Battery pressure measuring sensor and battery pressure measuring device including the same

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a battery pressure measurement sensor including: a substrate; a plurality of variable resistance units arranged at a plurality of positions on the substrate in consideration of swelling characteristics of a battery, the plurality of variable resistance units being configured to change in resistance within a corresponding resistance range in response to pressure applied thereto; and a plurality of sensing lines configured to be connected to each of the plurality of variable resistance units.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0173277 filed on December 6, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of that application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery pressure measuring sensor and a battery pressure measuring device including the same, and more particularly to a sensor capable of measuring the pressure of a battery and a battery pressure measuring device including the same. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has grown rapidly, and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, satellites, and other products has progressed in earnest. As a result, research into high-performance batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is being actively conducted.

[0004] Currently, commercially available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium batteries. Of these, lithium batteries are in the spotlight due to their advantages of being freely chargeable and dischargeable since they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, a very low self-discharge rate, and a high energy density.

[0005] Generally, a battery module is formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series and / or parallel, and one or more battery modules and other components are added to form a battery pack. Such a battery pack can be used mainly as an energy source for electric vehicles.

[0006] For example, a battery module may include battery cells that are compressed under a certain pressure. In this case, when the battery cells are repeatedly charged and discharged, the battery cells may swell. Here, swelling refers to the expansion of the battery cells due to charging and discharging. If the swelling of the battery cells becomes severe, the battery cells may vent or push out the module frame and / or the battery pack case, which may damage the module frame and / or the battery pack case.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technology that can ensure the stability of the battery cell, the battery module, and the battery pack by measuring the pressure of the battery cell before the swelling of the battery cell becomes serious and taking appropriate measures to address the swelling state. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pressure measuring sensor and a battery pressure measuring device including the same, which can accurately determine the swelling state of a battery cell.

[0009] Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood from the following description and will become more apparent from the embodiments of the present invention. Also, it will be easily understood that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof described in the claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery pressure measurement sensor may include a substrate, a plurality of variable resistance units arranged at a plurality of positions on the substrate taking into consideration swelling characteristics of a battery, each variable resistance unit being configured to change in resistance within a corresponding resistance range in response to pressure applied thereto, and a plurality of sensing lines configured to be connected to each of the plurality of variable resistance units.

[0011] The plurality of variable resistance units may be configured to be disposed on the substrate at a first position where a predetermined risk level is set to be relatively low when swelling of the battery occurs, and at a second position where the predetermined risk level is set to be relatively high.

[0012] The first position may be configured as a position corresponding to a predetermined center portion of the entire portion of the substrate.

[0013] The second position may be configured as a position corresponding to a periphery of the entire portion of the substrate excluding the central portion.

[0014] When the pressure is not applied, the resistance values ​​of the multiple variable resistance units may be set as a reference resistance value, and a resistance range of the resistance value due to the pressure of the variable resistance unit arranged at the first position may be a first resistance range, and a resistance range of the resistance value due to the pressure of the variable resistance unit arranged at the second position may be a second resistance range.

[0015] The lower limit of the first resistance range may be configured to be set equal to or greater than the upper limit of the second resistance range.

[0016] The upper limit of the first resistance range may be a resistance value at which the battery is determined to be in a predetermined swelling state.

[0017] The lower limit of the first resistance range and the upper limit of the second resistance range may be resistance values ​​at which the state of the battery can be determined to be a predetermined swelling warning state.

[0018] The lower limit of the second resistance range may be a resistance value at which the battery state can be determined to be in a predetermined swelling danger state.

[0019] The multiple sensing lines may be configured such that the wiring length of the sensing line connected to the variable resistance unit arranged at the first position is longer than the wiring length of the sensing line connected to the variable resistance unit arranged at the second position.

[0020] The plurality of variable resistance sections may be configured such that a size of the variable resistance section arranged at the first position is larger than a size of the variable resistance section arranged at the second position.

[0021] The plurality of variable resistance sections may be configured such that the number of variable resistance sections arranged at the first position is smaller than the number of variable resistance sections arranged at the second position.

[0022] A battery pressure measuring device according to another aspect of the present invention may include a battery pressure measuring sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, an upper plate and a lower plate configured to interpose the battery, and a fixing part configured to fix the upper plate and the lower plate.

