Battery module, battery pack including same, and automobile

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery module comprising: a busbar frame including a plurality of battery cells each having an electrode lead disposed thereon; lead slots located on sides of the battery cells on which the electrode leads are disposed so that the electrode leads of the battery cells pass through; and a stepped portion formed on a portion of the electrode lead that has passed through the lead slot; and at least one damage prevention member disposed between the electrode leads and the stepped portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile, and more particularly to a battery module including a plurality of pouch-type battery cells and having improved connections between electrode leads, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0121168, filed on September 12, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof.

[0003] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0001588, filed on January 4, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof. [Background technology]

[0004] Secondary batteries, which have high applicability across a range of products and electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are powered by electrical sources. These secondary batteries not only have the temporary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, but also have the advantage of producing no by-products associated with energy use, and are therefore attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency.

[0005] Currently widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. Among these, lithium-ion batteries primarily use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials. A lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate coated with such positive and negative electrode active materials are arranged with a separator sandwiched between them, and an exterior material, such as a battery case, that encloses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0006] Generally, secondary batteries can be broadly classified into can-type batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the exterior material.

[0007] When a high output voltage is required, a battery module or a battery pack may be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in series. To increase the charge / discharge capacity, a battery module or a battery pack may be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery module or the battery pack may be variously set according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0008] For this reason, there is a need to develop a separate structure to prevent damage to the bus bar frame located behind the electrode leads during laser welding between the electrode leads and to improve weldability.

[0009] In addition, in the case of a conventional battery module, a separate structure for sensing the voltage of the electrode lead is provided to prevent the battery cell from being used in an environment where the voltage is higher than the appropriate voltage during charging and discharging. However, when such a separate component is provided, the cost and time for manufacturing each component may increase, and the manufacturing process may become complicated.

[0010] Therefore, a structure needs to be developed that can reduce costs and time by not only preventing the bus bar frame from being damaged when one part is welded between the electrode leads, but also by enabling sensing of the voltage of the electrode leads. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can prevent other components from being damaged when welding between electrode leads of battery cells.

[0012] Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery module that reduces costs and time when manufacturing the battery module and improves productivity.

[0013] Furthermore, a further problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery pack and a vehicle including such a battery module.

[0014] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention given below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a battery module comprising: a plurality of battery cells each having an electrode lead disposed thereon; a busbar frame including lead slots located on the sides of the plurality of battery cells on which the electrode leads are disposed so that the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells pass through, and stepped portions formed on portions of the electrode leads that have passed through the lead slots; and at least one damage prevention member disposed between the electrode leads and the stepped portion.

[0016] The damage prevention member may be configured to have a height greater than the height of the electrode lead.

[0017] The damage prevention members may be provided in plural, and the plural damage prevention members may be separately provided apart from each other.

[0018] The stepped portion may include a first portion disposed flat and a second portion disposed so as to extend inwardly in a stepped manner from the first portion.

[0019] The damage prevention member may be configured in a shape corresponding to the shape of the stepped portion and placed on the stepped portion.

[0020] The damage prevention member may include a contact portion that is placed on the first portion and arranged to contact the electrode lead, and a receiving portion that extends in a stepped manner from the contact portion and is arranged to be away from the electrode lead.

[0021] The damage prevention member may include a connecting portion arranged to connect the contact portion and the receiving portion.

[0022] The receiving portion and the contact portion may have an inwardly indented groove formed in a portion adjacent to the connecting portion.

[0023] The damage prevention member may include a main plate disposed to face the electrode lead, and a coupling plate configured to be bent from both sides of the main plate toward the bus bar frame.

[0024] The binding plate may have at least one hole formed therein.

[0025] The damage prevention member may be integrally formed with the bus bar frame by insert injection molding.

[0026] Two adjacent electrode leads among the electrode leads are bent through the lead slots to overlap each other, and the overlapping electrode leads can be joined by laser welding.

[0027] The contact portion may be joined to at least a portion of the electrode lead by laser welding, and the receiving portion may be configured to protect the bus bar frame from heat caused by laser welding.

