Battery module

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery module in which a pair of blocking ribs protruding toward a bus bar plate are disposed on an insulating cover to minimize movement of high-temperature particles and gas toward a terminal of the bus bar plate, and an elastic gasket that elastically fills a gap between an opening of the insulating cover and the terminal of the bus bar plate is disposed to minimize emission of high-temperature particles and gas through the gap.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0165065 dated November 26, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery module, and more particularly to a battery module in which a pair of blocking ribs protruding toward a bus bar plate are disposed on an insulating cover to minimize movement of high-temperature particles and gases toward terminals of the bus bar plate, and an elastic gasket is disposed to elastically fill gaps between openings in the insulating cover and terminals of the bus bar plate, thereby minimizing the emission of high-temperature particles and gases through the gaps. [Background technology]

[0003] As environmental concerns grow, efforts to reduce carbon emissions are spreading around the world. To reduce carbon emissions, the production of automobiles with combustion engines that burn fossil fuels is declining, while the production of electric vehicles that use electricity to power them is increasing.

[0004] Demand for secondary batteries, which are installed in these electric vehicles to store electricity, is increasing. Meanwhile, as the use of personal mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs has become commonplace, demand for secondary batteries to supply power to these devices is also increasing.

[0005] Due to the increasing demand for these secondary batteries, research and development into secondary batteries has been actively carried out.

[0006] At this time, in order to improve the capacity and efficiency of secondary batteries, there is an increasing demand for battery packs with a multi-module structure in which battery modules are assembled, each of which has a plurality of secondary batteries connected in series / parallel.

[0007] When constructing a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series / parallel, a commonly used method is to construct a battery module consisting of at least one battery cell, and then use this at least one battery module to add other components to construct a battery pack.

[0008] Meanwhile, a battery cell stack inevitably generates heat when power is supplied, and if the heat generation cannot be effectively controlled, a thermal runaway phenomenon may occur in which the efficiency of the battery cell stack rapidly decreases, and in some cases, there is a risk of fire or explosion.

[0009] In particular, the internal pressure of the battery module increases rapidly due to high-temperature particles and gases generated during thermal runaway.

[0010] In a conventional battery module structure, it is known that high-temperature particles and gases generated during thermal runaway are ejected to the outside through the upper end of the bus bar plate, which corresponds to a portion relatively vulnerable to internal pressure, or through a gap formed between the terminal and the insulating cover provided on the bus bar plate, and start ignition.

[0011] In this regard, China Patent Publication No. 202110308925 discloses a battery module having a structure in which a plurality of insulating plates are placed between the bus bar plate and the battery cell stack to protect the bus bar plate from high-temperature particles and gases generated during thermal runaway.

[0012] However, the battery module disclosed in the above document has a problem in that the insulation board is divided into multiple pieces and arranged in a line along the left-right direction, which makes it difficult to effectively prevent high-temperature gas from leaking.

[0013] Furthermore, the battery module disclosed in the above document has a problem in that high-temperature particles can move between the divided insulating plates, making it impossible to effectively prevent particles from leaking out of the battery module. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a battery module in which a pair of blocking ribs protruding toward a bus bar plate are disposed on an insulating cover, thereby minimizing the movement of high-temperature particles and gases toward the terminals of the bus bar plate.

[0015] A second object of the present invention is to provide a battery module in which an elastic gasket is disposed to elastically fill a gap between an opening of an insulating cover and a terminal of a bus bar plate, thereby minimizing the emission of high-temperature particles and gases through the gap.

[0016] A third object of the present invention is to provide a battery module in which a heat-resistant sheet member is disposed between the battery cell stack and the bus bar plate, but the sheet member completely covers the upper side and front surface of the battery cell stack in the width direction, thereby minimizing damage to the bus bar plate caused by high-temperature particles and gases and suppressing leakage of particles and gases to the outside.

[0017] The object of the present invention is not limited to the object mentioned above, and other unmentioned objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood from the following description and can be more clearly understood from the embodiments of the present invention. Also, it is clear that the object and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a battery cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of electrode leads disposed at one end of the battery cell stack and electrically connecting the plurality of battery cells; a bus bar plate electrically connecting the plurality of electrode leads and having at least one terminal on one side thereof; and an insulating cover disposed opposite one side of the bus bar plate and having an opening that at least partially exposes the at least one terminal to the outside, wherein the insulating cover includes at least one blocking rib protruding toward one side of the bus bar plate.

