Battery module, battery pack including same, and automobile

Abstract

The battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells, a cell frame that houses the plurality of battery cells, and a filling material filled between the plurality of battery cells, and at least a portion of the cell frame is recessed to form a leakage prevention groove that houses the filling material, and the cell frame includes a frame wall that forms a periphery of the cell frame and a cell receiving portion that is provided inside the frame wall and houses the plurality of battery cells, and the leakage prevention groove is provided between the frame wall and the cell receiving portion. According to the present invention, leakage of the filling material can be prevented when the filling material is injected. In addition, when cell frames that house upper and lower parts of the battery cells are coupled to each other, leakage of the filling material between the cell frames can be prevented. Furthermore, leakage of the filling material can be prevented while reducing manufacturing costs and increasing energy density.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery module capable of preventing leakage of a filling member, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0181620, filed on December 22, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings.

[0003] This application also claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0073840 filed on June 8, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings. [Background technology]

[0004] Secondary batteries, which have high applicability in various products and electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are driven by electrical sources. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving environmental friendliness and energy efficiency, not only because they have the major advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, but also because they do not produce any by-products associated with energy use.

[0005] Currently widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such a unit secondary battery cell, i.e., a unit battery cell, is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, a battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel depending on the charge / discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack may be variously set depending on the required output voltage and / or charge / discharge capacity.

[0006] Meanwhile, when constructing a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel, a method is generally used in which a battery module including at least one battery cell is first constructed, and then other components are added using the at least one battery module to construct a battery pack or a battery rack.

[0007] A conventional battery module includes a plurality of battery cells and a cell frame, and further includes a filler material filled between the battery cells to prevent heat diffusion and ensure cooling performance.

[0008] However, in the case of a conventional battery module, there is a problem in that the filling material leaks out of the cell frame, which causes leakage of the filling material. In particular, in a structure in which the cell frame is divided into an upper part and a lower part and joined together, there is a problem in that the filling material may leak into a gap formed at the joined part.

[0009] To solve this problem, conventional battery modules have attempted to prevent the filler from leaking out of the cell frame by filling the gaps between the upper and lower cell frames using gaskets or glue at the parts where the cell frames are joined. However, in conventional battery modules, the addition of such separate gaskets or glue increases manufacturing costs, and the entire battery module becomes bulky, which is disadvantageous in terms of energy density.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need to find a solution for providing a battery module that can prevent leakage of the filling member, reduce manufacturing costs, and increase energy density, as well as a battery pack and automobile including the same. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module capable of preventing leakage of a filling member, and a battery pack and an automobile including the same.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery module capable of reducing manufacturing costs and increasing energy density, and a battery pack and an automobile including the same.

[0013] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a battery module comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a cell frame that houses the plurality of battery cells; and a filling material filled between the plurality of battery cells, wherein at least a portion of the cell frame is recessed to form a leakage prevention groove that houses the filling material, and the cell frame comprises a frame wall that forms a periphery of the cell frame; and a cell accommodating portion that is provided inside the frame wall and accommodates the plurality of battery cells, and the leakage prevention groove is provided between the frame wall and the cell accommodating portion.

[0015] The leakage prevention groove may be provided along the frame wall.

[0016] The cell accommodating portion may include a plurality of cell accommodating holes arranged side by side to receive the plurality of battery cells respectively, and a cell accommodating wall formed along an outermost periphery of the cell accommodating holes, and the leakage prevention groove may be provided between the cell accommodating wall and the frame wall. The cell accommodating wall may be obliquely provided toward the leakage prevention groove.

[0017] The plurality of cell accommodating holes may be formed in a cylindrical shape, and the leakage prevention groove may be provided between adjacent ones of the plurality of cell accommodating holes and the frame wall.

[0018] The leakage prevention groove may be provided in a shape surrounded by the cell receiving portion and the frame wall.

[0019] The leakage prevention groove may be provided in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other, or may be provided in a plurality of grooves connected to each other.

[0020] The leakage prevention groove includes a plurality of first grooves formed between adjacent cell accommodating holes of the plurality of cell accommodating holes, and a second groove formed between adjacent first grooves of the plurality of first grooves and communicating with the adjacent first grooves, and the depths of the first groove and the second groove may be different from each other.

