Battery module and battery pack including same

Abstract

The battery cell stack includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a module frame that houses the battery cell stack; and a busbar structure including a plurality of busbars that are electrically connected to the battery cells, respectively, and a busbar frame in which the busbars are positioned, the busbar frame including a plurality of separate busbar frames that are connected to each other by position guide members.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0177291, filed December 16, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery module and a battery pack including the same, and more particularly to a battery module and a battery pack including the same in which the energy density of the battery is improved by improving assembly efficiency and reducing assembly tolerances. [Background technology]

[0003] With the technological development and increasing demand for mobile devices, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing. Accordingly, research into secondary batteries that can meet various needs is being actively conducted.

[0004] Secondary batteries are attracting attention not only for mobile devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and laptop computers, but also as an energy source for power devices such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles.

[0005] In recent years, the use of secondary batteries as an energy storage source has led to an increased need for large-capacity secondary battery structures, and there is a growing demand for medium- to large-sized modular battery packs that assemble battery modules in which multiple secondary batteries are connected in series or parallel.

[0006] A plurality of the battery cells may be connected in series or parallel to form a battery pack. In this case, a common method is to form a battery module consisting of at least one battery cell, and then add other components to the at least one battery module to form a battery pack. Specifically, a plurality of battery cells are stacked to form a battery cell stack, and a busbar structure is attached to one side and the other side of the battery cell stack to electrically connect the battery cells.

[0007] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional battery module.

[0008] Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional battery module 10 may include a battery cell stack 12 in which a plurality of battery cells 11 are stacked, a module frame 20 that houses the battery cell stack 12, a busbar structure 30 located on the front and / or rear surface of the battery cell stack 12, and end plates 40 that cover the front and / or rear surface of the battery cell stack 12.

[0009] The busbar structure 30 includes a busbar frame and at least one busbar, and the busbar can be electrically connected to the electrode leads protruding from the battery cells 11 .

[0010] In this case, if the battery cells 11 are stacked and attached to the busbar structure 30 and the battery cell stack 12 without a mechanical reference, the length of the electrode lead that passes through the slit may differ from the intended length during welding, which may result in poor welding between the electrode lead and the busbar. Furthermore, the battery cells 11 may be pressurized unevenly by the busbar frame, which may reduce safety and reduce the space utilization rate of the battery. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery module that can improve the energy density, the safety of the battery, and the space utilization rate of the battery.

[0012] However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and can be variously expanded within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a module frame that houses the battery cell stack; and a busbar structure including a plurality of busbars electrically connected to the battery cells, respectively, and a busbar frame in which the busbars are positioned, the busbar frame including a plurality of separate busbar frames that are connected to each other by position guide members.

[0014] The position guide member may include guide holes formed in the separate bus bar frame and a plurality of guide pins positioned while passing through the guide holes.

[0015] The guide pin may be a pin extending along the stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

[0016] The guide holes may be located at both ends of the bus bar frame in a height direction.

[0017] The rigidity of the guide pin is greater than the rigidity of the bus bar frame.

[0018] The bus bar frame may include a battery cell insertion portion into which electrode leads protruding from front and rear surfaces of the battery cells and a cell terrace, which is a pouch case enclosing a portion of the electrode leads, are inserted and fitted, and a slit connected to the battery cell insertion portion and allowing the electrode leads to pass through to the outside of the bus bar frame.

[0019] A surface of the electrode lead protruding outside the bus bar frame may be an assembly reference surface, and the assembly reference surface may be uniform for all of the plurality of battery cells.

[0020] The bus bar frame may further include a pressure plate provided inside the bus bar frame.

[0021] The pressure plate may contact one side or the other side of the electrode lead located inside the bus bar frame, or may contact both the one side and the other side of the electrode lead.

[0022] The pressure plate may be located in a pressure region that is one region constituting the battery cell insertion portion, and the pressure region may include a plate coupling portion that penetrates the bus bar frame in a direction perpendicular to the battery cell insertion portion and the slits on a plane.

[0023] A coupling member is inserted into the plate coupling portion to fix the bus bar and the pressure plate.

[0024] The bus bar may be positioned in a bus bar mounting portion, which is a groove formed in the bus bar frame.

