Battery, battery pack including the same, and motor vehicle

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery having a structure in which a heat conductive member is applied to a beading portion. A battery according to an aspect of the present invention includes an electrode assembly, a battery housing including a beading portion formed by press-fitting an outer peripheral edge from the open portion side, the beading portion having an open portion formed on one side and accommodating the electrode assembly through the open portion, a top cap covering the open portion, and a heat conductive member configured to fill at least a part of a space formed by the beading portion from the outside of the battery housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery having a structure in which a heat conductive member is applied to a beading part, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0089218 filed on July 19, 2022, and all of the contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated into this application.

Background Art

[0003] Batteries with high applicability to product groups and having electrical characteristics such as high energy density are widely applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by electric drive sources.

[0004] Such batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for environmental friendliness and energy efficiency improvement because they have not only the primary merit of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels but also the merit of generating no by-products associated with energy use.

[0005] Currently widely used battery types include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, etc. The operating voltage of such a single battery cell is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a plurality of batteries are connected in series to form a battery pack. Also, depending on the charge and discharge capacity required for the battery pack, a plurality of batteries may be connected in parallel to form a battery pack. Therefore, the number of batteries included in the battery pack and the form of electrical connection can be variously set according to the required output voltage and / or charge and discharge capacity.

[0006] Recently, in order to achieve high energy density and cost reduction of battery packs, development has been progressing in the direction of increasing cell size.

[0007] To improve the energy density, it is necessary to maximize the size of the electrode assembly to maximize the capacity. For this purpose, it is necessary to maximize the internal space by making the thickness of the battery housing as thin as possible.

[0008] However, if the thickness of the battery housing is made too thin, it will be disadvantageous in terms of the durability of the battery housing, and the battery housing may break or tear at the thinned part.

[0009] In particular, the beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer peripheral edge of the battery housing to prevent the detachment of the electrode assembly from the open portion side of the battery housing is a deformed portion once, so it may become more fragile. In addition, due to the stretching of the battery housing by press-fitting, a part of the beading portion forming part in the battery housing may be thinner than the surrounding area.

[0010] Therefore, to improve this, it is necessary to ensure heat release from the external beading portion of the battery to the outside of the battery and / or improve the structural stability.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to prevent deformation and damage of the beading portion due to heat by smoothing heat transfer / heat release from the beading portion area, which may be structurally fragile, to the outside of the battery can.

[0012] In another aspect, another object of the present invention is to prevent the formation of pinholes in the beading portion and prevent structural collapse when the battery is exposed to a high-temperature environment.

[0013] However, the technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-described problems, and other problems not mentioned should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0014] A battery according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an electrode assembly, a battery housing that has an opening formed on one side and houses the electrode assembly through the opening, and has a beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer peripheral edge from the side of the opening, a top cap that covers the opening, and a heat conductive member configured to fill at least a part of the space formed by the beading portion from the outside of the battery housing.

[0015] The heat conductive member may extend along the outer peripheral edge of the battery housing.

[0016] The heat conductive member may be a heat conductive adhesive.

[0017] The heat conductive member may include a ceramic filler.

[0018] The heat conductive member may have a hardness of 70 Sh A or more.

[0019] The top cap may include a vent portion configured to be more fragile than the peripheral region.

[0020] The top cap may be configured to be insulated from the electrode assembly and the battery housing and have no polarity.

[0021] A first current collector including a first coupling portion that is electrically coupled to the electrode assembly on the side of the opening and a housing coupling portion that is electrically coupled to the battery housing may be included.

[0022] The first current collector may include a beading portion protection part provided between the beading portion and the electrode assembly.

[0023] The beading portion protection part may extend along the circumferential direction of the battery.

[0024] The battery pack according to the present invention may include the battery according to the present invention.

[0025] The vehicle according to the present invention may include the battery pack according to the present invention.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, the heat conductive member can prevent deformation and damage of the beading portion due to heat. The heat conductive member can facilitate heat transfer and release from the beading portion to the outside of the battery. Thereby, by preventing pinholes from being formed in the beading portion due to high-temperature heat accumulated without being sufficiently released to the outside of the battery, structural collapse can be prevented. The heat conductive member can be interposed inside the beading portion that may be structurally vulnerable to reinforce rigidity. Also, such a structure can guide the movement path of gas and / or flame. Since no pinholes are formed in the beading portion with ensured rigidity, gas and / or flame are guided to the top cap without leakage. As a result, gas and / or flame can be effectively discharged from the vent portion of the top cap described later. Ultimately, the stability of the battery can be significantly improved.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, when gas is generated inside the battery or a strong impact is applied to the battery from the outside of the battery, it is possible to prevent the easily deformable beading portion from extending in the vertical direction. Since a thermally conductive adhesive is interposed between the upper part of the beading portion and the lower part of the beading portion, it is possible to prevent the upper part of the beading portion and the lower part of the beading portion from separating from each other.

