Battery module and battery pack including same

Abstract

The battery module of the present invention includes battery cells stacked in one direction; a heat conductive member that transfers heat generated from the battery cells to the outside; and an insulating member surrounding the heat conductive member, wherein at least one of the battery cells forms a battery cell group, and at least one of the battery cell groups is stacked to form a battery cell stack, and the heat dissipation member including the heat conductive member and the insulating member covers one of first and second surfaces of the battery cell groups that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack and one of third and fourth surfaces that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and may cover one of the first and second surfaces of another battery cell group adjacent to one of the battery cell groups that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack and one of the third and fourth surfaces that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [Cross-reference to related applications] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0159975 filed on November 19, 2021, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0140425 filed on October 27, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of the Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery module and a battery pack including the same, and more particularly to a battery module with improved cooling performance and a battery pack including the same. [Background technology]

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

[0004] Secondary batteries have been attracting attention not only for use in mobile devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and notebook computers, but also as energy sources for power plants such as electric bicycles, electric cars, and hybrid electric cars.

[0005] Recently, as the need for large-capacity secondary battery structures increases, including the use of secondary batteries as energy storage sources, there is an increasing demand for medium- to large-sized modular battery packs that assemble battery modules in which multiple secondary batteries are connected in series / parallel.

[0006] Meanwhile, when a battery pack is constructed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel, a common method is to construct a battery module consisting of at least one battery cell, and then to construct a battery pack by adding other components using at least one battery module. The battery cells constituting such medium- to large-sized battery modules are composed of secondary batteries that can be charged and discharged, and such high-output, large-capacity secondary batteries generate a large amount of heat during the charging and discharging process. In this case, the edge of the battery cell is directly or indirectly located with a heat sink located in the battery pack, and can be cooled by transferring heat to the heat sink. However, there may be a difference in the degree of contact between the battery cell and the heat sink, and the cooling performance may be reduced. Therefore, in order to solve such a drawback, there are methods such as providing a cooling fin that directly contacts the edge of the battery cell, or a heat sink that directly contacts one side of the battery cell. The above methods will be described in detail below.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional battery module, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the conventional battery module.

[0008] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in a conventional battery module 10, a battery cell stack 12 in which multiple battery cells 11 are stacked is housed in a module frame 15, and the battery module 10 is mounted on a heat sink 40 located in the pack housing.

[0009] The edge portions of the battery cells 11 that make up the battery cell stack 12 can be cooled by indirectly contacting the heat sink 40. In this case, however, there is a problem that the cooling performance of the edge portions of the battery cells 11 can be reduced due to contact deviation with the heat sink 40.

[0010] In addition, cooling fins 45 are located on the edges of each battery cell 11, and cooling can be performed by direct contact between the battery cell 11 and the cooling fins 45. Specifically, the cooling fins 45 include fixing pins 46 and a cooling plate 47.

[0011] The fixing pins 46 are positioned in contact with the edge regions of the battery cells 11 and directly receive the heat generated from the battery cells 11. The cooling plate 47 is positioned in contact with one surface of the battery cells 11 and directly receives the heat generated from the battery cells 11 and is fixed to the fixing pins 46.

[0012] The cooling fins 45 are thinner than the heat sink 40, which improves the energy density, and the cooling efficiency is improved because the cooling fins 45 are in direct contact with the battery cells 11. However, if the thickness of the cooling fins 45 is reduced below a certain thickness, the cooling performance is deteriorated and assembly is difficult.

[0013] In addition, since the cooling fins 45 are fixed in position and the edge areas of the battery cells 11 are constrained by the cooling fins 45, there is a problem that the battery cell case may be damaged or deformed when swelling of the battery cells 11 occurs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module having improved cooling performance and energy density, and a battery pack including the same.

[0015] However, the problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is not limited to the above problem, and can be variously expanded within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes battery cells stacked in one direction; a thermally conductive member that transfers heat generated from the battery cells to the outside; and an insulating member surrounding the thermally conductive member, wherein at least one of the battery cells forms a battery cell group, and at least one of the battery cell groups is stacked to form a battery cell stack, and a heat dissipation member including the thermally conductive member and the insulating member covers one of a first surface and a second surface of the battery cell group that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack and one of a third surface and a fourth surface that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and may cover one of a first surface and a second surface of another battery cell group adjacent to the one of the battery cell groups that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack and one of a third surface and a fourth surface that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

[0017] The thermally conductive member may have a laminated structure.

[0018] The heat conducting member may include a first heat conducting member and a second heat conducting member, and the first heat conducting member and the second heat conducting member may be laminated by being thermally fused with an adhesive therebetween.

[0019] The second thermally conductive members may be multiple, and the first thermally conductive members may be located between the second thermally conductive members.