[0025] The bus bar mounting portions are grooves dug on both side surfaces of the bus bar frame, and may include a first bus bar mounting portion located on one side surface of the bus bar frame and a second bus bar mounting portion located on the other side surface of the bus bar frame.

[0026] The first bus bar mounting portion and the second bus bar mounting portion may have sizes corresponding to each other.

[0027] The size of the first bus bar mounting portion and the second bus bar mounting portion may be equal to or larger than half the size of the bus bar.

[0028] The bus bar mounting portions may be the first bus bar mounting portion and the second bus bar mounting portion of adjacent bus bar frames.

[0029] The bus bar may include bus bar coupling portions, which are holes located at both ends of the bus bar in a height direction.

[0030] A coupling member may be inserted into the bus bar coupling portion, and the bus bar may be fixedly coupled to the bus bar mounting portion.

[0031] A battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the above-described battery module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the embodiment, the assembly tolerance between the battery cell stack and the bus bar structure is reduced, improving the energy density of the battery, and at the same time, the bus bar structure does not apply uneven pressure to the battery cell stack, improving the safety of the battery.

[0033] In addition, the rate of defective welding between the electrode leads and bus bars of the battery cells is reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of the battery.

[0034] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional battery module. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery cell according to the present invention being mounted on a busbar structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a see-through perspective view showing the battery cell of FIG. 3 attached to a bus bar structure. [Figure 5] 5 is a perspective view of the battery cell and busbar structure of FIG. 4 as viewed from the x-axis direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing how the busbar structure of the present invention is coupled to a guide pin. [Figure 7] 7 is a perspective view showing the battery cells and busbar structures of FIG. 6 stacked together. FIG. [Figure 8]1 is a view showing a bus bar according to the present invention being mounted on a bus bar frame; [Figure 9] 9 is a view showing the bus bar of FIG. 8 attached to a bus bar frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement various embodiments of the present invention. The present invention can be embodied in several different forms and is not limited to the examples described herein.

[0037] In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0038] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, thicknesses are exaggerated to clearly show multiple layers and regions. In the drawings, thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation.

[0039] Furthermore, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other part is said to be "on" or "above" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" that other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in the middle. Furthermore, being "on" or "above" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "above" or "above" the direction opposite to gravity.

[0040] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part "comprises" a certain element, it does not mean that it excludes other elements, but that it may further include other elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0041] Also, throughout the specification, "on a plane" means when the target part is viewed from above, and "on a cross section" means when the target part is cut vertically and viewed from the side.

[0042] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 2 , a battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a battery cell stack 120 in which a plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked, a module frame 200 that houses the battery cell stack 120, a busbar structure 300 located on the front and / or rear surface of the battery cell stack 120, and an end plate 400 located on the front and / or top of the busbar structure 300.

[0044] The battery cell 110 may be a pouch-type battery cell. The pouch-type battery cell may be formed by housing an electrode assembly in a pouch case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, and then heat-sealing the sealing portion of the pouch case. In this case, the battery cell 110 may be formed in a rectangular sheet structure.

[0045] A plurality of battery cells 110 may be configured, and the plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked so as to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery cell stack 120. Specifically, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked along a direction parallel to the x-axis.

[0046] The module frame 200 that houses the battery cell stack 120 can include a U-shaped frame 210 and a top cover 220 .

[0047] The U-shaped frame 210 may include a bottom portion 210a and two side portions 211 extending upward from both ends of the bottom portion 210a. The bottom portion 210a may cover the lower surface (negative z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and the side portions 211 may cover both side surfaces (negative x-axis direction and negative x-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120.

[0048] The upper cover 220 may be formed as a single plate-shaped structure that encloses the upper surface (z-axis direction) except for the lower surface and both side surfaces that are enclosed by the U-shaped frame 210 .

[0049] The upper cover 220 and the U-shaped frame 210 may be joined by welding or the like with corresponding corners in contact with each other to form a structure that covers the battery cell stack 120 from above, below, left, and right. The upper cover 220 and the U-shaped frame 210 may physically protect the battery cell stack 120. To this end, the upper cover 220 and the U-shaped frame 210 may include a metal material having a predetermined strength.