[0028] The damage prevention member may be configured to sense the voltage of the electrode lead.

[0029] The present invention also provides a battery pack including the battery module according to the present invention.

[0030] The present invention also provides a vehicle comprising the battery module according to the present invention or the battery pack according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent other components from being damaged when welding between electrode leads of a battery cell. In particular, according to this aspect of the present invention, the weldability between the electrode leads is improved.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent other components from being damaged when welding between electrode leads of a battery cell, and to sense the voltage of the electrode leads.

[0033] Furthermore, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, various components are integrated into one unit during the manufacturing of the battery module, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process, thereby reducing costs and time and improving productivity.

[0034] In addition to these, the present invention can have various other effects, which will be explained in the sections for each embodiment, and explanations of effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0035] The drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further understand the technical concepts of the present invention as well as the content of the invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of main components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of a bus bar frame included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of a bus bar frame included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is an exploded perspective view of a bus bar frame included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a damage prevention member included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 10 is a view showing a damage prevention member included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention coupled to a bus bar frame. [Figure 8] 4A and 4B are views showing welding points of electrode leads in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself in order to best describe the invention.

[0038] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalent and modified embodiments that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0039] The present invention includes various embodiments, and the following description will be focused on the differences between the embodiments, omitting redundant explanations of substantially identical or similar configurations.

[0040] Meanwhile, although directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that these terms are used merely for ease of explanation and may differ depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0041] For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the illustrated X-axis direction may refer to the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction may refer to the front-back direction that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction on a horizontal plane (XY plane), and the Z-axis direction may refer to the up-down direction (vertical direction) that is perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0042] Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of main components of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a front view of a bus bar frame included in the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the bus bar frame included in the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] 1 to 4, a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell 100, a bus bar frame 300, and a damage prevention member 400.

[0044] Referring primarily to FIGS. 2 and 3, the battery cells 100 may be arranged in multiple numbers.

[0045] The plurality of battery cells 100 may be, for example, pouch-type secondary batteries. Each of the plurality of battery cells 100 may be provided with an electrode lead 120. Specifically, the plurality of battery cells 100 may include an electrode assembly, a cell case 110 that houses the electrode assembly, and an electrode lead 120 that is connected to the electrode assembly and extends to the outside of the cell case 110 to function as an electrode terminal. The cell case 110 may house the electrode assembly in a housing portion, and the edge portion around the housing portion may be heat-sealed to form a sealing portion.

[0046] The electrode leads 120 may be provided in pairs, and the pair of electrode leads 120 may be drawn out from both ends of the battery cell 100, i.e., in the longitudinal direction (±Y direction). In this case, the pair of electrode leads 120 may be a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead. If necessary, the battery cell 100 may have a configuration in which the two electrode leads 120 are located only at one end in the Y-axis direction, for example, at the end in the +Y-axis direction.

[0047] 2, the battery cells 100 may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) while standing upright in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). In this case, the sealing portion of each battery cell 100 may face the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction), and the storage portion may face the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0048] Meanwhile, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a blocking member (not shown). The blocking member may be disposed between the battery cells 100. In particular, a plurality of blocking members may be included. The blocking member may be shaped to be disposed for at least one battery cell 100. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the battery cells 100 are partitioned or separated by the blocking member, and gas, flame, etc. may be prevented from propagating beyond other blocking members adjacent to the blocking member.

[0049] Such a blocking member may be made of a material having excellent heat resistance and / or fire resistance, such as silicon or aerogel. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the blocking member can contribute to the structural rigidity of the battery cell 100 by compressing the battery cell 100 when a swelling phenomenon occurs in the battery cell 100.

[0050] 1 and 2, a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a module case 200. The module case 200 may be configured to have an internal space O formed therein and to accommodate battery cells 100 in the internal space O. The module case 200 according to the present embodiment may include a case body 210 and end plates 220.