[0021] The leakage prevention groove may include an inclined surface that is inclined toward the first groove between the first groove and the second groove and that guides the flow of the filling member.

[0022] The height of the cell containing wall and the depth of the leakage prevention groove may be set to correspond to the height of the frame wall.

[0023] The cell frame may include a cell top frame that accommodates upper portions of the plurality of battery cells, and a cell bottom frame that is coupled to a lower portion of the cell top frame and accommodates lower portions of the plurality of battery cells, and the leakage prevention groove may be provided in the cell bottom frame.

[0024] The cell bottom frame may include a joint portion to which the cell top frame is joined, and the leakage prevention groove may be provided on the inside of the joint portion.

[0025] The cell bottom frame includes a first wall defined by the outer wall of the cell bottom frame and a second wall disposed at a distance inward from the first wall, and the joint portion is provided between the first wall and the second wall so that a portion of the cell top frame can be fitted therein.

[0026] The leakage prevention groove may be provided on the inside of the second wall.

[0027] The filling member may be provided by a potting resin.

[0028] The present invention also provides a battery module including a plurality of battery cells, a cell frame that houses the plurality of battery cells and has an open top, and a filling material filled in the cell frame through the top of the cell frame, the cell frame having a leakage prevention groove that prevents leakage of the filling material.

[0029] Here, the cell frame may include a cell top frame that accommodates upper portions of the plurality of battery cells, and a cell bottom frame that is coupled to a lower portion of the cell top frame and accommodates lower portions of the plurality of battery cells, and the leakage prevention groove may be provided in the cell bottom frame.

[0030] The present invention further provides a battery pack, characterized in that it comprises at least one battery module according to the present invention.

[0031] Furthermore, the present invention provides a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one battery pack according to the present invention.

[0032] In addition, the present invention provides a cell frame comprising a frame wall forming a rectangular peripheral portion, a cell accommodating portion provided inside the frame wall for accommodating a plurality of battery cells, and a leakage prevention groove provided between the frame wall and the cell accommodating portion.

[0033] The cell accommodating portion may include a plurality of cylindrical cell accommodating holes arranged side by side so that the plurality of battery cells are respectively fitted into the cell accommodating holes, and a cell accommodating wall formed around the outermost periphery of the cell accommodating holes, and the leakage prevention groove may be provided between the cell accommodating wall and the frame wall.

[0034] The leakage prevention groove includes a plurality of first grooves formed between adjacent cell accommodating holes of the plurality of cell accommodating holes, and a second groove formed between adjacent first grooves of the plurality of first grooves and communicating with the adjacent first grooves, and the depths of the first groove and the second groove may be different from each other. Effect of the Invention

[0035] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery module capable of preventing leakage of a filling material when the filling material is injected, and a battery pack and an automobile including the battery module.

[0036] In addition, when cell frames accommodating upper and lower portions of the battery cells are joined to each other, leakage, such as leakage of the filler material between the joined cell frames, can be prevented.

[0037] Furthermore, since no gaskets or glue are used, manufacturing costs can be reduced and the energy density can be increased while preventing leakage of the filling member.

[0038] In addition to these, the present invention can have various other effects, which will be described in the sections for each embodiment, and descriptions of effects that can be easily inferred by a person skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0039] The drawings attached to this specification are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to facilitate a further understanding of the technical ideas of the present invention as well as the content of the invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cell frame of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the cell frame of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram of a battery module corresponding to a cross section taken along line II' of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the cell bottom frame of FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a diagram of a battery module corresponding to a cross section taken along line II-II' of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cell bottom frame of FIG. 6. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram of a battery module corresponding to a cross section taken along line III-III' of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 7 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the cell bottom frame of FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a diagram of the battery module corresponding to the cross section taken along line IV-IV' of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a battery pack including the battery module of FIG. 6. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a vehicle including the battery pack of FIG. 15. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] 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 or 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 inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself / herself in order to best describe the invention.

[0042] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments 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.

[0043] In the drawings, the size of each component or a specific part of the component may be slightly exaggerated, omitted, or illustrated in a schematic manner for ease of explanation and clarity. Therefore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. If a detailed description of a related known function or configuration is deemed to be likely to make the gist of the present invention more ambiguous, the detailed description will be omitted. For reference, terms indicating directions in this specification are relative terms based on the components shown in the accompanying drawings and may be changed depending on the attitude and position of the actual components.

