Battery cell assembly including busbar with flame blocking member attached and battery cell assembly structure including the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery cell assembly, which includes at least one pouch-type battery cell, a cell cover that encases the pouch-type battery cell, a bus bar that is connected to an electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell, and a bus bar frame that supports the bus bar and covers a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover where the electrode lead is located, and the bus bar is characterized in that a flame interrupter having a mesh net made of a highly rigid and heat-resistant material is attached to a body.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery cell assembly including a bus bar having a flame blocking member attached thereto, and a battery cell assembly structure including the same, particularly to a battery cell assembly including a bus bar having a flame blocking member attached thereto for preventing a thermal runaway phenomenon caused by a fire in a battery cell from spreading to adjacent battery cells, and a battery cell assembly structure including the same.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0002978, filed on January 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings. [Background technology]

[0003] Rechargeable lithium secondary batteries are not only used as energy sources for small devices such as mobile devices, but also, coupled with technological developments aimed at increasing capacity and improving safety, are being used as energy sources for medium to large devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

[0004] As the lithium secondary batteries are used as large-capacity, high-output energy sources, the issue of ensuring the safety of the lithium secondary batteries has become a major concern.

[0005] In a lithium secondary battery, the normal charging and discharging processes are heat generating processes, so that an increase in temperature inevitably occurs. An increase in the temperature of the secondary battery causes a decrease in the performance of the battery cells.

[0006] In addition, lithium secondary batteries have a risk of explosion due to overheating, and if the flames caused by the explosion spread to adjacent battery cells, it is difficult to suppress the fire until the entire battery cell is burned. When a thermal runaway phenomenon occurs in the battery cell, high-temperature flames, particles, and gas vents are generated above the ignition point, and the flames may spread to adjacent battery cells, which may ultimately lead to the explosion of the battery cells.

[0007] Therefore, it is an important issue to prevent further damage caused by the explosion of a battery cell by lowering the temperature of the flames and sparks generated in the battery cell and preventing their spread.

[0008] In this regard, Korean Patent Publication No. 2020-0059024 (Prior Art 1) relates to a battery module having an air-cooled structure, in which a thermal insulation pad encases the portion where an electrode lead connected to a battery cell meets and is welded to a bus bar on the back side of the bus bar frame, and the thermal insulation pad can prevent heat from gas and flames from being transmitted to adjacent battery cells.

[0009] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique 1, since a thermal insulation pad is added in a shape that covers the portion where the electrode lead and the bus bar are welded, there is a risk that the size of the battery module will increase by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the thermal insulation pad.

[0010] Korean Patent Publication No. 2017-0014309 (Prior Art 2) discloses a pouch-type secondary battery with a flame prevention mesh added to the inside or outside of the exterior material of the pouch-type secondary battery, a battery module with a flame prevention mesh inside and / or outside the battery module, and a battery module including a flame prevention mesh on at least one surface of a sealed box that houses an assembly of secondary batteries. However, the above Prior Art 2 does not disclose a configuration for blocking the propagation of flame in the direction of the electrode lead.

[0011] For this reason, there is a strong need for the development of a structure that includes a pouch-type battery cell and can prevent flames from being discharged in the direction of the electrode leads and spreading to adjacent battery cells, while keeping the overall bulk to a minimum. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and has an object to provide a battery cell assembly and a battery cell assembly structure including the same that can reduce the temperature of flames, high-temperature particles, and gases generated in a ignited battery cell and prevent the thermal runaway phenomenon from spreading to other surrounding battery cell assemblies.

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

[0014] According to the present invention, there can be provided a battery cell assembly including at least one pouch-type battery cell, a cell cover at least partially enclosing the pouch-type battery cell, a bus bar connected to an electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell, and a bus bar frame supporting the bus bar and covering a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover where the electrode lead is located, wherein a flame interruption member including a mesh made of a highly rigid and heat-resistant material is coupled to a body of the bus bar.

[0015] The pouch-type battery cell is a bidirectional battery cell in which a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead protrude in opposite directions from both ends of the overall length, and the cell cover may be configured in the shape of a square frame that encloses all four outer surfaces excluding the directions in which the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead protrude, or in the shape of an n-shaped frame that encloses three of the four outer surfaces.

[0016] The flame interrupter may be configured to be integrally connected to the bus bar.

[0017] The flame blocking member may be configured in a shape in which a plurality of net-like structures each made of a mesh net made of a highly rigid and heat-resistant material are overlapped with one another.

[0018] The flame interruption member may include a first mesh structure welded to one side of the bus bar and positioned toward the inside of the cell cover relative to the bus bar, and a second mesh structure welded to the other side of the bus bar and positioned toward the outside of the cell cover relative to the bus bar.

[0019] The bus bar may have a through hole in a body, and the through hole may be configured to be covered by the flame interruption member.

