the rear plate (rear frame) are integrated, and an upper cover that closes the upper open end of the lower case.

[0072] Each component of the module case 300, for example, the main frame 310 and the end frame 320, may be connected to each other in various ways, such as welding, insertion, adhesion, hooks, etc. Also, the module case 300 may be made of various materials, such as metal and plastic. In particular, the main frame 310 and the end frame 320 may all be made of aluminum. In this case, it is possible to achieve excellent weldability, weight reduction, and improved cooling performance.

[0073] The module case 300 may have a top hole formed on at least one side, as indicated by HV in Fig. 2. The top hole HV may be provided to penetrate the module case 300 from inside to outside and communicate with the internal space of the module case 300. In particular, the top hole HV may be formed on the upper surface side of the module case 300. For example, when the module case 300 is configured in a monoframe shape including an upper plate, a lower plate, a left plate, and a right plate as shown in Fig. 2, the top hole HV may be formed in the upper plate.

[0074] Furthermore, a plurality of top holes HV may be formed in the upper plate of the module case 300. For example, a plurality of top holes HV may be arranged on the upper surface side of the main body frame 310 in the horizontal direction, that is, in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) and / or the left-right direction (Y-axis direction).

[0075] When the top hole HV is formed on the upper surface side of the module case 300 in this manner, the upper portion of the cell assembly 100 may be disposed to face the top hole HV of the module case 300. In this case, the module case 300 may be configured such that at least a portion of the unattached section of the taping member 120 in the upper portion of the cell assembly 100 is located in the drilled portion of the top hole HV.

[0076] For example, referring to FIG. 3, the taping member 120 may be attached partially, not entirely, to the upper end sealing portion S2U of the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100. Therefore, the upper end sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110 may have an unattached section to which the taping member 120 is not attached, such as the portion indicated by A1. The top hole HV of the module case 300 may be provided to be located at a position where at least a portion of the unattached section of the taping member 120 is located. More specifically, the top hole HV may be formed in the module case 300 such that at least a portion of the top surface side of the unattached section indicated by A1 in the Z-axis direction in the embodiment of FIG. This configuration will be described in more detail with further reference to the embodiment of FIG. 4.

[0077] FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] 4, the top surface side of the cell assembly 100 accommodated in the internal space of the module case 300 may be exposed through a top hole HV formed in the upper plate of the module case 300. At this time, at least a portion of the top hole HV may be formed to expose at least a portion of an unattached section of the upper portion of the cell assembly 100 to which the taping member 120 is not attached. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the section indicated by A2 in the X-axis direction (front-rear direction) may be the unattached section of the upper portion of the cell assembly 100 to which the taping member 120 is not attached. At this time, the top hole HV may be formed in the main body frame 310 to expose at least a portion of such an unattached section to the outside.

[0079] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when vent gas or flames are generated inside the battery module due to an event such as thermal runaway, the gas or flames are smoothly discharged to the outside of the module case 300. Therefore, in an emergency, the internal pressure of the module case 300 can be quickly reduced to prevent an explosion of the battery module.

[0080] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the exhaust direction of gas, flame, etc. can be appropriately controlled, and thus, the occurrence of heat propagation or flame propagation between battery modules due to the exhaust of gas, flame, etc. can be minimized.

[0081] In particular, according to the present embodiment, during high-temperature storage or when internal gas is generated, the taping member 120 attached to the upper sealing part S2U (e.g., DSF part) appropriately controls or suppresses swelling in the Z-axis direction of the battery cell 110, while guiding the emission of vent gas, flame, etc. toward the upper sealing part S2U in the event of an emergency such as thermal runaway. That is, in the present embodiment, since the taping member 120 is only partially attached to the upper sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110, the fixing force is weakened compared to when the taping member 120 is attached to the entire upper sealing part S2U. Therefore, when gas, flame, etc. are emitted from the inside of the battery cell 110 to the outside, the emission can be induced toward the upper sealing part S2U. In addition, since the top hole HV is provided on the upper side of the cell assembly 100 in the module case 300, the gas, flame, etc. are quickly and smoothly discharged to the outside of the module case 300.

[0082] In particular, the fixing strength of the unattached section of the taping member 120 is the weakest at the upper sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110. Therefore, gas, flame, etc. are likely to be discharged first through such unattached section. Therefore, when the top hole HV is formed at a position directly corresponding to the unattached section of the taping member 120 as in the present embodiment, gas, flame, etc. discharged from the cell assembly 100 can be more easily discharged to the outside.

[0083] The taping member 120 may be attached separately to each battery cell 110 or may be attached commonly to several battery cells 110 .

[0084] In particular, when the cell assembly 100 includes a plurality of battery cells 110, a separate taping member 120 may be attached to each battery cell 110. That is, the taping member 120 may be independently attached to each individual battery cell 110. For example, when 20 battery cells 110 are arranged in the left-right direction in the cell assembly 100, a separate taping member 120 may be attached to the upper sealing portion S2U of each of the 20 battery cells 110.

[0085] In this case, even if the taping member 120 of a specific battery cell 110 is detached due to the emission of gas, flame, or the like, the taping members 120 of the other battery cells 110 are maintained as they are. Therefore, the function of the taping members 120 of the other battery cells 110 can be maintained.

[0086] In addition, when a problem such as thermal runaway occurs in a particular battery cell 110, a temperature rise may occur before gas or flames are emitted. Such a temperature rise weakens the adhesive strength of the taping member 120 attached to the battery cell 110. Therefore, even if the taping member 120 is attached to the upper end sealing part S2U, the adhesive strength is not strong, so that the ejection to the upper end sealing part S2U side can be facilitated.

[0087] The module terminal 200 may be located at the front of the module case 300. For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the electrode leads 111 of each battery cell 110 may be provided to protrude to the front and rear of the cell assembly 100, and the module terminal 200 may be electrically connected to such electrode leads 111. Here, the module terminal 200 includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and both the positive terminal and the negative terminal may be attached to the front of the module case 300.

[0088] In particular, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a busbar assembly 400. The busbar assembly 400 may be coupled to the electrode leads 111 of the battery cells 110. Furthermore, the electrode leads 111 of the battery cells 110 may be located at both the front and rear ends of the cell assembly 100, as shown in Fig. 3. In this case, the busbar assemblies 400 may be disposed at the front and rear of the cell assembly 100, respectively.

[0089] More specifically, the busbar assembly 400 may include a busbar terminal 410 and a busbar housing 420. In this case, the busbar terminal 410 is made of a conductive metal material such as copper, and may be in direct contact with the electrode lead 111. In addition, the busbar housing 420 is made of an electrically insulating material such as plastic, and the busbar terminal 410 may be attached to the busbar housing 420 to fix the position of the busbar terminal 410. Therefore, the busbar housing 420 may be provided with a space or a structure in which the busbar terminal 410 is attached.

[0090] The busbar assembly 400 may include one or more unit busbars depending on the series or parallel connection state between the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of busbar terminals 410 (unit busbars) may be attached to one busbar housing 420. In this case, the busbar housing 420 may prevent contact between different unit busbars.

[0091] The module terminal 200 may be connected to a busbar terminal 410 of the busbar assembly 400. For example, the module terminal 200 may be provided in a form connected to an upper portion of the busbar terminal 410. In particular, the module terminal 200 may be configured in a form integrated with at least a portion of the busbar terminal 410. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the module terminal 200 may be provided in a form integrated with the busbar terminal 410 located at the outermost portion in the left-right direction. As a more specific example, the busbar terminal 410 located at the leftmost position among the plurality of busbar terminals 410 may be configured in a form integrated with a positive terminal of a battery module at an upper end. In addition, the busbar terminal 410 located at the rightmost position may be configured in a form integrated with a negative terminal of a battery module.

[0092] The module terminal 200 is connected to the bus bar assembly 400 located inside the module case 300 and needs to be exposed to the outside of the module case 300 for connection to an external component. Therefore, a hole for exposing the module terminal 200 to the outside may be formed in the module case 300. Furthermore, since the module terminal 200 is located in front of the module case 300, it may be formed in a front frame located in front of the module case 300. As a more specific example, referring to FIG. 2, a terminal hole may be formed in an upper end of the front frame as shown by HT. The module terminal 200 connected to the bus bar terminal 410 may be exposed to the outside of the module case 300 through the terminal hole HT.

[0093] When the module terminal 200 is located at the front of the module case 300 as in this embodiment, it can be easily connected to the bus bar terminal 410 located at the front of the cell assembly 100. In particular, according to this embodiment, the top hole HV is formed on the upper surface side of the module case 300, and an unattached section of the taping member 120 is configured to face the top hole HV on the upper surface side.

[0094] Therefore, when high-temperature gas or flame is ejected from the battery cell 110, it is likely to be ejected toward the upper surface side where the electrode lead 111 is not located. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress or delay the ejection of flame in the direction toward which the module terminal 200 is located. Furthermore, the module case 300 may be formed with a terminal hole HT so that the module terminal 200 is exposed to the outside, and according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent or suppress the ejection of flame through such a terminal hole HT. In this case, it is more effective in suppressing the heat transfer between the battery modules or preventing a voltage drop in the battery pack. This will be described in more detail with further reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0095] Fig. 5 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 can also be said to be a diagram showing the configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion A3 of Fig. 5.

[0096] 5 and 6, a plurality of battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention may be accommodated in the internal space of the pack housing PH. As an example, the battery pack may include eight battery modules as indicated by M1 to M8 in FIG. 5. In this case, each battery module may be disposed on a side where the module terminal 200 faces the other battery modules. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the module terminal 200 of the first module M1 may be located at an end in the -X-axis direction, and the module terminal 200 of the second module M2 may be located at an end in the +X-axis direction.

[0097] Furthermore, in the case of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the module terminal 200 may be disposed to be located at the front, and as shown in the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6, two battery modules may be disposed inside the pack housing PH with their fronts facing each other. In this manner, when each battery module is disposed with the module terminal 200 located on a side adjacent to the other battery module, connection between the battery modules using a module bus bar or the like may be facilitated.

[0098] In such an arrangement of multiple battery modules, if a flame or high-temperature gas is discharged toward the module terminal 200, problems such as the fire spreading to other battery modules or the thermal runaway propagation may occur. However, in the case of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the discharge of a flame or gas in the direction in which the module terminal 200 faces is suppressed, so that problems such as the fire spreading or the heat propagation between modules can be more effectively prevented.

[0099] In addition, the front or rear of the module case 300 where the electrode lead 111 is located may have a relatively larger space than other parts. At this time, if the flames or the like cannot be properly exhausted to the outside of the module case 300, the flames may concentrate on the electrode lead 111 side, causing a sudden drop in the voltage of the battery module. However, as in the present embodiment, if the flames or the like are exhausted to the upper surface side and not to the direction where the electrode lead 111 is located, it is possible to suppress short circuit between the cells and to maximally delay the voltage drop time of the battery module. Furthermore, in this case, the drop time until the voltage of the battery module drops to 0V can be maintained at a certain level or more, for example, 5 minutes or more. In addition, by preventing the flames from moving toward the electrode lead 111 side, it is possible to suppress the thermal runaway or the propagation of the flame between the battery cells 110 included in one battery module.

[0100] Therefore, when such a battery module is installed in an electric vehicle, even if a flame or the like occurs in a specific battery cell 110 due to thermal runaway or the like, the vehicle can still be operated for a certain period of time, thereby ensuring that passengers have time to move the electric vehicle to a safe place or escape.

[0101] A plurality of the taping members 120 may be attached to one battery cell 110. In particular, a plurality of the taping members 120 may be attached to the upper sealing portion S2U of one battery cell 110 at intervals in the front-rear direction.

[0102] For example, referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of taping members 120 may be attached to the upper DSF of one battery cell 110, and the plurality of taping members 120 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction).

[0103] In this embodiment, an unattached section as indicated by A1 may be formed in the space between the taping members 120 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. In addition, due to the formation of the unattached section of the taping member 120 in this manner, when the internal pressure of the battery cell 110 increases, the upper end sealing part S2U may burst.

[0104] According to this embodiment, the swelling and venting of the battery cell 110 are appropriately controlled according to the situation. That is, the taping member 120 controls the swelling of the battery cell 110 in the Z-axis direction when the internal pressure of the battery cell 110 is below a certain level, and ruptures the upper end portion of the battery cell 110 when the internal pressure of the battery cell 110 exceeds the certain level. Therefore, it is more effective in controlling smooth venting and suppressing heat transfer between modules by directing gas or flame toward the upper side of the battery module.

[0105] 2 and 3, three taping members 120 may be attached in the front-rear direction to one battery cell 110. At this time, two taping members 120 may be arranged to be located at the utmost outer periphery in the front-rear direction of the upper sealing part S2U (DSF) of the battery cell 110. And the remaining taping member 120 may be arranged in the center in the front-rear direction of the upper sealing part S2U (DSF) of the battery cell 110.

[0106] According to this embodiment, swelling in the Z-axis direction is appropriately suppressed through the taping member 120, and the fixing force of the taping member 120 to the upper end sealing part S2U is prevented from being excessively set, so that the upper end sealing part S2U can be ruptured at an appropriate time. Also, according to this embodiment, the separation distance in the front-rear direction of the taping member 120 is appropriately secured, and the top holes HV can be formed in a sufficient number or with a sufficient width corresponding to the unattached section. Therefore, vent gas or flames can be smoothly discharged through the top holes HV.

