Battery module, battery pack and power storage device

The thermistor assembly in battery packs allows for precise temperature measurement at any location within the cell assembly, including the center, ensuring safety and efficiency by preventing damage and improving monitoring accuracy.

JP7827880B2Active Publication Date: 2026-03-10LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-03-10
Publication Date
2026-03-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional battery packs face difficulties in accurately measuring the temperature at the center of a cell assembly and are prone to local damage when swelling occurs, affecting the safety and efficiency of temperature monitoring.

Method used

A thermistor assembly is positioned between battery cells, with a thermistor plate and substrate unit configured to detect temperature at any desired location, including the center, using a guide groove and elastic pad for stable contact and stress distribution, preventing direct contact with the cell assembly.

Benefits of technology

Enables accurate temperature measurement at any position within the cell assembly, particularly the center, enhancing safety and efficiency by preventing thermistor and battery cell damage, and improving monitoring accuracy.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cell assembly having a plurality of stacked battery cells, a thermistor configured to detect a temperature of the battery cell, a substrate having the thermistor coupled to one side thereof and configured to transmit temperature information of the battery cell detected by the thermistor to an outside, and a thermistor plate on which the substrate is disposed and having a guide groove formed therein in which the thermistor is housed, and disposed between the plurality of battery cells.
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack, and a power storage device, and more particularly to a battery module, a battery pack, and a power storage device that can be safely and efficiently managed.This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0030829, filed on March 11, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among these, lithium secondary batteries have attracted attention due to their advantages of being free to charge and discharge because they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, an extremely low self-discharge rate, and a high energy density.

[0003] Recently, secondary batteries have been widely used not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium- to large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). For example, when used in electric vehicles or power storage devices, a cell assembly may be formed in which multiple secondary batteries are connected in series and / or parallel to increase energy capacity and output. A battery pack is also formed by connecting multiple such cell assemblies.

[0004] Meanwhile, in order to use such a battery pack safely and efficiently, it is necessary to accurately detect the charge / discharge voltage state and temperature of the secondary battery. To this end, the battery pack may include a voltage sensing device for detecting the voltage of the secondary battery and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the secondary battery. The voltage sensing device and the temperature sensor may be installed inside a cell housing together with the secondary battery.

[0005] The battery pack may further include various electrical components for controlling charging and discharging of the secondary battery, such as a BMS, a relay, a current sensor, a fuse, etc. The various electrical components may be housed integrally in an electrical component housing, separate from the secondary battery.

[0006] There are various methods for monitoring the temperature of such a battery pack, and one example is a method using a thermistor. In such a method using a thermistor, the thermistor may be installed at a predetermined position in the battery pack. Furthermore, a control device connected to the thermistor, such as a battery monitoring system (BMS), can monitor the temperature of the battery cells using a signal transmitted from the thermistor.

[0007] For example, the thermistor may be provided with an element whose resistance changes with temperature, such as a negative temperature coefficient (NTC). Therefore, the voltage input to the control device may change due to the change in resistance of the NTC with temperature. The control device may then determine the temperature of the battery cell detected by the thermistor based on the input voltage using a pre-stored lookup table or the like.

[0008] On the other hand, conventional battery packs are configured to measure the temperature of the battery cells by encasing the thermistor in the battery pack housing, or by providing the thermistor on the bus bar frame to measure the temperature of the battery cells.

[0009] In such a conventional battery pack, it is difficult to measure the temperature at the center of a cell assembly in which multiple battery cells are stacked, and it is difficult to measure the temperature regardless of the position of the battery cell.Furthermore, when a swelling phenomenon occurs in the battery cell, there is a problem that local damage occurs to the battery cell and thermistor. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module, a battery pack, and a power storage device that can be managed safely and efficiently.

[0011] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above problems, 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]

[0012] To achieve the above object, a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cell assembly having a plurality of stacked battery cells; a thermistor configured to detect the temperature of the battery cells; a substrate unit having the thermistor coupled to one side thereof and configured to transmit temperature information of the battery cells detected by the thermistor to an outside; and a thermistor plate on which the substrate unit is disposed, having a guide groove formed therein and accommodating the thermistor therein, and disposed between the plurality of battery cells.