[0020] The flame blocking member may be configured in the form of a net-like structure in which a plurality of mesh nets are stacked, and may be filled into the through hole.

[0021] The bus bar may include a terminal portion for electrically connecting to an adjacent battery cell assembly, and the terminal portion may be defined by a portion of the bus bar that extends further upward than the flame interrupter.

[0022] The bus bar may include a terminal portion for electrically connecting to another adjacent battery cell assembly, and the terminal portion may be configured to be located on an upper portion of the cell cover.

[0023] The bus bar and the bus bar frame may include a first surface arranged upright at a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover, and a second surface arranged on an upper portion of the cell cover in a shape bent relative to the first surface, and the terminal portion may be provided on the second surface.

[0024] The flame blocking member may be made from a copper or stainless steel material.

[0025] The pouch-type battery cell is contained in the cell cover with its storage portion (the portion in which the electrode assembly is built) standing vertically against the ground, and the cell cover may include an upper cover portion that encloses the upper edge of the pouch-type battery cell, a first side cover portion that encloses one side of the storage portion of the pouch-type battery cell, and a second side cover portion that encloses the other side of the storage portion of the pouch-type battery cell.

[0026] The cell cover may include one or more vent holes in the upper cover portion through which gas can be exhausted.

[0027] The vent hole may have coupled thereto a flame arrestor comprising one or more mesh screens.

[0028] The cell cover may have a cutout portion at an upper side of each end along the entire length of the cell cover, the cutout portion being shaped like a corner being cut out, and the bus bar may have a terminal portion exposed toward the upper portion of the cell cover through the cutout portion and functioning as a positive terminal or a negative terminal of the battery cell assembly.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery cell assembly structure may be provided that includes a base plate on which the above-mentioned battery cell assembly is mounted, a support member arranged on a side of the battery cell assembly in the overall length direction, and a fixing member that is added and coupled to the support member for fixing the position of the battery cell assembly.

[0030] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a battery pack including the battery cell assembly may be provided.

[0031] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an electric vehicle including the battery cell assembly can be provided. Effect of the Invention

[0032] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent flames and high-temperature particles generated by ignition of a battery cell from being discharged unprotected in the overall length direction of a battery cell assembly in which a bus bar is located.

[0033] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, flames, high-temperature particles, and high-temperature gases ejected from the battery cell can be cooled as they pass through the flame-breaking member, and some of them can be blocked from being exhausted, thereby reducing the risk of external ignition or the spread of heat sources.

[0034] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, a soft pouch-type battery cell can be housed in a cell cover to protect the pouch-type battery cell from external impact, thereby preventing the pouch-type battery cell from being damaged or broken during handling.

[0035] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, when a thermal event occurs in a pouch-type battery cell, the direction in which gas or flames are emitted from the pouch-type battery cell can be controlled to be upward or downward, thereby effectively preventing the propagation of thermal runaway between adjacent battery cell assemblies.

[0036] In addition to these, the present invention can have various other effects, which will be described in the sections for each embodiment, and descriptions of effects that can be easily inferred by a person skilled in the art will be omitted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery cell with a cell cover according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of a battery cell assembly according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration in which a plurality of the battery cell assemblies of FIG. 3 are electrically connected together. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the battery cell assembly of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of a battery cell assembly according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration in which a plurality of the battery cell assemblies of FIG. 5 are electrically connected together. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the battery cell assembly of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the cell cover of FIG. 10 and the pouch-type battery cell enclosed therein. [Figure 12] 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the vent hole portion of the cell cover in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 13] 11 is an exploded view of one configuration of the battery cell assembly of FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a bus bar to which the flame interrupter of FIG. 13 is applied. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the battery cell assembly of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a portion of a battery cell assembly structure constructed from the battery cell assembly shown in FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. In describing the operation principle of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, detailed descriptions of related publicly known techniques or configurations will be omitted if they are deemed to be likely to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention.

[0039] In addition, parts having similar functions and actions are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where the part is "directly connected" to another part, but also the case where the part is "indirectly connected" through another element in between. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this does not mean that the other component is excluded, but that the part may further include the other component, unless otherwise specified.

[0040] Furthermore, the description of the specific embodiments by limiting or adding components is applicable to any invention unless otherwise specified, and is not limited in any way to the description of a specific invention.

[0041] Furthermore, throughout the description of the invention and the claims, the singular terms include the plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0042] Furthermore, throughout the description of the present invention and the claims, unless otherwise specified, "or" includes "and." Therefore, "including A or B" means any of the above three cases: including A, including B, or including both A and B.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly according to a first embodiment.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery cell assembly 100 according to the present invention includes at least one pouch-type battery cell 110, a cell cover 120 at least partially enclosing the pouch-type battery cell 110, a bus bar 130 connected to an electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell 110, and a bus bar frame 140 supporting the bus bar 130 and covering a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover 120 where the electrode lead 111 is located, and the bus bar 130 may be configured in a shape in which a flame interruption member 150 made of a mesh net made of a high rigidity / high heat resistance material is connected to a body.