[0051] The case body 210 may be provided as a monoframe. For example, the case body 210 may be configured as a rectangular tube having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left side surface, and a right side surface, and the front and rear surfaces may be open. The upper surface, the lower surface, the left side surface, and the right side surface may be configured as an integrated shape. The case body 210 may be made of a metal material having rigidity and heat resistance to physically and chemically protect the housed battery cells 100.

[0052] In addition, the case body 210 may be formed in a variety of other shapes. For example, the case body 210 may be configured with a left side plate, a right side plate, and a bottom plate integrated with one another. In this case, the integrated case portion may be referred to as a U-frame. The U-frame may be configured in a tubular shape with a top plate welded to the top surface.

[0053] In this case, the case body 210 may be configured so that the battery cell 100 can be inserted into the interior in one direction. For example, the battery cell 100 may be inserted into the interior along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction). That is, the case body 210 may be configured so that the battery cell 100 can be inserted into the interior by a sliding manner or an interference fit. Due to the interference fit connection, there may be little gaps between the upper and lower surfaces of the case body 210 and the upper and lower ends of the battery cell 100, and there may also be little gaps between both side surfaces of the case body 210 and both sides of the battery cell 100.

[0054] Meanwhile, although not shown, vent holes may be formed in the case body 210 to allow directional ventilation in one direction. For example, a plurality of vent holes may be formed in the lower surface of the case body 210, and directional ventilation toward the bottom of the battery module 10 may be performed through the vent holes.

[0055] The end plates 220 may be disposed on the open front and rear surfaces of the case body 210. The end plates 220 may be welded to the case body 210. Although not shown for ease of illustration, the end plates 220 may be made, for example, of an insulating material on the inside and a metal material on the outside. The end plates 220 may also be partially provided with holes or slits to expose components that need to be exposed to the outside, such as the positive and negative terminals or connectors of the battery module 10.

[0056] Meanwhile, referring to Fig. 2, the bus bar frame 300 may be disposed inside the module case 200 and configured to cover at least one side of the battery cell 100. In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the bus bar frame 300 may be provided in a plate shape to cover both ends of the battery cell 100, the front (-Y direction) or the rear (+Y direction) of the battery cell 100. The bus bar frame 300 may be made of an electrically insulating material such as plastic and injection molded.

[0057] 3 , the bus bar frame 300 may include a lead slot 310. The lead slot 310 may be arranged to allow at least a portion of the electrode leads 120 of the plurality of battery cells 100 to pass through. The lead slot 310 may be arranged to allow the plurality of electrode leads 120 to pass through in the front-rear direction (+Y-axis or −Y-axis direction). To this end, the lead slot 310 may be located on the side where the electrode leads 120 of the plurality of battery cells 100 are arranged, and a plurality of lead slots 310 may be arranged spaced apart from each other along the stacking direction (X-direction) of the battery cells 100.

[0058] At this time, the electrode leads 120 that have passed through the lead slots 310 may be bent and arranged to be stacked on one another. This stacked structure allows the battery cells 100, whose electrode leads 120 are in contact with one another, to be electrically connected to one another.

[0059] 3 and 4, the bus bar frame 300 may include a stepped portion 320. The stepped portion 320 may be formed by recessing a portion of the bus bar frame 300 inward (rearward, in the +Y direction) to form a step. A plurality of stepped portions 320 may be provided at positions where the electrode leads 120 passing through the lead slots 310 are disposed. The stepped portions 320 may be formed corresponding to the positions where the electrode leads 120 passing through the lead slots 310 are disposed. This allows a space to be formed between the stepped portions 320 and the electrode leads 120.

[0060] The battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a damage prevention member 400. At least one damage prevention member 400 may be provided. The damage prevention member 400 may be provided between the electrode lead 120 and the stepped portion 320 of the bus bar frame 300. That is, the electrode lead 120 may be provided so as to be separated from at least a portion of the damage prevention member 400.