[0023] The battery pressure measurement sensor may be configured to be located on at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the battery.

[0024] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the battery pressure measuring device may further include a controller connected to the plurality of sensing lines and configured to measure resistance values ​​of each of the plurality of variable resistors and determine a swelling state of the battery based on the measured resistance values.

[0025] The control unit may be configured to detect a position where the swelling occurs in the battery based on the measured resistance values.

[0026] The battery pressure measuring device according to another aspect of the present invention may further include a charge / discharge unit configured to charge and discharge the battery.

[0027] The control unit may be configured to determine the swelling state of the battery during charging / discharging of the battery.

[0028] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the battery pressure measuring device may further include a protection plate disposed between the battery pressure measuring sensor and the battery and configured to be fixed together with the upper plate and the lower plate by the fixing portion.

[0029] A battery pack according to yet another aspect of the present invention may include the battery pressure measurement sensor according to one aspect of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to one aspect of the present invention, the swelling state of a battery can be accurately determined by measuring the resistance values ​​of a plurality of variable resistance units.

[0031] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage that the location where swelling has occurred in the battery can be specifically detected.

[0032] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the following claims.

[0033] The drawings attached to this specification are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to facilitate a further understanding of the technical ideas 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 description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram of a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating a substrate included in a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating a variable resistor and a sensing line included in a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 13 is a schematic diagram of a battery pressure measuring device according to another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment in which a battery pressure measurement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a battery; [Figure 9] 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an upper plate, a lower plate, and a fixing portion included in a battery pressure measuring device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a battery pressure measuring device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a battery pressure measuring device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a battery pressure measuring device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a battery pressure measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] The terms and words used in this specification and the claims should not be interpreted in a limited manner to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a manner that corresponds to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor himself can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain the invention in the best possible way.

[0036] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0037] Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of related publicly known configurations or functions may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0038] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one of various components from other components, and are not intended to limit the components.

[0039] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "comprise" a certain element, this means that it may further include other elements, not excluding other elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0040] Furthermore, throughout this specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "indirectly connected" through another element between them.

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may include a substrate 110, a variable resistor portion 120, and a sensing line 130.

[0044] The substrate 110 may be a plate-shaped insulating substrate on which the plurality of variable resistance units 120 and the plurality of sensing lines 130 may be attached. For example, the substrate 110 may be a printed circuit board. Preferably, the substrate 110 may be a flexible printed circuit (FPC).

[0045] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a substrate 110 included in a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] 2, the substrate 110 may be configured in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the battery. Also, the substrate 110 may be pre-divided into a central portion and a peripheral portion in consideration of the swelling characteristics of the battery, and the variable resistance units 120 may be disposed in the central portion or the peripheral portion of the substrate 110.

[0047] Here, the battery means one independent cell that has a negative terminal and a positive terminal and can be physically separated. As an example, a lithium ion battery or a lithium polymer battery can be considered as a battery. The battery can be cylindrical, pouch or square. Preferably, the battery can be pouch.

[0048] The multiple variable resistance units 120 can be configured to be disposed at multiple locations on the substrate 110 taking into account the swelling characteristics of the battery.

[0049] Specifically, there may be a plurality of variable resistance sections 120, and the plurality of variable resistance sections 120 may be disposed at a plurality of positions on the substrate 110.

[0050] More specifically, the multiple variable resistance units 120 may be configured to be disposed at a first position 110a, which is set to have a relatively low predetermined risk level when swelling of the battery occurs, and a second position 110b, which is set to have a relatively high predetermined risk level, on the substrate 110. Here, the first position 110a may be configured as a position corresponding to a predetermined central portion of the entire portion of the substrate 110. Also, the second position 110b may be configured as a position corresponding to a peripheral portion of the entire portion of the substrate 110 excluding the central portion. That is, when the substrate 110 and the battery contact each other, the first position 110a of the substrate 110 may correspond to the central portion of the battery. And, when the substrate 110 and the battery contact each other, the second position 110b of the substrate 110 may correspond to a peripheral portion including an electrode lead of the battery.

[0051] 2, some of the variable resistance units 120 may be attached to first positions 110a corresponding to the center of the substrate 110. The remaining of the variable resistance units 120 may be attached to second positions 110b corresponding to the periphery of the substrate 110.