[0050] Meanwhile, although not specifically shown, the module frame 200 according to the modified example may be a monoframe made of a metal plate in which the top, bottom, and both sides are integrated. That is, instead of a structure in which the U-shaped frame 210 and the upper cover 220 are interconnected, it may be a structure in which the top, bottom, and both sides are integrated by being manufactured by extrusion molding.

[0051] The busbar structure 300 is assembled and positioned on the front and rear surfaces (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and may include a busbar 310 and a busbar frame 330. More specifically, the busbar structure 300 may cover the front and rear surfaces (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and may also serve to guide the connection between the battery cell stack 120 and an external device.

[0052] The bus bars 310 can be electrically connected to the electrode leads protruding from the battery cells 110. The bus bars 310 can electrically connect the battery cell stack 120 to the battery system.

[0053] The bus bar 310 can be attached to a bus bar frame 330. The bus bar frame 330 can fix the position of the bus bar 310 and physically protect the battery cell stack 120 and the bus bar 310 from external impact.

[0054] The bus bar frame 330 may include an electrically insulating material. For example, the bus bar frame 330 may be made of plastic. The bus bar frame 330 may limit contact between the bus bar 310 and other parts of the battery cell 110 other than the part joined to the electrode lead, thereby preventing an electrical short circuit from occurring.

[0055] There may be a plurality of busbar structures 300. Specifically, each busbar structure 300 may be provided to correspond to at least one battery cell 110. That is, the busbar structure 300 may include a plurality of busbars 310 and a plurality of busbar frames 330 corresponding to the number of the battery cells 110. The number of busbar structures 300 may be the same as or less than the number of the battery cells 110.

[0056] In the past, there could be multiple bus bars, but only one bus bar frame included the multiple bus bars. That is, the multiple bus bars were fixed to one bus bar frame, and the shape and position of the bus bar frame were also fixed. Furthermore, when stacking battery cells to form a battery cell stack, there was a problem in that there was no mechanical reference, making it difficult to stack the battery cells while accurately aligning their longitudinal positions.

[0057] Therefore, when a conventional fixed busbar structure is attached to a battery cell stack in which the longitudinal positions are not uniform, the lengths of the electrode leads passing through the busbar frame may vary from battery cell to battery cell. This can lead to poor welding between the electrode leads and the busbar, reducing battery efficiency. Furthermore, because the conventional battery cell stack has a fixed structure that entirely covers the front and / or rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, it can apply uneven pressure to the battery cell stack, increasing the risk of damage to the battery cells and reducing battery safety. Furthermore, assembly tolerances can occur between the battery cell stack and the busbar frame, reducing the space utilization rate and energy density of the battery.

[0058] In contrast, the busbar structure 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is positioned corresponding to the front and / or rear surfaces of each battery cell 110 or at least two or more battery cells 110. That is, the busbar structures 300 are not connected to each other but are provided separately. Therefore, assembly tolerances do not occur between the battery cell stack 120 and the busbar structure 300, thereby improving the space utilization rate and energy density of the battery. Furthermore, because the busbar structure 300 does not apply uneven pressure to the battery cells 110, problems such as deformation and damage to the pouch case do not occur, thereby improving the assembly efficiency, safety, and structural stability of the battery.

[0059] The end plates 400 are located on the open first side (y-axis direction) and second side (-y side) of the module frame 200 and can be formed to cover the battery cell stack 120. Such end plates 400 can physically protect the battery cell stack 120 and other electrical components from external impacts.

[0060] Meanwhile, although not specifically shown, a bus bar frame on which a bus bar is mounted and an insulating cover for electrical insulation may be positioned between the battery cell stack 120 and the end plate 400.

[0061] The mounting of the battery cell on the busbar structure of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0062] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery cell of the present invention mounted on a busbar structure. Fig. 4 is a see-through perspective view showing the battery cell of Fig. 3 mounted on the busbar structure. Fig. 5 is a see-through view of the battery cell and busbar structure of Fig. 4 as viewed from the x-axis direction.

[0063] 3 and 4, the battery cells 110 of the present invention can be mounted on a bus bar frame 330. Specifically, one battery cell 110 can be mounted on one bus bar frame 330.

[0064] The battery cell 110 includes electrode leads 150 that protrude from the front and rear surfaces (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) of the battery cell 110, and the electrode leads 150 can be attached to the bus bar frame 330 while passing through the bus bar frame 330.