[0045] The pouch-type battery cell 110 is long in the overall length direction L, and is a bidirectional battery cell in which a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead extend from both ends of the overall length direction L in opposite directions.

[0046] Therefore, bus bar frames 140, bus bars 130 and flame interruption members 150 are provided at both ends of the electrode leads 111 in the overall length direction L.

[0047] The bus bar frame 140 may be made of an insulating material and may be coupled to both ends of the cell cover 120 in the overall length direction to cover the open ends of the cell cover 120. The bus bar 130 may be made of an electrically conductive metal material and may be attached to an outer surface of the bus bar frame 140.

[0048] The bus bar frame 140 has a slit 143 through which the electrode lead 111 can pass, and the electrode lead passes through the slit 143 and is pulled out to the outside of the bus bar frame 140, bent to face the bus bar 130, and fixedly connected to the bus bar 130 by welding or the like.

[0049] In particular, a through hole may be formed in the bus bar 130, and the fire blocking member 150 may be attached to the bus bar 130 to completely cover the through hole.

[0050] The number of battery cells and the shape of the busbar shown in FIG. 1 are merely exemplary, and the size and shape of the busbar 130 may vary depending on the number of battery cells 110 coupled to the busbar 130 and the series / parallel connection state of the battery cells 110.

[0051] The flame blocking member 150 may be integrally connected to the bus bar 130 by welding or the like. In particular, the flame blocking member 150 may be in the form of a single mesh structure, or in the form of a plurality of overlapping mesh structures, such as two or more overlapping mesh structures.

[0052] Alternatively, the fire protection member 150 may be attached to the bus bar 130 in an indirect manner. In particular, the fire protection member 150 may be located outside the bus bar frame 140 to which the bus bar 130 is coupled, and the fire protection member 150 may be composed of one or more mesh structures. When the mesh structures are composed of two or more, a fixing plate for fixing the mesh structures in a spaced apart state and a case in which the mesh structures and the fixing plate are housed may be included between the respective mesh structures. In addition, an insulating cover for insulating between the case and the electrode lead 111 coupled to the bus bar 130 may be disposed between the bus bar frame 140 and the case. That is, the fire protection member 150 in the form of a mesh structure may be housed in a case, and the case may be coupled to the bus bar frame 140 to which the bus bar 130 is coupled. In this manner, the configuration in which the fire protection member 150 is housed in a separate case and then coupled to the bus bar frame can be regarded as an example in which the fire protection member 150 is indirectly attached to the bus bar 130.

[0053] In the flame blocking member 150 according to the present invention, a plurality of mesh structures are overlapped, so that flames, particles, and gases generated by ignition of the battery cell 110 can be cooled while passing through the plurality of mesh structures. In addition, the flames and particles can be filtered by the mesh structures to prevent them from being discharged to the outside.

[0054] Specifically, particulate by-products generated when the battery cell 110 explodes are ejected in the form of particles. By applying a plurality of mesh-like structures in the direction in which the particles are ejected, the particulate by-products can be filtered, thereby preventing the particles from being discharged to the outside.

[0055] Furthermore, if multiple mesh structures with different mesh diameters are configured to overlap, the filtering effect of particulate by-products of various sizes can be enhanced, thereby preventing further ignition of adjacent battery cells 110 due to particles.

[0056] Furthermore, when the sparks pass through a mesh structure having a small mesh diameter, the area of ​​contact between the sparks and the mesh structure becomes large, so that an instantaneous cooling effect is obtained.

[0057] Furthermore, the flame blocking member 150 according to the present invention can function to block flames, particles, or gases generated outside the battery cell 110 from spreading toward the battery cell 110 .

[0058] The flame blocking member 150 may be made of a highly rigid and heat-resistant material, such as copper or stainless steel, so that it can function to block flames, sparks, gases, and the like.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery cell 110 with a cell cover 120 according to the present invention added.

[0060] 2, the cell cover 120 shown in (a) has a square frame shape that encloses all of the four outer surfaces excluding the direction in which the electrode leads 111 protrude, and the cell cover 120 shown in (b) has an n-shaped frame shape that encloses the remaining three outer surfaces excluding the bottom surface among the four outer surfaces excluding the direction in which the electrode leads 111 protrude. When the cell cover 120 in the shape of an n-shaped frame is provided, a separate member for mounting the battery cell assembly 100 may be used on the bottom surface to which the cell cover 120 is not applied, or a heat transfer member may be applied.