[0013] Preferably, the thermistor plate may be provided between battery cells arranged at the center in the stacking direction of the battery cells so as to be located at the center of the cell assembly.

[0014] Preferably, the thermistor plate may be disposed in close contact with the battery cell that faces the thermistor plate in the stacking direction of the battery cells.

[0015] Preferably, each of the plurality of battery cells includes: an electrode assembly; an electrode lead electrically connected to the electrode assembly; and a cell case including: a case body having an accommodation space for accommodating the electrode assembly; and a case terrace extending from the case body and allowing the electrode lead to protrude to the outside; and the thermistor plate may be in close contact with the case body of the opposing battery cell.

[0016] Preferably, the thermistor plate may be formed to be longer than the case body in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

[0017] Preferably, the guide groove may be formed on the thermistor plate to correspond to the shape of the substrate portion and extend along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

[0018] Preferably, the guide groove is recessed into the thermistor plate to a predetermined depth in the stacking direction of the battery cells, and when the substrate portion is placed in the guide groove, the other side of the substrate portion and the upper end of the guide groove can be located on the same horizontal plane.

[0019] Preferably, the thermistor plate may further include a receiving groove recessed from the guide groove to a predetermined depth in a stacking direction of the battery cells, and receiving the thermistor therein.

[0020] Preferably, the thermistor is disposed in the accommodation groove at a predetermined distance from the inner bottom surface of the accommodation groove.

[0021] Preferably, the accommodation groove can be formed on the thermistor plate at a position corresponding to the center of the cell assembly.

[0022] Preferably, the substrate portion may be configured to be in close contact with the battery cell when disposed in the guide groove.

[0023] Preferably, the battery module may further include an elastic pad provided in the accommodating groove and configured to elastically support the substrate portion toward the opposing battery cell in the stacking direction of the battery cells.

[0024] Preferably, the elastic pad may be provided to have a length greater than the depth of the accommodation groove in the stacking direction.

[0025] A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one battery module according to the embodiment of the present invention described above.

[0026] Furthermore, a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the embodiment of the present invention, temperature measurement can be freely performed at any position of the cell assembly depending on the position of the thermistor plate relative to the cell assembly and the position of the thermistor on the thermistor plate.

[0028] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the center of the cell assembly, which is the hottest part inside the battery module, can be detected depending on the arrangement position of the thermistor plate relative to the cell assembly and the arrangement position of the thermistor on the thermistor plate, thereby enabling safer and more efficient management of the battery module.

[0029] Furthermore, the structure of the thermistor assembly of the present invention can prevent damage to the thermistor and battery cells even when the thermistor assembly is placed between battery cells, and can improve the accuracy of battery temperature monitoring by ensuring that the substrate portion to which the thermistor is attached is always in close contact with the battery cell.

[0030] In addition to the above, various other effects can be achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. Such various effects of the present invention will be explained in the section of each embodiment, and explanations of effects that can be easily understood by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0031] The drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further understand the technical concepts of the present invention as well as the content of the invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall shape of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a thermistor assembly provided in the battery module of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the thermistor assembly of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the battery module of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion B of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the case body and the thermistor plate of the battery cell in FIG. 5 are in close contact with each other. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion H in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion L in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates a thermistor assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms and words used in this specification and claims are not to be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but are to be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself in order to best describe the invention.

[0034] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall shape of a battery module 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a thermistor assembly 200 provided in the battery module 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the thermistor assembly 200 of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the battery module 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view in the A-A' direction of FIG. 4 (specifically, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module 10 of FIG. 4 in the XZ plane along the A-A' line).

[0036] In an embodiment of the present invention, the X-axis direction shown in the drawings may refer to the longitudinal direction of a battery cell 110, which will be described later, the Y-axis direction may refer to the width direction of the battery cell 110, which is perpendicular to the X-axis direction and a horizontal plane (XY plane), and the Z-axis direction may refer to the stacking direction of the battery cell 110, which is perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a battery module 10 may include a cell assembly 100 and a thermistor assembly 200.