[0028] According to still another aspect of the present invention, by providing a bead protection part between the electrode assembly and the beading part, the beading part can be more effectively protected from gas and / or flame generated inside the battery. Further, if the first current collector and the bead protection part are integrally formed, the production and assembly processes are facilitated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029]

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Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings attached to this specification illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are for the purpose of further understanding the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention to be described later. Therefore, the present invention is not construed as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. The same reference numerals refer to the same components. Also, in the drawings, the thickness, ratio, and dimensions of the components may be exaggerated for an effective explanation of the technical content.

[0031] The terms and words used in this specification and the claims are not to be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings. The inventor interprets them in accordance with the meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms in order to explain the invention in the best way.

[0032] In this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, but these terms are merely for convenience of explanation and it is obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that they may vary depending on the position of the object and the position of the observer.

[0033] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention. At the time of this application, there can be various equivalents and modified embodiments that can replace these.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing electrodes 110 and 120 included in a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a laminate 100' of an electrode assembly 100 included in a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross-section of a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the battery 10 may include an electrode assembly 100, a battery housing 200, a top cap 300, and a heat conductive member 400.

[0036] The electrode assembly 100 may be formed by winding a laminate 100' including a first electrode 110, a second electrode 120, and a separator (separating membrane) 130 around a winding axis.

[0037] The electrode assembly 100 includes a first electrode 110 including a first plain portion 111 not coated with an active material layer along the winding direction, a second electrode 120 including a second plain portion 121 not coated with an active material layer along the winding direction, and a separator 130 interposed therebetween. A laminate 100' including these may be wound around a common winding axis to form a core and an outer peripheral surface.

[0038] The first electrode 110 may include a first electrode plate and a first active material layer 112 formed by applying a first electrode active material on at least one surface of the first electrode plate. The second electrode 120 may include a second electrode plate and a second active material layer 122 formed by applying a second electrode active material on at least one surface of the second electrode plate. The first electrode 110 may include a first plain portion 111 on which a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material is not applied to the electrode plate. The second electrode 120 may include a second plain portion 121 on which a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material is not applied to the electrode plate. For example, the first plain portion 111 may be provided at the upper end of the electrode assembly 100, and the second plain portion 121 may be provided at the lower end of the electrode assembly 100. At least a part of the first plain portion 111 may function as a first electrode tab, and at least a part of the second plain portion 121 may function as a second electrode tab. On the other hand, in the present invention, the electrode tab is not limited to being at least a part of the plain portion. That is, the electrode tab may be separately provided and coupled to the plain portion.

[0039] The battery housing 200 may have an opening formed on one side. The battery housing 200 may accommodate the electrode assembly 100 through the opening. The battery housing 200 may have the polarity of the first electrode. The battery housing 200 may be made of a conductive metal material. The battery housing 200 may also accommodate the electrolyte together through the opening.

[0040] The battery housing 200 may include a beading portion 210. The beading portion 210 is formed at an end adjacent to the opening and may be press-fitted inward. The beading portion 210 may have a form formed by press-fitting the outer peripheral edge of the battery housing 200 to a predetermined depth. The beading portion 210 may be formed on the upper part of the electrode assembly 100. The beading portion 210 can serve to prevent the electrode assembly 100 from moving in the height direction.

[0041] The top cap 300 may be configured to cover the opening. The top cap 300 may be configured to have no polarity. The top cap 300 may be made of a conductive metal material.

[0042] The heat conductive member 400 may be disposed outside the battery housing 200. The heat conductive member 400 may be configured to fill at least a part of the space formed by the beading portion 210. The heat conductive member 400 may be filled with at least half or more of the press-fitted depth of the beading portion 210. The heat conductive member 400 may be filled so as to extend from the space formed by the beading portion 210 to the outer peripheral surface of the battery housing 200. The heat conductive member 400 may extend along the outer peripheral edge of the battery housing 200.