[0107] At least a portion of the top hole HV may be configured to expose to the outside a portion between the plurality of taping members 120 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. That is, in the upper end sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110, a space between the taping members 120 spaced apart in the front-rear direction may exist as an untaped section, as shown by A1 in FIG. 3. The top hole HV may be disposed to correspond to at least a portion of the untaped section of the battery cell 110.

[0108] 4, a plurality of top holes HV may be formed on the upper surface side of the module case 300. Furthermore, a plurality of top holes HV may be arranged in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the battery module. In this case, at least some of the plurality of top holes HV may be formed in a position and / or shape that exposes the non-taped section to the outside.

[0109] For example, the top holes HV may be arranged in five rows in the front-rear direction from the first vent row HV1 to the fifth vent row HV5. In this case, the second vent row HV2 and the fourth vent row HV4 may be formed penetrating the module case 300 such that the untaped sections of the upper end sealing part S2U of the battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100 are exposed to the outside.

[0110] According to this embodiment of the present invention, vent gas, flames, etc. are quickly discharged to the outside through the top hole HV arranged opposite to the unattached section of the taping member 120. Therefore, vent gas, flames, etc. are prevented from stagnating inside the module case 300, heat transfer between the battery cells 110 is suppressed, and the internal pressure of the module case 300 is quickly lowered to prevent the explosion of the battery module.

[0111] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent flames or the like from traveling toward the module terminal 200 located at the front of the module case 300. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent heat transfer between battery modules.

[0112] Also, the top hole HV may be configured to expose a greater portion of the taping member 120 on the upper surface of the cell assembly 100 than the attached portion of the taping member 120. In particular, a plurality of top holes HV may be provided in the upper plate of one module case 300 in a form that opens the inside of the module case 300 to the outside. Here, only the unattached section of the taping member 120 in the upper end sealing part S2U of the module case 300 may be exposed through the plurality of top holes HV. Alternatively, the attached section of the taping member 120 may be exposed to the outside together with the unattached section of the taping member 120 through the plurality of top holes HV. In this case, the top hole HV may be configured to expose a greater portion of the unattached section of the taping member 120 than the attached section of the taping member 120.

[0113] For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 4, among the plurality of top holes HV, the second vent row HV2 and the fourth vent row HV4 may be configured so that only the unattached section of the taping member 120 is exposed, and the attached section of the taping member 120 is not exposed. The first vent row HV1, the third vent row HV3, and the fifth vent row HV5 may be configured so that the unattached section and the attached section of the taping member 120 are exposed to the outside together. In this case, the first vent row HV1, the third vent row HV3, and the fifth vent row HV5 may be configured so that the externally exposed area of ​​the unattached section of the taping member 120 is larger than the externally exposed area of ​​the attached section of the taping member 120 when viewed from above.

[0114] In such an embodiment, the top hole HV may be configured so that the open area of ​​the unattached section of the taping member 120 is 1.5 times or more, often 2 times or more, and even more often 3 times or more, the open area of ​​the attached section of the taping member 120.

[0115] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the portion to which the taping member 120 is not attached is exposed to the top hole HV more quickly and smoothly, which allows flames, gases, etc. to be discharged through the top hole HV more quickly and smoothly. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent flames, etc. from being discharged in the direction of the module terminals 200, for example, in front of the battery module.

[0116] The module case 300 may be configured such that the top hole HV is located at the upper ends of all the battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100. For example, as shown in FIG 2, a plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged side by side in an upright state in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction). In this case, the module case 300 may be provided such that all the upper end sealing parts S2U of the plurality of battery cells 110 stacked in the left-right direction directly face the top hole HV. That is, the upper ends of all the battery cells 110 may be exposed to the outside through the top hole HV.

[0117] 4, a plurality of top holes HV may be arranged in the Y-axis direction, and upper ends of all the battery cells 110 may be exposed to the outside through the plurality of top holes HV. In particular, the untaped sections of all the battery cells 110 may be configured to directly face the top holes HV.

[0118] For example, some of the battery cells 110 among the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100 may have the untaped section of the upper sealing part S2U exposed to the outside through the second vent row HV2 and / or the fourth vent row HV4. The remaining battery cells 110 in which the untaped section of the upper sealing part S2U is not exposed to the outside through the second vent row HV2 or the fourth vent row HV4 may have the upper sealing part S2U exposed to the outside through the first vent row HV1, the third vent row HV3, and / or the fifth vent row HV5. Furthermore, in the case of the second vent row HV2 and / or the fourth vent row HV4, the top hole HV may be disposed corresponding to the upper end of the outermost battery cell 110 among the battery cells 110 stacked in the left-right direction by being formed as close as possible to the left end and the right end of the upper plate of the module case 300.

[0119] In this embodiment of the present invention, all of the upper end sealing portions S2U of the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100 may be exposed to the outside through the plurality of top holes HV. In particular, in all of the battery cells 110, the unattached sections of the taping member 120 may be directly exposed to the outside through the top holes HV. That is, in this embodiment, among the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100, there is no battery cell 110 whose upper end sealing portion S2U is not exposed through the top hole HV.

[0120] According to this embodiment, the area of ​​the top hole HV can be maximized. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even if gas or flame is emitted from any of the battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100, there is a top hole HV directly corresponding to the upper end of each battery cell 110. Therefore, venting for all the battery cells 110 can be performed quickly and smoothly. In addition, the flame or gas emitted from a specific battery cell 110 can be directed immediately upward and prevented from flowing horizontally, thereby minimizing the influence of the flame or gas on other battery cells 110. Therefore, in this case, it is more effective to quickly respond to thermal runaway of some battery cells 110 and to prevent thermal runaway propagation between cells.

[0121] In the module case 300, the multiple top holes HV may be arranged to cross each other in the front-rear direction. For example, the first vent row HV1, the third vent row HV3, and / or the fifth vent row HV5 may be arranged to be located at a different position in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) from the second vent row HV2 and / or the fourth vent row HV4 arranged adjacent to these vent rows.

[0122] According to such an embodiment of the present invention, even when multiple top holes HV are formed in the module case 300, the rigidity of the module case 300 due to the top holes HV can be ensured to a certain level or higher. That is, when multiple top holes HV are formed in the front-rear direction of the module case 300, the rigidity of the module case 300 can be prevented from being excessively reduced in a specific portion in the left-right direction by making the arrangement of the top holes HV different in the left-right direction. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the top holes HV are arranged in a zigzag shape, so that the interval between the top holes HV is ensured to be a certain level or higher, which makes it easy to manufacture the top holes HV by pressing or the like, and also makes it easy to realize a configuration in which all the cells are exposed to the top holes HV.

[0123] Furthermore, when the top holes HV have multiple rows in the front-rear direction, the number of top holes HV may be different between adjacent vent rows. For example, the first vent row HV1 to the fifth vent row HV5 may be configured so that the number of top holes HV is different from that of adjacent vent rows.

[0124] As a more specific example, the first vent row HV1, the third vent row HV3, and / or the fifth vent row HV5 may be configured to have three top holes HV in the left-right direction, and the second vent row HV2 and / or the fourth vent row HV4 disposed adjacent to such a vent row may be configured to have four top holes HV in the left-right direction.

[0125] In particular, the module case 300 may be configured such that, in the multiple vent rows, the number of top holes HV included in a vent row in which only the untaped sections are exposed is greater than the number of top holes HV included in a vent row in which both the untaped sections and the tarp sections are exposed. For example, in the case of the second vent row HV2 in which only the untaped sections are exposed, four top holes HV are formed, so that the number of top holes HV may be greater than the three top holes HV included in the first vent row HV1 or the third vent row HV3 in which both the untaped sections and the tarp sections are exposed.

[0126] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to expose the maximum amount of untaped sections in the cell assembly 100. Therefore, when flames or vent gases are emitted from the untaped sections of the battery cell 110, they are discharged to the outside of the module case 300 as quickly and smoothly as possible.

[0127] Also, vent rows in which both untaped and attached sections of the taping member 120 are exposed may be formed in a larger number of rows than vent rows in which only untaped sections of the taping member 120 are exposed. For example, in the embodiment of Fig. 4, vent rows in which both untaped and tarp-attached sections are exposed may be formed in three rows in the front-to-back direction (HV1, HV3, HV5), while vent rows in which only untaped sections are exposed may be formed in two rows in the front-to-back direction (HV2, HV4).

[0128] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve uniform venting performance for each of the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100. That is, the cell assembly 100 may include battery cells 110 in which both the untaped section and the tarp-attached section are exposed, and battery cells 110 in which only the untaped section is exposed. In this case, according to this embodiment, the battery cells 110 in which not only the untaped section but also the tarp-attached section are exposed from the top hole HV may be exposed to the outside through a larger number of top holes HV. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in venting performance such as flames, compared to a battery cell 110 in which only the untaped section is exposed.

[0129] 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, FIG. 7 may be an enlarged view of a portion A4 in FIG.

[0130] 2 and 4, etc., a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a thermistor, as indicated by TH.

[0131] The thermistor TH may be a component configured to measure the temperature of the surroundings. The thermistor TH may be located on at least one side of the cell assembly 100 to measure the temperature inside the battery module, for example, the temperature of the cell assembly 100. Furthermore, the thermistor TH may be disposed on the top side of the cell assembly 100.

[0132] Furthermore, a plurality of thermistors TH may be included in one cell assembly 100. For example, two thermistors TH may be included. In this case, the two thermistors TH may be disposed on the front and rear sides of the upper surface of the cell assembly 100, respectively, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

[0133] In particular, the thermistor TH may be disposed above the taping member 120 as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. That is, since the taping member 120 may be partially attached to the upper portion of the cell assembly 100, there may be both an attached section and an unattached section of the taping member 120. In this configuration, the thermistor TH may be disposed above the portion of the upper portion of the cell assembly 100 to which the taping member 120 is attached. Furthermore, in the case where three taping members 120 are attached to the cell assembly 100 at intervals in the front-rear direction, the thermistors TH may be disposed above the frontmost taping member 120 and the rearmost taping member 120, respectively.

[0134] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to help prevent damage to the thermistor TH and the battery cell 110. For example, when vibration or impact occurs to the battery module, if a large or repeated force is applied between the thermistor TH and the battery cell 110, the pouch exterior material of the thermistor TH and the battery cell 110 may be damaged. However, the taping member 120 can suppress such damage. Furthermore, the taping member 120 may include an adhesive layer and a base layer, and the adhesive layer or the base layer may be made of an elastic material. In this case, the effect of preventing damage to the thermistor TH and the battery cell 110 due to vibration or impact can be further improved.

[0135] In addition, the taping member 120 may be made of an electrical insulating material. In this case, the measurement accuracy of the thermistor TH can be further improved by preventing the thermistor TH from contacting an aluminum layer, etc., included in the pouch exterior material of the battery cell 110. Furthermore, even if a crack occurs in the pouch exterior material and the aluminum layer, etc., is exposed to the outside, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a current affects the thermistor TH.

[0136] In addition, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a protective member, such as a portion indicated by PT in FIG.

[0137] The protective member PT is configured to surround the thermistor TH and can prevent or reduce pressure, impact, etc. from being applied to the thermistor TH. In particular, the protective member PT may be configured to surround the thermistor TH in a horizontal direction.

[0138] The protective member PT may be configured to be higher than the thermistor TH in order to prevent pressure or impact applied in the vertical direction from being applied to the thermistor TH. The protective member PT may be made of an elastic material that can absorb pressure and impact well, such as polyurethane, silicone, or other foam material.

[0139] According to this embodiment, when swelling occurs in the Z-axis direction of the battery cell 110 or pressure or impact is applied to the module case 300 from above the module case 300, damage or cracks in the thermistor TH due to the pressure or impact can be prevented.

[0140] Meanwhile, the thermistor TH may be located inside the module case 300, but may be located at a position exposed to the outside through a top hole HV formed in the module case 300. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the front thermistor TH may be installed so as to be exposed upward through one of the top holes HV in the first vent row HV1, and the rear thermistor TH may be installed so as to be exposed upward through one of the top holes HV in the fifth vent row HV5.

[0141] In this case, the mechanical stability of the thermistor TH is improved. In particular, even when swelling in the Z-axis direction occurs in the cell assembly 100, the thermistor TH is prevented from being pressed by the module case 300, causing cracks or damage. In addition, in this case, when a failure or other condition occurs in the thermistor TH, the thermistor TH can be easily replaced or repaired.

[0142] Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 9 is a top view showing a coupling configuration of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0143] 8 and 9, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a top cover 600.

[0144] The top cover 600 may be made of an electrically insulating material. For example, the top cover 600 may be made of a plastic material. The top cover 600 may be located inside the module case 300. The top cover 600 may be disposed on the upper surface side of the cell assembly 100. In particular, the top cover 600 may be interposed between the upper portion of the cell assembly 100 and the module case 300.

[0145] The top cover 600 may be formed in a plate shape. The top cover 600 may cover the upper surface of the cell assembly 100 inside the module case 300, and may prevent the upper surface of the cell assembly 100 from directly contacting the upper plate of the module case 300. In particular, the module case 300 may be made of a metal material such as aluminum or SUS. In this case, the top cover 600 made of an electrically insulating material may ensure electrical insulation between the cell assembly 100 and the module case 300.