[0061] When the cell cover 120 of the present invention is used, if the pouch-type battery cell 110 catches fire, flames and sparks can be emitted in a concentrated manner along the entire length.

[0062] For this reason, the present invention includes a structure that provides flame interruption members 150 at both ends of the outer surface of the pouch-type battery cell 110 in the overall length direction where the electrode leads 111 are located, thereby preventing flames, sparks, etc. from being discharged to the outside of the battery cell 110. This makes it possible to prevent a chain reaction of thermal runaway phenomena.

[0063] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a battery cell assembly according to a second embodiment.

[0064] 3, the bus bar frame 140 has a planar shape and is coupled to the bus bar 130. The electrode lead 111 is coupled to the bus bar 130 for electrical connection, and the flame interrupter 150 is positioned between the electrode lead coupling parts to which the electrode lead 111 is coupled.

[0065] In addition, the bus bar 130 may include a terminal portion 160 on the upper portion of the fire protection member 150. The terminal portion 160 is a portion of the bus bar 130 that is further extended upward from the fire protection member 150 and is used to electrically connect different battery cell assemblies to each other. That is, as shown in FIG 4, adjacent battery cell assemblies 100 may be electrically connected to each other by an inter-bus bar K1.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the battery cell assembly of FIG.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 5, a through hole is formed in the bus bar 130 and the bus bar frame 140, and a fire protection member 150 may be coupled to the bus bar 130 in a shape that covers the through hole.

[0068] Referring to (a) of FIG. 5, in the battery cell assembly, the flame-breaker member 150 includes a first mesh structure 151 and a second mesh structure 152, which are stacked in close contact with each other and coupled to the outside of the bus bar 130.

[0069] In this way, when a plurality of mesh structures are stacked closely together, the overall thickness of the flame interruption member 150 can be reduced, which is advantageous in terms of space utilization.

[0070] Referring to (b) of FIG. 5, the flame interruption member 150 includes a first mesh structure 151 welded to one side of the bus bar 130 and disposed toward the inside of the cell cover 120 based on the bus bar 130, and a second mesh structure 152 welded to the other side of the bus bar 130 and disposed toward the outside of the cell cover 120 based on the bus bar 130.

[0071] Even in this embodiment, the first network structure 151, the bus bar 130, and the second network structure 152 are integrally combined.

[0072] In this manner, when multiple net-like structures are disposed at intervals, the intervals can act as reservoirs for filtered particulate by-products and can reduce the ejection pressure of sparks.

[0073] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a battery cell assembly according to a third embodiment.

[0074] 6, the bus bar 130 and the bus bar frame 140 have an L-shaped bent shape. Specifically, the bus bar 130 and the bus bar frame 140 include a first surface 141 disposed upright at a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover 120, and a second surface 142 disposed on the upper part of the cell cover 120 in a bent shape relative to the first surface 141. The terminal portion 160 is provided on the second surface 142.

[0075] In this way, by providing terminal portion 160 on second surface 142, a large area for flame interruption member 150 can be ensured, and safety can be further ensured.

[0076] 7, the battery cell assemblies 100 may be electrically connected to each other using an inter-bus bar K1 at the upper part of the cell cover 120. In this case, the assembly process between the battery cell assemblies 100 can be performed even more easily, and the battery cell assembly structure can be realized in a more compact manner.

[0077] 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the battery cell assembly of FIG.

[0078] Referring to (a) of FIG. 8, the terminal portion 160 is formed on the second surface 142, and in the battery cell assembly 100, the flame interrupter member 150 includes a first mesh structure 151 and a second mesh structure 152, which are stacked in close contact and coupled to the outside of the bus bar 130.

[0079] In this way, when a plurality of mesh structures are stacked in close contact with each other, the overall thickness of the flame interruption member can be reduced, which has the advantage of being advantageous in terms of space utilization.

[0080] 6(b), in the battery cell assembly, the flame interruption member 150 includes a first mesh structure 151 and a second mesh structure 152, the first mesh structure 151 being coupled to an inner surface of the bus bar 130, and the second mesh structure 152 being coupled to an outer surface of the bus bar 130, and are disposed to be spaced apart by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the bus bar 130. Even in this embodiment, the first mesh structure, the bus bar, and the second mesh structure are coupled to each other in an integrated manner.

[0081] In this manner, when multiple net-like structures are disposed at intervals, the intervals can act as reservoirs for filtered particulate by-products and can reduce the ejection pressure of sparks.

[0082] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly structure according to the present invention.

[0083] 9, three battery cell assemblies 100 are mounted on the upper surface of a base plate 210, and a support member 220 is located on each side of the battery cell assembly 100 in the overall length direction L. A fixing member 230 for fixing the position of the battery cell assembly 100 is added so as to enclose a part of the upper surface and side of the battery cell assembly 100 and is coupled to the support member 220.