[0065] The bus bar frame 330 includes a battery cell insertion section 331 into which the electrode lead 150 and the cell terrace 130, which is a pouch case that encases a portion of the electrode lead 150, are inserted and mounted, and a slit 332 that is connected to the battery cell insertion section 331 and allows the electrode lead 150 to pass through to the outside of the bus bar frame 330.

[0066] The battery cell insertion portion 331 may be a hole located on one side of the bus bar frame 330 and connected to the slit 332. The battery cell insertion portion 331 may be a region where the electrode lead 150 and the cell terrace 130 are inserted into the bus bar frame 330. The battery cell insertion portion 331 may be a hole located on one side of the bus bar frame 330 close to the battery cell 110.

[0067] The shape of the battery cell insertion portion 331 may correspond to the shape of the cell terrace 130. The cell terrace 130 extends from the main body of the pouch case and is a sealed area that can hermetically seal the electrode assembly. The electrode leads 150 may partially protrude from one side and the other side of the cell terrace 130, specifically, from the front and rear (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) of the cell terrace 130.

[0068] The slit 332 may be a hole located on the other side of the bus bar frame 330 and connected to the battery cell insertion portion 331. The slit 332 may be a hole that allows the electrode lead 150 inserted into the battery cell insertion portion 331 to pass to the outside of the bus bar frame 330. The slit 332 may be a hole located on the other side of the bus bar frame 330 farther from the battery cell 110.

[0069] The shape of the slit 332 can correspond to the shape of the electrode lead 150. In this case, the slit 332 that accommodates only the electrode lead 150 may be smaller in size than the battery cell insertion portion 331 that accommodates the cell terrace 130.

[0070] The bus bar frame 330 includes battery cell insertion portions 331 and slits 332 that penetrate one side and the other side of the bus bar frame 330. The cell terraces 130 and the electrode leads 150 are inserted into the battery cell insertion portions 331, and the electrode leads 150 can pass through the bus bar frame 330 through the slits 332 and protrude to the outside.

[0071] However, instead of only the cell terrace 130 and the electrode lead 150 being positioned inside the bus bar frame 330 , a pressure plate 350 may be further inserted into the bus bar frame 330 .

[0072] The pressure plate 350 may be a plate inserted into the bus bar frame 330. The pressure plate 350 may be a flat plate having a height corresponding to the height (z-axis direction) of the electrode lead 150, but the shape of the pressure plate 350 is not limited thereto. Although not shown in the drawings, the pressure plate 350 may be hollow with a hole in the center to allow the electrode lead 150 to pass through.

[0073] The pressure plate 350 may be made of an insulating material like the bus bar frame 330. This is to prevent electrical connection with the electrode lead 150, which is a conductor, and thus prevent a short circuit from occurring.

[0074] The pressure plate 350 may be positioned in contact with one surface and / or the other surface of the electrode lead 150. Specifically, the pressure plate 350 may be inserted into the battery cell insertion portion 331 and positioned together with the electrode lead 150 in a region where the electrode lead 150 is positioned inside the bus bar frame 330.

[0075] The area where the pressure plate 350 is located inside the bus bar frame 330 may be the pressure area (PA). The pressure area (PA) is an area that constitutes the battery cell insertion portion 331, and may be an area where the electrode lead 150 and the pressure plate 350 are located inside the bus bar frame 330. In this case, the width of the pressure area (PA) may correspond to the sum of the widths of the electrode lead 150 and the pressure plate 350. Specifically, the width of the pressure area (PA) may be equal to or greater than the sum of the widths of the electrode lead 150 and the pressure plate 350.

[0076] That is, the pressure plate 350 is positioned inside the bus bar frame 330 together with the electrode lead 150, thereby applying pressure to the electrode lead 150 and reducing the assembly tolerance between the electrode lead 150 and the bus bar frame 330.

[0077] When both the pressure plate 350 and the electrode lead 150 are positioned within the bus bar frame 330, they may be fixed to a coupling member 360 coupled to the plate coupling portion 333. The plate coupling portion 333 is a hole located in the pressure area (PA), which penetrates one side of the bus bar frame 330 and connects to the pressure area (PA). Specifically, the plate coupling portion 333 may be a hole that penetrates one side of the bus bar frame 330 in a direction perpendicular to the battery cell insertion portion 331 and the slit 332 on a plane, and connects to the pressure area (PA).

