Battery module

Abstract

The battery module of the present invention includes a laminate composed of one or more battery cells, a case in which the laminate is housed, and a PCB assembly provided inside the case that connects a first busbar provided on one side of the laminate and a second busbar provided on the other side of the laminate so that electricity can flow between them, or that cuts off the flow of electricity when a current exceeding a preset value flows, wherein the PCB assembly includes a first connecting cable connected to the first busbar, a second connecting cable connected to the second busbar, a circuit that connects the first connecting cable and the second connecting cable so that electricity can flow between them, and a PCB board equipped with a fuse that cuts off the flow of electricity to the circuit when a current exceeding a predetermined value flows through the circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0142124 filed on October 23, 2023, and all the contents disclosed in the corresponding Korean patent application documents are incorporated herein by reference as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery module having a fuse built therein for interrupting overcurrent, and more particularly, to a battery module having a structure that facilitates replacement of the fuse.

Background Art

[0003] Generally, a secondary battery refers to a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery that cannot be charged. Such secondary batteries are widely used in mobile phones, notebook computers, camcorders, power storage devices, and electric vehicles.

[0004] The above secondary batteries are classified into can-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is built in a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is built in a pouch. The pouch-type secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which electrodes and separators are alternately laminated, and a pouch that houses the electrode assembly.

[0005] On the other hand, in recent years, concerns about the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution have increased, and research on hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles has been actively underway. Such hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are equipped with a battery module.

[0006] That is, the battery module includes a plurality of secondary batteries, and the plurality of secondary batteries are connected in series or parallel to increase the capacity and output.

[0007] However, conventional battery modules have a problem in that they may explode or catch fire when an overcurrent occurs, and thus there is a risk of personal injury.

Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a battery module that can prevent explosion or fire by including a fuse that cuts off the current when an overcurrent occurs.

[0009] In particular, the present invention aims to enable the rapid reuse of a battery module by allowing the fuse to be easily replaced using a lid provided on the case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The battery module of the present invention includes a laminate composed of one or more battery cells, a case in which the laminate is housed, and a PCB assembly provided inside the case that connects a first busbar provided on one side of the laminate and a second busbar provided on the other side of the laminate so that electricity can flow between them, or that cuts off the flow of electricity when a current exceeding a preset value flows, wherein the PCB assembly may include a first connecting cable connected to the first busbar, a second connecting cable connected to the second busbar, a circuit that connects the first connecting cable and the second connecting cable so that electricity can flow between them, and a PCB board equipped with a fuse that cuts off the flow of electricity to the circuit when a current exceeding a predetermined value flows through the circuit.

[0011] The circuit includes a first circuit connected to the first connecting cable and a second circuit connected to the second connecting cable, and the fuse can either connect the first circuit and the second circuit to allow current to flow, or melt due to the heat generated when a current exceeding a predetermined level flows, thereby interrupting the current flow between the first and second circuits.

[0012] The PCB board may include a first connector to which the connector portion of the first connecting cable is connected, and a second connector to which the connector portion of the second connecting cable is connected.

[0013] The PCB assembly can be provided between the cover plate of the case and the laminate.

[0014] The cover plate may be provided with openings for inspecting the PCB substrate from the outside.

[0015] The aforementioned opening can be provided in the cover plate facing the PCB substrate.

[0016] The aforementioned opening can be formed to be larger than the size of the PCB substrate.

[0017] The aforementioned opening may be fitted with a transparent or translucent cover.

[0018] The lid can be detachably coupled to the opening.

[0019] The lid may be provided with a hinge portion at one end that is rotatably connected to a joint portion of a cover plate located on one side of the opening, and a fixing portion at the other end that is locked and secured to a locking portion provided on a cover plate located on the other side of the opening.

[0020] The lid may be made of a heat-resistant material.

[0021] The first connecting cable and the second connecting cable may include flexible flat cables (FFCs). [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The battery module of the present invention is characterized by including a PCB assembly having a fuse on a connection cable that connects a first bus bar and a second bus bar so that electricity can flow. With such a feature, when an overcurrent occurs in the battery module, the fuse melts, enabling the connection between the first bus bar and the second bus bar to be quickly interrupted, thereby improving the safety of the battery module.