[0044] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG.

[0045] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a battery module 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery cells 100, a cell frame 200 that houses the plurality of battery cells 100, and a filling member R that is filled between the plurality of battery cells 100.

[0046] The battery cell 100 may be any type of secondary battery, such as a square, cylindrical, or pouch-type battery cell, and in the present embodiment, the battery cell 100 is provided as a cylindrical battery cell. The battery cells 100 may be electrically connected to each other. The battery cells 100 may be arranged in rows and columns to form one battery module 10.

[0047] Meanwhile, the cell frame 200 may be provided to accommodate all of the battery cells 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cell frame 200 may be provided in a box shape having an open top and four walls. A part of the wall extends along the X-axis direction in the drawings, and another part of the wall extends along the Y-axis direction. The battery cells 100 are accommodated in the cell frame 200 upright in the Z-axis direction. Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the cell frame 200 may include a frame wall 210 that forms a periphery of the cell frame 200, and a cell receiving portion 220 that is provided inside the frame wall 210 and accommodates the battery cells 100.

[0048] The cell frame 200 may be formed into a single unit by filling a filler member R between the plurality of battery cells 100. That is, the filler member R is filled in spaces formed between the plurality of battery cells 100.

[0049] 2, the filling member R fills the spaces between the battery cells 100 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the battery module 10. Meanwhile, in FIG. 2, the filling member R is shown by a two-dot chain line in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped simply for the purpose of better understanding, and the filling member R fills all of the spaces between the battery cells 100 in the cell frame 200.

[0050] The filling member R may cover the upper and lower sides of the battery cells 100 to form the structure of the battery module 10 together with the cell frame 200.

[0051] In addition, the filling member R can more stably fix the battery cells 100 and increase the heat dissipation efficiency of the battery cells 100, thereby further improving the cooling performance of the battery cells 100.

[0052] In addition, the filling material R can prevent the penetration of moisture, foreign matter, etc. into the battery cell 100, prevent chain fires when a thermal event occurs due to an abnormality in the battery cell 100, and increase the structural rigidity of the battery pack 20.

[0053] Here, the filling member R may be a potting resin that is mixed with beads such as glass bubbles. The potting resin may be formed by injecting a thin resin material into the battery cells 100 and curing it. Here, the resin material may be injected at room temperature of about 15° C. to 25° C. to prevent thermal damage to the battery cells 100.

[0054] Specifically, the filling member R may be made of a silicone resin. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the filling member R may be made of other resin materials other than the silicone resin that improve the fixing ability and heat dissipation efficiency of the battery cell 100.

[0055] The filling member R may have a predetermined viscosity and may include at least two substances. Specifically, the filling member R may be prepared by mixing a predetermined resin and beads in a predetermined ratio. The filling member R may reduce the cost of the potting resin by mixing the beads, and may adjust the physical properties of the filling member R, such as the viscosity, according to the mixing ratio.

[0056] The filling member R can guide the thermal balance of the battery cell 100, prevent uneven cooling of the battery cell 100, and prevent local deterioration of the battery cell 100. In addition, by preventing local deterioration of the battery cell 100, the safety of the battery cell 100 can also be significantly improved.

[0057] In addition, the filling member R may act as an insulator to prevent current flow to the adjacent battery cell 100 when at least one specific battery cell 100 among the plurality of battery cells 100 is damaged due to an abnormal condition.

[0058] Furthermore, the filling member R may further include a material having high specific heat performance. As a result, the filling member R increases thermal mass, and can delay the temperature rise of the battery cell 100 even under circumstances such as rapid charging and discharging of the battery cell 100, thereby preventing a rapid temperature rise of the battery cell 100.

[0059] Furthermore, the filling member R may further include a material having high heat resistance. As a result, when a thermal event such as overheating occurs in at least one specific battery cell 100 among the plurality of battery cells 100, the filling member R can effectively prevent thermal runaway to the adjacent battery cell.

[0060] Furthermore, the filling member R may further include a material having high flame retardant performance. This allows the filling member R to minimize the risk of fire when a thermal event such as overheating occurs in at least one specific battery cell 100 among the plurality of battery cells 100.