[0019] The at least one blocking rib may extend across the insulating cover in the left-right direction from the left edge to the right edge of the insulating cover.

[0020] The at least one blocking rib may be provided at a position lower than the opening in the vertical direction.

[0021] The blocking rib may include a first blocking rib provided at a position lower than the opening in the vertical direction, and a second blocking rib provided at a position lower than the first blocking rib in the vertical direction.

[0022] The first blocking rib and the second blocking rib may be disposed parallel to each other.

[0023] The first and second isolating ribs may be integrally formed with the insulating cover.

[0024] Furthermore, each of the first and second isolating ribs may have a front end integrally connected to the insulating cover and a rear end in contact with the bus bar plate.

[0025] The connector may further include an elastic gasket that elastically fills a gap formed between the opening and the at least one terminal.

[0026] In addition, the elastic gasket may be made of a rubber material having electrical insulation and heat resistance.

[0027] The battery pack may further include at least one heat-resistant and electrically insulating sheet member fixed to the other side of the bus bar plate facing the battery cell stack.

[0028] The sheet member may include a vertical portion attached to the other side of the bus bar plate and extending in the up-down direction, and a horizontal portion integrally connected to an upper end of the vertical portion and extending in a direction away from the other side of the bus bar plate, the horizontal portion at least partially covering an upper side of the battery cell stack, and the vertical portion at least partially covering a front surface of the battery cell stack.

[0029] The left-right width of the vertical portion of the sheet member may be the same as or greater than the left-right width of the front surface of the battery cell stack.

[0030] The left-right width of the horizontal portion of the sheet member may be the same as or greater than the horizontal width of the upper side surface of the battery cell stack. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] The battery module according to the present invention has a pair of blocking ribs formed on the insulating cover and protruding toward the bus bar plate, which has the effect of minimizing the movement of high-temperature particles and gases toward the terminals of the bus bar plate.

[0032] In addition, the battery module according to the present invention has an effect of minimizing the emission of high-temperature particles and gases by disposing an elastic gasket that elastically fills the gap between the opening of the insulating cover and the terminal of the bus bar plate.

[0033] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, a heat-resistant sheet member is disposed between the battery cell stack and the bus bar plate, and the sheet member completely covers the upper and front sides of the battery cell stack in the width direction, thereby minimizing damage to the bus bar plate caused by high-temperature particles and gases and suppressing leakage of particles and gases to the outside.

[0034] The above-mentioned effects and specific effects of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first insulating cover shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the battery module shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the first casket shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 2A and 2B are a partially enlarged view and a perspective view for explaining a sheet member provided in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the technical concept of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if a detailed description of known technologies relating to the present invention is deemed to obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings are used to indicate the same or similar components.

[0037] Although terms such as "first" and "second" are used to indicate various components, it is understood that these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise specified, the first component may also be the second component.

[0038] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, each element may be singular or plural.

[0039] Hereinafter, when an arbitrary structure is arranged "on top (or bottom)" of a component or "above (or below)" a component, it means that the arbitrary structure is not only arranged in contact with the upper surface (or lower surface) of the component, but also that other structures may be interposed between the component and the arbitrary structure arranged above (or below) the component.

[0040] Furthermore, when a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the components may be directly coupled or connected to each other, but that other components may be "intervening" between the components, or that each component may be "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" via other components.

[0041] As used herein, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms such as "comprise" or "include" in this application should not be interpreted as including all of the components or steps described in the specification, but should be interpreted as meaning that some components or steps may not be included, or that additional components or steps may be included.

[0042] In the entire specification, "A and / or B" means A, B or A and B unless otherwise specified, and "C to D" means C or more and D or less unless otherwise specified.

[0043] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing the configuration of a battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] [General structure of battery module] Hereinafter, the general structure of a battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of battery cells 110 are accommodated inside a case or housing formed of a lower frame 210 and an upper frame 220 .

[0047] A plurality of battery cells can be stacked and arranged in close contact to form a battery cell stack 100.

[0048] A lower frame 210 having a structure that encloses the lower surface and both side surfaces of the battery cell stack 100 so as to form a case or housing for the battery module 1, and an upper surface of the battery cell stack 100 100aan upper frame 220 disposed on the side of the battery cell stack 100; and a pair of insulating covers disposed so as to face the electrode leads 111 of the battery cell stack 100. 300 and

[0049] As shown, for example, the lower frame 210 can include a bottom frame 211 that forms the bottom surface and a pair of side frames 212 that form two side walls. Preferably, the bottom frame 211 and the pair of side frames 212 can be integrally formed by pressing a metal plate having a predetermined strength.

