Battery module including eccentric member

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery module including an eccentric member, the battery module including a cell stack assembly (120) including a cell stack formed by stacking one or more battery cells, a frame (110) for accommodating the cell stack assembly (120), and a pair of end plates (130) for covering the opposing end side surfaces of the cell stack assembly (120), and an eccentric member (140) disposed adjacent to the outer periphery of each of the parallel end plates (130).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 2021-0004087 filed on January 12, 2021, and all the contents disclosed in the documents of the Korean patent application are included as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery module including an eccentric member. Specifically, the present invention relates to a battery module including an eccentric member, in which an eccentric member provided with an eccentric hole is disposed on an end plate of the battery module to change a mounting position.

Background Art

[0003] As the demand for mobile devices such as smartphones increases, the demand for batteries used as their energy sources is also increasing. Batteries are also applied to electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs), and energy storage devices (ESSs).

[0004] For small mobile devices, one or two to three battery cells are used per device. However, for medium and large-sized devices such as automobiles, due to the need for high output and large capacity, a battery module in which a large number of battery cells are electrically connected is used.

[0005] Battery modules can be filled with a high degree of integration, and prismatic batteries, pouch-shaped batteries, etc. with a small capacity are mainly used as battery cells of the battery module. In particular, pouch-shaped batteries using an aluminum laminate sheet as an exterior member have recently attracted great attention due to their advantages of low weight, low manufacturing cost, and easy form deformation.

[0006] Furthermore, in order to provide the output and capacity required by the device, the battery module must electrically connect a large number of battery cells in series or parallel, and must be able to stably connect with the device and maintain a stable structure.

[0007] Figure 1 relates to a battery module mounting structure for an electric vehicle that securely mounts a conventional battery module to a battery tray. Referring to Figure 1, the battery module mounting structure includes flanges 7, 9, a stopper 11, and a bolt 13 for mounting the battery module 1 to the battery tray floor 3. The flanges 7, 9 are formed horizontally, i.e., parallel to the battery tray floor 3, at the lower ends of the end plates 15, 17 of the battery module 1 which are arranged opposite each other. The flanges 7, 9 are separated from each other so that a bolt 13 passes through between their tips, and the stopper 11 is formed to support the flanges 7, 9 simultaneously so that they are fixed with a single bolt 13, and has a through-hole 19 through which the bolt 13 passes. Opposite the through-hole 19, the battery tray floor 3 has a tightening hole 21 into which the tip of the bolt 13 that has passed between the through-hole 19 of the stopper 11 and the flanges 7, 9 is tightened. In this way, the battery module 1 is firmly fixed to the battery tray floor 3 by placing the stopper 11 on the flanges 7 and 9 of the end plates 15 and 17, passing the bolt 13 through the through-hole 19 formed in the stopper 11 and tightening it into the fastening hole 21. In conventional devices, the position of the fastening hole 21 differs depending on the customer, and therefore the mounting position of the battery module must be individually designed and manufactured according to the characteristics of each customer's device.

[0008] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a tray for an automobile battery interposed between the automobile battery and the bracket that secures the automobile battery to the transmission mount. However, this tray has the drawback of having a complex structure and manufacturing process, as it requires the separate fabrication of a bracket for securing the battery to the transmission mount and then connecting it to the transmission mount. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Published Patent Publication No. 2019-0002025 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a battery module that includes an eccentric member that can be coupled to various standards of transmission mounts while using existing battery modules as they are.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that simplifies the assembly process between the battery module and the transmission mount through a novel fastening structure, thereby improving ease of assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the battery module according to the present invention includes a cell stack assembly (120) containing a cell stack in which one or more battery cells are stacked, a frame (110) housing the cell stack assembly (120) inside, and a pair of end plates (130) covering the opposing side surfaces of the cell stack assembly (120), wherein the eccentric member (140) may be arranged adjacent to the parallel outer circumferences of both ends of the end plates (130).

[0013] In the battery module according to the present invention, the eccentric member (140) may be inserted into a through hole (131) formed in the end plate (130).

[0014] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, the eccentric member (140) includes a flange portion (141) and a body portion (143), and an eccentric hole (142) may be formed through the flange portion (141) and the body portion (143).