[0146] In particular, the top cover 600 may have a cover hole as shown by HC in FIG. 8. The cover hole HC may be formed to penetrate the top cover 600 in the thickness direction. In particular, the cover hole HC may be located at a portion opposite to a portion where the top hole HV is formed. That is, the position where the cover hole HC is formed in the top cover 600 may correspond to the position where the top hole HV is formed in the module case 300. For example, referring to FIG. 9, the cover hole HC may be located at a position exposed to the outside, i.e., the upper side, through the top hole HV when the top cover 600 is inserted into the module case 300.

[0147] According to the present embodiment, the top cover 600 stably ensures electrical insulation between the module case 300 and the cell assembly 100, and does not prevent the top cover 600 from discharging vent gas through the top hole HV in an emergency. For example, if a situation such as thermal runaway occurs in some of the battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100, the vent gas is discharged first. At this time, the vent gas is quickly and smoothly discharged to the outside of the module case 300 through the cover hole HC and the top hole HV. Therefore, both electrical insulation and stable venting performance can be achieved by the top cover 600.

[0148] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the top cover 600 may downwardly restrain the upper end sealing portion S2U of the cell assembly 100. In particular, when swelling occurs in the Z-axis direction of each battery cell 110, the top cover 600 may press each battery cell 110 downward, thereby reducing the amount of swelling of the battery cell 110 in the Z-axis direction.

[0149] 8, a plurality of the cover holes HC may be formed in one top cover 600. Furthermore, the plurality of cover holes HC may be grouped into several groups and disposed in a dispersed manner. In particular, each cover hole HC may be formed smaller than the top hole HV formed in the module case 300. Furthermore, when the top cover 600 is inserted into the module case 300, a plurality of cover holes HC may be disposed corresponding to one top hole HV.

[0150] 9, for example, a plurality of top holes HV are formed in module case 300, and a cover hole HC that is much smaller than each top hole HV may be positioned in communication with each top hole HV. As a more specific example, six or twelve cover holes HC may be arranged corresponding to one top hole HV.

[0151] Each cover hole HC may be configured to have a size of 1 cm or less, or 0.8 cm or less, and particularly 0.6 cm or less, but these sizes are merely examples, and each cover hole HC formed in the top cover 600 may be formed in various sizes and shapes.

[0152] This embodiment is advantageous in improving the safety of the battery module. In particular, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a top hole HV may be formed on at least one side, and further on the upper surface side, of the module case 300. At this time, a small cover hole HC may be provided below the top hole HV, thereby preventing fingers of an operator or user from entering the inside of the battery module. In this case, the cover hole HC may be provided smaller than the finger of a typical user. In addition, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent external foreign objects from entering through the top hole HV, causing damage or breakage of the battery module.

[0153] The cover holes HC may be formed in a honeycomb structure. For example, a plurality of cover holes HC may be formed in the top cover 600, and at least some of the cover holes HC may be formed in a hexagonal shape. Furthermore, the edge of each cover hole HC may be formed parallel to the edge of the adjacent cover hole HC.

[0154] As a more specific example, a plurality of cover holes HC may be arranged in one or two rows in the front-rear direction in correspondence with one top hole HV. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, six cover holes HC may be arranged in communication in the front-rear direction in a honeycomb structure in correspondence with each top hole HV.

[0155] According to such an embodiment of the present invention, not only can it be prevented that fingers or foreign objects etc. get in through the top hole HV, but it is also possible to ensure a large overall area of ​​the cover hole HC in the top cover 600. Therefore, the vent gas can be quickly and smoothly discharged to the outside through the cover hole HC.

[0156] A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a printed circuit board 700, as shown in FIG.

[0157] The printed circuit board 700 may be interposed between the cell assembly 100 and the top cover 600. The printed circuit board 700 may be configured to transmit an electrical signal to the cell assembly 100. For example, a bus bar assembly 400 may be disposed in front and behind the cell assembly 100, and the voltage of each battery cell 110 included in the cell assembly 100 may be measured by the bus bar assembly 400. The measured voltage value may be transmitted to the inside or outside of the battery module through the printed circuit board 700.

[0158] The printed circuit board 700 may also provide a path for transmitting a temperature measurement value measured by the thermistor TH. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 700 may be configured to have the thermistor TH attached thereto. For example, the printed circuit board 700 may have a thermistor attachment portion, such as the portions indicated by A5 and A5' in FIG. 8. The thermistor TH may then be attached to one surface of the printed circuit board 700 at such thermistor attachment portion.

[0159] In particular, the thermistor mounting portion may be formed with a downward recess, as shown by the portions A5 and A5'. The thermistor TH may be mounted on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 700 at such a recessed portion. In this case, the thermistor TH may be positioned as close as possible to the cell assembly 100. Here, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 7, when the protective member PT surrounds the periphery of the thermistor TH, both the thermistor TH and the protective member PT may be mounted on the upper surface of the thermistor mounting portion of the printed circuit board 700.

[0160] Also, the printed circuit board 700 may be configured such that the thermistor mounting portions A5, A5' are located on the upper side of the taping member 120. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the thermistor mounting portion formed in a concave shape downward from directly contacting the battery cell 110. Therefore, it is possible to ensure electrical insulation between the printed circuit board 700 or the thermistor TH and the pouch exterior material of the battery cell 110. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or reduce the occurrence of noise or errors in the electrical signal transmitted through the printed circuit board 700 or the measurement result of the thermistor TH. Also, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the printed circuit board 700 and the battery cell 110 from being damaged or broken due to vibration, impact, friction, etc.

[0161] The printed circuit board 700 may be configured in the form of a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). Also, the printed circuit board 700 may be formed in a form extending long in a front-rear direction where the electrode leads 111 of each battery cell 110 are located in the cell assembly 100. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 700 may be configured in a form that connects between the bus bar assembly 400 located in front of the cell assembly 100 and the bus bar assembly 400 located in the rear of the cell assembly 100.

[0162] The battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a module connector, as indicated by MC in Figures 8 and 9. The module connector MC may be a terminal for transmitting and receiving electrical signals for the battery module to and from the outside. In particular, the printed circuit board 700 may transmit information about the battery module to various control devices, such as an external component, for example, a battery management system (BMS) or an energy control unit (ECU), through the module connector MC.

[0163] In an embodiment in which the battery module includes the printed circuit board 700, the top cover 600 may be configured such that no cover hole HC is formed on the upper side of the printed circuit board 700.

[0164] 8, the top cover 600 may be configured in a form in which the cover hole HC is not formed in the center portion in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) as shown by A6 in the figure. This embodiment is because the printed circuit board 700 is positioned in a form that extends long in the front-rear direction in the center portion of the lower portion of the top cover 600.

[0165] In this case, most of the cell assembly 100 disposed under the top cover 600 may be exposed upward through the cover hole HC, but the printed circuit board 700 disposed under the top cover 600 will not be exposed upward through the cover hole HC.

[0166] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board 700 is not exposed to the outside of the battery module through the cover hole HC. Therefore, it is possible to fundamentally prevent foreign matter from entering the printed circuit board 700, which is vulnerable to particles and moisture, or the components attached thereto, such as the thermistor TH. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to more effectively prevent damage to the printed circuit board 700 and the components attached thereto, as well as the possibility of malfunction.

[0167] Also, according to the present embodiment, the configuration for attaching the printed circuit board 700 to the top cover 600 can be more easily realized. For example, the printed circuit board 700 is attached to the lower part of the top cover 600 using a double-sided adhesive tape, and in the present embodiment, the double-sided adhesive tape can be attached to the part where the cover hole HC is not formed. Therefore, in this case, since a sufficient space for attaching the double-sided adhesive tape can be secured in the top cover 600, the printed circuit board 700 can be more stably fixed inside the module case 300.

[0168] The module case 300 may be configured such that a top hole HV is also formed on the upper side of the printed circuit board 700 .

[0169] For example, in the configuration of FIG. 9, most of the top holes HV arranged in a zigzag pattern are directly connected to a plurality of cover holes HC, but some of the top holes HV have no cover holes HC at all. In particular, among the five vent rows formed in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction), the top holes HV located in the center in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) in the first, third, and fifth vent rows (HV1, HV3, HV5) have no cover holes HC at all. In addition, the two top holes HV located in the center in the second and fourth vent rows (HV2, HV4) have only one cover hole HC formed in a form that is biased toward the outer periphery in the left-right direction. Here, in the case of a top hole HV that has no cover hole HC at all or is partially connected to the top hole HV, it can be said that the printed circuit board 700 is located below it.

[0170] That is, in this embodiment, in the case of the top hole HV formed in the portion below which the printed circuit board 700 is located, the cover hole HC is not formed at all or is formed partially, whereas the top hole HV formed in the portion below which the printed circuit board 700 is not located may be configured to be arranged so that the cover hole HC is sufficiently connected.

[0171] According to this embodiment, a flame generated in the cell assembly 100 can be smoothly and sufficiently discharged upward. In particular, if thermal runaway of the cell assembly 100 becomes more severe than a certain level, a flame may be generated, and such a flame may melt or burn the printed circuit board 700, the top cover 600, etc. due to high heat or pressure. Therefore, even if the top hole HV does not directly expose the cell assembly 100 due to the printed circuit board 700 and the top cover 600 in a normal state, it can play a role of discharging the flame when the printed circuit board 700 and the top cover 600 are burned by the flame. Therefore, by discharging the flame sufficiently and quickly through the top hole HV of the module case 300, the flame can be prevented from moving forward where the module terminal 200 is located.

[0172] Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a partial configuration of the battery module of Fig. 10. Figs. 12 and 13 are enlarged views showing a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, Figs. 12 and 13 are enlarged views showing the configuration of the portion A7 of Fig. 10 before and after the top hole HV is opened.

[0173] 10 to 13, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a blocking cover 800.

[0174] The blocking cover 800 may be located outside the module case 300. In particular, the blocking cover 800 may be located on the upper side of the module case 300. Furthermore, a top hole HV may be located on the upper side of the module case 300, and the blocking cover 800 may be attached to the outside of the module case 300 at least at the portion where the top hole HV is formed. Also, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, in the case of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 600 may be included. In this case, the top cover 600 may be located inside the module case 300, and the blocking cover 800 may be located outside the module case 300.

[0175] Also, the blocking cover 800 may be located not only on the side where the top hole HV is formed but also on the side where the top hole HV is not formed. For example, the blocking cover 800 may be formed in a substantially n-shape and attached to the outside of not only the top plate of the module case 300 where the top hole HV is formed but also the left and right plates of the module case 300 where the top hole HV is not formed.

[0176] The insulating cover 800 may include a heat-resistant material that can withstand high temperatures. For example, the insulating cover 800 may include a ceramic material such as mica. Furthermore, the insulating cover 800 may include a mica sheet. In this case, the insulating cover 800 can more reliably prevent the movement or spread of a flame or the like to the inside or outside of the battery module.

[0177] The blocking cover 800 may be configured to open and close the top hole HV of the module case 300. Furthermore, the blocking cover 800 may be configured to open or close the top hole HV according to the internal pressure of the module case 300. In particular, the blocking cover 800 may include an opening and closing part configured to open and close the top hole HV according to the internal pressure of the module case 300, as shown by the part OC in Figs. 10 to 13. Here, the opening and closing part OC may be formed at a position corresponding to the top hole HV of the module case 300 when the blocking cover 800 is attached to the outside of the module case 300. Also, the opening and closing part OC of the blocking cover 800 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the top hole HV of the module case 300. For example, when the top hole HV of the module case 300 is formed in a substantially elliptical shape, the opening and closing part OC of the blocking cover 800 may also be formed in a substantially elliptical shape with a similar size and shape.

[0178] More specifically, the opening / closing portion OC of the blocking cover 800 may be configured to close all of the top holes HV in a normal state where the internal pressure of the module case 300 is equal to or lower than a certain level. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, the module case 300 may be formed with top holes HV. However, as shown in Figs. 10 and 12, when the blocking cover 800 covers the top of the module case 300, the top holes HV of the module case 300 are covered by the opening / closing portion OC of the blocking cover 800 and are not exposed to the outside, particularly the upper side.

[0179] However, if the internal pressure of the module case 300 increases above a certain level, the blocking cover 800 may be configured to open at least a portion of the top holes HV. For example, if thermal runaway occurs in the cell assembly 100 and gas or flame is generated, the internal pressure of the module case 300 increases. If this internal pressure increases above a certain level, the opening / closing portion OC of the blocking cover 800 is opened to open the top hole HV located below it. Therefore, the gas or flame inside the module case 300 is discharged to the outside of the module case 300, particularly to the upper surface side, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 13.

[0180] According to this embodiment of the present invention, in the normal state of the battery module, the top hole HV is closed by the blocking cover 800, thereby preventing external foreign matter, such as moisture and dust, from entering the inside of the module case 300 through the top hole HV.

[0181] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when vent gas or flame occurs inside the module case 300 due to thermal runaway, the opening / closing part OC of the blocking cover 800 is opened, and the vent gas or flame is quickly discharged to the outside, particularly to the upper surface side where the top hole HV is formed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent such flame from affecting other battery cells 110 inside the battery module or other battery modules located on the side of the battery module.