[0084] Alternatively, instead of the support member 220 shown in FIG. 7, a crossbeam may be placed in the position of the support member to provide stiffening effect, or the battery cell assembly structure may be placed between the chassis of the device to which it is attached.

[0085] The support member 220 is formed with a plurality of coupling parts 221, and the fixing member 230 may be a metal band or may have a shape of a cover having a large area. The fixing member 230 may be configured to be coupled to the coupling parts 221 by a method such as bolting or welding.

[0086] Alternatively, in the case where separate structures such as the fixing member 230 and the coupling portion 221 are not included, a compression pad or a thermally conductive resin may be interposed between the battery cell assembly structure and the chassis to directly fix the battery cell assembly to the chassis.

[0087] Meanwhile, the number of battery cell assemblies shown in FIG. 9 is merely an example, and the number of battery cell assemblies can be freely changed and applied as necessary.

[0088] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the cell cover of FIG. 10 and a pouch-type battery cell enclosed thereby, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a modified example of the vent hole portion of the cell cover of FIG. 10, FIG. 13 is an exploded view showing one configuration of the battery cell assembly of FIG. 10, FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a bus bar to which the flame interruption member of FIG. 13 is applied, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the battery cell assembly of FIG. 10.

[0089] 10 to 15, a battery cell assembly 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a pouch-type battery cell 410, a cell cover 420 that encases the pouch-type battery cell 410, a bus bar 430 having a flame-blocking member 450, a bus bar frame 440, and a fire-resistant insulating cover 470.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 11 , the cell cover 420 may be configured to partially encase the pouch-type battery cell 410 .

[0091] The pouch-type battery cell 410 has an exterior material made of a soft material, and is therefore more vulnerable to external impacts and has a lower hardness than, for example, the can-type battery cell 110. Therefore, when the pouch-type battery cell 110 is housed in a module case (not shown) of a battery module, or in a pack case (not shown) of a battery pack without the module case, it is difficult to ensure safety and fixation against impacts when the pouch-type battery cell 110 is housed in the module case or pack case (not shown) of a battery pack when the module case is omitted. However, in the case of the present invention, the pouch-type battery cell 410 can be directly housed in the module case or pack case while being wrapped in the cell cover 420, and therefore the stacked state can be stably maintained.

[0092] The cell cover 420 may be configured to partially encase the pouch-type battery cell 410 so that at least one side of the enclosed pouch-type battery cell 410 is exposed to the outside. In other words, the cell cover 420 may be configured to encase only a portion of the pouch-type battery cell 410 without completely encasing the entire pouch-type battery cell 410.

[0093] For example, the pouch-type battery cell 410 may be housed in the cell cover 420 with its housing portion (the portion housing the electrode assembly) standing vertically relative to the ground. As shown in Fig. 11, the cell cover 420 may be configured to enclose the pouch-type battery cell 410 such that the lower edge and electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell 410 are exposed.

[0094] In other words, the pouch-type battery cell 110 is formed in a roughly hexahedral shape. Electrode leads 411, i.e., a negative electrode lead and a positive electrode lead, may be formed on two of the six faces (the front and rear faces along the ±X directions). The cell cover 420 may be provided in such a pouch-type battery cell 410 so as to enclose at least a portion of three of the remaining four faces (e.g., the upper face, left side face, and right side face) excluding the two faces on which the electrode leads are formed.

[0095] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the cell cover 420 may include an upper cover portion 421, a first side cover portion 422, and a second side cover portion 423.

[0096] Here, the upper cover part 421 may be configured to enclose an upper edge of the pouch-type battery cell 410. The upper cover part 421 may be configured to have a shape that contacts and separates from the upper edge of the pouch-type battery cell 410.

[0097] The first side cover part 422 may be provided in a shape extending in an elongated manner downward from an edge part on one side extending along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the upper cover part 421, and configured to encase one side of the storage part of the pouch-type battery cell 410. Here, the storage part may be a part in the pouch exterior material in which the electrode assembly is stored. For example, when one pouch-type battery cell 410 is stored in the cell cover 420, the first side cover part 422 may be configured to encase the left side of the storage part of the stored pouch-type battery cell 410.

[0098] The second side cover part 423 may be provided in a shape extending in an elongated manner downward from an edge part on the other side extending along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the upper cover part 421, and configured to enclose the other side of the housing part for the pouch-type battery cell 410. In addition, the second side cover part 423 may be provided in a position spaced a predetermined distance from the first side cover part 422, and in a shape generally symmetrical to the first side cover part 422. For example, when one pouch-type battery cell 410 is housed in the cell cover 420, the second side cover part 423 may be configured to enclose the right side of the housing part for the pouch-type battery cell 410.

[0099] In the above embodiment, an internal space may be defined by the upper cover part 421, the first side cover part 422, and the second side cover part 423. Furthermore, the cell cover 420 may house one or more battery cells 410 in the internal space thus defined.