[0052] The plurality of variable resistance units 120 may be configured to change a resistance value within a corresponding resistance range in response to pressure applied thereto. The plurality of sensing lines 130 may be configured to be connected to the plurality of variable resistance units 120, respectively.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a variable resistor unit 120 and a sensing line 130 included in a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] 3, a sensing line 130 may be connected to one end and the other end of the variable resistance unit 120. In addition, the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 may be changed within a resistance range corresponding to the variable resistance unit 120 depending on a current flowing through the variable resistance unit 120 and the sensing line 130.

[0055] 3, a current applied from a sensing line 130 connected to one end of the variable resistance unit 120 may pass through the variable resistance unit 120 and be output to the sensing line 130 connected to the other end of the variable resistance unit 120. In addition, when a current passes through the variable resistance unit 120, the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 may be changed within a corresponding resistance range depending on the pressure applied to the variable resistance unit 120.

[0056] The battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can measure pressure applied to the substrate 110 through the variable resistance unit 120 and the sensing line 130 attached to a plurality of positions on the substrate 110. For example, when pressure is applied to the substrate 110 attached to the battery due to swelling of the battery, the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 disposed at the position where the pressure is applied may change. Therefore, the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 has an advantage that it can be used not only to determine whether or not the battery is swelling, but also to detect the position where the battery swelling occurs.

[0057] The plurality of variable resistance elements 120 may be configured such that when no pressure is applied, the resistance value is set as a reference resistance value.

[0058] Specifically, when no pressure is applied to the positions on the substrate 110 where the multiple variable resistance units 120 are attached, the resistance values ​​of the multiple variable resistance units 120 may be the reference resistance value regardless of their positions on the substrate 110 .

[0059] For example, the plurality of variable resistance units 120 may be set to a reference resistance value close to 0Ω when no external pressure is applied. Preferably, the plurality of variable resistance units 120 may have a resistance value of 0Ω when no external pressure is applied. In this case, the reference resistance value may be preset to 0Ω.

[0060] In addition, the resistance range of the resistance value due to pressure of the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the first position 110a of the substrate 110 may be a first resistance range, and the resistance range of the resistance value due to pressure of the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the second position 110b of the substrate 110 may be a second resistance range.

[0061] Also, the lower limit of the first resistance range may be configured to be set to be equal to or greater than the upper limit of the second resistance range, i.e., all resistance values ​​in the first resistance range may be equal to or greater than all resistance values ​​in the second resistance range.

[0062] For example, the first resistance range may be 50,000Ω or less and 10,000Ω or more. And the second resistance range may be 10,000Ω or less and 1000Ω or more. In this case, the lower limit of the first resistance range (10,000Ω) may be the same as the upper limit of the second resistance range (10,000Ω). Therefore, all resistance values ​​belonging to the first resistance range may be equal to or greater than all resistance values ​​belonging to the second resistance range.

[0063] Here, the greater the pressure applied to the substrate 110 and the variable resistance unit 120, the greater the decrease in the resistance of the variable resistance unit 120. That is, the strength of the applied pressure and the resistance of the variable resistance unit 120 may be inversely proportional to each other.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 2, when pressure is applied to the substrate 110 due to swelling of the battery, the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 included in the first position 110a may be greater than the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 included in the second position 110b.

[0065] That is, the battery pressure measuring sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 is set differently depending on the position where it is attached to the substrate 110, thereby enabling more accurate detection of the swelling position of the battery in contact with the substrate 110. In addition, when pressure due to swelling of the battery is applied to the substrate 110, the resistance value of each of the plurality of variable resistance units 120 may change, thereby enabling more accurate determination of whether swelling of the battery has occurred.

[0066] In general, when swelling occurs in a battery, the center of the battery may swell first, and the periphery including the electrodes of the battery may swell later than the center. This phenomenon occurs because the center of the battery has more positive and negative active materials than the periphery of the battery, and the electrochemical reaction occurs more actively. In addition, the upper and lower cases of the battery may be sealed at the periphery of the battery, and the electrode leads may be connected to the periphery of the battery. Therefore, when swelling occurs in a battery, the center of the battery may swell earlier than the periphery of the battery.