[0020] The first thermal conductive member may be graphite (Gr), and the second thermal conductive member may be aluminum (Al).

[0021] The heat conductive member may be one of graphite (Gr), aluminum (Al), and a combination thereof.

[0022] The insulating member may include a first insulating member and a second insulating member, and the thermally conductive member may be located between the first insulating member and the second insulating member.

[0023] The first insulating member and the second insulating member may be positioned to surround an outer circumferential surface of the heat conductive member, and the first insulating member and the second insulating member may be thermally fused to each other.

[0024] The heat dissipation member may be positioned in a zigzag shape and extend in one direction along the battery cell group.

[0025] The heat dissipation member may be provided separately for each of the battery cell groups.

[0026] One of the heat dissipation members may cover the first and third surfaces of one of the battery cell groups, and the other of the heat dissipation members may cover the second and fourth surfaces of another battery cell group adjacent to the one of the battery cell groups.

[0027] One of the heat dissipation members may cover the first and third faces of one of the battery cell groups, and the other of the heat dissipation members may cover the second and fourth faces of one of the battery cell groups.

[0028] The heat conductive member may have a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0029] The first surface and the second surface may be side surfaces, the third surface may be a top surface, and the fourth surface may be a bottom surface.

[0030] The battery module may further include a module frame covering both side surfaces of the battery cell stack facing each other in a stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and a bus bar structure including a bus bar electrically connected to the battery cells and a bus bar frame for fixing the bus bar.

[0031] The heat dissipation member may be provided in contact with a third surface and a fourth surface of the busbar structure, and the third surface and the fourth surface of the busbar structure may be surfaces of the busbar structure that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

[0032] The busbar structure may be provided on a fifth surface and a sixth surface of the battery cell group, and the fifth surface and the sixth surface may be surfaces that face each other in a longitudinal direction of the battery cells that is perpendicular on a plane to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

[0033] The fifth side may be a front side of the battery cell stack and the sixth side may be a rear side of the battery cell stack.

[0034] The busbar structure may be provided for each battery cell group.

[0035] The number of the busbar structures may be the same as the number of the battery cell groups.

[0036] A battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention may include the battery module described above, and a heat sink including a first heat sink located on a third surface of the battery cell stack, a second heat sink located on a fourth surface of the battery cell stack, and a connector connecting the first heat sink and the second heat sink.

[0037] The first heat sink may be the same size as or larger than a size of a third side of the battery cell stack, and the second heat sink may be the same size as or larger than a size of a fourth side of the battery cell stack.

[0038] The other end of the first heat sink and the other end of the second heat sink may be connected by a connecting portion.

[0039] The connection portion may be a passage extending in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the battery cell stack to connect the first heat sink and the second heat sink.

[0040] The connection portion may be a passage through which two vertices constituting one edge of the first heat sink and the second heat sink are connected to each other.

[0041] The heat sink may include an inlet through which a coolant flows from the outside, an outlet through which the coolant is discharged to the outside, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet.

[0042] The flow path may be at least one passageway that branches off at an edge of the heat sink where the inlet and the outlet are located.

[0043] The heat sink may be provided such that the connection portion abuts against one edge of the battery cell.

[0044] The heat sink may be fixed to the battery module using a bonding material or adhesive.

[0045] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a battery pack according to the above. Effect of the Invention

[0046] According to the embodiment, by providing a thermally conductive member surrounding the battery cells, the cooling performance of the battery module can be improved.

[0047] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional battery module. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional battery module. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 3 with the end plates removed. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram of FIG. 5 as viewed from the x-axis direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a top view of a heat dissipation member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation member of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a heat dissipation member according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 6. [Figure 11] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 6. [Figure 12] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a structure in which the battery module in FIG. 5 includes a heat sink. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view showing region A in FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a diagram of FIG. 12 as viewed from the x-axis direction. [Figure 16] 13 is a top view when cut along the line BB' in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 12 as viewed from the y-axis direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention may, however, be embodied in various different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0050] In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0051] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown. In the drawings, thicknesses are exaggerated to clearly express multiple layers and regions. In the drawings, thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0052] In addition, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is said to be "on" or "above" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. In addition, being "on" or "above" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "on" or "above" the opposite direction of gravity.

[0053] Also, throughout the specification, when a part "comprises" a certain element, this means that it may further include other elements, but not to the exclusion of other elements, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0054] Also, throughout the specification, "on a plane" means when the subject part is viewed from above, and "on a cross section" means when the subject part is cut vertically and viewed from the side.

[0055] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] 3 and 4, a battery module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell stack 120 in which a plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked, a module frame 200 covering both side surfaces (x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120 that face each other in the stacking direction, bus bar structures 300 assembled and positioned on the front and rear surfaces (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120 that face each other in the longitudinal direction of the battery cells that is perpendicular to the stacking direction on a plane, an end plate 400 covering the bus bar structure 300, and a heat dissipation member 800 including a thermal conduction member 600 and an insulating member 700 positioned in a zigzag shape on the battery cell stack 120.