[0050] The upper frame 220 serves to cover the upper surface 100a of the battery cell stack 100, and like the lower frame 210, may be formed of a metal plate having a predetermined strength.

[0051] The upper frame 220 may be assembled to the lower frame 210 by being coupled to the upper ends 211 of the pair of side frames 212 .

[0052] Bottom of both ends of the upper frame 220 Face and The upper ends of the side frames 212 can be joined by laser welding (L).

[0053] The plurality of battery cells 110 may be rectangular pouch-type battery cells, and the electrode leads 111 may be bidirectional battery cells in which the positive and negative electrode leads protrude in opposite directions.

[0054] The plurality of electrode leads 111 can be electrically connected using a bus bar plate 500 so that the plurality of battery cells 110 can be connected in series or in parallel via bus bars 500a depending on the desired output and capacity of the battery module 1. In this case, as shown, the bus bar plate 500 can include a first bus bar plate 510 disposed in front of the battery cell stack 100 and a second bus bar plate 520 disposed in the rear of the battery cell stack 100.

[0055] At least one of the first bus bar plate 510 and the second bus bar plate 520 may be provided with at least one terminal 511, 512, 513 for supplying power to the outside. In the following examples shown in FIG. 1 , a first bus bar plate 510 disposed at the front of the battery cell stack 100 is provided with a plurality of terminals 511, 512, 513. As described below, the at least one terminal 511, 512, 513 may include first, second, and third terminals 511, 512, 513 that are at least partially exposed to the outside through the opening 3103d of the first insulating cover 310 and spaced apart from one another. Although the present invention is not limited thereto, the following description will be based on a first embodiment in which the first, second, and third terminals 511, 512, 513 are disposed on the first bus bar plate 510.

[0056] Depending on the specifications of the product to be applied, the battery cell stack 100 may further include a cartridge for accommodating the battery cells 110, a buffer member, a cooling means, or the like.

[0057] A pair of sheet members 400 and a pair of insulating covers 300 may be arranged on the open front and rear surfaces of the frame 200 so as to face the electrode leads 111 .

[0058] The insulating cover 300 may be attached to the battery cell stack 100 after the battery cell stack 100 is mounted on the frame 200 and the upper frame 220 is attached to the lower frame 210 .

[0059] Preferably, a first insulating cover 310 may be coupled to the open front surface of the frame 200, and a second insulating cover 320 may be coupled to the open rear surface of the frame 200.

[0060] The first insulating cover 310 and the second insulating cover 320 may be made of a material that has a certain mechanical strength, electrical insulation properties, and heat resistance. The insulating cover material may be a thermoplastic synthetic resin that is heat-resistant to 600 degrees Celsius or more. To easily realize detailed shapes, the insulating cover may be manufactured by injection molding. For example, the insulating cover may be manufactured by a plastic injection method using a wholly aromatic polyimide-based material.

[0061] In this case, the first insulating cover 310 of the battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided with at least one blocking rib (reference numeral 3104 in FIG. 2) as a means for minimizing the upward (U-direction) movement of high-temperature particles and gases generated during thermal runaway of the battery cell stack 100, as will be described later. A detailed configuration of the first insulating cover 310 provided with a blocking rib will be described later with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings.

[0062] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1, a sheet member 400 may be disposed between the upper end of the first insulating cover 310 and the front surface 100b of the battery cell stack 100 to prevent the first insulating cover 310 from being damaged by high-temperature particles and gases that are generated during thermal runaway of the battery cell stack 100.

[0063] For the same reason, a sheet member 400 may be placed between the upper end of the second insulating cover 320 and the rear surface of the battery cell stack 100 to prevent damage to the second insulating cover 320.

[0064] For ease of explanation, in order to distinguish between them, hereinafter, the one placed on the first insulating cover 310 side will be referred to as the first sheet member 410, and the one placed on the second insulating cover 320 side will be referred to as the second sheet member 420.