[0182] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, even if vent gas or flame is discharged from another battery module due to thermal runaway or the like, the top holes HV of the other normal battery modules are maintained in a closed state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vent gas or flame from entering the inside of the other normal battery modules through the top holes HV. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively block the propagation of thermal runaway or flame between battery modules.

[0183] The opening / closing part OC of the blocking cover 800 may be configured in a form in which a notch line is formed in a sheet constituting the blocking cover 800. For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 12, the opening / closing part OC may be provided in a form in which a notch line is formed in a mica sheet provided in the blocking cover 800, as shown by OCL. In this case, the notch line OCL may be provided in a manner in which the blocking cover 800 is completely or partially cut in a thickness direction to form a notch or a groove. In addition, the opening / closing part OC may be configured in various other ways. For example, the opening / closing part OC may be configured in a form in which a plug is placed on a hole, or a door is provided on a hole, etc.

[0184] Meanwhile, a plurality of top holes HV may be provided in the module case 300, and a plurality of opening / closing parts OC may be formed in the blocking cover 800 corresponding thereto. In this case, the opening / closing parts OC provided in one battery module may be opened and closed independently. For example, even if some of the opening / closing parts OC are in an open state, the other opening / closing parts OC may be maintained in a closed state.

[0185] 10 and 11, an event may occur in some of the battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100, causing vent gas, flames, etc. to be emitted. At this time, the vent gas, flames, etc. are directed first to the top hole HV corresponding to or adjacent to the battery cell 110 where the event occurred (event cell). Then, the opening / closing part OC corresponding to the top hole HV corresponding to or adjacent to the event cell is opened first, and the vent gas, flames, etc. may be discharged. At this time, the other top holes HV may remain closed for at least a certain period of time.

[0186] According to this embodiment, even if vent gas or flame is discharged from an event cell in which thermal runaway or the like occurs inside one battery module, the vent gas or flame is prevented from entering other normal battery cells 110. Therefore, the propagation of thermal runaway or flame between battery cells 110 inside the battery module is blocked or delayed. Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, it is also advantageous in delaying the voltage drop rate of the battery module.

[0187] The blocking cover 800 may be configured in a sheet shape having multiple layers, which will be described in more detail with reference to Figs.

[0188] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an insulating cover 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating a schematic cross-sectional configuration of a battery module to which the insulating cover 800 of Fig. 14 is applied. For example, Fig. 15 may be a cross-sectional view taken along line A8-A8' of Fig. 10. Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion A9 of Fig. 15.

[0189] 14 to 16, the blocking cover 800 may include a first sheet cover 810, a second sheet cover 820, and / or a third sheet cover 830. The first sheet cover 810, the second sheet cover 820, and the third sheet cover 830 may be stacked in order from top to bottom.

[0190] The first sheet cover 810 may be located at the outermost position, particularly at the upper side, of the shielding cover 800. The first sheet cover 810 may be made of a flame-resistant material such as mica. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first sheet cover 810 may have a shielding hole OCH formed at a position and in a shape corresponding to the top hole HV when the shielding cover 800 is attached to the module case 300. The shielding hole OCH may be formed in advance in a shape penetrating the first sheet cover 810 in the thickness direction. That is, the shielding hole OCH may be configured to have an open shape in which a part of the first sheet cover 810 is cut out.

[0191] Furthermore, the blocking hole OCH may be formed larger than the top hole HV. For example, as shown in Fig. 16, the horizontal length of the blocking hole OCH may be formed longer than the horizontal length of the top hole HV. In this case, the vent gas discharged from the top hole HV is smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery module through the blocking hole OCH.

[0192] The second sheet cover 820 may be disposed in contact with the underside of the first sheet cover 810. For example, the second sheet cover 820 may be bonded to the first sheet cover 810. Furthermore, the second sheet cover 820 may have the above-mentioned notch line OCL formed at a position corresponding to the blocking hole OCH of the first sheet cover 810. Therefore, in a normal state, the top hole HV of the module case 300 may be closed by the second sheet cover 820 without communicating with the blocking hole OCH of the first sheet cover 810. If the internal pressure increases and gas or fire is applied through the top hole HV of the module case 300, the notch line OCL may be ruptured or split, and the top hole HV may be opened by communicating with the blocking hole OCH of the first sheet cover 810.

[0193] The second seat cover 820 may be constructed from a fire-resistant material similar to the first seat cover 810. For example, the second seat cover 820 may be constructed from a mica material.

[0194] The third sheet cover 830 may be disposed in contact with the underside of the second sheet cover 820. The third sheet cover 830 may be attached in direct contact with the outside of the module case 300. The third sheet cover 830 may be made of an electrically insulating material such as plastic. For example, the third sheet cover 830 may be made of a polyurethane material. The third sheet cover 830 may be bonded to the module case 300 and / or the second sheet cover 820. Furthermore, the third sheet cover 830 may have adhesive applied to both sides to bond the module case 300 and the second sheet cover 820. The third sheet cover 830 may also perform a waterproof or dustproof function to prevent moisture, dust, etc. from entering the top hole HV from the outside of the module case 300.

[0195] The third sheet cover 830 may be made of a material having a lower melting point than the first sheet cover 810 and the second sheet cover 820. Therefore, if a flame or the like occurs at the top hole HV of the module case 300, it can be melted or burned away and removed. Therefore, as shown in FIG 14, even if a separate hole is not formed in the third sheet cover 830, the flame or the like can be ejected from the top hole HV toward the blocking hole OCH.

[0196] According to this embodiment, in the portion where the top hole HV is not formed, the first sheet cover 810 and the second sheet cover 820tp can block the flame as a composite layer. Therefore, the flame blocking performance is improved in the portion other than the top hole HV. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the battery cells 110 inside the battery module from being affected by flames discharged from other battery modules or other portions of the battery module.

[0197] In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the notch lines OCL are formed in the relatively thin second sheet cover 820, so that the notch lines OCL are easily formed in the sheet member such as mica. Then, according to this embodiment, when the internal pressure of the module case 300 increases, the thin second sheet cover 820 quickly bursts, so that the flames and gases are quickly and smoothly exhausted through the top hole HV.

[0198] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first sheet cover 810 and the second sheet cover 820 are included in the blocking cover 800 in the form of a composite layer, so that the overall thickness of the blocking cover 800 can be secured to a certain level or more while reducing the thickness of the second sheet cover 820. Therefore, a stable blocking configuration of an external flame and a quick opening configuration when the internal pressure increases can be easily realized.

[0199] Also, according to the present embodiment, the second seat cover 820 having the cutout line OCL formed thereon is disposed under the first seat cover 810. In this case, even if flames or gas discharged from other battery modules or the like flow along the outer surface of the first seat cover 810, the second seat cover 820 located inside is unlikely to burst. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent flames or gases from a battery module in which a thermal event has occurred from bursting or damaging the second seat cover 820 of another battery module and from entering the interior of the other battery module.

[0200] The first seat cover 810, the second seat cover 820 and / or the third seat cover 830 may be folded so as to cover the upper surface and the left and right side surfaces of the module case 300 as shown in FIG.

[0201] A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a spacer, such as the portion indicated by FR in FIGS.

[0202] The spacer FR may be disposed on the upper portion of the blocking cover 800. For example, the spacer FR may be attached to the upper surface of the first seat cover 810. Furthermore, the spacer FR may be configured to protrude upward from the blocking cover 800.

[0203] Also, a plurality of spacers FR may be provided and disposed spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction on the upper portion of the shielding cover 800. The spacers FR may be positioned in the spaces between the opening / closing portions OC on the surface of the shielding cover 800.

[0204] The spacer FR may be made of a resilient material such as foam, for example, a silicone material.

[0205] According to this embodiment, when a flame or gas is generated and gas is discharged from the top hole HV side, the blocking cover 800 can be prevented from moving toward the pack housing PH. For example, when a battery module as shown in FIG. 15 is housed in the pack housing PH, the upper cover of the pack housing PH can be located on the upper side of the battery module in a covered state. At this time, when a flame is discharged from the battery module through the top hole HV and the blocking hole OCH, the blocking cover 800 can be pushed upward by the exhaust pressure. At this time, if the blocking cover 800 is pushed up excessively, the flame flows into the space between the blocking cover 800 and the module case 300, and the flame cannot be discharged to the outside of the blocking cover 800 and may stagnate in the space between the blocking cover 800 and the module case 300. However, in this embodiment, the blocking cover 800 can be prevented from being pushed up to a certain level or more toward the pack housing PH by the spacer FR, thereby preventing such a problem. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the discharge performance of vent gas, flame, and the like through the top hole HV and the cutoff hole OCH can be sufficiently and stably ensured.

[0206] 17 and 18 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, that show a schematic configuration of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 17 shows an enlarged view of a portion of shielding cover 800 where one opening / closing part OC is formed, which is a modified form of part A7 in Fig. 10. Also, Fig. 18 shows a cross-sectional structure of the upper side of a battery module to which the embodiment of Fig. 17 is applied, which is a modified form of part A9 in Fig. 15.

[0207] 17 and 18, in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the blocking cover 800 may include a blocking protrusion configured to protrude upward as a portion indicated by OCW. The blocking protrusion OCW may be formed around the opening / closing part OC. For example, when the opening / closing part OC is formed in a substantially elliptical shape, the blocking protrusion OCW may be formed in a ring shape along the outer periphery of the ellipse.

[0208] According to this embodiment, it is possible to more reliably prevent the opening / closing part OC of the blocking cover 800 from being opened by an external flame or vent gas. For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 18, a flame or vent gas discharged from another battery module or another opening / closing part OC may flow along the outer side of the blocking cover 800, particularly the first sheet cover 810. At this time, the flame or the like flowing along the outer side of the blocking cover 800 may collide with the blocking protrusion OCW as shown by the arrow and its direction may be changed upward. In particular, such a change in direction may prevent the flame or the like from moving toward the opening / closing part OC of the blocking cover 800, particularly the cutout line OCL of the second sheet cover 820. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the opening / closing part OC of the blocking cover 800 from being opened by an external flame or the like, and effectively prevent the propagation of the flame or the like between the cells or modules.

[0209] The blocking protrusion OCW may be formed on the upper surface of the first sheet cover 810. In this case, the blocking protrusion OCW may be provided during the process of forming the blocking hole OCH in the first sheet cover 810. For example, in order to form the blocking hole OCH in the first sheet cover 810, a piercing press may be penetrated from below to above to form the blocking hole OCH, and at the same time, a burr may be intentionally formed on the outer periphery of the blocking hole OCH. Such a burr may function as a blocking protrusion by being formed to protrude upward from the outer periphery of the blocking hole OCH.

[0210] Meanwhile, in the above-described embodiment of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a plurality of taping members 120 are attached to the upper sealing portion S2U of each battery cell 110 included in the cell assembly 100 in a form spaced apart in the front-rear direction. At this time, the plurality of taping members 120 are attached with the same adhesive force. Meanwhile, the plurality of taping members 120 attached to one battery cell 110 may be attached with different adhesive forces. This will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 19.

[0211] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery cell 110 and a taping member 120 included in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0212] 19, the plurality of taping members 120 attached to the upper end sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110 may be configured to have at least partially different adhesive strengths. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, a first tape T1, a second tape T2, and a third tape T3 may be attached in the front-rear direction at the upper end sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110. Here, the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 are taping members 120 located at the front and rear ends at the upper end sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110, and may be disposed near the front end sealing portion and the rear end sealing portion. The second tape T2 may be located between the first tape T1 and the third tape T3.

[0213] In this case, the adhesive strength of the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 located at the outer periphery may be configured to be different from the adhesive strength of the other taping member 120, i.e., the second tape T2. In particular, the adhesive strength of the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 located at the outer periphery may be configured to be stronger than the adhesive strength of the second tape T2, which is the other taping member 120. In other words, the second tape T2 located in the center may be configured to have a weaker adhesive strength than the first tape T1 and the third tape T3.

[0214] Here, the adhesive strength between the plurality of taping members 120 may be different by changing the size of the taping members 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 may be formed to have a larger attachment area than the second tape T2. In this case, the plurality of taping members 120 may be formed to have the same material and characteristics, and the adhesive strength may be different only by adjusting the size. As another example, the adhesive strength between the plurality of taping members 120 may be different by changing the amount or type of adhesive used in the taping members 120. For example, the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 may be attached to the upper end sealing portion S2U of the battery cell 110 using an adhesive having a stronger adhesive strength than the second tape T2.

[0215] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when gas or flame is discharged from inside the battery cell 110, the discharge direction can be guided to a specific part of the upper end sealing part S2U. In particular, as in the embodiment of FIG. 19, when the adhesive strength of the second tape T2 located at the center is made smaller than the adhesive strength of the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 located at the outer periphery, when flame is discharged from inside the battery cell 110, it is highly likely that the flame will be discharged from the center part of the upper end sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110, not from the part close to the electrode lead 111. Furthermore, when the internal pressure of the battery cell 110 increases, the flame is likely to be discharged first from the untaped section between the taping members 120 in the upper end sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110. Then, when the amount of discharge of flame or gas increases, the tarp-attached section may also be opened to discharge flame, but at this time, it is highly likely that the second tape T2 located at the center will burst or separate from the pouch exterior material first, rather than the first tape T1 or the third tape T3. Therefore, flames and the like are likely to head toward the top hole HV provided at the top of the battery cell 110, and are prevented from heading toward the side of the battery module where the electrode lead 111 is located, particularly toward the front where the module terminal 200 is located.