[0061] Meanwhile, in the conventional battery module, when the filling material is injected into the inside of the cell frame, there is a problem that the filling material overflows and leaks out of the cell frame.

[0062] The present invention provides a battery module 10 including a leakage prevention groove 230 in which at least a portion of the cell frame 200 is recessed to accommodate the filling member R in order to prevent leakage of the filling member R. As a result, the filling member R is accommodated in the leakage prevention groove 230 before leaking out of the cell frame 200, thereby preventing the filling member R from leaking out of the cell frame 200.

[0063] The structure and shape of the leakage prevention groove 230 provided in the cell frame 200 to prevent leakage of the filling member R will be described in more detail below.

[0064] 3 is a perspective view of the cell frame of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a view looking down on the cell frame of FIG. 1 from above, and FIG. 5 is a view of a battery module corresponding to the cross section taken along the line II' of FIG.

[0065] 3 to 5, the cell frame 200 of the present invention accommodates the plurality of battery cells 100 and has an open upper portion, which allows the filler R to be filled into the cell frame 200 through the upper portion of the cell frame 200. In this case, it is preferable that the leakage prevention groove 230 is provided on the upper side of the cell frame 200 to prevent leakage of the filler R.

[0066] The present invention provides a cell frame 200 including a frame wall 210 forming a rectangular peripheral portion, a cell receiving portion 220 provided inside the frame wall 210 to receive a plurality of battery cells 100, and a leakage prevention groove 230 provided between the frame wall 210 and the cell receiving portion 220. The cell frame 200 can be integrally manufactured by injection molding using plastic.

[0067] The cell accommodating portion 220 may include a plurality of cell accommodating holes 221 arranged side by side to receive the battery cells 100, and a cell accommodating wall 222 formed along the outermost periphery of the cell accommodating holes 221. The cell accommodating portion 220 may include a cell support portion 223 that forms the plurality of cell accommodating holes 221 and supports the outer side of the battery cell 100. In particular, referring to FIG. 5, the cell support portion 223 may support a lower portion of a peripheral surface of the battery cell 100.

[0068] The leakage prevention groove 230 may be provided between the frame wall 210 and the cell accommodating portion 220. For example, the leakage prevention groove 230 may be provided between the cell accommodating wall 222 and the frame wall 210. Also, the leakage prevention groove 230 may be provided along the frame wall 210. Thus, when the filler R filled inside the cell accommodating portion 220 leaks out of the cell accommodating wall 222, the filler R is primarily accommodated in the leakage prevention groove 230, and can be prevented from spilling out to the frame wall 210.

[0069] 3 and 5, the cell accommodating wall 222 may be obliquely provided so that its height gradually decreases toward the leakage prevention groove 230. As a result, the cell accommodating wall 222 can guide the filler R leaking inside the cell accommodating portion 220 to be accommodated in the leakage prevention groove 230, thereby more effectively preventing the filler R from leaking.

[0070] Meanwhile, since the battery cell 100 is provided as a cylindrical cell, the cell accommodating holes 221 may be provided in a cylindrical shape. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, when the cell frame 200 is viewed from above, the cell accommodating holes 221 may be provided in a circular shape. In this case, the leakage prevention groove 230 may be provided along the frame wall 210, and may be provided between the frame wall 210 and two adjacent cell accommodating holes 221. That is, the leakage prevention groove 230 may be provided between two adjacent cell accommodating holes 221 of the cell accommodating holes 221 and the frame wall 210. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the leakage prevention groove 230 may be provided in a shape surrounded by the cell accommodating portion 220 and the frame wall 210.

[0071] The leakage prevention grooves 230 may be provided in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other, or as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the leakage prevention grooves 230 may be provided in a plurality of grooves connected to each other.

[0072] Specifically, the leakage prevention groove 230 may include a plurality of first grooves 231 formed between adjacent cell accommodating holes 221 of the plurality of cell accommodating holes 221, and a second groove 232 formed between adjacent first grooves 231 of the plurality of first grooves 231 and communicating with the adjacent first grooves 231. That is, the first groove 231 and the second groove 232 may be provided in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other, or the first groove 231 and the second groove 232 may be provided to be connected to each other. For example, when the battery cell 100 is provided as a cylindrical cell, if a shape in which the first groove 231 is removed (removed) is formed in the empty space between the plurality of cell accommodating holes 221, the first groove 231 and the second groove 232 can be easily formed during the formation of the plastic injection molding of the cell frame 200.