[0015] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, the flange portion (141) and the body portion (143) may have the same cross-sectional (xy plane) center, and the cross-sectional (xy plane) center of the eccentric hole (142) may be formed at a distance from the cross-sectional centers of the flange portion (141) and the body portion (143).

[0016] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, a fastening member (150) may be inserted into the eccentric hole (142) and coupled to the battery module mount.

[0017] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, the fastening member (150) may include a cap portion, and the cap portion may be supported by the flange portion (141) of the eccentric member (140).

[0018] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, the eccentric member (140) may be made of an insulating material.

[0019] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, the battery cell may be a pouch-type battery cell.

[0020] Furthermore, in the battery module according to the present invention, the end plate (130) may be located outside the frame (110).

[0021] The present invention can provide a battery pack including the battery module and a device including the battery pack.

[0022] Among the configurations as described above, one or more non-contradictory configurations can be selected and combined.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] The battery module according to the present invention can be combined with mission mounts of various specifications as they are by arranging an eccentric member on the end plate, without the need to change the production process of the battery module, which has economic advantages.

[0024] The eccentric member according to the present invention can use the fastening members of the existing specifications as they are, so new parts are not required, which has economic advantages.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of fastening a battery module according to the prior art to a mission mount. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of the battery module shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram of coupling a fastening member to the battery module of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a front view of an eccentric member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view of the eccentric member shown in FIG. 5 viewed from directions A and B. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram showing the mounting position according to the position of the eccentric hole of the eccentric member of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] In this application, terms such as “includes,” “have,” or “equip” are intended to specify the existence of features, figures, stages, components, parts, or combinations thereof as described in the specification, and should be understood not to preemptively exclude the possibility of the existence or addition of one or more other features, figures, stages, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0027] Furthermore, the same reference numerals shall be used in the drawings for parts that have similar functions and operations. Throughout the specification, when a part is described as being connected to another part, this includes not only direct connection but also indirect connection through the interposition of other elements. Also, the inclusion of a component does not mean the exclusion of other components unless otherwise specified, but rather that other components may be included.

[0028] The battery module according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of attaching a fastening member to the battery module of the present invention.

[0030] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a battery module 100 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that a cell stack assembly 120 is arranged in the internal space of a rectangular prism-shaped frame 110, and end plates 130 are arranged in a pair of opposing openings of the frame 110.

[0031] In the present invention, the frame 110 is composed of an upper cover 111, a lower cover 112 facing the upper cover 111 and facing a transmission mount (not shown), and a first side cover 113 and a second side cover 114 positioned parallel to each other between the upper cover 111 and the lower cover 112. The four covers are connected along their longitudinal (y-axis) sides to form a rectangular prism shape, with openings at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] The four covers can be manufactured individually and assembled together, or, if necessary, some or all of the covers can be manufactured as a single unit.

[0033] In the present invention, the cell stack assembly 120 is constructed by stacking a plurality of battery cells in close contact with each other over a wide surface, and each battery cell is constructed including a cell case (not shown) that houses an electrode assembly (not shown) and electrode leads (not shown).

[0034] The cell case is a pouch-type (laminated sheet) cell case, in which at least one electrode assembly is housed in the storage compartment, the edges are fused together to seal the storage compartment, and a pair of electrode leads remain connected to one or both sides of the electrode assembly, protruding to the outside of the cell case. Of course, the positive and negative electrode tabs of the electrode assembly may be electrically connected and then exposed to the outside of the cell case, or the tabs may be omitted and the cell assembly and electrode leads may be directly connected.

[0035] The electrode assembly may consist of, but is not limited to, a jelly roll type assembly having a structure in which a separation membrane is interposed between a long sheet-like positive electrode and a negative electrode before being wound up, a stack type assembly having a structure in which rectangular positive and negative electrodes are stacked with a separation membrane sandwiched between them, a stack-folding type assembly in which unit cells are wound up by a long separation film, or a lamination-stack type assembly in which battery cells are stacked with a separation membrane sandwiched between them and adhere to each other.