[0057] Here, the stacking direction may be the x-axis direction or the -x-axis direction in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack 120, and the longitudinal direction of the battery cells may be the y-axis direction or the -y-axis direction in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction.

[0058] The surfaces facing each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack may be defined as a first surface (x-axis direction) and a second surface (-x-axis direction), which means both sides for convenience. That is, the first surface may be one side, and the second surface may be the other side. The surfaces facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack may be defined as a third surface (z-axis direction) and a fourth surface (-z-axis direction), which may be the top surface and the bottom surface for convenience. The surfaces facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack on a plane may be defined as a fifth surface (y-axis direction) and a sixth surface (-y-axis direction), which may be the front surface and the back surface for convenience. The invention will be described below using the above-defined terms.

[0059] First, the battery cell 110 may be a pouch-type battery cell. Such a pouch-type battery cell is formed by housing an electrode structure in a pouch case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, and then heat-sealing a sealing portion of the pouch case. In this case, the battery cell 110 may be formed in a rectangular sheet-like structure.

[0060] Such a battery cell 110 may be configured in plurality, and at least one or more battery cells 110 may form a battery cell group 150. The battery cell group 150 may be configured in such a way that at least one or more battery cells 110 are stacked so as to be electrically connected to each other. For example, the battery cell group 150 may be configured in such a way that two battery cells 110 are stacked so as to be electrically connected to each other. The battery cell groups 150 are stacked so as to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery cell stack 120. As shown in the drawing, a plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked along a direction parallel to the x-axis.

[0061] A heat dissipation member 800 is provided inside the battery cell stack 120 to surround a portion of the battery cell 110 and transfer heat generated in the battery cell stack 120 to the outside.

[0062] As an example, the heat dissipation member 800 may have a structure surrounding any one battery cell 110 and another adjacent battery cell 110, and may be connected in one direction along the battery cells 110 in a zigzag shape. Alternatively, the heat dissipation member 800 may have a structure surrounding any one battery cell group 150 and another adjacent battery cell group, and may be connected in one direction along the battery cell group 150 in a zigzag shape.

[0063] The module frame 200 may be a plate that covers the outer surfaces of the outermost battery cells 110 that constitute the battery cell stack 120. That is, the module frame 200 may cover a first surface and a second surface (x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stack 120. The module frame 200 can protect the battery cell stack 120 from external impacts. The module frame 200 may be a metal having rigidity, for example, aluminum.

[0064] In a conventional battery module, a battery cell stack is housed in a module frame having a certain shape. For example, the conventional module frame may be a rectangular parallelepiped that houses the battery cell stack by surrounding all sides of the battery cell stack. Therefore, when the shape of the battery cell stack changes due to swelling of the cells, the module frame covering the battery cell stack and the battery cell stack come into contact with each other, which often results in damage to the battery cell case.

[0065] In contrast, unlike the prior art, in the battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell stack 120 does not need to be housed in a module frame having a fixed shape. Specifically, the module frame 200 according to the present embodiment may be in a form that surrounds only the outer surfaces of the outermost battery cells 110 that constitute the battery cell stack 120. Therefore, even if the battery cell stack 120 swells and changes shape, the module frame 200 does not restrain it, so that no damage to the battery cell case occurs due to contact between the battery cell stack 120 and the module frame 200. This can ensure the structural stability of the battery module 100.

[0066] The busbar structure 300 is positioned to cover the fifth and sixth faces (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) that face each other in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the stacking direction on a plane of the battery cell stack 120. The busbar structure 300 may include a busbar 310 and a busbar frame 330.

[0067] The bus bars 310 can be electrically connected to the electrode leads protruding from the battery cells 110. The bus bars 310 electrically connect the battery cell stack 120 to the battery system.

[0068] The bus bar 310 is attached to a bus bar frame 330. The bus bar frame 330 can fix the position of the bus bar 310 and physically protect the battery cell stack 120 and the bus bar 330 from external impact.

[0069] The end plates 400 are positioned on fifth and sixth surfaces (y-axis direction and -y side direction) that face each other in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack 120 on a plane, and are formed to cover the battery cell stack 120. That is, the end plates 400 can be positioned to cover the bus bar structure 300. The end plates 400 can physically protect the battery cell stack 120 and other electrical components from external impacts.

[0070] The heat dissipation member 800 and the bus bar structure 300 will be described in more detail below.

[0071] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the battery module with the end plate removed from Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view of Fig. 5 as seen from the y-axis direction.