[0043] Since the beading portion 210 is a deformed part by press-fitting, it is easily deformed. In the formed portion of the beading portion 210 by press-fitting, the battery housing 200 extends, so the thickness of the battery housing 200 may be thinner compared to the peripheral portion. Such a beading portion 210 has a problem that when a thermal event occurs inside the battery 10, it may be damaged by flames and / or gas, or pinholes may occur.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of gas and flames inside the battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 6, regarding such a structure of the present invention, the heat conductive member 400 can prevent deformation and damage of the beading portion 210 due to heat. The heat conductive member 400 can facilitate heat transfer and release from the beading portion 210 to the outside of the battery 10. Thereby, by preventing pinholes from being formed in the beading portion 210 due to high-temperature heat accumulated without being sufficiently released to the outside of the battery 10, structural collapse can be prevented. The heat conductive member 400 can be interposed inside the beading portion 210 that may be structurally fragile to reinforce the rigidity. Also, such a structure can guide the movement path of gas and / or flames. Since no pinholes occur in the beading portion 210 with ensured rigidity, gas and / or flames are guided to the top cap 300 without leakage. As a result, gas and / or flames can be effectively discharged from the vent portion 310 of the top cap 300 described later. Finally, the stability of the battery 10 can be greatly improved.

[0046] The heat conductive member 400 may include a ceramic filler. The heat conductive member 400 may include alumina and / or boron nitride and / or silicon nitride and / or aluminum nitride and / or aluminum hydroxide. The heat conductive member may have a hardness of 70 Sh A or more. Using such a material for the heat conductive member 400 can structurally reinforce the brittle beading portion 210.

[0047] The heat conductive member 400 may be a heat conductive adhesive. The heat conductive member 400 may be a short-time curing adhesive. The heat conductive adhesive may be configured to bond the upper part of the beading portion 210 and the lower part of the beading portion 210.

[0048] According to such a configuration of the present invention, when gas is generated inside the battery 10 or a strong impact is applied to the battery 10 from outside the battery 10, it is possible to prevent the easily deformable beading portion 210 from extending in the vertical direction. A heat conductive member 400 is interposed between the upper part of the beading portion 210 and the lower part of the beading portion 210, and it is possible to prevent the upper part of the beading portion 210 and the lower part of the beading portion 210 from separating from each other.

[0049] Returning to FIG. 3, the battery 10 may include a crimping portion 220 of the battery housing 200 and / or a vent portion 310 of the top cap 300 and / or a terminal 700 and / or a first current collector 500 and / or a second current collector 600 and / or an insulator 800 and / or a first gasket G1 and / or a second gasket G2.

[0050] The battery housing 200 may include a crimping portion 220. The crimping portion 220 may be formed on the upper part of the beading portion 210. The crimping portion 220 may have a bending shape that extends and bends so as to wrap the edge region of the top cap 300. With such a shape of the crimping portion 220, the top cap 300 can be fixed on the beading portion 210.

[0051] The top cap 300 may include a vent portion 310 that is configured more weakly compared to the peripheral region. The vent portion 310 may have a thickness that is thinner compared to the peripheral region. The vent portion 310 may be formed by performing notching on one or both surfaces of the top cap 300 to partially reduce the thickness of the top cap 300.

[0052] The terminal 700 may be located on the opposite side of the opening portion. The terminal 700 may be exposed to the outside of the battery housing 200 through a closing portion located on the opposite side of the opening portion. The terminal 700 may have the polarity of the second electrode. The terminal 700 may penetrate through the substantially central portion of the lower surface of the battery housing 200.

[0053] The first current collector 500 may be located between the electrode assembly 100 and the top cap 300. The first current collector 500 may include a first coupling portion 510 that is electrically coupled to the electrode assembly 100. The first current collector 500 may include a housing coupling portion 520 that is electrically coupled to the battery housing 200 on the inner surface of the battery housing 200. The first current collector 500 may have the polarity of the first electrode.

[0054] The second current collector 600 may be located between the electrode assembly 100 and the terminal 700. The second current collector 600 may include a second coupling portion that is electrically coupled to the electrode assembly 100. The second current collector 600 may include a terminal 700 coupling portion that is electrically coupled to a portion where the terminal 700 is inserted into the battery housing 200 and has a substantially flat surface. The second current collector 600 may have the polarity of the second electrode.

[0055] The insulator 800 can be positioned on the electrode assembly 100 for insulation between the battery housing 200 and the electrode assembly 100 on the closed portion side. The insulator 800 can be interposed between the closed portion of the battery housing 200 and the electrode assembly 100, or between the closed portion of the battery housing 200 and the second current collector 600. The insulator 800 can include, for example, a resin material having insulating properties. The insulator 800 can have a hole substantially at the center so that the terminal 700 can be electrically connected to the second current collector 600.