[0073] As a result, the leakage prevention groove 230 is provided in all spaces formed between the frame wall 210 and the cell housing portion 220, so that the leakage prevention groove 230 can accommodate the filling member R regardless of the direction of leakage of the filling member R. On the other hand, in order to reduce material costs, the filling member R is injected from above into the inside of the cell housing wall 222 as much as possible, but there is a risk that the filling member R will overflow from the cell housing wall 222 due to a delay in the end of injection or due to vibration. At this time, the filling member R flows into the first groove 231 and the second groove 232, so it does not flow out to the outside of the cell frame 200. FIG. 5 shows an example of a shape in which the filling member R overflowing into the first groove 231 is completely filled, but the first groove 231 may not be completely filled with the filling member R.

[0074] 5, the depth h1 of the first groove 231 and the depth h2 of the second groove 232 may be different from each other. The first groove 231 may be formed to be deeper than the second groove 232 to store the filling material R causing leakage. That is, the depth h1 of the first groove 231 may be formed to be deeper than the depth h2 of the second groove 232. Referring to FIG. 3, the leakage prevention groove 230 may include an inclined surface 233 between the first groove 231 and the second groove 232, the height of which gradually decreases toward the first groove 231, to guide the flow of the filling material R. As a result, the filling material R first flows into the shallow second groove 232, and then flows further down the inclined surface 233 and is guided to the deeper first groove 231 where it is stored, thereby more effectively preventing the filling material R from leaking out of the cell frame 200.

[0075] FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG.

[0076] Unlike the above-described embodiment, in the battery module 10 shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cell frame 200 may include a cell top frame 202 that accommodates the upper portions of the plurality of battery cells 100, and a cell bottom frame 201 that is coupled to the lower portion of the cell top frame 202 and accommodates the lower portions of the plurality of battery cells 100.

[0077] In this manner, when the cell top frame 202 and the cell bottom frame 201 are joined together, a certain tolerance inevitably occurs at the portion where the cell top frame 202 and the cell bottom frame 201 are joined together due to the height tolerance between the plurality of battery cells 100 and the cell frame 200. Therefore, if there is no structure such as the leakage prevention groove 230, a phenomenon occurs in which the filling member R leaks out of the cell frame 200 through the joined portion.

[0078] In the case of a conventional battery module having a structure in which a cell frame is divided into an upper part and a lower part and joined, an attempt has been made to prevent the filler material from leaking out of the cell frame by filling the gap between the upper and lower parts of the cell frame by using a gasket or glue at the part where the cell frame is joined. However, in the conventional battery module, the addition of such a separate gasket or glue increases the manufacturing cost and the entire battery module becomes bulky, which is disadvantageous in terms of energy density.

[0079] In the present invention, since no gasket or glue is used, the leakage prevention groove 230 is provided to reduce manufacturing costs and increase energy density, thereby preventing the filling member R from leaking to the portion where the cell top frame 202 and the cell bottom frame 201 are joined when the cell top frame 202 and the cell bottom frame 201 are joined. The leakage prevention groove 230 can be provided in the cell bottom frame 201. As a result, since the leakage prevention groove 230 is provided integrally with the cell frame 200, the filling member R is accommodated in the leakage prevention groove 230 before leaking outside the cell frame 200 without the need for additional members, and when the cell frame 200 is provided separately from the cell top frame 202 and the cell bottom frame 201, the filling member R can be prevented from leaking outside the cell frame 200 from the joining portion. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and energy density can be increased.

[0080] Next, a structure according to an embodiment of the cell bottom frame 201 and the cell top frame 202 that can be included in the battery module 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cell bottom frame of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is a view of a battery module corresponding to the cross section taken along the II-II' arrows of Fig. 8.

[0081] 8 and 9, the cell bottom frame 201 and the cell top frame 202 may include frame walls 210a, 210b and cell receiving portions 220a, 220b, respectively. In this case, the frame wall 210a of the cell bottom frame 201 forms the periphery of the cell bottom frame 201, and the cell receiving portion 220a has the same structure as the cell receiving portion 220 of the cell frame 200 described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0082] 9, the frame wall 210b of the cell top frame 202 may further include a leakage prevention wall 214b that forms the periphery of the cell top frame 202 and protrudes upward to prevent the filler R from leaking when the filler R is filled inside the cell frame 200. Similarly, the cell receiving portion 220b of the cell top frame 202 has a shape obtained by inverting the cell receiving portion 220 of the cell frame 200 described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, and has the same structure as the cell receiving portion 220. In this case, the cell support portion 223b of the cell top frame 202 may support an upper portion of a peripheral surface of the battery cell 100.