[0061] As a result, a separation space is formed between the electrode lead 120 and the damage prevention member 400, which prevents heat, etc., generated by welding the electrode lead 120 from being transferred to the bus bar frame 300 when the electrode lead 120 is welded. Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the bus bar frame 300 from being damaged when welding the electrode leads 120 of the battery cells 100 together. In particular, according to this aspect of the present invention, the weldability between the electrode leads 120 is improved.

[0062] In the past, a separate structure was required to prevent damage to the bus bar frame located behind the electrode leads during laser welding between the electrode leads and improve weldability. However, in the present invention, the stepped portion 320 of the bus bar frame 300 is utilized to improve weldability without providing a separate structure. Furthermore, the damage prevention member 400 can prevent damage to the bus bar frame 300 caused by welding.

[0063] The damage prevention member 400 may be made of a metal material, and at least a portion of the damage prevention member 400 may be configured to contact the electrode lead 120. At least a portion of the damage prevention member 400 may be joined to the electrode lead 120 by laser welding.

[0064] As a result, the damage prevention member 400 can be configured to prevent the bus bar frame 300 from being damaged when welding the electrode leads 120, and can also be configured to sense the voltage of the electrode leads 120. Although not shown, a voltage sensing unit is provided in the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a voltage measuring unit is connected to the damage prevention member 400, thereby enabling the voltage of the electrode leads 120 to be sensed.

[0065] According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, even if a separate component for sensing the voltage of the electrode lead 120 is not provided, the damage prevention member 400 can sense the voltage of the electrode lead 120, thereby allowing one component to have various functions and simplifying the manufacturing process of the battery module. As a result, when manufacturing the battery module 10, various components are manufactured in an integrated manner, thereby reducing material costs and the time required for preparing and assembling components, and improving productivity.

[0066] 3 and 4, the damage prevention member 400 may be disposed so that its height (Z-axis direction) is greater than that of the electrode lead 120. That is, the damage prevention member 400 and the stacked electrode lead 120 may be disposed so that they overlap each other in the front-to-rear direction and, at the same time, so that they completely overlap each other in the height direction. As a result, no matter which part of the electrode lead 120 is welded, the damage prevention member 400 located at the rear side can prevent the bus bar frame 300 from being damaged by welding.

[0067] 3, the damage prevention members 400 may be provided in multiple numbers. In this case, the multiple damage prevention members 400 may be provided separately from each other. That is, the multiple damage prevention members 400 may be provided at locations where the stacked electrode leads 120 are located. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the voltage of each stacked electrode lead 120 is sensed separately and a battery management system (BMS) manages voltage information of each battery cell 100, thereby further ensuring the safety of the battery module 10. Meanwhile, although not shown, the multiple damage prevention members 400 may sense the voltage of each stacked electrode lead 120 and transmit the information to a central location.

[0068] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a bus bar frame included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a damage prevention member included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] 5, the stepped portion 320 may include a first portion 321 that is disposed flat and a second portion 322 that is disposed so as to extend inward from the first portion 321 in a stepped manner. In FIG. 5, the step between the first portion 321 and the second portion 322 is formed in an inclined shape, but it may also be formed so as to form a right angle. The first portion 321 may be disposed so as to protrude outward (from the inside to the outside of the battery module 10) more than the second portion 322. This allows the second portion 322 to be disposed so as to be completely separated from the stacked electrode leads 120.

[0070] Meanwhile, the damage prevention member 400 may be configured to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the stepped portion 320 and placed on the stepped portion 320. In other words, the damage prevention member 400 may be disposed so as to completely cover the stepped portion 320. According to the above embodiment of the present invention, when the electrode lead 120 is welded, the damage prevention member 400 can prevent the bus bar frame 300 from being damaged by heat caused by welding.