[0078] A coupling member 360 can be inserted into the plate coupling portion 333. The coupling member 360 inserted into the plate coupling portion 333 may be, for example, a headless bolt, but is not limited thereto as long as it can fix the pressure plate 350.

[0079] In summary, the coupling member 360 is inserted into and fixed to the plate coupling portion 333, thereby applying pressure to and fixing the electrode lead 150 and the pressure plate 350. This allows the electrode lead 150 and the pressure plate 350 to be fixed more firmly, thereby improving the coupling and fixing force between the battery cell 110 and the bus bar frame 330.

[0080] Furthermore, the bus bar frame 330 of the present invention may include guide holes 335. The guide holes 335 may be holes located at both ends in the height direction (z-axis direction) of the bus bar frame 330. Specifically, the guide holes 335 may be holes that penetrate the bus bar frame 330 in a direction perpendicular to the battery cell insertion portions 331 and slits 332 on a plane (xy plane).

[0081] The guide holes 335 may be areas where guide pins 370, which will be described later with reference to Figures 6 and 7, are located. By positioning the guide pins 370 in the guide holes 335, the stacking position between the battery cell stack 120 and the bus bar frame 330 can be guided.

[0082] 5, one battery cell 110 is mounted and fixed to one bus bar frame 330, and the electrode leads 150 protrude outside the bus bar frame 330. In this case, the electrode leads 150 protruding outside the bus bar frame 330 serve as a reference for assembling the battery cell 110 and the bus bar frame 330.

[0083] Specifically, one surface of the electrode lead 150 protruding outside the bus bar frame 330 may be the assembly reference surface 160. The assembly reference surface 160 is a surface with a fixed width (w1) and height (h1), and may be used as a reference surface for setting the widths (w1) and heights (h1) of all the electrode leads 150 of the plurality of battery cells 110. The width (w1) of the assembly reference surface 160 may be the length in the direction in which the electrode leads 150 protrude, and the height (h1) of the assembly reference surface 160 may be the length of the electrode lead 150 perpendicular to the width (w1). In this case, since the assembly reference surface 160 may vary depending on the battery specifications, the width (w1) and height (h1) of the electrode lead 150 may be adjusted according to the battery specifications.

[0084] That is, once the assembly reference plane 160 is set, the plurality of battery cells 110 and the corresponding bus bar frames 330 can be assembled so that the electrode leads 150 protrude outside the bus bar frames 330 by the amount of the set assembly reference plane 160.

[0085] In summary, by setting the assembly reference plane 160, a connection reference between the battery cell 110 and the bus bar frame 330 is set, enabling connection between the battery cell 110 and the bus bar frame 330 to consistent specifications. This makes it easy to control the length of the electrode lead 150 protruding from the bus bar frame 330, ensuring that the intended length of the electrode lead 150 is maintained constant during welding. Therefore, the rate of defective welding of the electrode lead 150 can be reduced in the electrical connection between the bus bar 310 and the electrode lead 150.

[0086] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the busbar structure of the present invention being coupled with a guide pin, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the battery cells and busbar structure of Fig. 6 being stacked.

[0087] 6 and 7, the battery cells 110 coupled with the bus bar frame 330 in FIGS. 3 to 5 can be stacked to form a battery cell stack 120.

[0088] In this case, guide pins 370 may be inserted into guide holes 335 provided in the bus bar frame 330. Specifically, the guide pin 370 is inserted into and passes through one guide hole 335, and the passed guide pin 370 is then inserted into and passes through another guide hole 335, thereby allowing the plurality of battery cells 110 and the bus bar frame 330 to be stacked. The guide holes 335 and the guide pins 370 may be position guide members that guide the stacking position of the bus bar frame 330.

[0089] The guide pins 370 may be pins that extend along the stacking direction (x-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120. As described above, the guide pins 370 can align the bus bar frames 330 by passing through the guide holes 335, which are holes located at both ends of the bus bar frames 330 in the height direction (z-axis direction). That is, the guide pins 370 are positioned while passing through a plurality of guide holes 335 located in a plurality of bus bar frames 330, and can align the plurality of bus bar frames 330.

[0090] The guide pins 370 may be connected to all of the guide holes 335 located at both ends of the bus bar frame 330 in the height direction (z-axis direction), or may be located at only one end of the bus bar frame 330 in the height direction (z-axis direction) as shown in this drawing.