[0038] The cell assembly 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110. Here, each battery cell may represent a secondary battery. The battery cells 110 may be provided as pouch-type battery cells, cylindrical battery cells, or prismatic battery cells. As an example, the battery cells 110 may be pouch-type battery cells.

[0039] The plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged to be stacked in one direction and electrically connected to each other, that is, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked in one direction to form the cell assembly 100.

[0040] A bus bar frame portion F for sensing a voltage of the cell assembly 100 may be coupled to one side and the other side of the cell assembly 100 in the longitudinal direction. The bus bar frame portion F may support one side and the other side of the cell assembly 100 in the longitudinal direction.

[0041] The thermistor assembly 200 may be disposed inside the cell assembly 100. In particular, the thermistor assembly 200 may be disposed between a plurality of the stacked battery cells 110.

[0042] The thermistor assembly 200 may include a thermistor 210 , a substrate 220 , and a thermistor plate 230 .

[0043] The thermistor 210 may be configured to detect the temperature of the battery cell 110. For example, the thermistor 210 may include an element whose resistance value changes with temperature, and may detect the temperature of the battery cell 110 based on the change in the resistance value of the element.

[0044] The thermistor 210 may be coupled to one side (e.g., a lower portion) of the substrate unit 220. The substrate unit 220 may be configured to transmit temperature information of the battery cell 110 detected by the thermistor 210 to the outside. For example, the substrate unit 220 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, the thermistor 210 may be soldered to one side of the substrate part 220. In this way, the thermistor 210 may be stably coupled to the substrate part 220.

[0046] The thermistor plate 230 may be disposed between a plurality of battery cells 110. The thermistor plate 230 may also include a guide groove 231 in which the substrate unit 220 is disposed and in which the thermistor 210 is housed. In this manner, the thermistor 210 may be housed inside the thermistor plate 230 via the guide groove 231.

[0047] Therefore, the thermistor 210 and the cell assembly 100 can be configured not to come into direct contact with each other, and in particular, the load of the cell assembly 100 can be prevented from being directly transmitted to the thermistor 210 .

[0048] In particular, the thermistor plate 230 may be provided between the battery cells 110 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 so as to be disposed at any position in the cell assembly 100 .

[0049] The thermistor plate 230 may be inserted between the battery cells 110 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cells 110 at any position of the cell assembly 100 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. In this case, the thermistor plate 230 may be inserted between the battery cells 110 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cells 110 through a hole G formed on one side of the bus bar frame portion F.

[0050] That is, the thermistor plate 230 may be provided between the battery cells 110 so that the thermistor 210 can be positioned at any position of the cell assembly 100 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 where the temperature is to be measured.

[0051] The thermistor 210 may be provided at any position on the thermistor plate 230 of the cell assembly 100 .

[0052] Therefore, the thermistor 210 can detect the temperature of the battery cell 110 at any position in the cell assembly 100 .

[0053] In one embodiment, the thermistor plate 230 may be provided between the battery cells 110 arranged at the center in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 so as to be located at the center of the cell assembly 100.

[0054] In this case, the thermistor 210 may be provided on the thermistor plate 230 at a position corresponding to the center of the cell assembly 100 .

[0055] In this case, the thermistor 210 can detect the temperature of the center of the cell assembly 100 , which is the hottest point inside the battery module 10 .

[0056] 6 is an enlarged view of portion B of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the case body 1162 of the battery cell 110 of FIG. 5 and the thermistor plate 230 are in close contact with each other.

[0057] 1 to 7, the thermistor plate 230 may be disposed in close contact with the battery cell 110 facing it in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. For example, an upper surface M1 and a lower surface M2 of the thermistor plate 230 may be in close contact with the battery cell 110 facing it, respectively.