[0023] In particular, in the battery module of the present invention, the PCB assembly is built into a case and is provided so as to be able to be exposed to the outside through an open hole formed in the case. With such a feature, the PCB assembly can be protected from external impacts, and the PCB assembly can be easily replaced through the open hole. As a result, ease of maintenance and rapid reuse of the battery module can be achieved.

[0024] Also, in the battery module of the present invention, the open hole is provided with a lid. With such a feature, it is possible to prevent foreign matter and the like from flowing into the inside of the case. In particular, the lid may be made of a transparent or translucent material. With such a feature, the fuse state of the PCB assembly can be confirmed from the outside without opening the lid.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] In FIG. 1, it is a perspective view showing the battery module in a state where the case is removed. [Figure 3] It is a plan view schematically showing the state in a top view of the battery module of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing the PCB assembly of the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] In FIG. 4, it is a perspective view showing the coupling state of the connection cable and the PCB substrate of the PCB assembly. [Figure 6]This is a plan view showing a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in a state where the fuse has blown due to overcurrent. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged view of section A shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing a battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so as to be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, the present invention can be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description have been omitted from the drawings, and similar parts throughout the specification are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0027] [Battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention] The battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a PCB assembly equipped with a fuse that quickly shuts off the electricity when an overcurrent occurs, thereby preventing accidents from occurring in advance.

[0028] In particular, the PCB assembly with the fuse is located inside the case housing the battery cells, and the case has an opening that exposes the PCB assembly to the outside. This protects the PCB assembly from external impacts and allows for easy replacement of the PCB assembly through the opening. As a result, ease of maintenance and rapid reuse of the battery module can be achieved.

[0029] Hereinafter, a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the battery module in Figure 1 with the case removed, and Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing the battery module in Figure 2 from above.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the battery module 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a laminate 11, a case 12, and a PCB assembly 13.

[0032] Laminate The laminate 11 is composed of one or more battery cells 111, preferably a plurality of battery cells 111. That is, the plurality of battery cells 111 are connected in series or parallel to increase capacity and output.

[0033] Here, the battery cell 111 includes an electrode assembly and a pouch for housing the electrode assembly, and the electrode assembly has a structure in which positive and negative electrodes are alternately arranged with a separator in between.

[0034] case The case 12 has a structure for housing the battery cell 111. Specifically, the case 12 includes a lower plate 121 on which the battery cell 111 is placed, a side plate 122 that protects the sides of the battery cell 111, a first end plate 123 provided in front of the battery cell 111, a second end plate 124 provided behind the battery cell 111, and a cover plate 125 provided on top of the battery cell 111.

[0035] On the other hand, case 12 includes a busbar assembly for connecting multiple battery cells 111 in series or parallel.

[0036] The busbar assembly includes a first busbar frame 126 to which a first busbar 1261 connected to one electrode of the battery cell 111 is connected, and a second busbar frame 127 to which a second busbar 1271 connected to the other electrode is connected.

[0037] Here, the first busbar frame 126 is provided on the inner surface of the first end plate 123 facing the battery cell 111, and the second busbar frame 127 is provided on the inner surface of the second end plate 124 facing the battery cell 111.

[0038] PCB assembly Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a PCB assembly of a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the connection state of the connecting cable and PCB substrate of the PCB assembly in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is a plan view showing the state in which the fuse has blown due to overcurrent in the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] The PCB assembly 13 is housed inside the case 12 and has a structure that either connects a first busbar 1261 provided on one side of the laminate 11 and a second busbar 1271 provided on the other side of the laminate 11 in a way that electricity can flow, or shuts off the current when the current exceeds a preset value. As a result, if an overcurrent occurs in the battery module, the electricity generated in the battery module can be quickly shut off, thereby preventing accidents in which the battery module may explode or catch fire.

[0040] As an example, the PCB assembly 13 includes a first connecting cable 131 connected to a first bus bar 1261, a second connecting cable 132 connected to a second bus bar 1271, and a PCB board 133 that either connects the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 to conduct electricity, or shuts off the current when a current exceeding a preset value flows.

[0041] On the other hand, the current exceeding a preset value is not limited to a specific value, as it varies depending on the capacity of the battery cell 111. The fuse 1332 can be made of a material that melts due to the heat generated when a current exceeding a preset value occurs. For example, the current exceeding a preset value can be 1 ampere (A) or more, preferably 2 amperes (A) or more.