[0083] Meanwhile, in detailing a structure in which the cell top frame 202 and the cell bottom frame 201 are coupled to each other, the cell top frame 202 may be coupled to accommodate the entire cell bottom frame 201. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 9, the cell bottom frame 201 may include a coupling portion 213a to which the cell top frame 202 is coupled. The coupling portion 213a may be provided by recessing a portion of the frame wall 210a. That is, a portion of the cell top frame 202 may be fitted into the coupling portion 213a of the cell bottom frame 201. As a result, the cell bottom frame 201 and the cell top frame 202 may be firmly coupled to each other without a separate member such as a gasket or glue, thereby further enhancing the rigidity of the battery module 10.

[0084] Meanwhile, in order to prevent the filling material R from leaking from the coupling portion 213 when the cell bottom frame 201 and the cell top frame 202 are coupled, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided between the frame wall 210a and the cell accommodating portion 220a. For example, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided between the cell accommodating wall 222a and the frame wall 210a. Also, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided along the frame wall 210a. As a result, when the filling material R filled inside the cell accommodating portion 220a leaks to the outside of the cell accommodating wall 222a, it is primarily accommodated in the leakage prevention groove 230a and can be prevented from overflowing to the frame wall 210a.

[0085] 8 and 9, the cell accommodating wall 222a may be obliquely provided so that its height gradually decreases toward the leakage prevention groove 230a. As a result, the cell accommodating wall 222a can guide the filler R leaking inside the cell accommodating portion 220a to be accommodated in the leakage prevention groove 230a, thereby more effectively preventing the filler R from leaking.

[0086] Specifically, the cell bottom frame 201 may include a first wall 211a defined by the outer wall of the cell bottom frame 201, and a second wall 212a provided at a distance from the first wall 211a on the inside, and the coupling portion 213a may be provided between the first wall 211a and the second wall 212a, into which a part of the frame wall 210b of the cell top frame 202 may be fitted. In this case, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided on the inside of the coupling portion 213a and on the inside of the second wall 212a. As a result, when the cell bottom frame 201 and the cell top frame 202 are coupled, the filling member R is primarily accommodated inside the coupling portion 213a to prevent leakage, and the coupling portion 213a can also play the same role as the leakage prevention groove 230a, so that leakage of the filling member R can be secondarily prevented.

[0087] Meanwhile, since the battery cell 100 is provided as a cylindrical cell, the cell accommodating holes 221a may be provided in a cylindrical shape. In this case, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided along the frame wall 210a, and may be provided between the frame wall 210a and two adjacent cell accommodating holes 221a. That is, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided between two adjacent cell accommodating holes 221a of the cell accommodating holes 221a and the frame wall 210a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided in a shape surrounded by the cell accommodating portion 220a and the frame wall 210a.

[0088] The leakage prevention grooves 230a may be provided in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other. According to one embodiment, the leakage prevention grooves 230a of the cell bottom frame 201 may be provided only by a plurality of first grooves 231a formed between adjacent cell accommodating holes 221a among the plurality of cell accommodating holes 221a. In this case, the first grooves 231a may not only accommodate the filling member R that may cause leakage, but also serve to store the filling member R.

[0089] The structure of another embodiment of the cell bottom frame 201 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 12. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the other embodiment of the cell bottom frame of Fig. 6, Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of part A of Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 is a view of a battery module corresponding to the cross section taken along the line III-III' of Fig. 11.

[0090] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, if only the first groove 231a is provided, there is a possibility that the filling member R may leak into the empty space between the first grooves 231a. Therefore, as shown in Figures 10 to 12, the leakage prevention grooves 230a may be provided so as to be connected to each other. As a result, the leakage prevention grooves 230a are provided in all spaces formed between the frame wall 210a and the cell accommodating portion 220a, so that the filling member R can be accommodated regardless of the direction in which leakage of the filling member R occurs.