[0065] As will be described later, the first sheet member 410 and the second sheet member 420 can be formed continuously to cover the entire front and rear corners of the upper surface 100a of the battery cell stack 100 along the left-right direction (Le-Ri direction).

number

[0066] A detailed configuration of the sheet member 400 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0067] Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1, the outer surface 3101b of the first insulating cover 310 and the outer surface of the second insulating cover 320 may be provided with a first end plate and a second end plate in the form of a metal plate to protect the first insulating cover 310 and the second insulating cover 320, respectively, and to complement their strength.

[0068] [Detailed Structure of the First Insulating Cover and Gasket According to an Embodiment of the Present Invention] 2 and 3 show perspective views of a first insulating cover 310 provided on a battery module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] 2 and 3, the first insulating cover 310 of the battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cover body 3101 having a flat plate shape.

[0070] As described above, the cover body 3101 is coupled to the open front surface of the frame 200 and serves to close the front surface of the frame 200 .

[0071] The right edge 3101c, the bottom edge and the left edge 3101d of the cover body 3101 may be formed with edge ribs 3102 that protrude toward the frame 200 and that increase the bonding strength to the frame 200.

[0072] The upper end of the outer surface 3101b of the cover body 3101 may be provided with terminal coupling portions 3103 in which the above-mentioned first, second, and third terminals 511, 512, and 513 are respectively housed.

[0073] For example, the terminal coupling portion 3103 may include first, second, and third terminal coupling portions 3103a, 3103b, and 3103c to accommodate the first, second, and third terminals 511, 512, and 513 separately, respectively, and these may be formed to protrude forward from the cover body 3101. As shown, the first, second, and third terminal coupling portions 3103a, 3103b, and 3103c are formed to be as far apart as possible from each other to prevent mutual interference.

[0074] The first, second and third terminal coupling portions 3103a, 3103b and 3103c may be provided with openings 3103d so that the first, second and third terminals 511, 512 and 513 are at least partially exposed to the outside, respectively.

[0075] The openings 3103d of the first, second and third terminal coupling portions 3103a, 3103b and 3103c in which the first, second and third terminals 511, 512 and 513 are respectively arranged may be provided with a plurality of gaskets 3105a, 3105b and 3105c to elastically fill the gaps formed between the openings 3103d and each of the terminals 511, 512 and 513.

[0076] The gaskets 3105a, 3105b, and 3105c may be made of a rubber material having a predetermined elasticity, electrical insulation, and heat resistance, and preferably made of a fluororesin-based synthetic rubber material.

[0077] For convenience, of the multiple gaskets 3105a, 3105b, and 3105c, the one provided at the first terminal joining portion 3103a will be referred to as the first gasket 3105a, the one provided at the second terminal joining portion 3103b will be referred to as the second gasket 3105b, and the one provided at the third terminal joining portion 3103c will be referred to as the third gasket 3105c.

[0078] These first, second, and third gaskets 3105a, 3105b, and 3105c make it possible to minimize the leakage of high-temperature particles and gases generated during thermal runaway of the battery cell stack 100 to the outside through the gaps formed between the opening 3103d and each of the terminals 511, 512, and 513.

[0079] The detailed configuration of these first, second and third gaskets 3105a, 3105b and 3105c will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0080] Meanwhile, as mentioned above, the inner surface 3101a of the cover body 3101 may be provided with at least one blocking rib 3104 as a means for minimizing the upward (U-direction) movement of high-temperature particles and gases generated during thermal runaway of the battery cell stack 100.

[0081] More specifically, at least one blocking rib 3104 is configured to separate the space formed between the bus bar plate and the inner surface 3101a of the first insulating cover 310 and function as a barrier to prevent high-temperature particles and gases from moving upward (U-direction) toward the opening 3103d of the first insulating cover 310.

[0082] In this way, the blocking rib 3104 may be positioned even lower than the opening 3103d in the vertical direction (UD direction) so as to prevent high-temperature particles and gases from moving upward (U-direction) toward the opening 3103d in the first insulating cover 310.

[0083] 2 shows, as an example, an embodiment in which the blocking rib 3104 includes a first blocking rib 3104a and a second blocking rib 3104b that are spaced apart from each other and aligned parallel to each other in the up-down direction (UD direction). Although the present invention is not limited to this, the following description will be based on an example in which the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b are provided.

[0084] For convenience, the rib provided below the opening 3103d at a position even lower than the opening 3103d in the vertical direction (UD direction) will be referred to as the first blocking rib 3104a, and the rib provided below the first blocking rib 3104a at a position even lower than the first blocking rib 3104a will be referred to as the second blocking rib 3104b.