[0100] The cell cover 420 may be made of various materials to ensure rigidity. In particular, the cell cover 420 may be made of a metal material. In the case of such a metal material, the stacked state of the pouch-type battery cells 410 can be more stably maintained and the pouch-type battery cells 410 can be more safely protected from external impact. In particular, the cell cover 420 may be made of a steel material or a stainless steel (SUS) material. For example, the cell cover 420 as a whole may be made of a stainless steel (SUS) material.

[0101] In this way, when the cell cover 420 is made of a steel material, it has excellent mechanical strength and rigidity, and is therefore able to more stably support the stacked state of the pouch-type battery cells 410. In this case, damage or breakage of the pouch-type battery cells 410 from external impacts, i.e., needle-shaped objects, can be more effectively prevented. Furthermore, in this case, the pouch-type battery cells 410 can be handled even easier.

[0102] The cell cover 420 may enclose the pouch-type battery cell 410 and be directly placed on the bottom surface of a module case (not shown) or the bottom surface of a pack case (not shown) as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 11. In this case, the cell cover 420 is made of a metal material with excellent rigidity such as steel, particularly a SUS material, so that the self-supporting state can be more stably maintained. Therefore, in this case, the upright state of the pouch-type battery cell 410 can be more reliably supported.

[0103] In addition, since the lower edge of the pouch-type battery cell 410 can be in direct face-to-face contact with the bottom surface of the module case or the bottom surface of the pack case through the open lower end of the cell cover 420, the pouch-type battery cell 410 can be cooled more directly and effectively. That is, the heat released from the pouch-type battery cell 410 is directly transferred to the module case or the pack case, improving the cooling performance. At this time, it is also possible to increase the thermal conductivity by interposing a thermally conductive resin between the lower edge of the pouch-type battery cell 410 and the bottom surface of the module case or the bottom surface of the pack case.

[0104] Furthermore, the cell cover 420 may include a vent hole 425. The vent hole 425 may be configured to prevent gas generated in the pouch-type battery cell 410 enclosed by the cell cover 420 from being discharged outside the cell cover. The vent hole 425 may be formed in various positions of the cell cover 420. For example, the vent hole 425 may be formed in the upper cover portion 421 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The vent hole 425 may be formed in an elliptical, circular, rectangular, diamond or rhombus shape.

[0105] Furthermore, a plurality of vent holes 425 may be formed in one cell cover 420. For example, a plurality of vent holes 425 may be formed in the upper cover portion 421 and arranged in the left-right direction and in the front-rear direction.

[0106] According to this embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to control the direction of discharge of flames and gases through the vent holes 425. That is, when the vent holes 425 are formed in the upper cover part 421 as in the above embodiment, the gases and flames can be discharged toward the upper direction (Z direction) without heading toward other pouch-type battery cells 410 or other battery cell assemblies 400 stacked in the horizontal direction. This can therefore be effective in preventing the spread of gases, flames, etc. between cells.

[0107] In particular, such an upward vent configuration may be more effective in suppressing a fire when an extinguishing agent is present on the upper part of the cell cover 420. For example, when a fire tank (not shown) containing an extinguishing agent is disposed on the upper part of the cell cover 420, if a flame or gas is discharged to the upper part of the cell cover 420, the extinguishing agent can be discharged from the fire tank, thereby preventing or delaying the fire.

[0108] As a modification of the cell cover of FIG. 10, the cell cover may include a flame arrestor 426 coupled to the vent hole as shown in FIG. 12. The flame arrestor 426 may be realized by one or more mesh nets made of a metal material with high rigidity and high heat resistance. For example, the flame arrestor 426 may include a plurality of mesh nets each having a different hole size, and the plurality of mesh nets may have a stacked structure. The plurality of mesh nets may be arranged such that the mesh nets having a relatively smaller hole size are arranged in the height direction (in FIG. 12). This embodiment may be effective in minimizing the emission of flames and high-temperature particles, and in lowering the temperature of the vent gas.

[0109] Meanwhile, the bus bar frame 440 may support the bus bar 430 and be coupled to the cell cover 420. For example, referring to Fig. 10 and Fig. 13, the bus bar frame 440 may be coupled to a front open end and a rear open end of the cell cover 420, respectively. For example, the bus bar frame 440 may be fixedly coupled to the front open end or the rear open end of the cell cover 420 using various fastening methods such as adhesive, welding, fitting, hook fastening, bolt fastening, riveting, etc.

[0110] In addition, the bus bar frame 440 may be made of an electrically insulating material and may be provided to cover a front opening or a rear opening of the cell cover 420. The bus bar 430 may be attached to an outer surface of the bus bar frame 440. In addition, the bus bar frame 440 may have slits through which the electrode leads 411 can pass, and the electrode leads 411 may pass through the slits and be drawn out to the outside of the bus bar frame 440 and fixedly coupled to the bus bar 430 by welding or the like.