[0091] The guide pins 370 may be made of a highly rigid material, which is more rigid than the bus bar frame 330, for example, the guide pins 370 may be metal rods.

[0092] When the battery cells 110 and the respective bus bar frames 330 coupled thereto are stacked based on the guide pins 370, the assembly deviation of the battery cell stack 120 can be reduced. Specifically, when the battery cells 110 are stacked based on the guide pins 370, the battery cells 110 are sequentially stacked at the same positions as the positions of the guide pins 370. Therefore, the assembly deviation in the left-right direction (x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120 can be reduced, and as a result, the battery cells 110 at the outermost corners of the battery cell stack 120 can all be positioned on the same line. This can improve the space utilization rate within a battery module, battery pack, or device, and also improve the energy density of the battery.

[0093] In addition, although the bus bar frame 330 may be made of an insulating material and have relatively low rigidity, the guide pins 370, which are made of a material that is relatively more rigid than the bus bar frame 330, are coupled to the bus bar frame 330, thereby improving the rigidity of the bus bar frame 330. As a result, the overall rigidity and durability of the battery are improved, and the safety of the battery is also improved.

[0094] Fig. 8 is a view showing the bus bar of the present invention being mounted on a bus bar frame, and Fig. 9 is a view showing the bus bar of Fig. 8 being mounted on a bus bar frame.

[0095] 8 and 9, a bus bar 310 may be positioned between one bus bar frame 330 and the adjacent bus bar frame 330 stacked in FIGS.

[0096] The bus bar 310 is a metal plate and can be in contact with and electrically connected to the electrode leads 150. The bus bar 310 can be located between one electrode lead 150 and an adjacent electrode lead 150. Specifically, the bus bar 310 can be attached to a bus bar frame 330 located between the adjacent electrode leads 150.

[0097] Busbar 310 may include busbar coupling portions 311, which are holes located at both ends of busbar 310 in the height direction (z-axis direction).

[0098] The busbar coupling portion 311 may be a hole penetrating the busbar 310. The busbar 310 may be fixed to the busbar frame 330 by a coupling member 360 positioned while penetrating the busbar coupling portion 311. The coupling member 360 may be, for example, a bolt.

[0099] The bus bar 310 may be located at the bus bar mounting portion 337 .

[0100] The busbar mounting portion 337 may be a groove formed in the busbar frame 330 and may be an area where the busbar 310 is mounted. The busbar mounting portion 337 may be a groove formed on both side surfaces of the busbar frame 330, and more specifically, may be a groove positioned with the slit 332 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) between them.

[0101] The bus bar mounting portion 337 may include a first bus bar mounting portion 337 a located on one side of the bus bar frame 330 and a second bus bar mounting portion 337 b located on the other side of the bus bar frame 330 .

[0102] The sizes of the first bus bar mounting portion 337a and the second bus bar mounting portion 337b may correspond to each other, specifically, the sizes of the first bus bar mounting portion 337a and the second bus bar mounting portion 337b may be the same.

[0103] The size of the first bus bar mounting portion 337a and the second bus bar mounting portion 337b may correspond to half the size of the bus bar 310. Specifically, the size of the first bus bar mounting portion 337a and the second bus bar mounting portion 337b may be equal to or larger than half the size of the bus bar 310.

[0104] Therefore, when one busbar frame 330 is stacked with another adjacent busbar frame 330, the first busbar mounting portion 337a of one busbar frame 330 and the second busbar mounting portion 337b of the adjacent busbar frame 330 form one busbar mounting portion 337. That is, one busbar mounting portion 337 may be the first busbar mounting portion 337a and the second busbar mounting portion 337b of the adjacent busbar frames 330. In this case, one busbar 310 can be mounted to one busbar mounting portion 337.

[0105] In summary, the busbar 310 is mounted in the groove of the busbar mounting portion 337, and the busbar 310 can be firmly coupled and fixed to the busbar mounting portion 337 by the coupling member 360 inserted through the busbar coupling portion 311. Although not shown in the drawings, the busbar mounting portion 337 may have an additional groove to which the coupling member 360 is fixed, thereby improving the fixing force with the busbar 310.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 9, after the bus bar 310 is attached to the bus bar attachment portion 337, the electrode lead 150 is bent toward the bus bar 310 and contacts the bus bar 310 to be electrically connected.