[0067] For this reason, when the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 disposed at the first position 110a of the substrate 110 corresponding to the center of the battery is within the first resistance range, it can be determined that swelling has occurred in the battery.

[0068] Specifically, the upper limit of the first resistance range is a resistance value at which the state of the battery can be determined to be a preset swelling state. That is, when the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 is equal to the upper limit of the first resistance range, the state of the battery can be a state in which swelling has occurred but the degree of risk is low. This is because, as described above, the pressure applied to the variable resistance unit 120 and the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 are inversely proportional to each other. That is, when the resistance value of at least one of the plurality of variable resistance units 120 arranged at the first position 110a of the substrate 110 is equal to the upper limit of the first resistance range, the state of the battery can be determined to be a swelling state with a relatively low degree of risk.

[0069] Next, if the center of the battery swells further or the periphery of the battery swells, the sealed upper and lower cases may vent and electrolyte and other fluids may leak out of the battery. In this case, the risk of fire or explosion may be higher than when the battery is swelling.

[0070] Specifically, the lower limit of the first resistance range and the upper limit of the second resistance range are resistance values ​​that can determine that the battery state is in a predetermined swelling warning state. That is, when the resistance value of at least one of the plurality of variable resistance units 120 arranged at the first position 110a of the substrate 110 is equal to the lower limit of the first resistance range, or the resistance value of at least one of the plurality of variable resistance units 120 arranged at the second position 110b is equal to the upper limit of the second resistance range, the battery state is that swelling has occurred and the predetermined risk level may be in an intermediate state. That is, the battery state can be determined to be in a swelling warning state, the risk level of which is higher than the risk level of a swelling occurrence state.

[0071] Finally, the lower limit of the second resistance range is a resistance value at which the battery state can be determined to be in a predetermined swelling danger state. That is, when the resistance value of at least one of the plurality of variable resistance units 120 arranged at the second position 110b of the substrate 110 is equal to the lower limit of the second resistance range, the battery state can be the most dangerous state, and the possibility of a fire or explosion can be very high. Therefore, the battery state can be determined to be the most dangerous swelling danger state.

[0072] That is, the battery pressure measuring sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an advantage that the battery state can be subdivided and determined according to the risk level when swelling occurs by setting different resistance ranges to which the resistance value of the variable resistor unit 120 can belong depending on the position where the sensor is attached to the substrate 110. However, although the battery state is classified into a swelling state, a swelling warning state, and a swelling risk state in the above embodiment, it should be noted that the battery state can be classified more finely according to the risk level.

[0073] Various embodiments of the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] The multiple sensing lines 130 may be configured such that the wiring length of the sensing line 130 connected to the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the first position 110a is longer than the wiring length of the sensing line 130 connected to the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the second position 110b.

[0076] 3, a current is applied to the variable resistance unit 120 via the sensing line 130 connected to one end of the variable resistance unit 120, and the current passing through the variable resistance unit 120 may be output via the sensing line 130 connected to the other end of the variable resistance unit 120. Therefore, as the total length of the sensing line 130 increases, the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 when pressure is applied may increase.

[0077] The wiring length of the sensing line 130 connected to the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the first position 110a of the substrate 110 may be configured to be longer than the wiring length of the sensing line 130 connected to the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the second position 110b of the substrate 110. Specifically, the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the first position 110a of the substrate 110 may react more sensitively to an applied pressure than the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the second position 110b. That is, even if a small pressure is applied to the variable resistance unit 120 arranged at the first position 110a, it can have a high resistance value.

[0078] 4, a plurality of variable resistance units 120a to 120h and a plurality of sensing lines 130a to 130h may be provided on the substrate 110. Specifically, the first position 110a may include a third variable resistance unit 120c, a fourth variable resistance unit 120d, a fifth variable resistance unit 120e, and a sixth variable resistance unit 120f. Also, the second position 110b may include a first variable resistance unit 120a, a second variable resistance unit 120b, a seventh variable resistance unit 120g, and an eighth variable resistance unit 120h.

