Cell assembly and battery module and battery pack including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-aligning battery cell, and more particularly, to a self-aligning battery cell that can automatically align multiple cells by printing magnets on the surfaces of each of the multiple cells, and that can improve stacking workability by preventing inconsistent cell attachment during alignment and improving the structure to better locate the physical positions of the cells. The self-aligning battery cell according to the present invention includes a first cell that is one of multiple cells and a second cell facing the first cell, the first cell having a first surface facing the second cell, the second cell having a second surface facing the first surface, a first magnet having a first polarity disposed on the first surface, and a second magnet having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity disposed on the second surface, the first magnet and the second magnet being disposed in positions corresponding to each other.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0121206, filed September 23, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an automatic alignment cell assembly, which can automatically align cells, and has an improved structure to prevent cells from being inconsistently attached during alignment and to better locate physical positions, thereby improving stacking workability. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, with the depletion of fossil fuels causing rising energy prices and increasing concerns about environmental pollution, the need for environmentally friendly alternative energy sources has become an essential factor for future life. As a result, research into various electricity production technologies, such as solar, wind, and tidal power, has been ongoing, and there has also been great interest in energy storage devices such as batteries to more efficiently use the electrical energy produced in this way.

[0004] Furthermore, with the technological development and increasing demand for battery-based electronic mobile devices and electric vehicles, the demand for batteries as an energy source has increased dramatically, and as a result, various research projects are being conducted on batteries that can meet various needs.

[0005] Secondary batteries have attracted much attention as an energy source for various products such as mobile devices and electric vehicles. These secondary batteries are an excellent energy resource that can be used in place of existing products that use fossil fuels, and they are attracting attention as an environmentally friendly energy source because they do not produce by-products associated with energy use.

[0006] To manufacture such a secondary battery, a unit cell formed by stacking electrodes and separators is first prepared, and the unit cell is then subjected to a manufacturing process for each step to manufacture a secondary battery. The unit cells are stacked during the manufacturing process to form a cell assembly, a battery module, and a battery pack, and this may require an operation of aligning the unit cells.

[0007] In the past, when stacking battery cells to create modules, the pouch cells were fixed with double-sided tape to prevent movement. However, if the machine misrecognized the length of the cells during the process, the cells would not be aligned consistently, and this could not be corrected. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been derived to solve the above problems, and provides an automatic alignment cell assembly that can automatically align cells, prevent cells from being inconsistently attached during alignment, and improve the structure to better locate physical positions, thereby improving stacking workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cell assembly according to the present invention is formed by stacking a plurality of cells, and may include a first cell which is one of the plurality of cells, and a second cell facing the first cell.

[0010] The first cell can include a first surface facing the second cell, and the second cell can include a second surface facing the first surface.

[0011] A first magnet having a first polarity may be disposed on the first surface, and a second magnet having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity may be disposed on the second surface, and the first magnet and the second magnet may be disposed in positions corresponding to each other.

[0012] A plurality of first magnets may be arranged on the first surface, and a plurality of second magnets may be arranged on the second surface, and the plurality of first magnets and the plurality of second magnets may be arranged at positions corresponding to each other.

[0013] A first magnet having a second polarity may be further disposed on the first surface, and a second magnet having the first polarity may be further disposed on the second surface, and the first magnet and the second magnet may be disposed in positions corresponding to each other.

[0014] The first and second surfaces may be formed of a pouch material, the first magnet may be printed on the surface of the first surface, and the second magnet may be printed on the surface of the second surface.

[0015] The second cell may further include a second' surface formed on the opposite side of the second surface, and at least one second'' magnet may be disposed on the second' surface.

[0016] The cell assembly according to the present invention may further include a third cell, which is any one of the plurality of cells.

[0017] The third cell includes a third surface opposite to the second' surface, and a third magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the second'' magnet can be arranged on the third surface at a position corresponding to the second'' magnet.

[0018] A second''' magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the second'' magnet may be further arranged on the second' surface, and a third' magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the second''' magnet may be further arranged on the third surface. The second''' magnet and the third' magnet may be arranged in positions corresponding to each other.