[0056] The first gasket G1 can be disposed between the top cap 300 and the battery housing 200. The first gasket G1 prevents the top cap 300 and the battery housing 200 from contacting each other.

[0057] The second gasket G2 can be disposed between the terminal 700 and the battery housing 200. The second gasket G2 prevents the terminal 700 and the battery housing 200 from contacting each other.

[0058] The first gasket G1 and the second gasket G2 can be made of a resin material having insulating properties and elasticity.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the battery 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a view showing the first current collector 500 included in the battery 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the first current collector 500 can include a beading portion protection part 530.

[0061] The bead portion protection part 530 can be disposed between the bead portion 210 and the electrode assembly 100. The bead portion protection part 530 can extend along the circumferential direction of the battery 10. The bead portion protection part 530 can be integrally formed with the first coupling part 510. The bead portion protection part 530 may be thicker than the first coupling part 510. In such a case, the first coupling part 510 can extend from the substantially central part to the inner surface of the battery housing 200 and be connected to the bead portion protection part 530. According to the structure of the battery 10 as described above, since the first electrode 110, the first current collector 500, and the battery housing 200 have the same polarity, it is not abnormal even if they are electrically connected. However, the bead portion protection part 530 can be configured to abut against the first coupling part 510 as a separate component rather than as a part of the first current collector 500.

[0062] According to such a structure of the present invention, by providing the bead portion protection part 530 between the electrode assembly 100 and the bead portion 210, the bead portion 210 can be more effectively protected from the gas and / or flame generated inside the battery 10. Also, if the first current collector 500 and the bead portion protection part 530 are integrally formed, the production and assembly processes are facilitated.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a view showing a battery pack 5 according to the present invention.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 8, the battery pack 5 according to the present invention may include a battery 10. In addition to the battery 10, the battery pack 5 may further include various other components, such as components of the battery pack 5 that are known at the time of filing of the present invention, such as a battery management system (BMS), a bus bar, a pack case, a relay, a current sensor, and the like.

[0065] FIG. 9 is a view showing an automobile 3 according to the present invention.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 9, the vehicle 3 according to the present invention may include a battery pack 5. The vehicle 3 may be a hybrid vehicle 3 or an electric vehicle 3. In addition to such a battery pack 5, the vehicle 3 according to the present invention may further include various other components included in the vehicle 3. For example, in addition to the battery pack 5 according to the present invention, the vehicle 3 according to the present invention may further include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and the like.

[0067] As described above, the present invention has been described mainly with reference to the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that many diverse and obvious modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention from such a description. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the claims described so as to include many such modified embodiments.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0068] 3 Vehicle 5 Battery pack 10 Battery 100 Electrode assembly 100’ Laminate 110 First electrode 111 First plain part 112 First active material layer 120 Second electrode 121 Second plain part 122 Second active material layer 130 Separator 200 Battery housing 210 Beading part 220 Crimping part 300 Top cap 310 Vent part 400 Heat conductive member 500 First current collector 510 First coupling part

Claims

1. An electrode assembly, A battery housing having an opening formed on one side and accommodating the electrode assembly through the opening, and including a beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer peripheral edge from the side of the opening, A top cap covering the opening, A heat conductive member configured to fill at least a part of the space formed by the beading portion from the outside of the battery housing, A battery including the above.

2. The heat conductive member, The battery according to claim 1, which extends along the outer peripheral edge of the battery housing.

3. The heat conductive member, The battery according to claim 1, which is a heat conductive adhesive.

4. The heat conductive member, The battery according to claim 3, which includes a ceramic filler.

5. The heat conductive member, The battery according to claim 1, having a hardness of 70 Sh A or more.

6. The top cap, The battery according to claim 1, which includes a vent portion configured to be more fragile than the peripheral region.

7. The top cap, The battery according to claim 6, which is configured to be insulated from the electrode assembly and the battery housing and have no polarity.

8. A first current collector including a first coupling portion that is electrically coupled to the electrode assembly on the side of the opening and a housing coupling portion that is electrically coupled to the battery housing, the battery according to claim 1.

9. The first current collector, The battery according to claim 8, which includes a beading portion protection portion provided between the beading portion and the electrode assembly.

10. The beading portion protection portion, The battery according to claim 9, which extends along the circumferential direction of the battery.

11. A battery pack including the battery according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An automobile including the battery pack according to claim 11.

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