[0216] FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery cell 110 and a taping member 120 included in a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[0217] 20, the taping member 120 may have an inclined end. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 20, the first tape T1 and the third tape T3 may have an inclined lower end of the portion attached to the pouch exterior material of the battery cell 110, such as the portions indicated by A10 and A10', that is, the lower end of the portion is inclined in a certain direction.

[0218] In particular, the taping member 120 may be configured such that the attached length gradually becomes shorter toward the center. For example, the first tape T1 disposed at the front may be configured such that the vertical length becomes shorter as it goes rearward (in the -X-axis direction) toward the center, as shown by the portion A10. And the third tape T3 disposed at the rear may be configured such that the vertical length becomes shorter as it goes forward (in the +X-axis direction) toward the center, as shown by the portion A10'.

[0219] According to such an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to control the portion of one taping member 120 that is damaged or separated first. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 20, the adhesive strength of the rear of the first tape T1 is weak, so that the rear may be separated from the outer surface of the battery cell 110 first. Therefore, when a flame or gas is discharged from inside the battery cell 110, the center portion of the upper sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110 may be opened first rather than the front corner where the electrode lead 111 is located. Also, in the case of the third tape T3, the center portion of the upper sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110 may be opened first rather than the rear corner where the electrode lead 111 is located. Therefore, in this case, the flame or the like is induced to be ejected upward from the center portion of the upper sealing part S2U of the battery cell 110, and ejection toward the front or rear where the electrode lead 111 is located may be suppressed as much as possible.

[0220] In addition, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a compression pad, such as the portion indicated by CP in FIG.

[0221] The compression pads CP may be disposed between at least some of the battery cells 110 and / or on the outer periphery of the stack in the cell assembly 100. For example, the compression pads CP may be configured in a form in which they are disposed every four battery cells 110 in the plurality of battery cells 110 stacked in the left-right direction.

[0222] Such a compression pad CP may include an elastic material so as to absorb swelling of the battery cell 110. For example, the compression pad CP may be made of a foam material such as polyurethane. Alternatively, the compression pad CP may include a material capable of blocking heat, flame, etc. For example, the compression pad CP may include a heat insulating material or a fire-retarding material such as silicon mica.

[0223] Other battery modules of the present invention may include an expansion member 500.

[0224] The expansion member 500 may be disposed in front of the cell assembly 100 in the internal space of the module case 300. For example, as shown in FIG 2, the expansion member 500 may be disposed in the internal space defined by the monoframe and the end frame 320, and may be located in the +X-axis direction in front of the cell assembly 100.

[0225] The expansion member 500 can be configured to expand in volume due to heat, filling at least a portion of the internal space of the module case 300. This will be described in more detail with further reference to FIGS.

[0226] Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram showing a front side configuration of the inside of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a front side configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 23 is a diagram showing one form in which the expansion member 500 in the configuration of Fig. 22 is expanded.

[0227] 21 to 23, the expansion member 500 may be arranged in front of the cell assembly 100 and configured to cover at least a part of the front surface of the cell assembly 100. For example, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the front of the cell assembly 100 in the internal space of the module case 300 may be covered by the expansion member 500. The expansion member 500 arranged in front of the cell assembly 100 may be configured to expand due to heat. For example, when thermal runaway occurs inside the cell assembly 100, heat may be transferred from the cell assembly 100 to the expansion member 500 side. At this time, the expansion member 500 may expand in volume due to the transferred heat and fill at least a part of the empty space located in front of the cell assembly 100 as shown in FIG. 23. Furthermore, the expansion member 500 may be configured to fill the empty space between the front frame 320F and the cell assembly 100. For example, the expansion member 500 may fill at least a part of the portion indicated by B1 in FIG. 22 by expansion.

[0228] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress or reduce exposure of flames, heat, electrode waste, and the like to the front of the battery module where the module terminal 200 is located due to the expansion of the expansion member 500.

[0229] In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, by preventing electrode waste from being discharged to the module terminal 200 side, it is possible to prevent the electrode waste, etc. from adhering to the module terminal 200 or the bus bar between modules, and causing an internal short circuit in the battery module or battery pack. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by preventing flames, heat, etc. from moving toward the front frame 320F side when the expansion member 500 expands, it is possible to prevent the front frame 320F, etc. from being melted by flames, etc. Therefore, even when a flame erupts inside the battery module, structural collapse of the module case 300 can be prevented to the greatest extent possible.

[0230] The expansion member 500 may include a material that foams due to heat. For example, the expansion member 500 may include a material that begins to foam at 200° C. or higher. Additionally, the expansion member 500 may be configured to foam due to a flame or hot gas that provides such temperature conditions. As a specific example, the expansion member 500 may include a carbon-based material and be configured to foam due to heat.

[0231] According to this embodiment, when a flame or high-temperature gas occurs due to thermal runaway or the like on the cell assembly 100 side, the space in front of the cell assembly 100 can be quickly filled. Therefore, the exposure of a flame or the like in front of the cell assembly 100 can be quickly blocked or suppressed.

[0232] The expansion member 500 may be positioned a predetermined distance away from the electrode lead 111 of the cell assembly 100 .

[0233] For example, the expansion member 500 may be spaced apart from the electrode lead 111 by a certain distance, as shown by B1 in Fig. 22. That is, the expansion member 500 may be provided in the internal space of the module case 300 so as not to come into direct contact with the electrode lead 111.

[0234] According to such an embodiment, an electrically conductive material may be used for the expansion member 500. That is, even if the expansion member 500 includes an electrically conductive material, the electrode lead 111 and the expansion member 500 are not in direct contact with each other, so that problems such as a short circuit caused by direct contact between them can be prevented.

[0235] Also, the expansion member 500 may be at least partially insulatively coated. In particular, at least a portion of the expansion member 500 facing the cell assembly 100 may be coated with an electrically insulating material.

[0236] For example, referring to the embodiment of Figure 22, the expansion member 500 may be coated with a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material on the surface that faces the cell assembly 100, i.e., the rear surface. However, the insulating coating layer may include a variety of other materials.

[0237] This embodiment is advantageous in ensuring electrical insulation for the expansion member 500. For example, in this case, it is possible to prevent electrical problems such as a short circuit caused by the expansion member 500 coming into direct contact with the electrode lead 111 or other electrical components. In particular, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may be mounted on a vehicle that is exposed to vibrations and impacts during use. In this case, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent problems such as a short circuit from occurring even when the expansion member 500 temporarily comes into contact with the electrode lead 111 due to vibrations or impacts.

[0238] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 22, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an insulating cover 900, particularly a front insulating cover 900F.

[0239] The front insulating cover 900F may include an electrically insulating material. For example, the front insulating cover 900F may include a polymer material such as plastic. As a more specific example, the front insulating cover 900F may include a modified polyphenylene oxide (MPPO) material.

[0240] The front insulating cover 900F may be interposed between the front of the cell assembly 100 and the module case 300. That is, the front insulating cover 900F may be interposed between the cell assembly 100 and the front frame 320F. Therefore, electrical insulation between the cell assembly 100 and the front frame 320F can be ensured. In particular, electrical components such as the electrode lead 111 may be located in front of the cell assembly 100. The front frame 320F may be made of an electrically conductive material such as aluminum. In this case, the front insulating cover 900F made of an electrically insulating material is interposed between the electrode lead 111 of the cell assembly 100 and the front frame 320F to electrically insulate them from each other.

[0241] The expansion member 500 may be attached to the inner surface of the front insulating cover 900F. That is, the expansion member 500 may be attached to the rear surface of the front insulating cover 900F using double-sided tape or the like. In this case, the front insulating cover 900F may be configured to provide a space in which the expansion member 500 is attached. For example, the rear surface of the front insulating cover 900F may have a flat portion to which the expansion member 500 is attached. In this case, the expansion member 500 may be stably positioned inside the module case 300. In particular, it is preferable that the expansion member 500 is spaced apart from the electrode lead 111 of the cell assembly 100 by a certain distance, and in this embodiment, the distance between the expansion member 500 and the electrode lead 111 may be stably secured.

[0242] Meanwhile, the front insulating cover 900F may be made of a polymer material, which may be melted or burned away by a high-temperature flame. However, in one embodiment of the present invention, even if the front insulating cover 900F melts or burns away at the front of the cell assembly 100, the expansion member 500 can foam or expand to block the front of the cell assembly 100. Furthermore, when the expansion member 500 expands, it is possible to prevent flames from moving toward the front insulating cover 900F, thereby minimizing melting or burning of the front insulating cover 900F.

[0243] The front insulating cover 900F may be fastened to the module case 300 by a protrusion structure, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

[0244] Fig. 24 is an exploded and enlarged perspective view of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a front frame 320F and a front insulating cover 900F are separated from each other.

[0245] 24, the module case 300, particularly the front frame 320F, may have a front fastening hole as indicated by HLF. The front insulating cover 900F may have a front fastening protrusion as indicated by PLF. Here, the front fastening protrusion PLF may be inserted into the front fastening hole HLF when assembling the battery module. The front fastening protrusion PLF may be formed in a plurality of parts on the front insulating cover 900F. Also, a plurality of front fastening holes HLF may be formed on the front frame 320F to correspond to the plurality of front fastening protrusions PLF.

[0246] Furthermore, the front fastening protrusion PLF may be inserted in a manner penetrating the front frame 320F from the inside to the outside. The front fastening protrusion PLF may be formed such that the outer end exposed to the outside of the front frame 320F is thicker than the penetrating portion. That is, the outer end of the front fastening protrusion PLF may be formed larger than the front fastening hole HLF. In this case, the thick portion of the outer end may be formed by applying heat and pressure to the front fastening protrusion PLF after it is inserted into the front fastening hole HLF.

[0247] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to stably secure the joining force between the front frame 320F and the front insulating cover 900F. In addition, in this case, it is possible to prevent the front insulating cover 900F and the expansion member 500 attached thereto from moving toward the electrode lead 111 and contacting the electrode lead 111, etc.

[0248] The expansion member 500 may be configured to close the front fastening holes HLF when inflated. First, the expansion member 500 may be located at a position capable of closing the front fastening holes HLF when inflated. The expansion member 500 may be located at a position covering the front fastening holes HLF on the YZ plane when inflated. Also, the expansion member 500 may have a shape or structure capable of closing the front fastening holes HLF when inflated. In particular, the expansion member 500 may have a position and shape covering the front fastening holes HLF on the YZ plane even before inflating.

[0249] As a more specific example, in the case where a plurality of front fastening holes HLF are formed in the front frame 320F, the expansion member 500 may be configured to close all of the plurality of front fastening holes HLF in the expanded state.

[0250] According to this embodiment of the present invention, even if at least a part of the front insulating cover 900F melts or burns, it is possible to prevent flames, high-temperature gases, electrode waste, etc. from being ejected to the front of the battery module through the front fastening holes HLF. In particular, in a normal state, the front fastening holes HLF are blocked by the front fastening protrusions PLF of the front insulating cover 900F, but if the front insulating cover 900F melts or burns due to high heat caused by a flame, etc., the front fastening holes HLF may be opened. However, the expansion member 500 prevents such opening of the front fastening holes HLF, so that it is possible to reliably limit the exposure of flames, etc., to the outside through the front fastening holes HLF.

[0251] The expansion member 500 may be configured to block flames and gases from flowing toward the module terminal 200. This will be described in more detail with further reference to FIG.

[0252] 25 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of FIG.

[0253] 22, 23, etc., the expansion member 500 may expand when a flame or gas is discharged from the cell assembly 100. In particular, the module terminal 200 is located at the front upper side, and an empty space may exist below the module terminal 200, as shown by B2 in FIG. 25. However, when thermal runaway occurs in the cell assembly 100 and the expansion member 500 expands, at least a portion of the empty space B2 below the module terminal 200 may be filled by the expansion member 500.

[0254] In this case, even if a flame or the like moves from the cell assembly 100 toward the module terminal 200 as shown by the arrow B3 in Fig. 25, the already expanded expansion member 500 can prevent such a movement of the flame. In particular, a terminal hole HT may be present on the module terminal 200 side, and the expansion member 500 in the expanded state can suppress the flame, gas, electrode exhaust, and the like from being discharged to the outside toward the terminal hole HT. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to more effectively prevent the heat or flame propagation between modules and the short circuit of the electrical connection configuration between modules.

[0255] The expansion member 500 may be configured to expand in all directions upon application of heat, as will be more particularly described with further reference to FIG.

[0256] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of an expansion configuration for an expansion member 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0257] Referring to FIG. 26, the expansion member 500 may be in the form of a sheet that is erected so that two broad surfaces face the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). In this case, the expansion member 500 may include a material that expands not only in the front-rear direction, which is the thickness direction, but also in the overall directions of up, down, left, and right. For example, as shown by six arrows in FIG. 26, the expansion member 500 may expand in the overall directions of +X, -X, +Y, -Y, +Z, and -Z. That is, the sheet-like expansion member 500 may be configured to be expandable in all directions, including a direction parallel to the surface (a direction parallel to the YZ plane) and a direction perpendicular to the surface (±X-axis direction). Furthermore, when the expansion member 500 is expanded by a heat foaming method, it may be made of a material that expands in all directions.