[0019] The second magnet and the second'' magnet may be arranged at positions corresponding to each other, and the second' magnet and the second''' magnet may be arranged at positions corresponding to each other.

[0020] The second magnet and the second'' magnet may be arranged at different positions from each other, and the second' magnet and the second''' magnet may be arranged at different positions from each other.

[0021] The second' and third surfaces may be formed of a pouch material, the second'' magnet may be printed on the surface of the second' surface, and the third magnet may be printed on the surface of the third surface.

[0022] The battery module according to the present invention may include a cell assembly formed by stacking a plurality of cells, and a frame that houses the cell assembly.

[0023] A battery pack according to the present invention can include a battery module including a cell assembly and a frame, and a housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The present invention has the effect of printing magnets on the surfaces of multiple battery cells, allowing the cells to be automatically aligned, preventing the cells from being inconsistently attached during alignment, and improving the structure to make it easier to find the physical positions, thereby improving stacking workability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a cell assembly in which battery cells of the present invention are stacked. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first and second cell in a cell assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the first, second and third cells in a cell assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the first, second and third cells in a cell assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026]

[0033] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present invention can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art. However, the present invention can be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0027] In order to clearly explain the present invention, detailed descriptions of parts that are not relevant to the description or related known technologies that may obscure the gist of the present invention are omitted, and when referring to components in each drawing in this specification, the same or similar reference symbols are used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted in a limited way to their general or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, based on the principle that the inventors can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best explain their invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cell assembly in which battery cells of the present invention are stacked.

[0030] 1, it can be seen that battery cells are stacked to form a cell assembly 1. Hereinafter, the cell assembly 1 and a method for forming the cell assembly 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to first, second, and third embodiments.

[0031] First embodiment FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the first and second cells in the cell assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 2, a cell assembly 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention may include a first cell 10 and a second cell 20. The cell assembly 1 may be formed by stacking a plurality of cells. Referring to Fig. 2, a first surface 11 of the first cell 10 is shown at the lower left, and a second surface 21, which is the surface opposite to the first surface 11, is shown at the upper right. A second surface 22 is shown at the lower right.

[0033] The first cell 10 may include a first surface 11. A first magnet 111 may be disposed on the first surface 11. Although the first surface 11 is illustrated as having a rectangular shape, the first surface 11 is not limited thereto and may have various shapes.

[0034] The first magnet 111 may have a first polarity. A plurality of first magnets 111 may be arranged on the first surface 11.

[0035] The second cell 20 may include a second surface 21. The second surface 21 may be disposed to face the first surface 11. The second surface 21 may be formed to have the same size as the first surface 11. A second magnet 211 may be disposed on the second surface 21. The second magnet 211 may have a second polarity. The second polarity may be opposite to the first polarity. A plurality of second magnets 211 may be disposed on the second surface 21. The first polarity and the second polarity are arbitrarily designated, and the first polarity may be a north pole or a south pole, and correspondingly, the second polarity may also be a south pole or a north pole.

[0036] The second cell 20 may further include a second' surface 22. The second' surface 22 may be formed on the opposite side of the second surface 21. A second'' magnet 221 may be disposed on the second' surface 22. At least one second'' magnet 221 may be disposed on the second' surface 22. The second' surface 22 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the second surface 21.

[0037] The first magnet 111 and the second magnet 211 may be disposed at positions corresponding to each other so that the first cell 10 and the second cell 20 are well attached to each other. When forming the cell assembly 1, the first magnet 111 and the second magnet 211 are illustrated as having a rectangular shape, but are not limited thereto.

[0038] A first' magnet 112 may be further disposed on the first surface 11. The first' magnet 112 may have a second polarity. The first magnet 111 and the first' magnet 112 have different polarities and may be disposed at a predetermined interval. A second' magnet 212 may be further disposed on the second surface 21. The second' magnet 212 may have a first polarity. The second magnet 211 and the second' magnet 212 have different polarities and may be disposed at a predetermined interval. The first' magnet 112 and the second' magnet 212 may be disposed at positions corresponding to each other. The first' magnet 112 and the second' magnet 212 are illustrated as having a rectangular shape, but are not limited thereto.

