Batteries, battery packs containing them, and automobiles

Abstract

By facilitating heat transfer / dissipation from the structurally vulnerable beading area to the outside of the battery can, deformation and damage to the beading area due to heat are prevented. [Solution] The present invention discloses a battery having a structure in which a thermally conductive member is applied to a beading portion. A battery according to one aspect of the present invention includes an electrode assembly, a battery housing having an opening formed on one side to accommodate the electrode assembly through the opening and including a beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer peripheral edge from the opening side, a top cap covering the opening, and a thermally conductive member configured to fill at least a portion of the 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 conduction member is applied to a beading portion, 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 the contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated into this application.

Background Art

[0003] Batteries that are highly applicable to product groups and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density are not only used in portable devices but are also widely applied to electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), etc. that are driven by an electric drive source.

[0004] Such batteries not only have the primary merit of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels but also have the merit of generating no by-products associated with energy use, and thus are attracting attention as an environmentally friendly and new energy source for improving energy efficiency.

[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 / 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 / discharge capacity.

[0006] Recently, development has been moving towards larger cell sizes in order to achieve high energy density in battery packs and reduce costs.

[0007] To improve energy density, the size of the electrode assembly must be maximized to maximize capacity. This requires maximizing internal space by making the battery housing as thin as possible.

[0008] However, making the battery housing too thin can compromise its durability, potentially leading to breakage or tearing at the thinner sections.

[0009] In particular, the beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer edge of the battery housing from the open side of the battery housing to prevent the electrode assembly from detaching may become more fragile because it is a deformed area. Also, due to the stretching of the battery housing caused by press-fitting, the thickness of a portion of the beading portion in the battery housing may become thinner compared to the surrounding area.

[0010] Therefore, to improve this, it is necessary to ensure heat dissipation from the external beading portion of the battery to the outside of the battery and / or to improve structural stability. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to prevent deformation and damage to the beading portion due to heat by facilitating heat transfer / heat dissipation from the structurally vulnerable beading portion region to the outside of the battery can.

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

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

[0014] A battery according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an electrode assembly, a battery housing having an opening on one side to accommodate the electrode assembly through the opening and including a beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer edge from the side of the opening, a top cap covering the opening, and a thermally conductive member configured to fill at least a portion of the space formed by the beading portion from the outside of the battery housing.

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

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

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

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

[0019] The top cap may include a vent section that is more fragile than the surrounding area.

[0020] The top cap may be configured to be insulated from the electrode assembly and the battery housing and to be non-polar.

[0021] The first current collector may include a first coupling portion that electrically couples with the electrode assembly on the side of the open portion, and a housing coupling portion that electrically couples with the battery housing.

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

[0023] The beading portion protection portion 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 automobile 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 the formation of pinholes 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 occur 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. Finally, 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 portion and the lower portion of the beading portion, it is possible to prevent the upper portion and the lower portion of the beading portion from separating from each other.

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

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an electrode included in a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a laminate of an electrode assembly included in a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a cross section of a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the flow of gas and flame inside a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a cross section of a battery according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing a first current collector included in a battery according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an automobile according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings accompanying this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention later, are intended to further illustrate the technical idea of ​​the present invention; therefore, the present invention shall not be construed as being limited only to what is shown in such drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same component. In addition, the thickness, ratios, and dimensions of components in the drawings may be exaggerated for the sake of effective illustration of the technical content.

[0031] The terms and words used in this specification and in the claims are not to be interpreted in a manner limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but rather in a manner corresponding to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that inventors may appropriately define the concepts of terms themselves in order to best describe their invention.

[0032] In this specification, terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used to indicate direction. However, these terms are merely for convenience of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that they may vary depending on the position of the object being examined and the observer's position.

[0033] Therefore, the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings represent only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present invention. It should be understood that there are various equivalent and modified embodiments that can be substituted for these at the time of filing this application.

[0034] Figure 1 shows electrodes 110 and 120 included in a battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a laminate 100' of electrode assemblies 100 included in a battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 shows a cross-section of a battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows a battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

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

[0036] The electrode assembly 100 can be formed by winding a laminate 100', which includes a first electrode 110, a second electrode 120, and a separator (separation membrane) 130, around a winding shaft.