[0036] It goes without saying that the electrolyte in a battery cell can be a solid electrolyte, or a semi-solid electrolyte in the form of a gel, which is an intermediate state between liquid and solid, by adding additives to a solid electrolyte, in addition to the commonly used liquid electrolyte.

[0037] The electrode assembly described above is housed in a cell case, which generally has a laminate sheet structure consisting of an inner layer, a metal layer, and an outer layer. The inner layer must have insulating and electrolyte-resistant properties in direct contact with the electrode assembly, and must also have sealing properties for sealing with the outside, meaning that the sealing areas where the inner layers are heat-bonded must have excellent thermal bonding strength. The material for such an inner layer may be selected from polyolefin resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene acrylic acid, and polybutylene, polyurethane resins, and polyimide resins, which have excellent chemical resistance and good sealing properties, but are not limited to these. Polypropylene, which has excellent mechanical properties such as tensile strength, rigidity, surface hardness, and impact strength, as well as excellent chemical resistance, is most preferred.

[0038] The metal layer in contact with the inner layer acts as a barrier layer that prevents moisture and various gases from entering the battery from the outside. A preferred material for such a metal layer is a thin aluminum film, which is lightweight yet has excellent formability.

[0039] Furthermore, an outer layer is provided on the other side of the metal layer, and such an outer layer can be made of a heat-resistant polymer with excellent tensile strength, moisture resistance, and air resistance, so as to protect the electrode assembly while ensuring heat resistance and chemical resistance. For example, nylon or polyethylene terephthalate can be used, but are not limited to these.

[0040] Furthermore, a busbar frame (not shown) may be located on the side of the cell stack assembly 120 in the direction from which the electrode leads of the battery cell assemblies are drawn out, and the busbars may be fixed to the busbar frame with the busbars facing outwards. The electrode leads of the cell assemblies may be electrically connected to the busbars by passing through slits formed in the busbar frame.

[0041] In the present invention, the end plate 130 may be located on the outside of the busbar assembly, which is composed of the busbar frame and busbars of the cell stack assembly 120. An insulating cover may be located between the end plate 130 and the busbar assembly, and the insulating cover and the end plate 130 may be manufactured and joined together. The end plate 130 and the busbar assembly may be joined by a connecting member (not shown).

[0042] Here, the end plate 130 may be provided with a pair of through holes 131 adjacent to the outer circumference in the height direction (z-axis direction) facing the first side cover 113 and the second side cover 114 of the frame 110. The through holes 131 may be formed parallel to the outer circumference of the end plate 130 and along its entire height, or parallel to the outer circumference and at a predetermined height. An eccentric member 140 may be inserted into the vertical internal hole of the through hole 131.

[0043] Referring to Figure 4, the fastening member 150 may include a cap portion (not shown) and be composed of a fastening member body portion (not shown) that extends to one side from the cap portion. In the present invention, the diameter of the cross-section (xy plane) of the fastening member body portion may be smaller than the diameter of the cross-section of the cap portion. More specifically, the fastening member body portion may be inserted into an eccentric hole 142 of the eccentric member 140 (described later), and the cap portion may be supported by a flange portion 141 of the eccentric member 140 (described later). After passing through the eccentric hole 142 of the eccentric member 140, the fastening member body portion may pass from above through a through-hole-shaped mounting position 210 formed in the transmission mount 200 on which the battery module 100 of the present invention is mounted, and then be fixed at the lower part of the transmission mount 200 by a fixing member. This allows the battery module 100 to be stably mounted at the upper part of the transmission mount 200. The fastening member 150 may be a bolt, and the fixing member may be a nut. Here, the mission mount 200 may be an electric vehicle battery tray, or it may be a mounting part for attaching a battery module to the device, but it is obvious that it is not particularly limited.

[0044] Figure 5 is a front view of an eccentric member according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the eccentric member shown in Figure 5 as seen from direction A and direction B. In Figure 6, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the eccentric member shown in Figure 5 as seen from direction B, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the eccentric member shown in Figure 5 as seen from direction A.