[0072] 5 and 6, for a battery cell stack 120 including a plurality of battery cell groups 150 each consisting of at least one battery cell 110, a heat dissipation member 800 is positioned surrounding the battery cell groups 150, and one busbar structure 300 is positioned in each battery cell group 150.

[0073] The busbar structure 300 is provided on fifth and sixth surfaces (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) facing each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell group 150. There may be a plurality of busbar structures 300. As an example, the busbar structures 300 are provided to correspond to the number of each battery cell group 150. That is, the busbar structure 300 may include a plurality of busbars 310 and a plurality of busbar frames 330 to correspond to the number of each battery cell group 150. In this case, the number of busbar structures 300 may be the same as the number of battery cell groups 150.

[0074] In the past, there could be multiple bus bars, but only one bus bar frame including the multiple bus bars. That is, the multiple bus bars were fixed to one bus bar frame, and the shape and position of the bus bar frame were also fixed. In this case, even if the position of the battery cell changes due to swelling of the cell, the position of the bus bar that is in contact with a part of the battery cell does not change, which causes a problem of deformation and damage to the shape of the battery cell case.

[0075] In contrast, the busbar structure 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is located corresponding to the fifth and sixth surfaces of each battery cell group 150. That is, the busbar structures 300 are not connected to each other but are provided separately. Therefore, even if the shape and position of the battery cells 110 change due to swelling of the cells, problems such as shape change and damage of the battery cell 110 case due to the busbar frame 300 do not occur, and the ease of assembly and structural stability of the battery module 100 can be improved.

[0076] The heat dissipation member 800 is provided to surround a first surface and a second surface (x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) of any one of the battery cell groups 150, and a third surface (z-axis direction) perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface. The heat dissipation member 800 is also provided to surround a first surface and a second surface (x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) of another battery cell group adjacent to any one of the battery cell groups 150, and a sixth surface (-z-axis direction) perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface.

[0077] That is, the heat dissipation member 800 can cover one of the first and second surfaces of the battery cell groups 150 that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stacks 120, and one of the third and fourth surfaces that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stacks 120. In addition, the heat dissipation member 800 can cover one of the first and second surfaces of the battery cell groups 150 that face each other in the stacking direction of the battery cell stacks 120 of another battery cell group 150 adjacent to any one battery cell group 150, and one of the third and fourth surfaces that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stacks 120.

[0078] For example, the heat dissipation member 800 may have a structure that is connected in one direction along the plurality of battery cell groups 150 in a zigzag shape.

[0079] Alternatively, although not shown in the drawings, the heat dissipation member 800 may be provided to surround the first and second surfaces and a third surface perpendicular thereto of any one of the battery cells 110. Also, the heat dissipation member 800 may be provided to surround the first and second surfaces and a sixth surface perpendicular thereto of another battery cell 110 adjacent to any one of the battery cells 110. That is, the heat dissipation member 800 may have a structure that is connected in one direction along the multiple battery cells 110 in a zigzag shape.

[0080] That is, the heat dissipation member 800 can be positioned to surround not only both sides of the battery cell 110 and / or the battery cell group 150, but also the top and bottom surfaces, which could not be directly cooled in the conventional method. Therefore, the heat generated in the battery cell 110 can be more effectively transferred to the outside. In other words, the heat dissipation member 800 is positioned to surround the top and bottom surfaces of the battery cell 110 or the battery cell group 150, and can directly cool them, thereby improving the cooling performance of the battery module 100.

[0081] The heat dissipation member 800 is positioned in contact with the battery cell group 150 .

[0082] The heat dissipation member 800 includes a thermally conductive member 600 and an insulating member 700 positioned surrounding the thermally conductive member 600, such that the insulating member 700 allows the battery cell group 150 to be positioned in contact with the heat dissipation member 800. The thermally conductive member 600 and the insulating member 700 will be described in detail below.

[0083] Fig. 7 is a top view of a heat dissipation member according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation member of Fig. 7.

[0084] 7 and 8, a heat dissipation member 800 according to the present embodiment includes a heat conductive member 600 and an insulating member 700, where the heat conductive member 600 is provided in contact with the insulating member 700. As shown in FIG.

[0085] The thermally conductive member 600 transfers heat generated from the battery cell 110 to the outside. The thermally conductive member 600 is provided to surround a part of the battery cell 110 or the battery cell group 150.

[0086] The thermal conductive member 600 is made of an elastic material. For example, the thermal conductive member 600 may be made of aluminum (Al), graphite (Gr), or a combination thereof. Therefore, even if the thickness of the battery cell 110 is changed due to swelling of the cell, the thermal conductive member 600 can change its shape in response to the volumetric change of the battery cell 110. That is, the thermal conductive member 600 does not transmit a force corresponding to the expansion force of the battery cell 110 to the battery cell 110, or does not transmit the force to such an extent that the battery cell 110 is damaged, so that the battery cell 110 is not damaged. Therefore, the structural stability of the battery module 100 is improved, and the ease of assembly can be improved.