[0111] Bus bar 430 connected to electrode lead 411 may be shielded by insulating cover 470 so as not to be exposed to the outside. Insulating cover 470 may preferably be made of a flame-retardant material having electrical insulation properties and excellent fire resistance.

[0112] In particular, the busbar 430 may include a flame blocking member 450 .

[0113] 14, the fire blocking member 450 may be provided integrally with the bus bar 430. For example, the bus bar 430 and the fire blocking member 450 may be manufactured integrally by welding or bonding. The fire blocking member 450 may be realized by a net-like structure in which one or more mesh nets made of a high-rigidity / high-heat-resistant material (e.g., copper or stainless steel) are stacked.

[0114] The bus bar 430 may have a through hole formed therein, and the fire protection member 450 may be applied to the inside of the through hole. In other words, the bus bar 430 may be provided in such a manner that the through hole is filled with the fire protection member 450 having a net-like structure in which mesh nets are stacked in multiple layers. That is, the through hole of the bus bar 430 may be configured to be filled with the fire protection member.

[0115] According to the bus bar 430 provided with such a flame blocking member 450, when a thermal event such as heat generation / ignition of the pouch-type battery cell 410 occurs, the flame and high-temperature gas can be cooled while passing through the flame blocking member 450. In addition, the flame and high-temperature particles can be filtered by the flame blocking member 450 to limit their emission. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the emission of flame and high-temperature particles at least in the full-length direction (±X direction) of the battery cell assembly 400.

[0116] Also, the bus bar 430 according to the present embodiment has an upper end portion bent in a horizontal direction. The bent upper end portion may function as a (positive or negative) terminal portion 460 of the battery cell assembly 400. In the battery cell assembly 400 according to this embodiment, the positive terminal portion and the negative terminal portion are located at the upper corners of the cell cover 420. For example, when a cable or a connecting means is attached to the terminal portion 460 of the battery cell assembly 400, the cable or the connecting means may be disposed on the upper portion of the battery cell assembly 400. In this case, a space can be secured on the front and rear sides of the battery cell assembly 400, which makes it easier to accommodate the battery cell assembly in a module case or a pack case, for example.

[0117] 11 to 13, the cell cover 420 has a notch 424 at each end along the length of the cell cover 420. The notch 424 may be configured in the form of a corner portion cut out at the upper side of each end along the length of the cell cover 420.

[0118] A cell cover 420 having such a notch 424 can further push the bus bar frame 440 into the inside of the front open end or rear open end of the cell cover 420, so that the terminal portion 460 of the bus bar 430 is exposed toward the upper portion of the cell cover 420 through the notch 424.

[0119] In addition, as shown in FIG. 14 , the bus bar 430 according to this embodiment may include a lead connection portion 431 that extends vertically when upright on the ground and to which an electrode lead is attached, a bent portion 432 that extends obliquely at a predetermined angle from the lead connection portion 431, and a terminal portion 460 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the bent portion 432 in the opposite direction to the bent portion 432.

[0120] According to this bus bar structure, the electrode lead 411 and the bus bar 430 are connected in a state where the bus bar frame 440 and the bus bar 430 are pulled into the inside of the cell cover 420 to the maximum extent, and the terminal portion 460 of the bus bar 430 can be made to face the upper part of the cell cover 420. As a result, the battery cell assembly 400 of the present invention can have a shorter overall length than the battery cell assembly 100 according to the above-described embodiment, even if a pouch-type battery cell 410 of the same size is used.

[0121] Meanwhile, a battery cell assembly structure according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cell assemblies 400 stacked in one direction.

[0122] Adjacent battery cell assemblies 400 may be electrically connected to each other by an inter-bus bar K1. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, adjacent battery cell assemblies 400 may be stacked such that their positive and negative terminal portions face in opposite directions. By stacking the battery cell assemblies 400 in this pattern and connecting the positive and negative terminal portions of adjacent battery cell assemblies 400 by an inter-bus bar K1, the battery cell assemblies 400 can be connected in series. In this case, the pouch-type battery cells 410 included in each battery cell assembly 400 may be connected in parallel, and the battery cell assemblies 400 may be configured to be connected in series.

[0123] Meanwhile, a battery module according to the present invention may include a plurality of stacked battery cell assemblies 400 and a module case housing the plurality of battery cell assemblies.

[0124] Also, the battery pack according to the present invention may include the battery modules connected in series and / or parallel, and a pack case including the battery modules. As another example, the battery pack according to the present invention may be configured in a so-called cell to pack form in which the stacked battery cell assemblies 400 are directly housed in a pack case without the configuration of a battery module unit.