[0039] The first surface 11 and the second surface 21 may be formed of a pouch material. The second surface 22 may also be formed of a pouch material. The first magnet 111 may be printed on the surface of the first surface 11. The second magnet 211 may be printed on the surface of the second surface 21. The first magnet 112 and the second magnet 212 may be printed on the surfaces of the first surface 11 and the second surface 21, respectively. The first magnet 111, the first magnet 112, the second magnet 211, and the second magnet 212 may be printed and arranged on the surface of the cell pouch before forming and preparing the negative electrode material, the positive electrode material, the separator electrolyte, etc. in the pouch cell.

[0040] The present invention can include a battery module (not shown) including the cell assembly 1 of the first embodiment and a frame (not shown) that houses the cell assembly 1.

[0041] The present invention can include a battery pack (not shown) that includes a battery module (not shown) that includes the cell assembly 1 of the first embodiment, and a housing (not shown) that houses the battery module.

[0042] In the past, during processes for stacking battery cells to fabricate cell assemblies and modules, pouch cells were secured in place with double-sided tape or other adhesive. However, during the process, machines would incorrectly recognize the cell lengths, resulting in inconsistent cell alignment and an inability to correct the misalignment. Referring to the first embodiment, in the present invention, when cells are stacked and aligned, they can be aligned using the magnets printed on each cell. For example, if a first magnet 111 printed on the first surface 11 has a north pole, a second magnet 211 with a south pole is printed on the second surface 21, and the first cell 10 and the second cell 20 can be attached and aligned by the magnets. Furthermore, a first magnet 112 is further printed on the first surface 11, and a second magnet 212 is further printed on the second surface 21. In this case, if the first magnet 112 has a south pole, the second magnet 212 is printed with a north pole and bonds to each other, further enhancing the bonding strength between the first cell 10 and the second cell 20. The magnets are not perfectly attached, which allows for the cells to be realigned if they become misaligned.

[0043] Second embodiment FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the first, second and third cells in a cell assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] The second embodiment of the present invention may differ from the first embodiment in that it may include a third cell 30 in addition to the first cell 10 and the second cell 20. Details common to the first embodiment will be omitted as much as possible, and the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3, the cell assembly 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may further include a third cell 30.

[0046] The third cell 30 may include a third surface 31. The third surface 31 may face the second surface 22. A third magnet 311 may be disposed on the third surface 31. A plurality of third magnets 311 may be disposed on the third surface 31. The third surface 31 is illustrated as having a rectangular shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0047] A second'' magnet 221 may be disposed on the second' surface 22. The third magnet 311 may have a polarity opposite to that of the second'' magnet 221. The third magnet 311 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the second'' magnet 221.

[0048] A second''' magnet 222 may further be arranged on the second' surface 22. The second''' magnet 222 may have a polarity opposite to that of the second'' magnet 221. A plurality of second''' magnets 222 may be arranged on the second' surface 22.

[0049] A third' magnet 312 may further be arranged on the third surface 31. The third' magnet 312 may have a polarity opposite to that of the second''' magnet 222. A plurality of third' magnets 312 may be arranged on the third surface 31.

[0050] The second magnet 211 and the second" magnet 221 may be disposed at positions corresponding to each other. The second' magnet 212 and the second'" magnet 222 may be disposed at positions corresponding to each other. The third magnet 311, the third' magnet 312, the second" magnet 221, and the second'" magnet 222 are illustrated as rectangular shapes, but are not limited thereto.

[0051] Compared to the first embodiment, the second embodiment further includes a second' surface 22 and a third cell 30. The third surface 31 and the second' surface 22 of the third cell 30 are attached by a magnet. As a result, the first cell 10, the second cell 20, and the third cell 30 are attached to each other by the magnet to form the cell assembly 1, and multiple cells can be joined in succession to form a cell assembly 1 including even more cells.