[0087] The thermally conductive member 600 is formed to have a certain thickness or less. Specifically, the thickness of the thermally conductive member 600 may be smaller than the thickness of the battery cells 110. Preferably, the thickness of the thermally conductive member 600 may be 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. Therefore, since the thermally conductive member 600 is provided surrounding the first and / or second surfaces and the fifth and / or sixth surfaces of each of the battery cells 110 or battery cell groups 150 constituting the battery cell stack 120, even if the area occupied by the thermally conductive member 600 in the battery cell stack 120 is larger than that of conventional cooling members such as cooling fins, the energy density of the battery module 100 is not affected.

[0088] Furthermore, the thermal conductive member 600 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity. For example, the thermal conductive member 600 may be aluminum (Al), graphite, or a combination thereof. Therefore, the thermal conductive member 600 can effectively transfer heat generated in the battery cell stack 120 to the outside, thereby improving the cooling performance of the battery module 100.

[0089] The thermally conductive member 600 is positioned in contact with the insulating member 700. The insulating member 700 may be a member that ensures insulation between the thermally conductive member 600 and the battery cells and other electrical components.

[0090] The insulating member 700 is provided to surround the heat conducting member 600. More specifically, the insulating member 700 is provided to surround the outer circumferential surface of the heat conducting member 600.

[0091] The thermally conductive member 600 is located between two insulating members 700. The insulating member 700 includes a first insulating member 710 and a second insulating member 730, and the thermally conductive member 600 is located between the first insulating member 710 and the second insulating member 730.

[0092] The first insulating member 710 and the second insulating member 730 are positioned with the thermal conductive member 600 therebetween. Specifically, the first insulating member 710 may be positioned in contact with one surface of the thermal conductive member 600, and the second insulating member 730 may be positioned in contact with the other surface of the thermal conductive member 600.

[0093] The first insulating member 710 and the second insulating member 730 are heat-sealed to each other with the thermally conductive member 600 therebetween. In this case, the first insulating member 710 and the second insulating member 730 may include a heat-sealed region 750 where the first insulating member 710 and the second insulating member 730 are heat-sealed to each other. The heat-sealed region 750 may be a region where the first insulating member 710 and the second insulating member 730 are in contact with each other and heat-sealed to each other.

[0094] The insulating member 700 may be made of a material that is heat sealable and has insulating properties. The insulating member 700 may also be made of a material that has elasticity, and the shape of the insulating member 700 may be changed in response to the swelling of the battery cell 110. However, the elasticity of the insulating member 700 may be less than that of the thermally conductive member 600. Therefore, even if the thickness of the battery cell 110 changes due to swelling of the cell, the insulating member 700 does not damage the case of the battery cell 110 and can partially suppress the change in shape of the battery cell 110.

[0095] The insulating member 700 may be a material having adhesive properties. Therefore, the insulating member 700 can adhere and fix the heat dissipation member 800 to the battery cell 110. That is, the shape of the heat dissipation member 800 is fixed by the fixing member 700, and the heat dissipation member 800 is provided in a form in which it contacts the battery cell 110. As an example, the insulating member 700 is PET, and preferably the insulating member 700 is a PET tape.

[0096] That is, since the insulating member 700 is positioned surrounding the thermal conductive member 600, the thermal conductive member 600 can be positioned in a fixed state on the battery cell while ensuring the insulation of the thermal conductive member. Also, since the insulating member 700 is positioned in an adhered state on the battery cell, it is possible to apply a force corresponding to the swelling of the battery cell to suppress the swelling of the battery cell and improve the safety of the battery. Also, compared to the conventional battery module, the battery module according to the present embodiment has improved thermal conductivity and cooling performance due to the thermal conductive member 600 positioned surrounding the battery cell.

[0097] When the insulating member 700 is positioned to surround the outer surface of the thermal conductive member 600, the total thickness of the thermal conductive member 600 and the insulating member 700 may be smaller than the thickness of an insulating layer formed by a conventional insulating coating. This can improve the energy density of the battery. In addition, the conventional insulating coating may have height deviations during the process, which can reduce the yield and performance of the battery, but the insulating member 700 of the present embodiment has a constant height, which can improve the yield and performance of the battery.

[0098] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a heat conducting member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] The heat conductive member described in FIG. 9 is a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention disclosed in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, and detailed description of the same configuration as that described above will be omitted.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 9, a thermally conductive member 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first thermally conductive member 610 and a second thermally conductive member 630 .