[0091] Specifically, the leakage prevention groove 230a may include a plurality of first grooves 231a formed between adjacent cell accommodating holes 221a among the plurality of cell accommodating holes 221a, and a second groove 232a formed between adjacent first grooves 231a among the plurality of first grooves 231a and communicating with the adjacent first grooves 231a. That is, the first groove 231a and the second groove 232a may be provided in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other, or the first groove 231a and the second groove 232a may be provided to be connected to each other.

[0092] At this time, as shown in Fig. 12, the depth h3 of the first groove 231a and the depth h4 of the second groove 232a may be different from each other. The first groove 231a may be formed to be deeper than the second groove 232a to store the filling material R causing leakage. That is, the depth h3 of the first groove 231a may be formed to be deeper than the depth h4 of the second groove 232a. Referring to Fig. 10, the leakage prevention groove 230a may include an inclined surface 233a between the first groove 231a and the second groove 232a, the inclined surface 233a being inclined to gradually decrease in height toward the first groove 231a to guide the flow of the filling material R.

[0093] This allows the filling material R to flow into the shallow second groove 232a, and then flow further down the inclined surface 233a and be guided to the deeper first groove 231a where it is stored, thereby more effectively preventing the filling material R from leaking out of the cell bottom frame 201 without weakening the rigidity of the cell bottom frame 201.

[0094] A structure according to yet another embodiment of the cell bottom frame 201 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the cell bottom frame of Fig. 6, and Fig. 14 is a view of a battery module corresponding to the cross section taken along the line IV-IV' of Fig. 13.

[0095] 13 and 14, the first groove 231a and the second groove 232a may be provided to be connected to each other, and the depth h5 of the first groove 231a and the depth h6 of the second groove 232a may be formed to be the same. In addition, the height of the cell accommodating wall 222a and the depth of the leakage prevention groove 230a may be provided to correspond to the height of the frame wall 210a. In this case, the cell accommodating wall 222a and the frame wall 210a may be provided to be completely separated from each other.

[0096] In other words, the leakage prevention groove 230a may be defined as the entire space between the cell accommodating wall 222a and the frame wall 210a. As a result, when the filling material R leaks to the outside of the cell accommodating wall 222a, a large amount of the filling material R can be stored in the leakage prevention groove 230a, so that the filling material R can be more effectively prevented from leaking to the outside of the cell frame 200.

[0097] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a battery pack including the battery module of FIG.

[0098] 15, the present invention provides a battery pack 20 including at least one battery module 10 according to the above-described embodiment. The battery pack 20 may include a pack case 21 that accommodates the battery module 10. To this end, the pack case 21 may be provided with an accommodation space capable of accommodating the battery module 10. The accommodation space may be a space at the bottom of the pack case 21 that is formed in a stepped shape from a periphery of the pack case 21 to a predetermined depth.

[0099] 15, it goes without saying that the pack case 21 may further include a pack cover that covers the battery module 10. Here, the pack case 21 may be coupled to the pack cover by being bolted using a bolt fastening member.

[0100] In addition, the battery pack 20 may include a battery management system (BMS) as a control module for controlling the battery module 10. The control module may manage the battery module 10 by sensing the charge / discharge, voltage, and temperature of the battery module 10.

[0101] In addition, although not shown, the battery pack 20 may further include components of a cooling unit, such as a heat sink for cooling the battery module 10. The heat sink may be air-cooled or water-cooled, and may be provided above or below the bottom of the pack case 21.

[0102] In addition to these, the battery pack 20 may further include various other components, such as relays, current sensors, and other components that are known at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0103] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a vehicle including the battery pack of FIG.

[0104] 16, the present invention may provide an automobile 30 including at least one of the above-described battery packs 20. That is, the battery pack 20 according to the present invention may be applied to automobiles such as electric automobiles and hybrid automobiles. For example, the battery pack 20 may be installed in a space in a body frame or trunk under a seat of the vehicle.

[0105] According to the various embodiments as described above, it is possible to provide a battery module 10 that can prevent leakage of the filling member, reduce costs, and increase energy density, as well as a battery pack 20 and an automobile 30 that include the battery module 10.