[0258] According to this embodiment, even if the shape or structure of the expansion member 500 in the normal state is not specially provided, the empty space inside the module case 300 can be filled when the expansion member 500 expands. Therefore, the expansion member 500 and the internal space of the module case 300 provided with such an expansion member 500 can be easily manufactured. In addition, the flame blocking effect of the expansion member 500 can be stably secured.

[0259] The expansion member 500 may be formed in the form of a sheet of a single material. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this form, and the expansion member 500 may be formed in various other forms. In particular, the expansion member 500 may be formed in the form of a composite sheet made of different materials. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 27.

[0260] FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view that illustrates a schematic configuration of an expansion member 500 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0261] Referring to FIG. 27, the expansion member 500 may include two sheets, namely, a first expansion sheet 510 and a second expansion sheet 520. Here, the first expansion sheet 510 and the second expansion sheet 520 may be made of different materials. Furthermore, the first expansion sheet 510 may be configured to be specialized for expansion, and the second expansion sheet 520 may be configured to be specialized for flame blocking. In this case, the second expansion sheet 520 may be made of a material having a higher melting point than the first expansion sheet 510. Also, the first expansion sheet 510 and the second expansion sheet 520 may be made of materials having different electrical conductivities. Furthermore, the first expansion sheet 510 may be configured to be electrically conductive, and the second expansion sheet 520 may be configured to be electrically insulating.

[0262] As a representative example, the first expansion sheet 510 may be made of a material that expands by heat, such as a graphite-based expansion material, and the second expansion sheet may be made of a mica material.

[0263] In addition, the first and second inflatable sheets 510 and 520 may be configured to have different thicknesses. For example, the first inflatable sheet 510 may be configured to have a thickness of 3 mm, and the second inflatable sheet 520 may be configured to have a thickness of 1 mm.

[0264] The first expansion sheet 510 and the second expansion sheet 520 may be stacked together in the thickness direction. In particular, the second expansion sheet 520 may be located inside the first expansion sheet 510. In particular, when the expansion member 500 is located in front of the cell assembly 100, the second expansion sheet 520 may be stacked on the rear side of the first expansion sheet 510. In this case, the second expansion sheet 520 directly faces the electrode lead 111 side of the cell assembly 100, and the first expansion sheet 510 does not directly face the electrode lead 111 side.

[0265] According to this embodiment, even if the first expansion sheet 510 is made of a graphite-based material and is configured to have electrical conductivity, the second expansion sheet 520 having electrical insulation can prevent the first expansion sheet 510 from coming into direct contact with the electrode lead 111, etc. Therefore, electrical insulation between the first expansion sheet 510 and the electrode lead 111 can be stably ensured.

[0266] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even if flames or high-temperature gas are ejected forward from the cell assembly 100, the second inflatable sheet 520 can primarily block the flames from moving toward the first inflatable sheet 510. Therefore, the first inflatable sheet 510 is not immediately burned by flames and can stably foam or expand.

[0267] Also, according to this embodiment, the overall thickness of the expansion member 500 can be reduced. For example, according to this embodiment, the expansion space of the first expansion sheet 510 is reduced by the space occupied by the second expansion sheet 520, so that the front space of the cell assembly 100 can be filled more quickly and reliably without thickening the first expansion sheet 510. Therefore, even if the expansion member 500 is thin-walled, the performance of the expansion member 500 to seal the front space of the cell assembly 100 and block the forward discharge of flames can be more effectively ensured.

[0268] Fig. 28 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an expansion member 500 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, Fig. 28(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the expansion member 500 before it is expanded, and Fig. 28(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the expansion member 500 after it is expanded.

[0269] Referring to FIG. 28, the expansion member 500 may be made of different materials in the vertical direction. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 27 described above, two sheet members are stacked in the thickness direction, but in the embodiment of FIG. 28, two sheet members may be stacked in the planar direction. In particular, the two sheet members, i.e., the first expansion sheet 510 and the second expansion sheet 520, may be stacked in the vertical direction with their edges abutting. At this time, the first expansion sheet 510 may be stacked on the upper layer of the second expansion sheet 520. Therefore, the first expansion sheet 510 may be called the upper expansion sheet, and the second expansion sheet 520 may be called the lower expansion sheet.

[0270] The first and second inflatable sheets 510, 520 may be made of different materials. In particular, the first and second inflatable sheets 510, 520 may have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Furthermore, the first and second inflatable sheets 510, 520 may have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the second inflatable sheet 520.

[0271] For example, the first expanding sheet 510 and the second expanding sheet 520 may have the same or similar thicknesses before expansion, as shown in Fig. 28(a). However, the first expanding sheet 510 and the second expanding sheet 520 may have different thicknesses after expansion, as shown in Fig. 28(b). In particular, the first expanding sheet 510 may be configured to have a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than the second expanding sheet 520.

[0272] That is, as shown by the dotted arrow in Fig. 28(a), when heat is applied from the cell assembly 100 side, the first expansion sheet 510 may expand in the thickness direction as shown by the arrow B4 in Fig. 28(b). Then, the second expansion sheet 520 may expand in the thickness direction as shown by the arrow B4' in Fig. 28(b). At this time, the expansion rate of the first expansion sheet 510 in the thickness direction may be greater than the expansion rate of the second expansion sheet 520 in the thickness direction. That is, the first expansion sheet 510 after expansion may be thicker than the second expansion sheet 520.

[0273] According to this embodiment, the expansion rate of the expansion member 500 is configured to be partially different, so that it is possible to suppress or induce the movement of flames, etc., to a specific portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 28, if the first expansion sheet 510 laminated in the upper layer expands thicker, as shown by the arrow B5 in (b), when flames or electrode exhausts moving from the inside to the outside (+X-axis direction) hit the expansion member 500 and are bounced upward, the reflection angle may be less than 90°. That is, in the case of this embodiment, the flames or electrode exhausts are bounced back in a bent state toward the rear (-X-axis direction), so that the forward emission of flames, etc. is further suppressed.

[0274] Meanwhile, in the embodiment of Fig. 28, the two expansion sheets arranged in a vertically stacked manner have the same initial thickness and are made of materials having different expansion rates, but the structure in which the thicknesses of the expansion member 500 after expansion are different can be realized in other ways. This will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 29.

[0275] Fig. 29 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an expansion member 500 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, Fig. 29(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the expansion member 500 before it is expanded, and Fig. 29(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the expansion member 500 after it is expanded.

[0276] 29(a), the first and second inflatable sheets 510 and 520 may be configured to have different thicknesses before expansion. That is, the thickness of the first inflatable sheet 510 located at the upper stage is indicated by B6, and the thickness of the second inflatable sheet 520 located at the lower stage is indicated by B6'. In this case, B6 and B6' may have different numerical values, and may have a relationship of B6>B6'.

[0277] As indicated by the dotted arrow, when heat is applied from the cell assembly 100 side, the first and second expansion sheets 510 and 520 may expand in the thickness direction. At this time, as shown in FIG. 29(b), the first and second expansion sheets 510 and 520 may have different thicknesses after expansion. That is, the first and second expansion sheets 510 and 520 may have different thicknesses, that is, the first and second expansion sheets 510 and 520 may have thicknesses B7 and B7', respectively. In particular, the relationship between B7 and B7' is B7>B7', and the thickness of the first and second expansion sheets 510 and 520 after expansion may be thicker than the thickness of the second and second expansion sheets 520 after expansion.

[0278] Even in such a configuration, as in the embodiment of FIG. 28 described above, it is possible to suppress or guide the movement of flames, particles, and the like in a specific direction. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, since it is not necessary to make the expansion coefficients of the first expansion sheet 510 and the second expansion sheet 520 different, both can be made of the same material. Also, the first expansion sheet 510 and the second expansion sheet 520 can be manufactured in an integrated form, and there is no need to manufacture them separately and then bond them together. Therefore, in this case, the manufacturing of the expansion member 500 becomes easier, and structural stability can be ensured.

[0279] On the other hand, in the embodiment of Figures 28 and 29, the configuration in which the expansion member 500 expands in the thickness direction has been described, but as described above, the expansion member 500 may also expand in a planar direction (YZ plane).

[0280] In addition, when the battery module includes the bus bar assembly 400, the expansion member 500 may be located at a predetermined distance from the front bus bar assembly 400. For example, the expansion member 500 may be located at a position at a predetermined distance forward from the bus bar terminal 410 or the bus bar housing 420, as shown by B1 in FIG. 22. That is, in a normal state in which no thermal runaway or the like occurs, an empty space may be located between the expansion member 500 and the bus bar assembly 400. When the expansion member 500 expands due to the occurrence of thermal runaway or the like, the empty space may be filled by the expansion member 500. For example, the expansion member 500 may be configured to foam due to heat and fill the space between the bus bar assembly 400 and the insulating cover 900.

[0281] According to this embodiment, even if the expansion member 500 includes an electrically conductive material, it is possible to ensure electrical insulation between the expansion member 500 and the bus bar terminal 410. In addition, in this case, even if an impact or vibration is applied from the outside, it is possible to prevent a problem in which the expansion member 500 comes into contact with the bus bar assembly 400 and the bus bar assembly 400 is damaged.

[0282] The busbar housing 420 of the forward busbar assembly 400 may include a forward housing protrusion, which is described more particularly with further reference to FIG.

[0283] 30 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a front frame 320F and a front insulating cover 900F are removed from the front of the battery module, and the expansion member 500 is moved further forward of the bus bar assembly 400.

[0284] 30, the front bus bar assembly 400 may include a bus bar terminal 410 and a bus bar housing 420. In this case, the bus bar housing 420 may have a front housing protrusion indicated as PHF. The front housing protrusion PHF may be protruded toward the expansion member 500 located in the front. In particular, the bus bar terminal 410 may be attached to the bus bar housing 420, and the electrode lead 111 may be in contact with and coupled to the bus bar terminal 410 in a bent form. In this case, the front housing protrusion PHF may protrude forward of the bus bar terminal 410 and the electrode lead 111 in contact therewith.

[0285] According to this embodiment of the present invention, in a normal state, it is possible to more reliably prevent direct contact between the expansion member 500 and the bus bar terminals 410 and the electrode leads 111, which are components for electrical connection. In particular, even if the expansion member 500 is made of an electrically conductive material, the front housing protrusion PHF can stably ensure the separation distance between the expansion member 500 and the bus bar terminals 410 and the electrode leads 111.

[0286] 22, the front housing protrusion PHF may be configured to protrude toward the expansion member 500 in a space between the bus bar terminal 410 or the electrode lead 111 and the expansion member 500, as shown by the portion B1. In this case, the front end of the front housing protrusion PHF may not directly contact the inner surface of the expansion member 500 but may be located a predetermined distance away. In this case, the tolerance between the expansion member 500 and the bus bar assembly 400 can be stably ensured.

[0287] As another example, the front end of the front housing protrusion PHF may directly contact the inner surface of the expansion member 500. In this case, the expansion member 500 can more stably maintain its position inside the module case 300 even when subjected to external vibrations, impacts, or the like.

[0288] In addition, the front housing protrusion portion PHF may be provided so as to extend long in the vertical direction. In particular, since the bus bar terminals 410 attached to the bus bar housing 420 are provided so as to extend long in the vertical direction, the front housing protrusion portion PHF may be formed so as to be long in the vertical direction similarly to the bus bar terminals 410.

[0289] In addition, a plurality of busbar terminals 410 may be arranged in the busbar housing 420 at a distance from one another in the left-right direction. In this case, the front housing protrusion portion PHF may be interposed between adjacent busbar terminals 410 as shown in FIG. 30 . Furthermore, a plurality of front housing protrusion portions PHF may be arranged in the horizontal direction in the busbar housing 420. In this case, a stable separation distance can be maintained between the entire busbar terminal 410 and the expansion member 500. Also, in this case, a physical separation state between adjacent busbar terminals 410 can be stably ensured.

[0290] The expansion member 500 may be configured such that a lower end is positioned higher than a lower end of the bus bar terminal 410 .

[0291] 22, the lower end of the expansion member 500 in a normal, unexpanded state may be located higher than the lower end of the bus bar terminal 410 by an amount indicated by B8. In other words, the lower end of the bus bar terminal 410 may be located lower than the lower end of the expansion member 500.

[0292] According to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the electrical insulation between the expansion member 500 and the bus bar terminal 410. In particular, when an electrolyte leaks from the cell assembly 100 or moisture enters the inside of the module case 300, the electrolyte or moisture may accumulate at the bottom of the module case 300. In this case, if the height of the lower end of the expansion member 500 is configured to be higher than the lower end of the bus bar terminal 410, it is possible to prevent electrical conduction between the bus bar terminal 410 and the expansion member 500 even if the electrolyte accumulates to a predetermined height. Therefore, it is possible to improve the electrical safety of the battery module even in the case of an outflow of electrolyte or an inflow of moisture.

[0293] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, when the expansion member 500 is provided in front of the cell assembly 100, the flame or gas can be discharged to the upper side through the top hole HV without heading toward the expansion member 500 first. In this case, only heat is transferred to the expansion member 500 first, so that the expansion member 500 can be sufficiently expanded. Furthermore, gas or flame is ejected first to the expansion member 500 before the expansion member 500 expands, so that the expansion member 500 can be prevented from being detached by the gas or flame or from the flame leaking into the empty space before the expansion.