[0101] The first thermal conductive member 610 and the second thermal conductive member 630 may have a laminated structure. Specifically, the thermal conductive member 600 may have a structure in which the first thermal conductive member 610 is located between two second thermal conductive members 630. In this case, an adhesive may be interposed between the first thermal conductive member 610 and the second thermal conductive member 630 to bond and fix them. Specifically, the first thermal conductive member 610 and the second thermal conductive member 630 may be bonded and fixed by thermal fusion with an adhesive interposed therebetween.

[0102] The first thermal conductive member 610 and the second thermal conductive member 630 may be made of different materials. As an example, the first thermal conductive member 610 may be made of graphite (Gr) and the second thermal conductive member 630 may be made of aluminum (Al).

[0103] Graphite (Gr) has better horizontal heat dissipation performance than aluminum (Al). Therefore, rather than using each material alone to form the heat conductive member 600, forming the heat conductive member 600 by combining these materials as in this embodiment can improve the thermal conductivity and heat dissipation of the heat conductive member 600. In other words, this can improve the cooling performance of the battery module.

[0104] In addition, since graphite (Gr) has a lower rigidity than aluminum (Al), the rigidity of heat conductive member 600 can be supplemented by laminating aluminum (Al) on graphite (Gr). That is, the rigidity of heat conductive member 600 formed of a combination of graphite (Gr) and aluminum (Al) as in this embodiment is higher than that of heat conductive member 600 formed of graphite (Gr) alone, and therefore the durability of the battery can be improved.

[0105] 10 and 11 are diagrams showing modifications of FIG.

[0106] 10 and 11, the heat dissipation member 800 may be disposed in the battery cell group 150 in various shapes.

[0107] The heat dissipation member 800 is provided separately for each battery cell group 150. Specifically, the heat dissipation member 800 is provided to cover one of the first and second faces (x-axis direction or -x-axis direction) of the battery cell group 150, and the third face (z-axis direction) or fourth face (-z-axis direction).

[0108] 10, the heat dissipation member 800 may have a structure separated into units of the battery cell groups 150 in the structure of FIG. 6. That is, the heat dissipation member 800 may have a zigzag shape separated into units of the battery cell groups 150.

[0109] 11 , the heat dissipation member 800 is provided to surround one battery cell group 150. Specifically, one heat dissipation member 800 is positioned in contact with the first surface (x-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell group 150, and another heat dissipation member 800 is positioned in contact with the second surface (-x-axis direction) and the third surface (z-axis direction) of the battery cell group 150.

[0110] That is, the heat dissipation member 800 may be in the shape of a plate having a right angle.

[0111] The heat dissipation member 800 having the above structure can play the same role as a conventional heat dissipation pin. That is, since the heat dissipation members 800 are provided separately in units corresponding to each battery cell group 150, they can more flexibly respond to swelling of the battery cells compared to a case where the heat dissipation members 800 are connected together in a zigzag shape. That is, each heat dissipation member 800 does not structurally restrict movement due to expansion of the battery cells 150, and therefore does not damage the structure of the battery cells, thereby improving the safety of the battery.

[0112] The total thickness of the heat conducting member 600 and the insulating member 700 may be smaller than that of a conventional cooling fin. For example, the total thickness of the heat conducting member 600 and the insulating member 700 may be 1 mm. Therefore, the energy density of the battery can be improved compared to the conventional one.

[0113] However, the shapes of the heat conducting member 600 and the insulating member 700 are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and include all embodiments that can be easily modified and derived by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0114] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a structure in which the battery module of Fig. 5 includes a heat sink. Fig. 13 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is an enlarged view showing area A of Fig. 12.

[0115] 12 to 14, the battery module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a heat sink 500 provided on a third surface (z-axis direction) and a fourth surface (−z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120.

[0116] The heat sink 500 cools the heat generated by the battery cell stack 120 .

[0117] The heat sink 500 includes flow paths through which a coolant can travel. The coolant may be a phase change fluid or a single phase fluid. For example, the coolant may be water or a mixture of water and ethylene glycol.

[0118] The heat sink 500 is positioned over the third surface (z-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120.

[0119] The heat sink 500 includes a first heat sink 510 positioned covering the third surface (z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, a second heat sink 530 positioned covering the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and a connecting portion 550 which is a passage connecting the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530.

[0120] The heat sink 500 may have a size equal to or larger than the third and fourth surfaces (z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120. Thus, the heat sink 500 covers the third and fourth surfaces (z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, thereby protecting the battery cell stack 120 from external impact and improving the stability of the battery module 100. That is, the heat sink 500 can replace the role of the upper and lower module frames in a conventional battery module.

[0121] The other ends of the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530 are connected to each other. More specifically, an inlet and an outlet through which a refrigerant is injected and discharged are located at one end of the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530, respectively, and a connecting part 550 is located at the other end of the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530 facing the inlet and outlet, thereby connecting the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530 to each other.

[0122] The connecting portion 550 is connected to each of the vertices constituting the other end of the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530. That is, one end of the connecting portion 550 is connected to each of the vertices constituting the other end of the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530. That is, the connecting portion 550 can be a passage that connects the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530.