[0079] 4, it is assumed that the lengths of the sensing lines 130c, 130d, 130e, and 130f connected to the plurality of variable resistance units 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f included in the first position 110a are similar enough to have no significant difference. Similarly, it is assumed that the lengths of the sensing lines 130a, 130b, 130g, and 130h connected to the plurality of variable resistance units 120a, 120b, 120g, and 120h included in the second position 110b are similar enough to have no significant difference. Therefore, the resistance values ​​of the multiple variable resistance units 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f included in the first position 110a may belong to a first resistance range (e.g., 50,000 Ω or less and 10,000 Ω or more), and the resistance values ​​of the multiple variable resistance units 120a, 120b, 120g, and 120h included in the second position 110b may belong to a second resistance range (e.g., 10,000 Ω or less and 1000 Ω or more).

[0080] For example, when the resistance value of at least one of the multiple variable resistance units 120a to 120h is equal to the upper limit of the first resistance range (eg, 50,000Ω), it can be determined that the battery in contact with the substrate 110 is in a swelling state.

[0081] As another example, when the resistance value of at least one of the multiple variable resistance units 120a-120h is equal to the lower limit value of the first resistance range (e.g., 10,000 Ω) or the upper limit value of the second resistance range (e.g., 10,000 Ω), it can be determined that the state of the battery in contact with the substrate 110 is a swelling warning state.

[0082] As yet another example, if the resistance value of at least one of the multiple variable resistance units 120a to 120h is equal to the lower limit of the second resistance range (eg, 1000Ω), it can be determined that the state of the battery in contact with the substrate 110 is a swelling danger state.

[0083] That is, the battery pressure measuring sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that it can sensitively detect the occurrence of swelling in the battery and specifically detect the position where swelling is occurring in the battery by configuring the wiring length of the sensing line 130 connected to the variable resistance unit 120 to be different depending on the position of the variable resistance unit 120 attached to the substrate 110.

[0084] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] The multiple variable resistance sections 120 may be configured such that the size of the variable resistance section 120 arranged at the first position 110a is larger than the size of the variable resistance section 120 arranged at the second position 110b.

[0086] Specifically, the larger the size of the variable resistance section 120, the more likely it is that the resistance value of the variable resistance section 120 will increase when pressure is applied. This is because the larger the size of the variable resistance section 120, the more sensitively it can react to the applied pressure. Therefore, the size of the variable resistance section 120 included in the first position 110a of the substrate 110 may be larger than the size of the variable resistance section 120 included in the second position 110b of the substrate 110.

[0087] 5, the magnitudes of the plurality of variable resistance units 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f included in the first position 110a may be greater than the magnitudes of the plurality of variable resistance units 120a, 120b, 120g, and 120h included in the second position 110b. Thus, the resistance values ​​of the plurality of variable resistance units 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f included in the first position 110a may belong to a first resistance range (e.g., 50,000Ω or less and 10,000Ω or more), and the resistance values ​​of the plurality of variable resistance units 120a, 120b, 120g, and 120h included in the second position 110b may belong to a second resistance range (e.g., 10,000Ω or less and 1000Ω or more).

[0088] That is, the battery pressure measuring sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that it can sensitively detect the occurrence of swelling in the battery and specifically detect the position where swelling is occurring in the battery by configuring the variable resistance unit 120 to have different sizes depending on the position of the variable resistance unit 120 attached to the substrate 110.

[0089] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] The multiple variable resistance units 120 may be configured such that the number of variable resistance units 120 arranged at the first position 110a is less than the number of variable resistance units 120 arranged at the second position 110b.

[0091] Specifically, the second position 110b of the substrate 110 may correspond to the periphery of the battery. As described above, if the periphery of the battery, which may include the electrode leads of the battery, swells due to swelling, the battery may vent, which may cause a fire or explosion. Therefore, in order to prevent accidents, it is important to accurately determine whether swelling has occurred at the periphery of the battery rather than at the center of the battery.

[0092] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, a first location 110a of the substrate 110 may include a plurality of variable resistance units 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f, and a second location 110b of the substrate 110 may include a plurality of variable resistance units 120a, 120b, 120g, 120h, 120i, 120j, 120k, and 120l.

[0093] That is, the battery pressure measuring sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that swelling occurring around the battery can be detected more accurately by configuring the number of variable resistance units 120 to vary depending on the position on the substrate 110.