[0071] The damage prevention member 400 may be configured in the shape of a stepped plate. Specifically, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the damage prevention member 400 may include a contact portion 401 and a receiving portion 402. The contact portion 401 may be placed on the first portion 321 of the stepped portion 320 to contact the electrode lead 120. The receiving portion 402 may be disposed to extend in a stepped manner from the contact portion 401. In this case, the height, angle, and shape of the step between the contact portion 401 and the receiving portion 402 may be formed to correspond to the step between the first portion 321 and the second portion 322. Therefore, the receiving portion 402 can be disposed so as to be separated from at least a portion of the electrode lead 120. The damage prevention member 400 may also include a connecting portion 403 disposed to connect the contact portion 401 and the receiving portion 402. The connecting portion 403 can be arranged to correspond to the shape of the stepped portion 320, and therefore may be arranged at an angle or perpendicular to the contact portion 401 and the receiving portion 402, respectively.

[0072] In this case, the contact portion 401, the receiving portion 402, and the connecting portion 403 may be configured to be arranged in the shape of a plate having a predetermined area and connected to each other. This allows the damage prevention member 400 to be arranged in complete contact with the stepped portion 320 so as to cover the predetermined area of ​​the stepped portion 320. According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the second portion 322 can be protected more stably and securely when the electrode lead 120 is welded.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a view showing a damage prevention member included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention coupled to a bus bar frame.

[0074] 7, the damage prevention member 400 may be separately manufactured and then coupled to the bus bar frame 300. For example, the damage prevention member 400 may be separately assembled to the bus bar frame 300. Alternatively, the damage prevention member 400 may be integrally formed with the bus bar frame 300 by insert injection molding. That is, when manufacturing the bus bar frame 300, the damage prevention member 400 may be integrated with the bus bar frame 300 by inserting a pre-manufactured damage prevention member 400 into a mold for the bus bar frame 300, and then melting and injecting a thermoplastic resin into the mold and cooling the melted thermoplastic resin.

[0075] According to the embodiment of the present invention using insert injection molding, the process of separately assembling the damage prevention member 400 to the bus bar frame 300 is omitted, thereby reducing the amount of secondary materials, thereby reducing costs and time and improving productivity. Furthermore, the joining of the bus bar frame 300 and the damage prevention member 400 by injection molding ensures rigidity and improves stability.

[0076] A groove 430 may be formed in the damage prevention member 400. Specifically, the groove 430 may be formed by recessing the receiving portion 402 and the contact portion 401 inward. The groove 430 may be formed in a portion adjacent to the connecting portion 403. According to this embodiment of the present invention, when the damage prevention member 400 is insert-injected, the thermoplastic resin for forming the bus bar frame 300 can penetrate into the groove 430 and fix the damage prevention member 400 to both sides thereof during the insert injection molding of the damage prevention member 400. This ensures a strong bond between the damage prevention member 400 and the bus bar frame 300, improving stability.

[0077] 6 and 7, the damage prevention member 400 may include a main plate 410 and a coupling plate 420. The main plate 410 may be disposed to face the electrode lead 120. The main plate 410 may be disposed in a shape corresponding to the stepped portion 320. At least a portion of the main plate 410 may be configured to contact the electrode lead 120. The main plate 410 may include a contact portion 401, a receiving portion 402, and a coupling portion 403. That is, the main plate 410 may be disposed in a stepped plate shape that extends elongated in the height direction.

[0078] The coupling plates 420 may be configured to be bent inward, i.e., from both sides of the main plate 410 toward the bus bar frame 300. When the damage prevention member 400 is formed integrally with the bus bar frame 300 by insert injection molding, the coupling plates 420 may be fitted inside the bus bar frame 300, as shown in FIG.

[0079] At this time, at least one hole 440 may be formed in the coupling plate 420. When the damage prevention member 400 is integrally formed with the bus bar frame 300 by insert injection molding, the provision of the hole 440 can help inject the thermoplastic resin into the mold. In addition, when the thermoplastic resin filled in the hole 440 hardens, the bonding area between the damage prevention member 400 and the bus bar frame 300 further increases, thereby reducing the risk that the damage prevention member 400 will suddenly fall off the bus bar frame 300 due to external force. The positions and number of the holes 440 are not limited to the example shown in the drawings and can be changed without any restrictions.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing welding points of electrode leads in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] As described above, the electrode leads 120 are arranged in a plurality of numbers by being respectively arranged on the plurality of battery cells 100, and at least some of the electrode leads 120 may be bent and stacked on one another after passing through the lead slots 310. This allows at least some of the electrode leads 120 to be arranged on the outer surface of the bus bar frame 300.