[0123] More specifically, the connecting part 550 is provided to extend in a direction perpendicular to the first heat sink 510 and the second heat sink 530. The connecting part 550 may be a passage extending in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack 120. That is, the connecting part 550 may be a passage extending along the height (z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120. The connecting part 550 may be a passage where two vertices (xy directions) constituting one edge of the upper heat sink 510 and the lower heat sink 530 are connected to each other in a corresponding manner.

[0124] In this case, when the heat sink 500 is viewed from the x-axis direction, the heat sink 500 may have a rectangular shape with no side. That is, the heat sink 500 may have a "⊂" shape.

[0125] However, the structure of the heat sink 500 is not limited to the above description, and any structure including a material having a cooling performance capable of sufficiently cooling the heat generated in the battery module 100 can be used.

[0126] The heat sink 500 may be made of a rigid material. As an example, the heat sink 500 is made of aluminum (Al).

[0127] The heat sink 500 is inserted and positioned in the longitudinal direction (y-axis direction) of the module frame 200. In this case, the connection part 550 of the heat sink 500 corresponds to the height of the module frame 200, and an inlet and an outlet are inserted and positioned in the longitudinal direction of the module frame 200.

[0128] FIG. 15 is a view of FIG. 12 as viewed from the y-axis direction.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 15 , a heat dissipation member 800 is positioned relative to a battery cell stack 120 including a plurality of battery cell groups 150 each consisting of two battery cells 110, one busbar structure 300 is positioned in each battery cell group 150, and heat sinks 500 are positioned on the third surface (z-axis direction) and fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120.

[0130] The heat sink 500 is positioned covering the third surface (z-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and is positioned opposite the heat dissipation member 800 positioned on the third surface (z-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell group 150. More precisely, the heat sink 500 is positioned in contact with the heat dissipation member 800 positioned on the third surface (z-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell group 150.

[0131] The heat dissipation member 800 transfers heat generated from each of the battery cells 110 constituting the battery cell group 150 to the heat sink 500, thereby improving the cooling performance of the battery module 100.

[0132] The heat dissipation member 800 may cover the first surface (x-axis direction) and / or the second surface (-x-axis direction) of the battery cell group 150, and the third surface (z-axis direction) and / or the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) perpendicular to the first and second surfaces, and may be positioned in contact with not only the battery cell group 150 but also the third surface (z-axis direction) and / or the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the busbar structure 300 positioned in contact with the battery cell group 150. In other words, the heat dissipation member 800 may be positioned in contact with the battery cell group 150 and the busbar structure 300.

[0133] The heat sink 500 may also be positioned to cover the third surface (z-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and may also be positioned to cover the third surface (z-axis direction) and the fourth surface (-z-axis direction) of the busbar structure 300. In this case, heat generated not only in the battery cell stack 120 but also in the busbar structure 300 is transferred to the heat sink 500 via the heat dissipation member 800 and cooled. This improves the cooling performance of the battery module 100, thereby increasing the battery life.

[0134] Fig. 16 is a top view taken along line BB' in Fig. 12. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the x-axis in Fig. 12.

[0135] Referring to FIG. 16, the heat sink 500 includes an inlet 561 through which a refrigerant flows in from the outside, an outlet 565 through which the refrigerant is discharged to the outside, and a flow path 570 connecting the inlet 561 and the outlet 565. With this configuration, the refrigerant can move within the heat sink 500 to cool the heat generated in the battery module 100.

[0136] The flow passage 570 constituting the heat sink 500 may have a manifold structure. Specifically, the inlet 561 and the outlet 565 are provided extending along the longitudinal direction (y-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 120, and the flow passage 570 is provided extending along a direction (x-axis direction) perpendicular to the inlet 561 and the outlet 565. The flow passage 570 may be at least one or more passages branching at one edge of the heat sink 500 where the inlet 561 and the outlet 565 are located. In this case, there may be an empty space between the at least one or more flow passages 570.

[0137] Referring to FIG. 17, the heat sink 500 is inserted into the battery module 100 .

[0138] Specifically, the heat sink 500 is inserted into the battery module 100 so that the connecting portion 550 abuts against one edge of the battery cell 110 , and is fixed to the battery module 100 .

[0139] When the heat sink 500 is inserted into the battery module 100, the heat sink 500 may have a shape in which the upper heat sink 510 is slightly raised. In this case, the upper heat sink 510 is pressed toward the battery module 100. Specifically, the pressure direction of the upper heat sink 510 may be the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 17. After the upper heat sink 510 is pressed, the upper heat sink 510 may be fixed to the battery module 100. For example, the upper heat sink 510 may be fixed to the battery module 100 using a fastening member such as a bolt or nut, or using an adhesive.