[0058] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the thermistor 210 provided inside the thermistor plate 230 can be disposed adjacent to the battery cell 110, so that the temperature of the battery cell 110 can be detected more easily.

[0059] The above-mentioned implementations will now be described in more detail.

[0060] Specifically, each of the plurality of battery cells 110 may include an electrode assembly 112 , an electrode lead 114 , and a cell case 116 .

[0061] The electrode assembly 112 may include a first electrode plate having a first polarity, a second electrode plate having a second polarity, and a separator interposed between the first and second electrode plates. For example, the first electrode plate may be a positive or negative electrode plate, and the second electrode plate may be an electrode plate having the opposite polarity to the first electrode plate.

[0062] The electrode leads 114 may be electrically connected to the electrode assembly 112. The electrode leads 114 may be formed on both sides of the battery cell 110 in the longitudinal direction. The electrode leads 114 may also be connected to a bus bar (not shown) provided on the bus bar frame portion F.

[0063] The cell case 116 has an accommodating space for accommodating the electrode assembly 112 and may include a case body 1162 and a case terrace 1164. The electrode lead 114 may protrude from the cell case 116 by a predetermined length.

[0064] The case body 1162 may have the receiving space for receiving the electrode assembly 112 .

[0065] The case terrace 1164 extends from the case body 1162 and allows the electrode lead 114 to protrude to the outside. The case terrace 1164 may be sealed to seal the receiving space.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned thermistor plate 230 may be closely attached to the case body 1162 of the opposing battery cell 110 .

[0067] According to this embodiment, the thermistor 210 provided inside the thermistor plate 230 can be positioned adjacent to the case body 1162 in which the electrode assembly 112 is housed, making it easier to detect the temperature of the battery cell 110.

[0068] In particular, the thermistor plate 230 may be formed to be longer than the case body 1162 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110.

[0069] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when the cell assembly 100 is compressed in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110, a uniform load can be transmitted to the thermistor plate 230 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. That is, it is possible to prevent local stress concentration on the thermistor plate 230. Furthermore, it is possible to more stably accommodate the thermistor 210 within the thermistor plate 230.

[0070] The aforementioned thermistor assembly 200 will now be described in more detail.

[0071] Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion H in Fig. 2. Note that Fig. 8 omits the substrate section 220 described above and the adhesive member 250 described below.

[0072] 2 to 8, the guide groove 231 may be formed on the thermistor plate 230 to correspond to the shape of the substrate part 220. As shown in FIG.

[0073] In addition, the guide groove 231 may extend along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 .

[0074] As a result, the guide groove 231 can guide the substrate portion 220 to be stably disposed on the thermistor plate 230 .

[0075] In particular, the guide groove 231 may be recessed to a predetermined depth in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 on the thermistor plate 230. As a result, when the substrate unit 220 is placed in the guide groove 231, the other side of the substrate unit 220 (e.g., the top of the substrate unit 220) and the upper end of the guide groove 231 may be positioned on the same horizontal plane.

[0076] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when the cell assembly 100 is compressed, it is possible to prevent stress from concentrating on the thermistor 210 coupled to one side of the substrate unit 220. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to distribute stress throughout the thermistor plate 230, thereby preventing damage to the battery cells 110 in contact with the thermistor plate 230.

[0077] Referring again to FIGS. 2 to 8, the thermistor plate 230 may further include a receiving groove 233.

[0078] The receiving groove 233 may be recessed to a predetermined depth from the guide groove 231 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. In this case, the thermistor 210 may be received in the receiving groove 233.

[0079] Therefore, the thermistor 210 can be more stably disposed inside the thermistor plate 230 .

[0080] Referring to FIG. 6, a depth d of the receiving groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 may be greater than a length h of the thermistor 210 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110.

[0081] In addition, the thermistor 210 may be disposed in the receiving groove 233 at a predetermined distance from the inner bottom surface of the receiving groove 233. That is, the thermistor 210 may be disposed at a predetermined distance from the inner bottom surface of the receiving groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 while being coupled to one side of the substrate unit 220.