[0094] The above describes the first embodiment in which the wiring lengths of the sensing lines 130 connected to the variable resistance units 120 are different from each other, the second embodiment in which the sizes of the variable resistance units 120 are different from each other, and the third embodiment in which the numbers of the variable resistance units 120 are different from each other. However, it should be noted that the first to third embodiments may be combined in a mutually complementary manner.

[0095] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a battery pressure measurement device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] 7, the battery pressure measuring device 200 may include the battery pressure measuring sensor 100, an upper plate 210, a lower plate 220, and a fixing part 230. Here, the battery pressure measuring sensor 100 has been described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] The battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be configured to be located on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the battery.

[0098] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment in which a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a battery B.

[0099] For example, referring to the embodiment of Fig. 8, battery B may be a pouch-type battery cell including a positive terminal PE and a negative terminal NE. In the embodiment of Fig. 8, the positive terminal PE and the negative terminal NE are disposed together at one end of battery B, but in other embodiments, the positive terminal PE and the negative terminal NE may be disposed at one end and the other end of battery B, respectively.

[0100] The battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be attached to the upper surface of the battery B. Specifically, a plurality of variable resistance units 120 and a plurality of sensing lines 130 may be attached to the upper surface of a substrate 110. Then, the lower surface of the substrate 110 may be attached to the upper surface of the battery B.

[0101] The upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 may be configured such that a battery B is interposed between them.

[0102] For example, the lower surface of the upper plate 210 and the upper surface of the lower plate 220 may be positioned to face each other. Then, the battery B may be interposed between the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220. That is, the upper plate 210 may be positioned on the upper surface side of the battery B, and the lower plate 220 may be positioned on the lower surface side of the battery B.

[0103] The fixing part 230 may be configured to fix the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220. Specifically, the fixing part 230 may be configured to penetrate the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 to fix the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220. In addition, preferably, the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 may move along the fixing part 230, so that the distance between the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 may be adjusted.

[0104] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an upper plate 210, a lower plate 220, and a fixing portion 230 included in a battery pressure measuring device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] 9, the fixing portion 230 may be provided in a plurality of portions. The fixing portion 230 may penetrate the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 to fix the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220. Preferably, the fixing portion 230 may be configured to penetrate the corners of the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 to minimize shaking of the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220.

[0106] 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams illustrating a first embodiment of a battery pressure measuring device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0107] 10 and 11, the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be attached to an upper surface of the battery B. The lower plate 220 may be located under the battery B, and the upper plate 210 may be located over the battery B. That is, the battery B and the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 are interposed between the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220, and the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 may be fixed by a fixing part 230. Therefore, when swelling of the battery B occurs, pressure is applied to the substrate 110, and the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 attached to the substrate 110 may be changed within a corresponding resistance range.

[0108] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a battery pressure measurement device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 12, the battery pressure measurement device 200 may further include a protection plate 240.

[0110] The protective plate 240 may be configured to be disposed between the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 and the battery B, and to be fixed together with the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 by the fixing portion 230.

[0111] When the surface pressure of battery B is measured only by the battery pressure measurement sensor 100, a mark may be left on the body of battery B depending on the shape of the battery pressure measurement sensor 100. If such a mark is left, the electrolyte inside battery B may spread unevenly, which may result in a decrease in the performance of battery B.

[0112] Therefore, the battery pressure measurement device 200 may further include a protection plate 240 interposed between the battery B and the battery pressure measurement sensor 100.

[0113] 12, for example, a protective plate 240 may be located on the upper surface of battery B. Or, a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be located on the upper surface of the protective plate 240. Battery B, the protective plate 240, and the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be interposed and fixed between the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220.

[0114] That is, the battery pressure measuring device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes the protection plate 240, which has an advantage in that it can prevent damage to the battery B during the battery pressure measurement process.

[0115] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a battery pressure measurement device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] The battery pressure measuring device 200 may further include a control unit 250 and a charge / discharge unit 260.

[0117] The charging / discharging unit 260 may be configured to charge and discharge the battery B.

[0118] 13, the charging / discharging unit 260 may be electrically connected to the positive terminal PE and the negative terminal NE of the battery B. In addition, the charging / discharging unit 260 may charge / discharge the battery B based on a charging / discharging signal received from the control unit 250.