[0140] As described above, when the heat sink 500 and the battery module 100 are connected using a connecting member, the connecting member can be positioned in an empty space located between at least one or more flow paths 570 to connect the heat sink 500 and the battery module 100.

[0141] The heat dissipation member 800 in contact with the heat sink 500 is adhesively fixed to the heat sink 500 by the insulating member 700 constituting the heat dissipation member 800 .

[0142] The battery module and the battery pack including the battery module may be applied to various devices, such as vehicles including electric bicycles, electric cars, and hybrid cars, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various devices that can use the battery module and the battery pack including the battery module, which also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0143] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 100 Battery Module 110 Battery Cell 120 Battery cell stack 150 Battery Cell Groups 200 Side Frame 300 Busbar structure 310 Busbar 330 Busbar Frame 400 End Plate 500 Heatsink 600 Thermal Conductive Materials 700 Insulating materials 800 Heat dissipation materials

Claims

1. Battery cells stacked in one direction; A thermally conductive member that transfers heat generated from the battery cell to the outside; and an insulating member provided surrounding the heat conductive member; A battery module comprising: At least one of the battery cells forms a battery cell group, and at least one of the battery cell groups is stacked to form a battery cell stack; The heat dissipation member including the thermally conductive member and the insulating member is covering one of a first surface and a second surface of the battery cell group that face each other in a stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and one of a third surface and a fourth surface that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack; and covering one of a first surface and a second surface of another battery cell group adjacent to the one battery cell group, the first surface and the second surface facing each other in a stacking direction of the battery cell stack, and covering one of a third surface and a fourth surface facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell stack; The battery module comprises: a module frame covering both side surfaces of the battery cell stack that face each other in a stacking direction of the battery cell stack; and a bus bar structure including a bus bar electrically connected to the battery cell and a bus bar frame for fixing the bus bar, the heat dissipation member is provided in contact with a third surface and a fourth surface of the bus bar structure, the third surface and the fourth surface of the busbar structure are surfaces of the busbar structure that face each other in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the battery cell stack.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive member has a laminated structure.

3. the thermal conduction member includes a first thermal conduction member and a second thermal conduction member; The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the first thermally conductive member and the second thermally conductive member are laminated by thermal fusion with an adhesive therebetween.

4. the second thermal conductive member is a plurality of second thermal conductive members, The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the first thermal conductive members are located between the second thermal conductive members.

5. the first thermal conductive member is graphite (Gr); The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the second thermal conductive member is made of aluminum (Al).

6. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive member is one of graphite (Gr), aluminum (Al), and a combination thereof.

7. the insulating member includes a first insulating member and a second insulating member, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive member is located between the first insulating member and the second insulating member.

8. the first insulating member and the second insulating member are positioned to surround an outer circumferential surface of the heat conducting member, The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the first insulating member and the second insulating member are thermally fused to each other.

9. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the heat dissipation members are positioned in a zigzag shape and extend in one direction along the battery cell groups.

10. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the heat dissipation members are provided separately for each of the battery cell groups.

11. one of the heat dissipation members covers a first surface and a third surface of any one of the battery cell groups; The battery module of claim 10 , wherein another of the heat dissipation members covers the second surface and the fourth surface of another battery cell group adjacent to any one of the battery cell groups, or covers the second surface and the fourth surface of any one of the battery cell groups.

12. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive member has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

13. the busbar structure is provided on a fifth surface and a sixth surface of the battery cell group, the fifth surface and the sixth surface are surfaces that face each other in a longitudinal direction of the battery cells that is perpendicular to a stacking direction of the battery cell stack on a plane, The busbar structure is provided for each battery cell group, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the busbar structures is the same as the number of the battery cell groups.

14. A battery module according to claim 1, a first heat sink located on a third surface of the battery cell stack, a second heat sink located on a fourth surface of the battery cell stack, and a heat sink including a connecting portion connecting the first heat sink and the second heat sink.

15. the first heat sink is the same size as or larger than the third surface of the battery cell stack; The battery pack of claim 14 , wherein the second heat sink is the same size as or larger than the fourth side of the battery cell stack.

16. the other end of the first heat sink and the other end of the second heat sink are connected by a connecting portion, The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein the connection portion is a passage extending in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the battery cell stack and connecting the first heat sink and the second heat sink.

17. The battery pack according to claim 16 , wherein the connection portion is a passage that connects two vertices that form edges of the first heat sink and the second heat sink to each other.

18. The heat sink includes an inlet through which a coolant flows from the outside, an outlet through which the coolant is discharged to the outside, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet, The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein the flow path is at least one passage that branches off at an edge of the heat sink where the inlet and the outlet are located.

19. The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein the heat sink is provided such that the connecting portion abuts against one edge of the battery cell.

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