[0106] For reference, it goes without saying that the battery pack 20 according to the present invention can be applied to an energy storage system (ESS) and various electric devices in addition to an automobile. As such, an apparatus, tool, or facility equipped with the battery pack 20, such as the automobile 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention, includes the battery module 10 described above, and therefore can realize all of the advantages of the battery module 10 described above.

[0107] Meanwhile, in this specification, directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, but these terms are used merely for ease of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that they may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0108] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these in any way, 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 belongs within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A plurality of battery cells; A cell frame that houses the plurality of battery cells; A filler material filled between the plurality of battery cells; Including, At least a portion of the cell frame is recessed to form a leakage prevention groove for accommodating the filling member; The cell frame includes: a frame wall forming a periphery of the cell frame; a cell accommodating portion provided inside the frame wall and accommodating the plurality of battery cells; The leakage prevention groove is provided between the frame wall and the cell accommodating portion.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided along the frame wall.

3. The cell storage section includes: a plurality of cell receiving holes arranged side by side so that the plurality of battery cells are respectively inserted into the cell receiving holes; a cell housing wall formed along the outermost periphery of the cell housing hole, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided between the cell containing wall and the frame wall.

4. The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the cell housing wall is obliquely disposed toward the leakage prevention groove.

5. The plurality of cell receiving holes are cylindrical, The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided between adjacent ones of the plurality of cell accommodating holes and the frame wall.

6. The battery module according to claim 5 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided in a shape surrounded by the cell housing portion and the frame wall.

7. The leakage prevention groove is provided in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other, The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided in a plurality of grooves that are connected to each other.

8. The leakage prevention groove is a plurality of first grooves positioned between adjacent cell receiving holes among the plurality of cell receiving holes; and a second groove formed between adjacent first grooves among the plurality of first grooves and communicating with the adjacent first grooves; The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein a depth of the first groove and a depth of the second groove are different from each other.

9. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the leakage prevention groove includes an inclined surface disposed between the first groove and the second groove and inclined toward the first groove to guide a flow of the filling member.

10. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein a height of the cell containing wall and a depth of the leakage prevention groove correspond to a height of the frame wall.

11. The cell frame includes: a cell top frame that accommodates upper portions of the plurality of battery cells; a cell bottom frame coupled to a lower portion of the cell top frame and accommodating lower portions of the plurality of battery cells; The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided in the cell bottom frame.

12. the cell bottom frame includes a coupling portion to which the cell top frame is coupled, The battery module according to claim 11 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided on the inner side of the joint portion.

13. The cell bottom frame is a first wall defined by an outer wall of the cell bottom frame; A second wall provided inwardly and spaced apart from the first wall, The battery module according to claim 12 , wherein the coupling portion is provided between the first wall and the second wall, and a portion of the cell top frame is fitted therein.

14. The battery module according to claim 13 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided on the inside of the second wall.

15. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the filling member is a potting resin.

16. A plurality of battery cells; a cell frame that accommodates the plurality of battery cells and has an open top; a filler member filled in the cell frame through an upper portion of the cell frame, The cell frame is provided with a leakage prevention groove to prevent leakage of the filling member.

17. The cell frame includes: a cell top frame that accommodates upper portions of the plurality of battery cells; a cell bottom frame coupled to a lower portion of the cell top frame and accommodating lower portions of the plurality of battery cells; The battery module according to claim 16 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided in the cell bottom frame.

18. A battery pack comprising at least one battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. 20. A motor vehicle comprising at least one battery pack according to claim 18.

20. a frame wall forming a rectangular perimeter; A cell accommodating portion provided inside the frame wall and accommodating a plurality of battery cells; a leakage prevention groove provided between the frame wall and the cell containing portion.

21. The cell storage section includes: a plurality of cylindrical cell receiving holes arranged side by side so that the plurality of battery cells can be fitted into the cell receiving holes, respectively; a cell housing wall formed along the outermost periphery of the cell housing hole, The cell frame according to claim 20 , wherein the leakage prevention groove is provided between the cell containing wall and the frame wall.

22. The leakage prevention groove is a plurality of first grooves formed between adjacent cell receiving holes among the plurality of cell receiving holes; and a second groove formed between adjacent first grooves among the plurality of first grooves and communicating with the adjacent first grooves; 22. The cell frame of claim 21, wherein the first groove depth and the second groove depth are different from each other.

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