[0037] The electrode assembly 100 can form a core and an outer surface by winding a laminate 100', which includes a first electrode 110 including a first plain portion 111 that is not coated with an active material layer along the winding direction, a second electrode 120 including a second plain portion 121 that is not coated with an active material layer along the winding direction, and a separator 130 interposed between them, around a common winding shaft.

[0038] The first electrode 110 may include a first electrode plate and a first active material layer 112 formed by coating 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 coating a second electrode active material on at least one surface of the second electrode plate. The first electrode 110 may include a first blank portion 111 on the electrode plate where no positive electrode active material or negative electrode active material is coated. The second electrode 120 may include a second blank portion 121 on the electrode plate where no positive electrode active material or negative electrode active material is coated. For example, the first blank portion 111 may be provided at the upper end of the electrode assembly 100, and the second blank portion 121 may be provided at the lower end of the electrode assembly 100. At least a portion of the first blank portion 111 may function as a first electrode tab, and at least a portion of the second blank 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 portion of the blank portion. That is, the electrode tab may be provided separately and coupled to the blank portion.

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

[0040] The battery housing 200 may include a beading portion 210. The beading portion 210 is formed at the end adjacent to the opening and can be press-fitted inward. The beading portion 210 may be formed by press-fitting the outer periphery 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 be non-polar. The top cap 300 may be made of a conductive metallic material.

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

[0043] The beading portion 210 is easily deformed because it is a part that has been deformed by press-fitting. Because the battery housing 200 stretches in the area where the beading portion 210 is formed by press-fitting, the thickness of the battery housing 200 may become thinner compared to the surrounding area. Such a beading portion 210 has the problem of being damaged by flames and / or gases or developing pinholes when a thermal event occurs inside the battery 10.

[0044] Figure 5 shows the flow of gas and flame inside a battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to Figure 6, the structure of the present invention can be described as follows: The thermal conductive member 400 can prevent deformation and damage to the beading portion 210 due to heat. The thermal conductive member 400 can facilitate heat transfer and release from the beading portion 210 to the outside of the battery 10. This prevents structural collapse by preventing pinholes from forming in the beading portion 210 due to high-temperature heat that accumulates without being sufficiently released to the outside of the battery 10. The thermal conductive member 400 can be interposed inside the potentially structurally fragile beading portion 210 to reinforce its rigidity. Furthermore, such a structure can guide the path of gas and / or flame. Since no pinholes are formed in the rigid beading portion 210, gas and / or flame are guided to the top cap 300 without leaking out. As a result, gas and / or flame can be effectively discharged from the vent portion 310 of the top cap 300, as described later. Ultimately, the stability of the battery 10 can be greatly improved.

[0046] The thermal conductive member 400 may contain a ceramic filler. The thermal conductive member 400 may contain alumina and / or boron nitride and / or silicon nitride and / or aluminum nitride and / or aluminum hydroxide. The thermal conductive member may have a hardness of 70 Sh A or higher. Using such a material for the thermal conductive member 400, the rigidity of the structurally fragile beading portion 210 can be reinforced.

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

[0048] With this configuration of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the easily deformable beading portion 210 from stretching vertically when gas is generated inside the battery 10 or when the battery 10 is subjected to a strong impact from outside the battery 10. The heat-conducting member 400 is interposed between the upper part and the lower part of the beading portion 210, which prevents the upper part and the lower part of the beading portion 210 from separating from each other.

[0049] Returning to Figure 3, the battery 10 may include the crimping portion 220 of the battery housing 200 and / or the vent portion 310 of the top cap 300 and / or the terminal 700 and / or the first current collector 500 and / or the second current collector 600 and / or the insulator 800 and / or the first gasket G1 and / or the 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 shape that extends and bends to wrap around the edge region of the top cap 300. This shape of the crimping portion 220 allows the top cap 300 to be fixed onto the beading portion 210.

[0051] The top cap 300 may have a vented portion 310 that is more fragile than the surrounding area. The vented portion 310 may have a thinner thickness than the surrounding area. The vented portion 310 may be formed by notching on one or both surfaces of the top cap 300 to partially reduce the thickness of the top cap 300.