[0082] In this case, the distance between the inner bottom surface of the accommodating groove 233 and the thermistor 210 may be the difference between the depth d of the accommodating groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 and the length h of the thermistor 210 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110.

[0083] Therefore, the thermistor 210 may be configured not to directly contact the inner bottom surface of the receiving groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. This can minimize the stress transmitted to the thermistor 210 when the cell assembly 100 is compressed.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present invention, the position where the receiving groove 233 is formed on the thermistor plate 230 can be arbitrarily changed.

[0085] That is, the receiving groove 233 may be formed on the thermistor plate 230 so that the thermistor 210 can be positioned at any position of the cell assembly 100 where the temperature is to be measured.

[0086] As described above, the thermistor plate 230 may be provided between the battery cells 110 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 so as to be disposed at any position in the cell assembly 100 .

[0087] Thus, the thermistor 210 can detect the temperature of the battery cell 110 at any position of the cell assembly 100 .

[0088] 2 and 3, the receiving groove 233 may be formed on the thermistor plate 230 at a position corresponding to the center of the cell assembly 100. That is, the receiving groove 233 may be formed on the thermistor plate 230 at a position corresponding to the center of the cell assembly 100 in both the lengthwise and widthwise directions of the battery cell 110.

[0089] As described above, the thermistor plate 230 can also be provided between the battery cells 110 that are arranged at the center in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 so as to be located at the center of the cell assembly 100.

[0090] In this case, the thermistor 210 can detect the temperature of the center of the cell assembly 100 , which is the hottest point in the battery module 10 .

[0091] Meanwhile, although not shown in detail, the edges of the guide groove 231 and the receiving groove 233 on the horizontal surface may be formed in a streamlined shape, thereby preventing localized stress from concentrating on the thermistor plate 230 when the cell assembly 100 is compressed. Also, damage to the battery cells 110 in contact with the thermistor plate 230 may be suppressed.

[0092] Referring again to FIGS. 2 to 8, the thermistor assembly 200 may further include an elastic pad 240 and an adhesive member 250.

[0093] The substrate unit 220 may be configured to be in close contact with the battery cell 110 while being disposed in the guide groove 231. As a result, the thermistor 210 coupled to one side of the substrate unit 220 may also be positioned as close as possible to the battery cell 110, thereby improving the accuracy of temperature measurement.

[0094] The substrate unit 220 can be tightly attached to the battery cell 110 by an elastic pad 240, which will be described later.

[0095] The elastic pads 240 may be provided in the receiving grooves 233 and may be spaced apart on both sides of the thermistor 210 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 on a horizontal plane. The elastic pads 240 may be spaced apart from the thermistor 210 to prevent direct contact with the thermistor 210.

[0096] In addition, the elastic pad 240 may be coupled to one side of the substrate unit 220 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 (for example, the lower part of the substrate unit 220).

[0097] In particular, the elastic pad 240 may be configured to elastically support the substrate unit 220 toward the opposing battery cell 110 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 .

[0098] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the substrate unit 220 to which the thermistor 210 is coupled can be configured to be in constant close contact with the battery cell 110 due to the elastic restoring force of the elastic pad 240 .

[0099] The above-mentioned implementations will now be described in more detail.

[0100] Specifically, the elastic pad 240 may be provided to be longer than the depth d of the accommodating groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. As an example, the length of the elastic pad 240 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 may be formed to be approximately 20% longer than the depth d of the accommodating groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110, but is not limited thereto.

[0101] In particular, the elastic pad 240 may be coupled to one side of the substrate portion 220 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110, and the substrate portion 220 may be coupled to the guide groove 231 of the thermistor plate 230 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110.

[0102] As described above, since the length of the elastic pad 240 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 is formed to be greater than the depth d of the accommodating groove 233 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110, the elastic pad 240 may be compressed in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 between the substrate portion 220 and the inner bottom surface of the accommodating groove 233 in the states of Figures 6 and 8.

[0103] 6 and 8, elastic energy may be stored in the elastic pad 240. As a result, the elastic pad 240 may elastically support the substrate unit 220 toward the opposing battery cell 110 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110.