[0045] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, in the present invention, the eccentric member 140 includes a flange portion 141 located at the upper end and a body portion 143 formed extending to one side of the flange portion 141, and more specifically, may have a circular cross-sectional shape. The circular flange portion 141 and the circular body portion 143 have the same center C1. A cylindrical eccentric hole 142 is formed penetrating the interior of the flange portion 141 and the body portion 143 in the longitudinal direction (z-axis direction). The cross-sectional center C2 of the eccentric hole 142 is formed at a distance from the center C1 of the flange portion 141 and the body portion 143. Here, the position of the center C2 of the eccentric hole 142 is not particularly limited, as long as it is possible to machine the eccentric hole 142 inside the body portion 143 and the fastening member 150 can penetrate inside.

[0046] Furthermore, the body portion 143 may be inserted into a through hole 131 provided in the end plate 130, and the flange portion 141 may be supported by the extended horizontal plane (xy axis plane) on the outer circumference of the upper end opening (not shown) of the through hole 131.

[0047] Furthermore, in the present invention, the length of the body portion 143 of the eccentric member 140 is not particularly limited, as long as the fastening member 150 can penetrate the eccentric hole 142 of the eccentric member 140 and stably fix the battery module 100 at the upper end of the transmission mount 200. The length of the body portion 143 (in the z-axis direction) may be the same as the depth (in the z-axis direction) of the through hole 131, and more specifically, it may be shorter than the depth of the through hole 131. Shortening the length of the body portion 143 of the eccentric member 140 to less than the through hole 131 has the advantage of reducing production costs.

[0048] In the present invention, the eccentric member 140 may, in detail, be made of an insulating material. This is advantageous for maintaining insulation from the busbar assembly located in the cell stack assembly 120.

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the mounting position of the eccentric member of the present invention based on the position of the eccentric hole.

[0050] Referring to Figure 7, in the present invention, the eccentric member 140 may be positioned through through holes 131 formed adjacent to the vertical outer circumference (z-axis direction) of both ends of a pair of end plates 130 that are positioned opposite each other. Therefore, the position of the center C2 of the eccentric hole 142 of the eccentric member 140 can be changed to accommodate various mounting positions 210 of the mission mount 200.

[0051] As described above, the battery module according to the present invention may be applied to various devices, as well as automobiles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

[0052] Although specific parts of the present invention have been described in detail above, to a person with ordinary knowledge of the industry, such specific descriptions are merely preferred modes of implementation and do not limit the scope of the present invention. It is clear that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention and its technical concept, and these variations and modifications naturally fall within the scope of the attached claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] (Explanation of symbols) 1. 100: Battery Module 3: Battery Tray Floor 7, 9: Flange 11: Stopper 13: Bolt 15, 17, 130: End plate 110: Frame 111: Top cover 112: Lower cover 113: First side cover 114: Second side cover 120: Cell stack assembly 131: Through hole 140: Eccentric member 141: Flange section 142: Eccentric hole 143: Body part 150: Fastening member 200: Mission Mount 210: Mounting Position C1: Center of the cross-section of the flange and body. C2: Center of eccentric hole cross section

Claims

1. A cell stack assembly including a cell stack in which one or more battery cells are stacked, A frame that houses the aforementioned cell stack assembly inside, A pair of end plates covering the opposing sides of the cell stack assembly, A battery module including, Eccentric members are positioned adjacent to the outer circumferences of both parallel ends of the pair of end plates, and these eccentric members are for mounting the battery module to a predetermined mounting position on the transmission mount. The transmission mount, excluding the pair of end plates of the battery module, The direction connecting the eccentric member and the transmission mount is a battery module, excluding the direction connecting one end plate and the other end plate of the pair of end plates.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric member is inserted into a through hole formed in the end plate.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the eccentric member includes a flange portion and a body portion, and an eccentric hole is formed through the flange portion and the body portion.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the flange portion and the body portion have the same cross-sectional center, and the cross-sectional center of the eccentric hole is formed at a distance from the cross-sectional centers of the flange portion and the body portion.

5. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the eccentric member is made of an insulating material.

6. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the battery cell is a pouch-type battery cell.

7. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the end plate is located outside the frame.

8. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A device comprising the battery pack described in claim 8.

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