[0119] The control unit 250 may be configured to determine the swelling state of the battery B during the charging and discharging process of the battery B.

[0120] Specifically, the control unit 250 may be configured to be connected to the multiple sensing lines 130 to measure the resistance values ​​of each of the multiple variable resistance units 120, and to determine the swelling state of the battery B based on the measured resistance values. For example, in the embodiment of Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the control unit 250 may be connected to the multiple sensing lines 130a-130h to measure the resistance values ​​of each of the multiple variable resistance units 120a-120h. And, in the embodiment of Fig. 6, the control unit 250 may be connected to the multiple sensing lines 130a-130l to measure the resistance values ​​of each of the multiple variable resistance units 120a-120l.

[0121] 13, for example, the control unit 250 may be connected to the battery pressure measurement sensor 100. Preferably, the control unit 250 may be connected to each sensing line 130 included in the battery pressure measurement sensor 100. In addition, the control unit 250 may determine the swelling state of the battery B using each sensing line 130.

[0122] Specifically, the control unit 250 can output a predetermined current to the sensing line 130 connected to one end of the variable resistance unit 120, and can receive a current from the sensing line 130 connected to the other end of the variable resistance unit 120. The control unit 250 can also calculate the resistance value of the variable resistance unit 120 using the output current to the sensing line 130 and the input current from the sensing line 130. The control unit 250 can determine the swelling state of the battery B based on the calculated multiple resistance values.

[0123] 11 and 12, a charge / discharge unit 260 may be connected to the positive terminal PE and the negative terminal NE of the battery B. Also, a battery pressure measurement sensor 100 attached to the battery B may be connected to a control unit 250. Preferably, a plurality of sensing lines 130 included in the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be connected to the control unit 250.

[0124] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 13, when the resistance value of at least one of the multiple variable resistance units 120 included in the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 is equal to the upper limit value of the first resistance range (e.g., 50,000 Ω), the control unit 250 can determine that the state of battery B is a swelling state.

[0125] As another example, in the embodiment of FIG. 13, when the resistance value of at least one of the multiple variable resistance units 120 included in the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 is equal to the lower limit value of the first resistance range (e.g., 10,000 Ω) or the upper limit value of the second resistance range (e.g., 10,000 Ω), the control unit 250 can determine that the state of battery B is a swelling warning state.

[0126] As yet another example, in the embodiment of FIG. 13, when the resistance value of at least one of the multiple variable resistance units 120 included in the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 is equal to the lower limit value of the second resistance range (e.g., 1000 Ω), the control unit 250 can determine that the state of battery B is in a swelling danger state.

[0127] The battery pressure measuring device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that it can specifically determine the swelling state of the battery B based on the resistance values ​​of the variable resistors 120 disposed at a plurality of positions on the substrate 110.

[0128] Furthermore, the control unit 250 may be configured to detect the location of swelling in the battery B based on the measured resistance values.

[0129] Specifically, the control unit 250 can measure the resistance value of each of the multiple variable resistance units 120 disposed on the substrate 110. Therefore, the control unit 250 can detect not only the swelling state of the battery B but also the position where the swelling of the battery B occurs.

[0130] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, when the resistance values ​​of the fourth variable resistance unit 120d and the sixth variable resistance unit 120f are equal to the upper limit value of the first resistance range (e.g., 50,000 Ω), the control unit 250 may determine that the state of battery B is a swelling state and determine the swelling occurrence position as the position corresponding to the fourth variable resistance unit 120d and the sixth variable resistance unit 120f.

[0131] Meanwhile, the control unit 250 provided in the battery pressure measuring device 200 may selectively include a processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, a communication modem, a data processing device, etc., known in the art, to execute various control logics performed in the present invention. Also, when the control logic is realized by software, the control unit 250 may be realized by a collection of program modules. In this case, the program modules may be stored in a memory and executed by the control unit 250. The memory may be inside or outside the control unit 250, and may be connected to the control unit 250 by various well-known means.

[0132] The battery pressure measurement sensor 100 according to the present invention may be installed in a battery pack. That is, the battery pack according to the present invention may include the above-mentioned battery pressure measurement sensor 100, one or more battery cells, and a battery management system (BMS). The battery pack may further include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.), a case, etc.