[0125] An automobile according to the present invention may include the battery pack according to the present invention. Here, the automobile according to the present invention may include a specific automobile that uses electricity as a driving source, such as an electric automobile or a hybrid automobile. Note that the automobile according to the present invention may further include various other components included in the automobile, that is, a vehicle body, a motor, etc., in addition to the battery pack according to the present invention.

[0126] Meanwhile, although directional terms such as up, down, left, and right are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that these terms are used merely for ease of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0127] 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 scope of the technical concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 100 Battery Cell Assembly 110 Battery cells (can-type battery cells, pouch-type battery cells) 111 Electrode lead 120 Cell Cover 130 Busbar 140 Busbar frame 141 Page 1 142 2nd page 143 Slit 150 Flame-blocking material 151 First network structure 152 Second network structure 160 Terminal Section 210 Base Plate 220 Support member 221 Joint 230 Fixing member 400 Battery Cell Assembly 410 Battery cell (pouch type battery cell) 411 Electrode Lead 420 Cell Cover 421 Upper cover part 422 First side cover part 423 Second side cover part 424 Notch 425 Vent hole 426 Flame Arrester 430 Busbar 431 Lead Joint 432 Bend 440 Busbar Frame 450 Flame-blocking material 460 Terminal 470 Fireproof insulating cover 470 Insulating cover K1 Interbusbar L Full length direction

Claims

1. At least one pouch-type battery cell; a cell cover that encases the pouch-type battery cell; a bus bar connected to an electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell; a bus bar frame supporting the bus bar and covering a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover where the electrode lead is located; Including, The bus bar is connected to a fuselage of a flame-blocking member having a mesh made of a highly rigid and heat-resistant material. The bus bar has a through hole in a body thereof, The through hole is covered by the flame interruption member.

2. The pouch-type battery cell is a bidirectional battery cell in which a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead protrude in opposite directions from each end of the pouch-type battery cell in the overall length direction, The cell cover is 2. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery cell assembly has a rectangular frame shape that encloses all of the four outer surfaces excluding the direction in which the positive and negative leads protrude, or an n-shaped frame shape that encloses three of the four outer surfaces.

3. The battery cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flame interrupter is integrally connected to the bus bar.

4. 2 . The battery cell assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flame blocking member is configured in a shape in which a plurality of net-like structures made of the mesh netting made of a highly rigid and heat-resistant material are overlapped with each other.

5. The flame interruption member is a first mesh structure welded to one surface of the bus bar and disposed toward an inside of the cell cover with respect to the bus bar; a second mesh structure welded to the other surface of the bus bar and disposed toward an outside of the cell cover with respect to the bus bar; 10. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, comprising:

6. The battery cell assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flame blocking member is configured in the form of a net-like structure in which a plurality of mesh nets are stacked, and is filled into the through-hole.

7. the bus bar includes a terminal portion for electrically connecting to another adjacent battery cell assembly, The battery cell assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal portion is a portion of the bus bar that extends further upward than the flame interrupter.

8. the bus bar includes a terminal portion for electrically connecting to another adjacent battery cell assembly, The battery cell assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal portion is located on an upper portion of the cell cover.

9. The bus bar and the bus bar frame have a first surface that is arranged to stand on a front open end or a rear open end of the cell cover; a second surface disposed on an upper portion of the cell cover in a shape bent relative to the first surface; Including, The battery cell assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the terminal portion is disposed on the second surface.

10. 10. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, wherein the flame interrupter is formed from a copper or stainless steel material.

11. The pouch-type battery cell is received in the cell cover with a receiving portion having an electrode assembly therein vertically standing on the ground, The cell cover includes an upper cover portion that encloses an upper edge of the pouch-type battery cell; a first side cover portion that encloses one side of the pouch-type battery cell housing portion; a second side cover portion that encloses the other side of the pouch-type battery cell housing portion; 10. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, comprising:

12. The cell cover is The battery cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein the upper cover portion is provided with one or more vent holes capable of venting gas.

13. 13. The battery cell assembly of claim 12, wherein the vent hole has a flame arrester coupled thereto, the flame arrester comprising one or more mesh screens.

14. The cell cover is A cutout portion is provided on each of the upper ends of the cell cover along the entire length direction, the cutout portion being formed by cutting out a corner portion, The bus bar is The battery cell assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a terminal portion exposed toward the upper portion of the cell cover through the notch and functioning as a positive terminal or a negative terminal of the battery cell assembly.

15. A base plate to which the battery cell assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is attached; a support member disposed on a side surface of the battery cell assembly in a longitudinal direction; a fixing member attached to the support member for fixing the position of the battery cell assembly; and A battery cell assembly structure comprising:

16. A battery pack comprising the battery cell assembly structure of claim 15.

17. 16. An electric vehicle comprising the battery cell assembly structure of claim 15.

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