[0052] Third embodiment FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the first, second and third cells in a cell assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] The third embodiment of the present invention may differ from the second embodiment in that the magnet arrangements of the second cell 20 and the third cell 30 are different. The third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences, while omitting details that are common to the second embodiment as much as possible. In other words, it goes without saying that if details not explained in the second embodiment are necessary, they can be supplemented by the details of the first embodiment.

[0054] 4 , the cell assembly 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention may further include a third cell 30. The third cell 30 may include a third magnet 311 and a third' magnet 312. The second cell 20 may include a second'' magnet 221 and a second''' magnet 222.

[0055] The second magnet 211 and the second" magnet 221 may be arranged at different positions from each other. The second' magnet 212 and the second'" magnet 222 may be arranged at different positions from each other. The third magnet 311 and the third' magnet 312 may be arranged on the third surface 31 corresponding to the positions of the second" magnet 221 and the second'" magnet 222.

[0056] The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the arrangement of the second magnet 221, the second magnet 222, the third magnet 311, and the third magnet 312. This is because the second magnet 221 and the second magnet 222 are arranged in different positions from the second magnet 221 and the second magnet 212 arranged on the second surface 21, which further increases the attractive force between the magnets. The second magnet 211 and the third magnet 311 have the same polarity, and the second magnet 212 and the third magnet 312 also have the same polarity. Here, if the second magnet 211 and the third magnet 311 were arranged in the same position based on the direction perpendicular to the surface of the cell, the bonding force may be somewhat weaker due to the repulsive force between the magnets. To prevent this, the magnets are arranged in different positions, which reduces the influence between the magnets and therefore increases the bonding force.

[0057] The magnets referred to above are not limited to a particular type of magnet and can be any magnetic material that exhibits polarity.

[0058] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various implementations are possible within the technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims set forth below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Cell Assembly 10 Cell 1 11 Page 1 111 First Magnet 112 First Magnet 20 Cell 2 21 Side 2 211 Second Magnet 222 Second Magnet 30 Cell 3 31 Page 3 311 Third Magnet 312 Third Magnet

Claims

1. A cell assembly formed by stacking a plurality of cells, The cell assembly comprises: A first cell which is one of the plurality of cells; a second cell facing the first cell, The first cell is a first surface facing the second cell; The second cell is a second surface opposite the first surface; a first magnet having a first polarity is disposed on the first surface; a second magnet having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity is disposed on the second surface; The first magnet and the second magnet are disposed at positions corresponding to each other in the cell assembly.

2. A plurality of first magnets are disposed on the first surface; A plurality of second magnets are disposed on the second surface; The cell assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first magnets and the plurality of second magnets are respectively arranged at positions corresponding to each other.

3. a first magnet having the second polarity is further disposed on the first surface; a second magnet having the first polarity is further disposed on the second surface; The cell assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first′ magnet and the second′ magnet are disposed at positions corresponding to each other.

4. the first surface and the second surface are made of a pouch material, and the first magnet is printed on a surface of the first surface; The cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second magnet is printed on a surface of the second face.

5. The second cell is further comprising a second' surface formed on the opposite side of the second surface; The cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one second magnet is disposed on the second' surface.

6. The cell assembly comprises: Further comprising a third cell which is any one of the plurality of cells, The third cell is a third surface opposite the second surface, The cell assembly according to claim 5 , wherein a third magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the second magnet is disposed on the third surface at a position corresponding to the second magnet.

7. a second magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the second magnet is further disposed on the second' surface; a third magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the second magnet is further disposed on the third surface; The cell assembly of claim 6 , wherein the second magnet and the third magnet are disposed at positions corresponding to each other.

8. the second magnet and the second'' magnet are disposed at positions corresponding to each other, The cell assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the second magnet' and the second magnet''' are disposed at positions corresponding to each other.

9. the second magnet and the second'' magnet are disposed at different positions from each other, The cell assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second magnet' and the second magnet''' are positioned at different positions from each other.

10. the second' surface and the third surface are made of a pouch material, and the second'' magnet is printed on the surface of the second' surface; The cell assembly of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the third magnet is printed on a surface of the third face.

11. The cell assembly of claim 1; a frame that houses the cell assembly.

12. The battery module according to claim 11; a housing that houses the battery module.

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