[0294] In addition, a rear hole may be formed in the module case 300. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

[0295] Fig. 31 is a perspective view showing the rear side of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 32 is a view showing a part of the configuration of Fig. 31 in an exploded manner.

[0296] 31 and 32, in the module case 300, a rear hole may be formed as shown by HR on the opposite side to the portion where the module terminal 200 is provided, i.e., rear side. Such a rear hole HR may also be provided so as to communicate with the internal space of the module case 300, similar to the top hole HV.

[0297] According to such an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to control the direction of a flame or the like emanating from inside the battery module, which will be described in more detail with further reference to FIG.

[0298] FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a state in which a flame or the like is ejected from a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0299] 33, when a situation such as thermal runaway occurs in the cell assembly 100 housed inside the module case 300, flames, high-temperature vent gas, electrode emissions, etc. may be generated. And, when the flames, etc. reach a certain level or higher, they may be discharged to the outside of the module case 300. At this time, in the case of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the top hole HV is formed on the upper surface side and the rear hole HR is formed on the rear side, so that the flames can be guided upward and backward. That is, the flames, etc. may be discharged upward through the top hole HV as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 33, or may be discharged backward through the rear hole HR as indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 33.

[0300] Thus, according to such an embodiment of the present invention, the escape of flames forward of where module terminal 200 is located is suppressed or delayed.

[0301] Furthermore, in the present invention, the top hole HV and the rear hole HR can discharge flames and the like in different directions other than the forward direction. More specifically, the top hole HV can discharge flames and the like in a vertical direction (upward), and the rear hole HR can discharge flames and the like in a horizontal direction (rearward). Therefore, by discharging flames and the like simultaneously upward and rearward in this manner, it is possible to disperse and discharge the flames to spaces other than the forward direction, while minimizing discharge to the forward direction.

[0302] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, when vent gas or flames are generated inside the battery module due to an event such as thermal runaway, the gas or flames can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the module case 300. Therefore, in an emergency, the internal pressure of the module case 300 can be quickly reduced to prevent the explosion of the battery module, thereby improving the safety of the battery module.

[0303] Meanwhile, the end frame 320 may comprise a front frame 320F and a rear frame 320R.

[0304] Here, the front frame 320F may be configured to cover the front opening of the main body frame 310. The module terminals 200 may be attached to the front frame 320F. For example, the front frame 320F may provide a space or structure, such as a terminal hole, in which the module terminals 200 are attached or exposed. The rear frame 320R may be configured to cover the rear opening of the main body frame 310. A rear hole HR may be formed in the rear frame 320R.

[0305] In this embodiment, flames, electrode exhaust, and the like inside the module case 300 can be exhausted upward and backward through the top hole HV of the main body frame 310 and the rear hole HR of the rear frame 320R. No holes for exhausting flames and the like are formed in the front frame 320F. In this case, flames, electrode exhaust, and the like will head upward and backward, not forward.

[0306] The rear holes HR may be formed in a plurality of positions in the rear frame 320R. For example, as shown in Fig. 31, the rear holes HR may be formed in a plurality of positions in the horizontal and / or vertical directions in the rear frame 320R. Furthermore, the rear holes HR may be formed in a substantially circular shape without any additional vertices. Also, the rear holes HR may be disposed at a predetermined distance from each other on the rear frame 320R.

[0307] According to this embodiment, the rear flame is exhausted through the rear holes HR more smoothly and quickly. Also, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the rear holes HR or the rear frame 320R from being damaged or broken by the exhaust pressure of the flame, gas, etc.

[0308] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 32, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a rear insulating cover 900R as the insulating cover 900.

[0309] The rear insulating cover 900R may include an electrically insulating material. For example, the rear insulating cover 900R may include a polymer material such as plastic. The rear insulating cover 900R may be interposed between the cell assembly 100 and the rear frame 320R. Thus, electrical insulation between the cell assembly 100 and the rear frame 320R can be ensured. In particular, electrical components such as the electrode lead 111 may be located on the rear side of the cell assembly 100. The rear frame 320R may be made of an electrically conductive material such as aluminum. In this case, the rear insulating cover 900R made of an electrically insulating material is interposed between the electrode lead 111 of the cell assembly 100 and the rear frame 320R to electrically insulate them from each other.

[0310] The rear insulating cover 900R may be configured to close the rear hole HR of the module case 300. That is, one or more rear holes HR may be formed in the rear frame 320R, and the internal space of the module case 300 may be exposed to the outside. However, the rear insulating cover 900R can prevent the internal space of the module case 300 from being exposed to the outside. The rear insulating cover 900R may be provided on the inner side (front side) of the rear frame 320R and close the rear hole HR from the inside.

[0311] 31, the rear insulating cover 900R can close the rear hole HR when the battery module is in a normal state, for example, when no flame or vent gas is generated inside the module case 300. In this case, it is possible to prevent components housed inside the module case 300, for example, the cell assemblies 100, from being exposed to the outside through the rear hole HR.

[0312] According to this embodiment, when the battery module is in a normal state, it is possible to prevent external foreign matter, such as dust or moisture, from penetrating into the internal space of the module case 300 through the rear hole HR. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent a conductor, a finger, or the like from entering through the rear hole HR, thereby ensuring safety.

[0313] The rear insulating cover 900R may be in close contact with the inner surface of the rear frame 320R. In this case, a larger accommodation space and a larger ventilation space can be secured inside the module case 300. In addition, in this case, the effect of preventing the penetration of foreign matter is further improved.

[0314] The rear insulating cover 900R may be configured to at least partially expose the rear hole HR when discharging heat from the cell assembly 100. For example, when a fire occurs due to thermal runaway in some of the battery cells 110 included in the cell assembly 100, at least a portion of the rear hole HR may be opened.

[0315] When the rear insulating cover 900R opens the rear hole HR, the internal space of the module case 300 may be exposed to the outside through the rear hole HR. Therefore, the cell assemblies 100 housed inside the module case 300 may be exposed to the outside through the rear hole HR.

[0316] In this embodiment, the configuration in which the rear insulating cover 900R opens the rear hole HR by heat can be realized by deforming or changing the shape or state of at least a portion of the rear insulating cover 900R by heat. In particular, the rear insulating cover 900R can melt and / or burn away by the heat and pressure of the flame generated during thermal runaway. Then, due to such melting or burning, the rear insulating cover 900R can no longer completely close the rear hole HR and can become detached from the rear hole HR, thereby opening the rear hole HR.

[0317] Therefore, the rear insulating cover 900R may include a plastic material that melts at a certain temperature or higher. In particular, the rear insulating cover 900R may be made of a plastic material that is weak to heat so that it melts when exposed to flames. For example, the rear insulating cover 900R may be made of a polycarbonate (PC) material.

[0318] According to this embodiment, in the normal state of the battery module, the rear hole HR is completely blocked, so that waterproof and dustproof effects, electrical safety, etc. can be stably ensured. In addition, in an abnormal state in which a flame or the like occurs inside the battery module, the rear hole HR is opened, so that the flame or the like occurring inside the battery module can be smoothly discharged rearward. Therefore, the internal pressure of the battery module can be quickly lowered to prevent the battery module from exploding, and the flame can be effectively prevented from escaping to the front of the battery module where the module terminals 200, etc. are located.

[0319] The rear frame 320R may have a rear fastening hole as indicated by HLR in FIG. 32. The rear insulating cover 900R may have a rear fastening protrusion as indicated by PLR. Here, the rear fastening protrusion PLR may be inserted into the rear fastening hole HLR when assembling the battery module. A plurality of rear fastening protrusions PLR may be formed on the rear insulating cover 900R. A plurality of rear fastening holes HLR may also be formed on the rear frame 320R to correspond to the plurality of rear fastening protrusions PLR.

[0320] Meanwhile, one or more rear holes HR may be formed in the rear frame 320R. In this case, the rear fastening hole HLR may be formed at a position different from the rear hole HR in the rear frame 320R. In particular, the rear fastening hole HLR may be formed on the rear frame 320R at a distance from the rear hole HR.

[0321] The rear fastening protrusion PLR may be inserted in a manner penetrating the rear frame 320R from the inside to the outside. The rear fastening protrusion PLR may have an outer end exposed to the outside of the rear frame 320R formed to be thicker than the penetrating portion. That is, the outer end of the rear fastening protrusion PLR may be formed to be larger than the rear fastening hole HLR. In this case, the thickened portion of the outer end may be formed by applying heat and pressure together after the rear fastening protrusion PLR is inserted into the rear fastening hole HLR.

[0322] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the joining force between the rear frame 320R and the rear insulating cover 900R can be stably secured. In addition, in this case, the rear insulating cover 900R can be prevented from moving toward the electrode lead 111 and coming into contact with the electrode lead 111, etc. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rear insulating cover 900R, the electrode lead 111, etc. from being damaged or deformed, causing a short circuit, etc.

[0323] Meanwhile, the rear frame 320R may have an outer surface formed with a concave shape at a portion where the rear fastening hole HLR is formed, as shown in Figures 31 and 32. In this case, a space in which the thick end of the rear fastening protrusion PLR is placed may be provided in the rear frame 320R. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or minimize the generation of a rear protrusion of the battery module due to the rear fastening protrusion PLR.

[0324] The bus bar assembly 400 may be disposed in front of the cell assembly 100 and connected to the front electrode lead 111 as shown in Fig. 2. The bus bar assembly 400 may be disposed in the rear of the cell assembly 100 and connected to the rear electrode lead 111 as shown in Fig. 32.

[0325] In an embodiment in which the bus bar assembly 400 is provided behind the cell assembly 100, the rear insulating cover 900R may include a material having a lower melting point than the bus bar housing 420 of the rear bus bar assembly 400. For example, the bus bar housing 420 of the rear bus bar assembly 400 and the rear insulating cover 900R are both made of a plastic material, but the melting point of the plastic material constituting the rear insulating cover 900R may be lower than the melting point of the plastic material constituting the rear bus bar housing 420. As a more specific example, when the rear insulating cover 900R is made of a PC material, the bus bar housing 420 may be made of a material having a higher melting point than the PC material, for example, an MPPO material.

[0326] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when thermal runaway occurs inside the battery module, the rear insulating cover 900R can melt or burn away earlier than the rear bus bar housing 420. Therefore, before the rear bus bar housing 420 melts, the rear insulating cover 900R melts first to open the rear hole HR, so that the flame inside the battery module can be quickly and smoothly exhausted to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or delay the collapse of the structure of the rear bus bar housing 420 due to the flame or the like stagnating in the internal space of the module case 300, particularly on the rear side inside.

[0327] The busbar housing 420 of the rear busbar assembly 400 may include a rear housing protrusion, which is described more particularly with further reference to FIG.

[0328] Fig. 34 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, in particular, a rear frame 320R and a rear insulating cover 900R are removed from the rear of the battery module.

[0329] 34, the rear busbar assembly 400 may include a busbar terminal 410 and a busbar housing 420. In this case, the busbar housing 420 may have a rear housing protrusion indicated by PHR. The rear housing protrusion PHR may be protruded toward a rear insulating cover 900R located at the rear. In particular, the busbar terminal 410 may be attached to the busbar housing 420, and the electrode lead 111 may be in contact with and coupled to the busbar terminal 410 in a bent form. In this case, the rear housing protrusion PHR may protrude further rearward than the busbar terminal 410 and the electrode lead 111 in contact therewith.

[0330] According to this embodiment of the present invention, direct contact between the bus bar assembly 400 or the electrode lead 111 and the rear insulating cover 900R can be more reliably prevented in a normal state. Therefore, even if external vibrations or impacts are applied, the rear insulating cover 900R can prevent the bus bar assembly 400, the electrode lead 111, etc. from being damaged.

[0331] In addition, according to this embodiment, in a thermal runaway situation, a sufficient amount of space is secured between the bus bar assembly 400 and the rear insulating cover 900R, so that vent gas, flames, and the like can be smoothly discharged into the space. Moreover, according to this embodiment, when the rear insulating cover 900R is in a melted state, a certain level of space can also be secured between the bus bar assembly 400 and the rear frame 320R. Therefore, flames and the like can be discharged more quickly and smoothly from the rear hole HR.

[0332] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the physical distance between the rear frame 320R and the electrode lead 111 is maintained at a certain level or more, making it possible to ensure a stable electrical insulation distance.

[0333] The rear housing protrusion portion PHR may be provided so as to extend long in the vertical direction. In particular, since the bus bar terminals 410 attached to the bus bar housing 420 are provided so as to extend long in the vertical direction, the rear housing protrusion portion PHR may be formed so as to be long in the vertical direction similarly to the bus bar terminals 410.

[0334] Furthermore, a plurality of busbar terminals 410 may be arranged in the busbar housing 420 at a distance from each other in the left-right direction. In this case, the rear housing protrusions PHR may be interposed between adjacent busbar terminals 410 as shown in FIG. 34. Furthermore, a plurality of rear housing protrusions PHR may be arranged in the horizontal direction in the busbar housing 420. In this case, the separation distance between the busbar assembly 400 and the rear insulating cover 900R can be stably ensured over the entire portion in the horizontal direction behind the cell assembly 100. Also, in this case, the physical separation state between adjacent busbar terminals 410 can be stably maintained.