[0085] As described above, the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b act as a barrier to block the radio wave path (P) along which high-temperature particles and gases move upward (in the U-direction) toward the opening 3103d of the first insulating cover 310. To perform this barrier function, the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b are formed to protrude from the inner surface 3101a of the first insulating cover 310 toward the first bus bar plate 510.

[0086] Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear end 3104a2 of the first blocking rib 3104a and the rear end 3104b2 of the second blocking rib 3104b may protrude in the front-rear direction (FR direction) to a position where they come into contact with the bus bar plate.

[0087] Furthermore, the first and second blocking ribs 3104a and 3104b may extend across the cover body 3101 in the left-right direction (Le-Ri direction) so as to completely separate the space formed between the first bus bar plate 510 and the inner surface 3101a of the first insulating cover 310. For example, the first and second blocking ribs 3104a and 3104b may extend continuously from the right edge 3101c to the left edge 3101d of the cover body 3101 of the first insulating cover 310.

[0088] Meanwhile, the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b may be configured to be formed integrally with the first insulating cover 310. Accordingly, a front end 3104a1 of the first blocking rib 3104a and a front end 3104b1 of the second blocking rib 3104b may be formed integrally with the inner surface 3101a of the cover body 3101, and left and right ends of the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b may be formed integrally with the edge rib 3102 of the first insulating cover 310.

[0089] Therefore, compared to when the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b are separately provided, the structure can be simplified and manufacturing costs can be reduced. Also, since the insulating cover has heat resistance of 600 degrees Celsius or more, the blocking rib in this embodiment can be designed to mainly perform a barrier function against high-temperature particles out of the barrier function against high-temperature particles and the function of preventing vent gas leakage. Of course, the blocking rib can also perform the function of preventing vent gas leakage.

[0090] On the other hand, although the first and second blocking ribs 3104a and 3104b can minimize the upward movement (U-direction) of high-temperature particles and gases, as mentioned above, at least some of these may leak out to the outside through the gaps formed between the first insulating cover 310 and each terminal 511, 512, and 513.

[0091] As described above, the first, second and third gaskets 3105a, 3105b and 3105c elastically fill the gaps formed between the first insulating cover 310 and each of the terminals 511, 512 and 513, thereby preventing high-temperature particles and gases that have passed through the first blocking rib 3104a and the second blocking rib 3104b from leaking out to the outside.

[0092] The first, second, and third gaskets 3105a, 3105b, and 3105c may differ in some configurations, such as their positions or sizes, but most of the configurations can be applied in a similar manner. The following description will be based on the configuration of the first gasket 3105a shown in Fig. 5, and unless otherwise stated, the configuration of the first gasket 3105a can be applied in a similar manner to the second gasket 3105b and the third gasket 3105c.

[0093] Fig. 5 shows a detailed configuration of the first gasket 3105a as an example. Referring to Fig. 5, the first gasket 3105a can include a base portion 3105a1 in the shape of a rectangular frame that is open on the inside.

[0094] The base portion 3105a1 is a part that is fixed by being hung on the inside of the opening 3103d of the first insulating cover 310 and coupled thereto, and serves to support the first gasket 3105a so that it does not slip out to the outside when the internal pressure of the battery module 1 increases.

[0095] Therefore, the base portion 3105a1 can be formed to have an outer shape that is larger than the opening 3103d.

[0096] Meanwhile, one side of the base portion 3105a1 may be provided with an opening coupling portion 3105a2 having a shape corresponding to the gap formed between the first insulating cover 310 and each of the terminals 511, 512, and 513.

[0097] The opening coupling portion 3105a2 essentially serves to fill gaps formed between the first insulating cover 310 and each of the terminals 511, 512, and 513. The outer peripheral surface of the opening coupling portion 3105a2 may have a shape corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the opening 3103d. The outer peripheral surface of the opening coupling portion 3105a2 may have a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the terminal 511 exposed to the outside through the opening 3103d. In this case, the opening coupling portion 3105a2 may be formed to have a width greater than the gap so that it can be elastically pressure-coupled while being interposed in the gap.

[0098] As shown, the opening coupling portion 3105a2 has an "L" shape formed by connecting a vertical extension portion 3105a21 and a horizontal extension portion 3105a22. This corresponds to the "L" shape of the opening 3103d. A through-hole 3105a3 having a size corresponding to the outer size of the first terminal 511 may be formed inside the horizontal extension portion of the opening coupling portion 3105a2 so that the first terminal 511 can be at least partially exposed to the outside. The outer periphery of the through-hole 3105a3 may have a shape corresponding to the outer periphery of the portion of the terminal 511 exposed to the outside through the opening 3103d.