[0052] Terminal 700 may be located on the other side of the opening. Terminal 700 may be exposed to the outside of the battery housing 200 through a closed portion located on the other side of the opening. Terminal 700 may have the polarity of a second electrode. Terminal 700 may penetrate approximately the center 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 electrically couples with the electrode assembly 100. The first current collector 500 may include a housing coupling portion 520 that electrically couples with 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 have a second coupling portion that electrically couples with the electrode assembly 100. The second current collector 600 may have a terminal 700 coupling portion that electrically couples with a portion of the terminal 700 that is inserted into the battery housing 200 and has a substantially flat surface. The second current collector 600 may have polarity of the second electrode.

[0055] The insulator 800 may be positioned on the electrode assembly 100 to provide insulation between the battery housing 200 and the electrode assembly 100 on the closed side. The insulator 800 may 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 may include, for example, an insulating resin material. The insulator 800 may have a hole approximately in the center so that the terminal 700 can be electrically connected to the second current collector 600.

[0056] The first gasket G1 may be placed 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 coming into contact with each other.

[0057] A second gasket G2 may be placed between the terminal 700 and the battery housing 200. The second gasket G2 prevents the terminal 700 and the battery housing 200 from coming into contact with each other.

[0058] The first gasket G1 and the second gasket G2 may be made from a resin material that has insulating and elastic properties.

[0059] Figure 6 shows a cross-section of a battery 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 shows a first current collector 500 included in the battery 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the first current collector 500 may include a beading section protection section 530.

[0061] The beading section protection section 530 may be positioned between the beading section 210 and the electrode assembly 100. The beading section protection section 530 may extend along the circumferential direction of the battery 10. The beading section protection section 530 may be formed integrally with the first coupling section 510. The beading section protection section 530 may be thicker than the first coupling section 510. In such a case, the first coupling section 510 may extend from approximately the center to the inner surface of the battery housing 200 and be connected to the beading section protection section 530. According to the structure of the battery 10 as described above, the first electrode 110, the first current collector 500 and the battery housing 200 have the same polarity, so it is not abnormal for them to be electrically connected. However, the beading section protection section 530 may be configured to contact the first coupling section 510 as a separate component rather than as part of the first current collector 500.

[0062] According to this structure of the present invention, by providing a beading section protection section 530 between the electrode assembly 100 and the beading section 210, the beading section 210 can be more effectively protected from gases and / or flames generated inside the battery 10. Furthermore, if the first current collector 500 and the beading section protection section 530 are integrally formed, the production and assembly processes will be simplified.

[0063] Figure 8 shows a battery pack 5 according to the present invention.

[0064] Referring to Figure 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 a battery management system (BMS), busbars, pack case, relays, current sensors, and other components of the battery pack 5 that are known at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 9 shows an automobile 3 according to the present invention.

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

[0067] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many diverse and obvious modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be interpreted as being encompassed by the claims described to include such many modified embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 3. Automobile 5 Battery Packs 10 batteries 100 electrode assembly 100' laminate 110 First electrode 111 First plain section 112 First Active Material Layer 120 Second electrode 121 Second plain section 122 Second active material layer 130 Separator 200 Battery Housing 210 Beading section 220 Crimping section 300 Top Cap 310 Vent section 400 Thermally conductive material 500 First current collector 510 First joint

Claims

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

2. The aforementioned heat-conducting member is The battery according to claim 1, which extends along the outer edge of the battery housing.

3. The aforementioned heat-conducting member is The battery according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is thermally conductive.

4. The aforementioned heat-conducting member is The battery according to claim 3, comprising a ceramic filler.

5. The aforementioned heat-conducting member is The battery according to claim 1, wherein the hardness is 70 Sh A or more.

6. The aforementioned top cap is The battery according to claim 1, comprising a vent section configured to be more vulnerable compared to the surrounding area.

7. The aforementioned top cap is The battery according to claim 6, wherein the electrode assembly and the battery housing are insulated from each other and configured to be non-polar.

8. The battery according to claim 1, comprising a first current collector including a first coupling portion that electrically couples with the electrode assembly on the side of the open portion, and a housing coupling portion that electrically couples with the battery housing.

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

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

11. A battery pack comprising the battery described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An automobile comprising the battery pack described in claim 11.

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