[0107] Specifically, the bus bar 310 attached to the bus bar attachment portion 337 may be positioned between the electrode leads 150 of the adjacent bus bar frames 330. In this case, each electrode lead 150 may be bent toward the bus bar 310 to be in contact with the bus bar 310. The electrode leads 150 in contact with the bus bar 310 may be fixed by welding or the like to be electrically connected to the bus bar 310.

[0108] In this case, the electrode leads 150 protruding outside the bus bar frame 330 are a reference plane, and all of the electrode leads 150 may have a uniform length. Therefore, the rate of defective welding between the electrode leads 150 and the bus bar 310 may be reduced, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the battery.

[0109] The bus bar structure and the battery module including the bus bar structure may be applied to various devices, such as transportation means such as electric bicycles, electric cars, and hybrid cars, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various devices that can use a battery module and a battery pack including the bus bar structure, which also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0110] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 100 Battery Module 150 electrode leads 160 Assembly reference surface 200 Module Frame 300 Busbar structure 310 Busbar 311 Busbar joint 330 Busbar Frame 331 Battery cell insertion section 332 Slit 333 Plate joint 335 Guide Hole 337 Busbar mounting part 350 pressure plate 360 Connecting member 370 Guide Pin 400 End Plate

Claims

1. a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a module frame that houses the battery cell stack; and a busbar structure including a plurality of busbars electrically connected to the battery cells, respectively, and a busbar frame on which the busbars are located; A battery module comprising: The battery module, wherein the bus bar frame includes a plurality of separate bus bar frames, and the separate bus bar frames are coupled to each other by position guide members.

2. The position guide member is a guide hole provided in the separate bus bar frame; and The battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising: guide pins positioned through a plurality of the guide holes.

3. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the guide pin extends along the stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

4. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the guide holes are holes located at both ends of the bus bar frame in a height direction.

5. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the guide pins have a rigidity greater than that of the bus bar frame.

6. The bus bar frame is a battery cell insertion portion into which electrode leads protruding from the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell and a cell terrace, which is a pouch case enclosing a portion of the electrode leads, are inserted; and The battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising a slit connected to the battery cell insertion portion and allowing the electrode lead to pass through to the outside of the bus bar frame.

7. one surface of the electrode lead protruding outside the bus bar frame is an assembly reference surface, The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein the assembly reference plane is constant for all of the plurality of battery cells.

8. The battery module of claim 6 , further comprising a pressure plate provided inside the bus bar frame.

9. The pressure plate is contacting one surface or the other surface of the electrode lead located inside the bus bar frame, or The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the electrode lead is in contact with one surface and the other surface of the electrode lead.

10. the pressure plate is located in a pressure region that is one region that constitutes the battery cell insertion section, The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the pressure region includes a plate joining portion that penetrates the bus bar frame in a direction perpendicular to the battery cell insertion portion and the slit on a plane.

11. The battery module according to claim 10 , wherein a coupling member is inserted into the plate coupling portion to fix the bus bar and the pressure plate.

12. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar is positioned in a bus bar mounting portion that is a groove formed in the bus bar frame.

13. the bus bar mounting portions are grooves formed on both side surfaces of the bus bar frame, The battery module of claim 12 , wherein the bus bar mounting portion includes a first bus bar mounting portion located on one side of the bus bar frame and a second bus bar mounting portion located on the other side of the bus bar frame.

14. The battery module of claim 13 , wherein the first bus bar mounting portion and the second bus bar mounting portion have sizes corresponding to each other.

15. The sizes of the first bus bar mounting portion and the second bus bar mounting portion are The battery module according to claim 14 , wherein the size of the bus bar is half or more than half the size of the bus bar.

16. The battery module according to claim 13 , wherein the bus bar mounting portions are the first bus bar mounting portion and the second bus bar mounting portion of adjacent bus bar frames.

17. The battery module of claim 12 , wherein the bus bar includes bus bar coupling portions that are holes located at both ends of the bus bar in a height direction.

18. The battery module of claim 17 , wherein a coupling member is inserted into the bus bar coupling portion, and the bus bar is fixedly coupled to the bus bar mounting portion.

19. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1.

Images