[0042] The first connecting cable 131 is connected to the connector of the first connecting board to which the first busbar 1261 is connected, thereby connecting it to the first busbar 1261 to enable power supply.

[0043] The second connecting cable 132 is connected to the connector of the second connecting board to which the second busbar 1271 is connected, thereby connecting it to the second busbar 1271 to enable power supply.

[0044] The PCB board 133 includes a circuit 1331 (i.e., an electrical circuit) that connects the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 to conduct electricity, and a fuse 1332 that cuts off the current flowing through the circuit 1331 when a current exceeding a preset value flows through the circuit 1331.

[0045] Here, circuit 1331 includes a first circuit 1331 connected to a first connecting cable 131 and a second circuit 1331 connected to a second connecting cable 132. Multiple circuits 1331 are provided.

[0046] The fuse 1332 is provided between the first circuit and the second circuit, and either connects the first and second circuits to allow current to flow, or melts due to the heat generated when a current exceeding a preset value flows, thereby interrupting the flow of current between the first and second circuits.

[0047] In particular, the fuse 1332 is provided in each of the multiple circuits 1331, which significantly improves safety.

[0048] On the other hand, the fuse 1332 can have a thickness, width, and length that allows it to melt quickly at a preset temperature. For example, the fuse 1332 may have a thickness of 25 μm, a width of 0.1 mm, and a length of 1 to 3 cm.

[0049] On the other hand, fuse 1332 can be made of a metal plate. For example, fuse 1332 can be made of at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), or nichrome (Ni-Cr alloy). Alternatively, fuse 1332 may be made of lead, a lead-tin alloy, zinc, etc.

[0050] On the other hand, fuse 1332 is a type of overcurrent protection device that automatically interrupts short-circuit and overload currents. In other words, fuse 1332 prevents danger by melting when the current is strong, thereby interrupting the electrical circuit.

[0051] Figure 6 is a plan view showing the state in which the fuse 1332 has blown due to overcurrent in a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] In summary, the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 are connected to conduct electricity via the circuit 1331 and fuse 1332 on the PCB board 133. However, if an overcurrent exceeding a preset value flows through the circuit 1331, the fuse 1332 melts, interrupting the flow of electricity between the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132.

[0053] A PCB assembly 13 with such a structure can quickly interrupt the flow of electricity when an overcurrent flows through the battery module 1, thereby improving safety. In particular, since the PCB assembly 13 is housed inside the case 12, it can be protected from external impacts, and the structure of the battery module can be designed to be compact.

[0054] On the other hand, the PCB board 133 includes a first connector 1333 to which the connector portion of the first connecting cable 131 is connected, and a second connector 1334 to which the connector portion of the second connecting cable 132 is connected. This allows the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 to be easily connected to or disconnected from the PCB board 133. In this case, only the PCB board 133 of the PCB assembly 13 needs to be replaced, thus providing ease of maintenance and replacement.

[0055] On the other hand, the PCB assembly can be placed between the cover plate 125 of the case 12 and the laminate 11. This significantly improves the usability of the space inside the case 12.

[0056] On the other hand, the battery module 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a structure that allows the PCB board 133, which is provided inside the case 12, to be easily replaced from the outside.

[0057] In other words, the cover plate 125 is provided with an opening 1251 for inspecting the PCB board 133 from the outside, and the PCB board 133 located inside the case 12 can be easily inspected and replaced through the opening 1251. To put it another way, after removing the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 connected to the PCB board 133 through the opening 1251, a new PCB board 133 is inserted through the opening 1251 of the cover plate 125. Next, the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 are connected to the first connector 1333 and the second connector 1334 provided on the new PCB board 133, respectively. This completes the replacement of the PCB board 133.

[0058] Therefore, the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention allows for easy replacement of a PCB board 133 that has become unusable due to overcurrent with a new PCB board 133.

[0059] On the other hand, the opening 1251 can be provided on the cover plate 125 facing the PCB substrate 133. That is, the opening 1251 and the PCB substrate 133 can be positioned on the same vertical line, as shown in Figure 9. This allows for easy inspection of the PCB substrate 133 through the opening 1251 and easy replacement with a new PCB substrate 133.