[0099] Meanwhile, a fixing portion 3105a4 may be provided at one end of the base portion 3105a1. The fixing portion 3105a4 extends in a direction different from, preferably perpendicular to, the base portion 3105a1 and serves to fix the first gasket 3105a as a whole to the first terminal coupling portion 3103a. The fixing portion 3105a4 is connected to the vertical extension portion 3105a21 of the opening coupling portion 3105a2 and has a larger area than the vertical extension portion 3105a21. The fixing portion 3105a4 may be press-fitted and interposed between the first insulating cover 310 and the first bus bar plate 510 in the front-rear direction.

[0100] That is, the gap between the terminals of the bus bar plate exposed through the opening in the insulating cover and the outer peripheral surface of the opening in the insulating cover is closed by the opening joint of the gasket. The opening joint does not necessarily have to be two-dimensional and flat, but may be three-dimensional, having a vertical extension 3105a21 and a horizontal extension 3105a22, like the first gasket 3105a, as long as the opening in the insulating cover has a three-dimensional shape.

[0101] The gasket may include an extended intervening portion that has a step with the opening coupling portion and is larger in area than the opening coupling portion. In the first gasket 3105a, this corresponds to the base portion 3105a1 and the fixing portion 3105a4. Therefore, the extended intervening portion does not necessarily have to be two-dimensional and planar, but may have a three-dimensional shape corresponding to the shape of the opening coupling portion.

[0102] The outer peripheral surface of the opening coupling portion can be in contact with the inner peripheral surface that defines the opening of the insulating cover, and the surface of the expanding intermediate portion can be in contact with the inner surface of the insulating cover.

[0103] The gaskets 3105a, 3105b, and 3105c are made of heat-resistant rubber and function as sealants to prevent leakage of vent gas. The gaskets may have heat resistance of 200 to 300 degrees Celsius. In this embodiment, the gaskets may be designed to primarily perform the function of preventing leakage of vent gas, among the function of barrier against high-temperature particles and the function of preventing leakage of vent gas. Of course, the gaskets may also perform the function of barrier against high-temperature particles.

[0104] [Detailed configuration of sheet material] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, a detailed configuration of the sheet member 400 provided in the battery module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0105] As described above, the sheet member 400 may include a first sheet member 410 disposed between the upper end of the first bus bar plate 510 and the battery cell stack 100, and a second sheet member 420 disposed between the upper end of the second bus bar plate 520 and the battery cell stack 100.

[0106] Although the first sheet member 410 and the second sheet member 420 may differ in some configurations, such as the position or size, the majority of the configurations can be applied in a similar manner. The following description will be based on the configuration of the first sheet member 410 shown in Fig. 6, and unless otherwise specified, the configuration of the first sheet member 410 can be applied in a similar manner to the second sheet member 420.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 6, the first sheet member 410 can be configured to include a vertical portion 411 attached to the first bus bar plate 510 and extending in the up-down direction (UD direction), and a horizontal portion 412 extending in a direction away from the first bus bar plate 510.

[0108] Horizontal part 412 The vertical portion 411 serves to cover the upper surface 100 a of the battery cell stack 100 , and the vertical portion 412 serves to cover the front surface 100 b of the battery cell stack 100 .

[0109] For example, the vertical portion 411 and the horizontal portion 412 can be integrally formed, and the plate-shaped base material

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[0110] As described above, the first sheet member 410 serves to prevent the first insulating cover 310 from being damaged by high-temperature particles and gases generated from the battery cell stack 100.

[0111] For this reason, the first sheet member 410 needs to cover the entire corner formed by the contact between the front surface 100b and the upper surface 100a of the battery cell stack 100 along the left-right direction (Le-Ri direction).

[0112] Therefore, the left-right (Le-Ri direction) width (W2) of the horizontal portion 412 and the vertical portion 411 of the first sheet member 410 can be formed to be larger than or the same as the left-right (Le-Ri direction) width (W1) of the battery cell stack 100.

[0113] Furthermore, in order to prevent high-temperature particles and gas from moving through the first sheet member 410, at least the horizontal portion 412 of the first sheet member 410 must be formed continuously in the left-right direction (Le-Ri direction), and therefore the area between the left end and the right end is maintained in an entirely blocked state.