[0104] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the elastic restoring force of the elastic pad 240 allows the substrate unit 220, to which the thermistor 210 is coupled, to be constantly in close contact with the battery cell 110. This maximizes the accuracy of temperature measurement by the thermistor 210 and the associated accuracy of battery temperature monitoring.

[0105] The adhesive member 250 may attach the substrate 220 to the guide groove 231. Also, the adhesive member 250 may attach the elastic pad 240 to the substrate 220. For example, the adhesive member 250 may be, but is not limited to, a double-sided tape.

[0106] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion L in FIG.

[0107] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 9, the thermistor assembly 200 may further include a connector 260.

[0108] The connector 260 may be provided at one end of the substrate unit 220 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110. For example, the connector 260 may be connected to a separate connection line (not shown) and connected to an external control device (e.g., a BMS) of the battery module 10. In this case, the substrate unit 220 may transmit temperature information of the battery cell 110 detected by the thermistor 210 to the external control device via the connector 260.

[0109] 2 to 9, the thermistor plate 230 may further include a connector placement portion 235 and a connector fixing portion 237.

[0110] The connector arrangement portion 235 may be formed at one end of the thermistor plate 230 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110. This allows the connector 260 to be easily connected to an external control device.

[0111] In addition, the connector fixing portion 237 may be coupled to the connector placement portion 235 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 110. The connector 260 may be fixed to the connector fixing portion 237. As a result, the connector 260 may be stably fixed to the thermistor plate 230.

[0112] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the connector 260, the connector placement portion 235, and the connector fixing portion 237 may be disposed near the hole G of the bus bar frame portion F described above.

[0113] 10 is a diagram showing a thermistor assembly 202 according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the thermistor 210, the substrate 220, the elastic pad 240, the adhesive member 250, and the connector 260 are not shown.

[0114] The thermistor assembly 202 according to this embodiment is similar to the thermistor assembly 200 of the previous embodiment, and therefore, a redundant description of the configuration that is substantially the same as or similar to the previous embodiment will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the differences from the previous embodiment.

[0115] Referring to FIG. 10, the thermistor assembly 202 includes a thermistor plate 230 having a guide groove 231 and a receiving groove 234 .

[0116] The receiving groove 234 may be formed at any position on the thermistor plate 230. For example, the receiving groove 234 may be formed at a position on the thermistor plate 230 that does not correspond to the center of the cell assembly 100.

[0117] In this manner, the position where the receiving groove 234 is formed on the thermistor plate 230 can be freely changed, so that the thermistor 210 can detect the temperature of the battery cell 110 at any position of the cell assembly 100.

[0118] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, temperature measurement can be freely performed at any position of the cell assembly 100 depending on the position of the thermistor plate 230 relative to the cell assembly 100 and the position of the thermistor 210 on the thermistor plate 230.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to detect the temperature of the center of the cell assembly 100, which is the hottest part inside the battery module 10, depending on the arrangement position of the thermistor plate 230 relative to the cell assembly 100 and the arrangement position of the thermistor 210 on the thermistor plate 230. This allows for safer and more efficient management of the battery module 10.

[0120] Furthermore, according to the structure of the thermistor assemblies 200, 202 of the present invention, even when the thermistor assemblies 200, 202 are disposed between the battery cells 110, damage to the thermistor 210 and the battery cells 110 can be prevented, and the substrate part 220 to which the thermistor 210 is coupled can always be in close contact with the battery cells 110, thereby improving the accuracy of battery temperature monitoring.

[0121] Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 10, the battery module 10 may further include a module case 300.

[0122] The module case 300 may accommodate the battery module 10 therein. To this end, the module case 300 may be provided with an accommodating space for accommodating the battery module 10 therein.

[0123] Furthermore, at least one battery module 10 according to the present invention may be provided as an energy source to form a battery pack.

[0124] Meanwhile, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include various devices for controlling the charging and discharging of the cell assemblies 100, such as a battery management system (BMS), a current sensor, and a fuse, in addition to the battery module 10.