[0060] In particular, the size of the opening 1251 can be made larger than that of the PCB substrate 133. This ensures that even if there is a positional error between the opening 1251 and the PCB substrate 133, the PCB substrate 133 will be positioned to face the opening 1251.

[0061] Figure 7 is a plan view showing a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 is an enlarged view of portion A shown in Figure 7, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 8.

[0062] On the other hand, a transparent or translucent lid 128 can be provided over the opening 1251. That is, the lid 128 can be attached to the outer surface of the cover plate 125 which includes the opening 1251, thereby closing the opening 1251. This prevents foreign matter from flowing into the inside of the case 12 through the opening 1251.

[0063] On the other hand, the lid 128 is made of a heat-resistant material. For example, the lid 128 may be made of polyethylene terephthalate. This prevents the lid 128 from melting due to the heat generated in the battery module 1.

[0064] On the other hand, the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 may be made of flexible flat cable (FFC). This allows the first connecting cable 131 and the second connecting cable 132 to be stably positioned in the space between the cover plate 125 and the battery cell 111.

[0065] In describing other embodiments of the present invention below, the same reference numerals will be used for components having the same function as those in the first embodiment described above, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0066] [Battery module according to the second embodiment of the present invention] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] A battery module 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a case 12, the case 12 includes a cover plate 125 having an opening 1251, and the opening 1251 can be closed by a lid 128.

[0068] In particular, the lid 128 can be detachably connected to the opening 1251. This allows the opening 1251 to be opened or closed.

[0069] As an example, the lid 128 has a hinge portion 1281 at one end that is rotatably connected to a joint portion of a cover plate 125 located on one side of the opening 1251, and a fixing portion 1282 at the other end that is fixed by engaging with a locking portion provided on the cover plate 125 located on the other side of the opening 1251.

[0070] Therefore, the battery module 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be made more convenient because the opening hole 1251 can be opened and closed as needed.

[0071] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the above detailed description, and various embodiments are possible derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalent concepts thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 Battery Module 11 Laminate 111 battery cells 12 cases 121 Lower plate 122 Side plate 123 First End Plate 124 Second End Plate 125 Cover Plate 1251 Open hole 126 First busbar frame 1261 Bus Bar No. 1 127 Second busbar frame 1271 Bus Bar No. 2 128 Lid 1281 Hinge section 1282 Fixed part 13 PCB assembly 131 First connecting cable 132 Second connecting cable 133 PCB boards 1331 Circuit 1332 fuse 1333 First Connector 1334 Second connector

Claims

1. A laminate composed of one or more battery cells, A case in which the aforementioned laminate is housed, The PCB assembly includes a first busbar provided inside the case and on one side of the laminate, and a second busbar provided on the other side of the laminate, which are connected in a way that electricity can flow between them, or which interrupt the flow of electricity when a current exceeding a preset value flows, The aforementioned PCB assembly is A first connecting cable connected to the first busbar, A second connecting cable connected to the second busbar, A battery module comprising: a circuit for connecting the first connecting cable and the second connecting cable to conduct electricity; and a PCB board equipped with a fuse that cuts off the flow of electricity to the circuit when a current exceeding a preset value flows through the circuit.

2. The circuit includes a first circuit connected to the first connecting cable and a second circuit connected to the second connecting cable. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the fuse either connects the first circuit and the second circuit to allow current to flow, or melts due to heat generated when a current exceeding a preset value flows, thereby interrupting the flow of current between the first and second circuits.

3. The aforementioned PCB substrate is The connector portion of the first connecting cable is connected to the first connector, The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising a second connector to which the connector connection portion of the second connecting cable is connected.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the PCB assembly is provided between the cover plate of the case and the laminate.

5. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the cover plate is provided with an opening for inspecting the PCB substrate from the outside.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the opening is provided in a cover plate facing the PCB substrate.

7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the opening is formed to be larger than the size of the PCB substrate.

8. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the opening is provided with a transparent or translucent cover.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the cover is detachably coupled to the opening.

10. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the lid is provided with a hinge portion that is rotatably coupled to a cover plate located on one side of the opening, and a fixing portion that is locked and fixed to a cover plate located on the other side of the opening.

11. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the lid is made of a heat-resistant material.

12. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the first connecting cable and the second connecting cable include flexible flat cables (FFCs).

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