[0335] On the other hand, in an embodiment in which the battery module is provided with a front insulating cover 900F along with the rear insulating cover 900R, the front insulating cover 900F may include a material having a higher melting point than the rear insulating cover 900R. In particular, both the front insulating cover 900F and the rear insulating cover 900R may be made of a plastic material, but the front insulating cover 900F may be made of a plastic material having a higher melting point than the rear insulating cover 900R.

[0336] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when a situation such as thermal runaway occurs inside the battery module, the rear insulating cover 900R melts faster than the front insulating cover 900F. Therefore, the rear hole HR can be opened first before the front insulating cover 900F melts or burns down. Therefore, flames and high-temperature vent gases generated inside the module case 300 can be quickly discharged to the outside through the rear hole HR, preventing the flames from moving forward.

[0337] The module case 300 may be configured such that the rear hole HR can communicate with the upper internal space of the cell assembly 100. This will be described in more detail with further reference to FIGS.

[0338] Fig. 35 is a cross-sectional view showing a rear side configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 36 is an enlarged view of a C3 portion of Fig. 35.

[0339] 35, as shown by C1, an empty space may be formed between the cell assembly 100 and the rear insulating cover 900R or the rear frame 320R. In particular, such an empty rear space C1 may be formed by extending from the inner upper portion of the rear frame 320R to a portion where the rear hole HR is formed.

[0340] The empty space C1 at the rear may be configured to be connected to a space above the cell assembly 100, such as a portion indicated by C2 inside the module case 300. Therefore, when the rear insulating cover 900R is removed, the rear hole HR formed in the rear frame 320R may communicate with the space above the cell assembly 100. Furthermore, the rear frame 320R may be configured to be continuously spaced apart from the cell assembly 100 or the bus bar assembly 400 from its upper end to the rear hole HR.

[0341] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the flame ejected from the upper side can be smoothly guided and discharged to the rear hole HR side. For example, as shown by the dotted arrow in Fig. 35, the flame, electrode exhaust, vent gas, etc. discharged into the upper space C2 of the cell assembly 100 can be discharged not only to the top hole HV of the module case 300 but also to the rear hole HR side. Therefore, by smoothly discharging the flame and gas upward and backward, the internal pressure of the battery module can be quickly reduced and the flame can be more effectively prevented from moving forward.

[0342] The module case 300 may include an inclined portion. Such an inclined portion may be configured such that the distance from the cell assembly 100 increases toward the rear hole HR side. Furthermore, such an inclined portion may be provided on the inner surface of the module case 300.

[0343] For example, referring to Fig. 36, the rear frame 320R may be formed with an inclined portion as indicated by C4. Such inclined portion C4 may be provided in a direction that increases in distance from the cell assembly 100 as it goes downward from the top, in other words, toward the rear (-X axis direction). Such an inclined portion may be realized by rounding (chamfering) the corners on the inner surface of the rear frame 320R.

[0344] According to this embodiment of the present invention, flames and the like can be more smoothly exhausted to the rear hole HR side of the module case 300. In particular, as shown by C5 in Fig. 36, the space between the cell assembly 100 and the rear frame 320R can be expanded by the inclined portion C4. Therefore, a wider ventilation path can be secured behind the cell assembly 100.

[0345] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when a flame or the like is discharged from the upper side of cell assembly 100 toward rear hole HR, the flame or the like can move more smoothly along the inclined surface as shown by the dotted arrow in Fig. 36. In particular, in the space behind cell assembly 100, inclined portion C4 can form a flame discharge path at a gentle obtuse angle rather than a right angle.

[0346] Fig. 37 is a perspective view showing a front side configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 38 is an exploded perspective view showing a partial configuration of Fig. 37. In particular, Fig. 38 shows a state in which some components located inside have been moved outward, excluding the front frame, which is a component located outside the battery module.

[0347] 37 and 38, as described above, the module case 300, particularly the front frame 320F, may have terminal holes HT through which the module terminals 200 can pass. The module terminals 200 may be exposed to the outside through the terminal holes HT.

[0348] Furthermore, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a terminal sealing member ST. The terminal sealing member ST may be configured to seal a space between the terminal hole HT and the module terminal 200. For example, referring to Fig. 38, the terminal hole HT of the front frame 320F is formed larger than the module terminal 200, so that an empty space may exist between the module terminal 200 and the front frame 320F. In this case, the terminal sealing member ST may seal at least a portion of the space between the front frame 320F and the module terminal 200 at the terminal hole HT.

[0349] Also, as described above, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a front insulating cover 900F. Furthermore, such a front insulating cover 900F may electrically insulate the front frame 320F and the module terminal 200 at a portion where the terminal hole HT of the front frame 320F is formed. At this time, the front insulating cover 900F may be interposed in a space between the front frame 320F and the module terminal 200 as shown in FIG. 37. However, the front insulating cover 900F may have an insulating hole as shown by HI in order to expose the module terminal 200 to the outside. In particular, the insulating hole HI for exposing the module terminal 200 is indicated by HI1 and may be referred to as a first insulating hole in order to distinguish it from the insulating hole HI for exposing the module connector MC described later. Here, the insulating hole HI of the front insulating cover 900F may be communicated with the terminal hole HT of the front frame 320F. However, since the insulation hole HI is smaller than the terminal hole HT, it can be interposed in the space between the module terminal 200 and the end frame 320 to electrically insulate them.

[0350] In such an embodiment, the terminal sealing member ST may be interposed between the first insulating hole HI1 of the front insulating cover 900F and the module terminal 200. Thus, the space between the module terminal 200 and the terminal hole HT may be sealed by the front insulating cover 900F and the terminal sealing member ST.

[0351] The terminal sealing member ST may be made of an elastic material to ensure a sealing force. Also, the terminal sealing member ST may be made of a heat-resistant material to withstand heat, flames, etc. In particular, the terminal sealing member ST may be made of a heat-resistant rubber material. For example, the terminal sealing member ST may be made of or include a fluororubber material.

[0352] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress the spread of flames, etc. from the exposed portion of the module terminal 200. In particular, according to this embodiment, it is possible to minimize the spread of flames, etc. along the periphery of the module terminal 200. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the propagation of thermal runaway between modules or a drop in pack voltage, etc., caused by a flame being spread to another battery module located in front of the battery module in which the module terminal 200 is located, or to a separate inter-module bus bar connecting the modules.

[0353] Furthermore, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a module connector MC as described above. The module connector MC is a connection structure for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the outside of the battery module, and may transmit and receive electrical signals.

[0354] Also, the module case 300 may be formed with a connector hole into which the module connector MC is inserted. In the case of such a connector hole, it may be formed in a form penetrating the module case 300 in the inward and outward directions, as shown by the portion indicated by HN in FIG. 38. In particular, the module connector MC may be provided on the front side of the battery module, similar to the module terminal 200. Therefore, the connector hole HN may also be formed in the front frame 320F together with the terminal hole HT. Also, when a front insulating cover 900F is interposed between the cell assembly 100 and the front frame 320F, a second insulating hole HI2 may also be formed in the front insulating cover 900F as shown in FIG. 38, through which the module connector MC can be exposed or penetrated.

[0355] In an embodiment including the module connector MC, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a connector sealing member SC, as shown in Figures 37 and 38. The connector sealing member SC may be configured in a form that seals a space between the module case 300 and the module connector MC at a connector hole HN of the module case 300.

[0356] The connector sealing member SC may be made of an elastic material to ensure a sealing force. Also, the connector sealing member SC may be made of a heat-resistant material to better withstand heat, flames, etc. In particular, the connector sealing member SC may be made of a heat-resistant rubber material. For example, the connector sealing member SC may be made of or include a fluororubber material.

[0357] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress the spread of flames from the exposed portion of the module connector MC. In particular, according to this embodiment, it is possible to minimize the spread of flames along the periphery of the module connector MC. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the spread of thermal runaway between modules or a drop in pack voltage, which may be caused by a flame being spread to another battery module located in front of the battery module where the module connector MC is located or to a separate inter-module bus bar connecting the modules.

[0358] Furthermore, in the case of an embodiment including the terminal sealing member ST and / or the connector sealing member SC, when combined with the various other embodiments described above, it is more effective in suppressing forward discharge of flames, etc. In particular, when combined with the embodiment in which the top hole HV is provided on the upper surface side, the embodiment in which the expansion member 500 is disposed at the front, and / or the embodiment in which the rear hole HR is provided at the rear, etc., it is possible to significantly improve the effect of suppressing forward discharge by inducing upward and / or rear discharge of flames, etc.

[0359] The battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes one or more battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a pack housing PH and include a plurality of battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention therein. In particular, two or more battery modules may be arranged in the pack housing PH with their front sides facing each other so that their module terminals 200 are adjacent to each other. In this case, if the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention is accommodated, even in such an arrangement in which the module terminals 200 face each other, it is possible to effectively suppress or delay the spread of a flame or the like to another battery module. In addition, in this case, it is possible to prevent a short circuit between the module terminals 200. Therefore, in an emergency situation such as thermal runaway, the effect of preventing heat propagation between modules is excellent, and it is possible to secure sufficient time for a user to respond or escape.

[0360] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include various other components in addition to the battery module, for example, various battery pack components known at the time of filing of the present invention, such as a BMS, a bus bar, a relay, a current sensor, etc.

[0361] Meanwhile, components such as the BMS, busbars, relays, and current sensors may be included as components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the components such as the BMS, busbars, relays, and current sensors may be provided inside a module case 300. In this case, the battery module may also be referred to as a battery pack, and the module case 300 may also be referred to as a pack housing PH. Furthermore, in this case, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a cell-to-pack type battery pack in which the battery cells 110 are directly accommodated in the pack housing PH.

[0362] The battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to automobiles such as electric automobiles and hybrid automobiles. That is, the automobile according to the present invention may include the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention or the battery pack according to the present invention. The automobile according to the present invention may further include various other components included in the automobile in addition to the battery module or the battery pack. For example, the automobile according to the present invention may further include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an energy control unit (ECU), etc., in addition to the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0363] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0364] 100: Cell assembly 110: Battery cell 111: Electrode lead 120: Taping material 200: Module terminal 300: Module case 310: Main frame, 320: End frame 320F: Front frame, 320R: Rear frame 400: Busbar assembly 410: Busbar terminal, 420: Busbar housing 500: Expansion member 510: first inflatable sheet, 520: second inflatable sheet 600: Top cover 700: Printed circuit board 800: Blocking cover 810: first seat cover, 820: second seat cover, 830: third seat cover 900: Insulating cover 900F: Front insulation cover, 900R: Rear insulation cover S1: Storage section, S2: Sealing section S2U: Top sealing part, S2F: Front sealing part, S2R: Rear sealing part DT: Cell adhesive material HT:Terminal hole HI: Insulation hole HI1: 1st insulation hole, HI2: 2nd insulation hole HV: Top hole HC: Cover hole HR: Rear hole HN: Connector hole PH: Pack housing M1 to M8: Battery modules (1st module to 8th module) MC: Module connector OC: Opening and closing OCL: Notch line, OCH: Cutoff hole, OCW: Cutoff protrusion TH: Thermistor PT: Protective material FR: Spacer T1 to T3: Taping member (first tape or third tape) CP: Compression pad HLF: Front fastening hole, HLR: Rear fastening hole PLF: Front fastening protrusion, PLR: Rear fastening protrusion PHF: Front housing protrusion, PHR: Rear housing protrusion ST: Terminal sealing material SC: Connector sealing material

Claims

1. A cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells that are stacked side by side in a vertically upright state and have a taping member partially attached to at least an upper end sealing portion; a module terminal electrically connected to the cell assembly; a module case having the module terminal attached to an outer side, housing the cell assembly in an internal space, and having a top hole formed on an upper surface thereof communicating with the internal space, and at least a portion of an unattached section of the taping member at an upper portion of the cell assembly being positioned in a portion of the top hole; a battery module.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the module terminal is located at a front of the module case.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the taping member is attached to an upper end sealing portion of one battery cell at a distance in a front-rear direction.

4. The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the top hole exposes to the outside a portion between the plurality of taping members arranged at a distance in the front-rear direction.

5. 2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the top hole is configured such that a portion of the upper portion of the cell assembly to which the taping member is not attached is exposed more than a portion to which the taping member is attached.

6. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the module case is configured so that the top hole is located above all of the battery cells included in the cell assembly.

7. The battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermistor configured to measure an ambient temperature and disposed on the upper side of the taping member.

8. 2. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising a top cover made of an electrically insulating material, interposed between an upper portion of the cell assembly and the module case, and having a cover hole formed in a portion opposite to the drilled portion of the top hole.

9. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the cover hole is smaller than the top hole, and a plurality of cover holes are arranged corresponding to one top hole.

10. The battery module according to claim 9 , wherein the cover hole is formed in a honeycomb structure.

11. a printed circuit board interposed between the cell assembly and the top cover and configured to transmit electrical signals to the cell assembly; The battery module of claim 8 , wherein the top cover is configured so that the cover hole is not formed on an upper side of the printed circuit board.

12. The battery module of claim 11 , wherein the module case is configured such that the top hole is also formed on an upper side of the printed circuit board.

13. The battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising an isolation cover positioned outside the module case and configured to open and close the top hole in response to an internal pressure of the module case.

14. The battery module of claim 13 , further comprising a spacer disposed on an upper portion of the blocking cover.

15. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A motor vehicle comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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