[0082] At this time, two adjacent electrode leads 120 among the electrode leads 120 are bent through the lead slots 310 and overlap each other, and the overlapping electrode leads 120 may be joined by welding. The electrode leads 120 may be joined by spot welding or line welding, for example. In other words, a welded portion W may be formed on the outer surface of the electrode lead 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the welded portion W may be formed along the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the electrode lead 120.

[0083] At this time, the contact portion 401 is joined to at least a part of the electrode lead 120 by laser welding. In addition, the receiving portion 402 may be configured to be spaced apart from the remaining part of the electrode lead 120 and to protect the bus bar frame 300 from heat caused by laser welding.

[0084] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] 9, a battery pack 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery modules 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above. The battery pack 20 according to the present invention may further include a battery management system (BMS) for controlling charging and discharging of the one or more battery modules, a current sensor, a fuse, etc., and a pack case 21 for accommodating the above-mentioned components.

[0086] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] 10 , an automobile 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more of the battery pack 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention or the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automobile 30 according to the present invention may be, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The automobile 30 includes a four-wheeled vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle. The automobile 30 operates by receiving power from the battery pack 20 or the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereby and that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention by making various modifications and variations within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the equivalent scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Battery Module 20 Battery Pack 21 Pack Case 30 Automobiles 100 battery cells 110 Cell Case 120 Electrode Lead 200 Module Case 210 Case body 220 End Plate 300 Busbar Frame 310 lead slots 320 stepped part 321 First Part 322 Second Part 400 Damage prevention components 401 Contact part 402 Stopper 403 Connecting part 410 Main Plate 420 Binding Plate 430 Groove 440 holes O interior space W welded section

Claims

1. a plurality of battery cells each having an electrode lead disposed thereon; a bus bar frame including: lead slots positioned on sides where the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells are arranged, and arranged so that the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells pass through; and stepped portions formed on portions where the electrode leads that have passed through the lead slots are arranged; at least one damage prevention member disposed between the electrode lead and the stepped portion; Including a battery module.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the damage prevention member has a height greater than the height of the electrode lead.

3. The damage prevention members are provided in plural, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of damage prevention members are separately arranged apart from each other.

4. The stepped portion is a flat laid first portion; a second portion disposed so as to extend inwardly from the first portion in a stepped manner; The battery module of claim 1 , comprising:

5. The battery module according to claim 4 , wherein the damage prevention member is configured to have a shape corresponding to a shape of the stepped portion and is placed on the stepped portion.

6. The damage prevention member is a contact portion disposed on the first portion and adapted to contact the electrode lead; a receiving portion extending in a stepped manner from the contact portion and spaced apart from the electrode lead; The battery module of claim 5 , comprising:

7. The damage prevention member is The battery module according to claim 6 , further comprising a connecting portion arranged to connect the contact portion and the receiving portion.

8. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the receiving portion and the contact portion have inwardly indented grooves formed in portions adjacent to the connecting portion.

9. The damage prevention member is a main plate disposed to face the electrode lead; a coupling plate configured to be bent from both sides of the main plate toward the bus bar frame; The battery module of claim 1 , comprising:

10. The battery module according to claim 9 , wherein the coupling plate has at least one hole formed therein.

11. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the damage prevention member is integrally formed with the bus bar frame by insert injection molding.

12. two adjacent electrode leads among the electrode leads are bent through the lead slots and overlap each other; The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the overlapping electrode leads are joined by laser welding.

13. the contact portion is joined to at least a part of the electrode lead by laser welding; The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein the receiving portion is configured to protect the bus bar frame from heat caused by laser welding.

14. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the damage prevention member is configured to sense a voltage of the electrode lead.

15. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A motor vehicle comprising the battery pack of claim 15.

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