[0114] That is, the horizontal portion 412 can be formed so that there is no slit or open hole between the left and right ends thereof as in the prior art.

[0115] The first sheet member 410 may be configured to be fixed to an inner surface of the first bus bar plate 510. Specifically, the vertical portion 411 of the first sheet member 410 may be interposed between the front surface 100b of the battery cell stack 100 and the first bus bar plate 510 in the front-rear direction. Preferably, the vertical portion 411 of the first sheet member 410 may be firmly attached to the inner surface of the first bus bar plate 510 using an adhesive or attachment means. The horizontal portion 412 of the first sheet member 410 may be interposed between the upper surface 100a of the battery cell stack 100 and the upper frame 220 in the top-bottom direction.

[0116] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to illustrative drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings disclosed in this specification, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, even if the effects of the configuration of the present invention are not explicitly described and explained while describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is natural that the effects that can be predicted by the configuration should also be recognized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1 Battery Module 100 Battery cell stack 100a upper surface 100b front 110 battery cells 111 Electrode lead 200 frames 210 Lower Frame 211 Bottom Frame 212 Side Frame 220 Upper Frame 300 Insulation Cover 310 First insulating cover 320 Second insulating cover 400 Sheet material 410 First sheet member 420 Second sheet member 500 Busbar Plate 500a busbar 510 First bus bar plate 520 Second bus bar plate

Claims

1. a battery cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of electrode leads disposed at one end of the battery cell stack and electrically connecting the plurality of battery cells; a bus bar plate electrically connecting the plurality of electrode leads and having at least one terminal on one side thereof; and an insulating cover, the inner surface of which is disposed opposite to and spaced apart from one side surface of the bus bar plate, the insulating cover including an opening for at least partially exposing the at least one terminal to the outside; Including, the insulating cover includes at least one blocking rib that protrudes from the inner surface toward the one side surface of the bus bar plate and extends in a left-right direction, dividing a space between the insulating cover and the bus bar plate into an upper space and a lower space; the at least one insulating rib extends across the insulating cover in a left-right direction from a left edge to a right edge of the insulating cover; The blocking rib is a first blocking rib provided at a position lower than the opening in the vertical direction; and a second blocking rib provided at a position lower than the first blocking rib in the vertical direction; Including, The first blocking rib and the second blocking rib are arranged parallel to each other, the first blocking rib and the second blocking rib each have a rear end that extends rearward and contacts the bus bar plate to block rising gas. Battery module.

2. The first and second insulating ribs are each integrally formed on the insulating cover. The battery module according to claim 1 .

3. the first and second isolating ribs each have a forward end integrally connected to the insulating cover; The battery module according to claim 1 .

4. The connector further includes an elastic gasket that elastically fills a gap formed between the opening and the at least one terminal. The battery module according to claim 1 .

5. The elastic gasket is made of a rubber material having electrical insulation and heat resistance. The battery module according to claim 4 .

6. the elastic gasket includes an opening coupling portion that closes a gap between a terminal of the bus bar plate exposed through the opening of the insulating cover and an outer peripheral surface of the opening, and an expanded intermediate portion that is stepped with the opening coupling portion and has an area larger than that of the opening coupling portion, a surface of the extended intermediate portion contacting the inner surface of the insulating cover; the opening coupling portion is provided with a through hole having a shape corresponding to a shape of a terminal of the bus bar plate and exposed through the opening of the insulating cover. The battery module according to claim 4 .

7. the battery cell stack further includes at least one sheet member having heat resistance and electrical insulation, the sheet member being fixed to the other side of the bus bar plate facing the battery cell stack. The battery module according to claim 1 or 4.

8. The sheet member is a vertical portion attached to the other side of the bus bar plate and extending in the up-down direction; and a horizontal portion integrally connected to an upper end of the vertical portion and extending in a direction away from the other side of the bus bar plate; Including, the horizontal portion is positioned to at least partially cover an upper side surface of the battery cell stack, and the vertical portion is positioned to at least partially cover a front surface of the battery cell stack. The battery module according to claim 7 .

9. the left-right width of the vertical portion is equal to or greater than the left-right width of the front surface of the battery cell stack; The battery module according to claim 8 .

10. the left-right width of the horizontal portion is equal to or greater than the horizontal width of the upper surface of the battery cell stack; The battery module according to claim 8 .

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