[0133] For example, the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 may be attached to each battery cell, and multiple battery cells with the battery pressure measurement sensor 100 attached thereto may be included in a battery pack.

[0134] The BMS is connected to each of the plurality of battery pressure measurement sensors and can detect the swelling state and the swelling occurrence position of each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0135] Therefore, by more precisely diagnosing the state of each battery cell included in the battery pack, various accidents such as fires and explosions of the battery pack can be prevented.

[0136] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the equivalent scope of the technical concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims.

[0137] Furthermore, the present invention described above may be variously replaced, modified, and altered by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, and therefore is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and may be configured by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment for various modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 100 Battery Pressure Measurement Sensor 110 Substrate 110a 1st position 110b 2nd position 120 Variable Resistor Section 130 Sensing Line 200 Battery pressure measuring device 210 Upper Plate 220 Lower plate 230 Fixed part 240 Protective Plate 250 Control section 260 Charge / discharge section

Claims

1. A substrate; A plurality of variable resistance units are provided on the substrate at a plurality of positions taking into consideration swelling characteristics of the battery, and the resistance value of each variable resistance unit is changed within a corresponding resistance range in response to pressure applied thereto; a plurality of sensing lines connected to the plurality of variable resistance units, respectively; Including, The plurality of variable resistance units include a first position on the board, the first position being set to have a relatively low risk of swelling of the battery; and a second position where the predetermined risk level is set to be relatively high, a resistance range of a resistance value according to the pressure of the variable resistance portion disposed at the first position is a first resistance range, and a resistance range of a resistance value according to the pressure of the variable resistance portion disposed at the second position is a second resistance range; A battery pressure measurement sensor, wherein a lower limit value of the first resistance range is set to be equal to or greater than an upper limit value of the second resistance range.

2. the first position corresponds to a predetermined center portion of the entire portion of the substrate; The battery pressure measurement sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second position corresponds to a periphery of the entire portion of the substrate excluding the central portion.

3. The plurality of variable resistance units include The battery pressure measurement sensor of claim 1 , wherein the resistance value is set as a reference resistance value when the pressure is not applied.

4. the upper limit value of the first resistance range is a resistance value at which it is possible to determine that the state of the battery is a predetermined swelling state, a lower limit value of the first resistance range and an upper limit value of the second resistance range are resistance values ​​at which it can be determined that the state of the battery is a predetermined swelling warning state, 4. The battery pressure measurement sensor according to claim 3, wherein the lower limit of the second resistance range is a resistance value at which the battery is determined to be in a predetermined dangerous swelling state.

5. The plurality of sensing lines include 4. The battery pressure measurement sensor according to claim 3, wherein the wiring length of the sensing line connected to the variable resistance unit arranged at the first position is longer than the wiring length of the sensing line connected to the variable resistance unit arranged at the second position.

6. The plurality of variable resistance units include 4. The battery pressure measurement sensor according to claim 3, wherein a size of the variable resistance portion disposed at the first position is greater than a size of the variable resistance portion disposed at the second position.

7. The plurality of variable resistance units include 4. The battery pressure measurement sensor according to claim 3, wherein the number of variable resistance portions provided at the first positions is less than the number of variable resistance portions provided at the second positions.

8. A battery pressure measurement sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 7; an upper plate and a lower plate configured to allow the battery to be interposed therebetween; A fixing portion configured to fix the upper plate and the lower plate; Including, A battery pressure measurement device, wherein the battery pressure measurement sensor is located on at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the battery.

9. 9. The battery pressure measuring device of claim 8, further comprising a controller connected to the plurality of sensing lines to measure resistance values ​​of the plurality of variable resistors, and to determine a swelling state of the battery based on the measured resistance values.

10. The control unit is The battery pressure measurement device according to claim 9 , further comprising: a step of detecting a position where swelling has occurred in the battery based on the plurality of measured resistance values.

11. The battery may further include a charging / discharging unit configured to charge and discharge the battery, The battery pressure measuring device according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit determines the swelling state of the battery during a charging / discharging process of the battery.

12. The battery pressure measuring device according to claim 8 , further comprising a protection plate disposed between the battery pressure measuring sensor and the battery, and fixed together with the upper plate and the lower plate by the fixing portion.

13. A battery pack comprising the battery pressure measurement sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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