[0125] Furthermore, at least one battery pack according to the present invention may be provided as an energy source to form an energy storage system (ESS).

[0126] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to these, 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 technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of equivalents of the claims.

[0127] On the other hand, in this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear are used, but these terms are used for convenience of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that they may differ depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 10 Battery Module 100 Cell Assembly 110 battery cells 112 Electrode assembly 114 Electrode Lead 116 Cell Case 1162 Case Body 1164 Case Terrace 200, 202 Thermistor assembly 210 Thermistor 220 Circuit Board 230 Thermistor Plate 231 Guide groove 233, 234 Receiving groove 240 Elastic Pad 250 adhesive materials 260 Connector 300 Module Case

Claims

1. a cell assembly including a plurality of stacked battery cells; a thermistor configured to sense a temperature of the battery cell; and a substrate unit having the thermistor coupled to one side thereof and configured to transmit temperature information of the battery cell detected by the thermistor to an outside; a thermistor plate on which the substrate portion is disposed, the thermistor being housed therein and having a guide groove formed therein, the thermistor plate being disposed between the plurality of battery cells; Including, The thermistor plate is the battery cell stack further includes an accommodating groove recessed from the guide groove to a predetermined depth in a stacking direction of the battery cells, the accommodating groove accommodating the thermistor; the substrate portion is in contact with the battery cell on the other side; The thermistor is accommodated in a space formed by the accommodating groove between the substrate portion and the thermistor plate, and is not in direct contact with the battery cell.

2. The thermistor plate is The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell assembly is provided between the battery cells arranged at the center in the stacking direction of the battery cells so as to be located at the center of the cell assembly.

3. The thermistor plate is The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the battery module is arranged in close contact with the battery cells that face each other in a stacking direction of the battery cells.

4. Each of the plurality of battery cells an electrode assembly; an electrode lead electrically connected to the electrode assembly; a cell case including a case body having an accommodating space for accommodating the electrode assembly, and a case terrace extending from the case body and having the electrode leads protruding to the outside; Including, The thermistor plate is The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the battery cell is in close contact with the case body of the opposing battery cell.

5. The thermistor plate is The battery module according to claim 4 , wherein the battery cell is formed to be longer than the case body in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

6. The guide groove is The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the thermistor plate is formed to correspond to a shape of the substrate portion and extends along a longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

7. The guide groove is a recess formed on the thermistor plate to a predetermined depth in the stacking direction of the battery cells; The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein, when the substrate portion is disposed in the guide groove, the other side of the substrate portion and an upper end of the guide groove are located on the same horizontal plane.

8. The thermistor is The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the battery module is disposed in the receiving groove at a predetermined distance from an inner bottom surface of the receiving groove.

9. The receiving groove is The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the thermistor is formed on the plate at a position corresponding to the center of the cell assembly.

10. The substrate portion is The battery module according to claim 1 , configured to be in close contact with the battery cells when disposed in the guide grooves.

11. A cell assembly comprising a plurality of stacked battery cells; a thermistor configured to sense a temperature of the battery cell; and a substrate unit having the thermistor coupled to one side thereof and configured to transmit temperature information of the battery cell detected by the thermistor to an outside; a thermistor plate on which the substrate portion is disposed, the thermistor being housed therein and having a guide groove formed therein, the thermistor plate being disposed between the plurality of battery cells; a battery module, The thermistor plate is the battery cell stack further includes an accommodating groove recessed from the guide groove to a predetermined depth in a stacking direction of the battery cells, the accommodating groove accommodating the thermistor; The battery module includes: a battery module further including an elastic pad provided in the accommodating groove, the elastic pad configured to elastically support the substrate portion toward the opposing battery cell in a stacking direction of the battery cells.

12. The elastic pad is The battery module according to claim 11 , wherein the length is greater than the depth of the accommodation groove in the stacking direction.

13. A battery pack comprising at least one battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A power storage device comprising at least one battery pack according to claim 13.

Citation Information

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