Battery module and method thereof

Abstract

A battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention may include at least one battery cell, a cell frame having a mounting space in which the at least one battery cell is mounted and a locking projection protruding toward the mounting space at the lower end of its inner surface, at least one cell opening into which the at least one battery cell is inserted, a cell support member mounted on the locking projection and spaced apart from the lower end of the cell frame at a predetermined distance and configured to support the at least one battery cell laterally, and a cell fixing member formed by injecting and curing an adhesive in a stepped space between one side of the cell support member and the lower end of the cell frame, and configured to fix each battery cell exposed to one side of the cell support member to the cell support member and the cell frame.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, to a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same in which the heat dissipation performance of the battery module can be improved by removing a fixing plate installed at the bottom of the cell frame in a conventional battery module to fix the battery cell to the cell frame, as the battery cell is bonded to the cell frame by a side bonding method. Background Technology

[0002] Battery cells are capable of repeated charging and discharging through electrochemical reactions between components, including positive and negative current collectors, separators, active materials, and electrolytes. Since battery modules are manufactured with these cells densely packed in a confined space, it is important to easily dissipate the heat generated by each battery cell.

[0003] Since the charging or discharging process of a battery cell is carried out by electrochemical reactions, if the heat generated in the battery module during the charging or discharging process is not effectively removed, heat accumulation occurs, which consequently accelerates the degradation of the battery module and, in some cases, may lead to ignition or explosion.

[0004] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional battery module (10) is composed of a cell frame (11), at least one battery cell (12), and a fixing plate (13). At least one battery cell (12) is spaced evenly apart on the cell frame (11).

[0005] Next, at least one battery cell (12) is fixed to the cell frame (11) by a fixed plate (13).

[0006] The fixing plate (13) is attached to the cell frame (11) to cover the lower surface of the cell frame (11) while the adhesive (14) is applied to the bottom surface of the battery cell (12) and the lower surface of the cell frame (11). Here, the fixing plate (13) is a plate made of aluminum. The fixing plate (13) is powder-coated to prevent corrosion of the aluminum. The fixing plate (13) is a plate in which a powder-coated surface (13b) is provided on an aluminum plate (13a).

[0007] Referring to FIG. 2, if we look at the combined cross-section of the battery cell (12) and the fixing plate (13), the battery cell (12), adhesive (14), powder coating surface (13b), and aluminum plate (13a) have a structure in which they are sequentially stacked.

[0008] In a conventional battery module (10), at least one battery cell (12) needs to be fixed to a cell frame (11) by installing a fixing plate (13). However, due to this fixing plate (13), there is a problem in that the volume of the battery module (10) increases and the thermal resistance increases. Prior art literature

[0009] Korean Registered Patent No. 10-2258178 discloses a battery module with simplified cooling and assembly structures and a method for manufacturing the same, which applies a novel assembly structure capable of simultaneously satisfying cooling efficiency and simplified assembly structure for secondary batteries. The problem to be solved

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a battery module capable of improving heat dissipation performance of a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same by changing the bonding structure of a battery cell to a cell frame to a side bonding method, thereby omitting the fixing plate conventionally used to fix the battery cell to the cell frame, and eliminating thermal resistance caused by the fixing plate. means of solving the problem

[0011] A battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention may include at least one battery cell, a cell frame having a mounting space in which the at least one battery cell is mounted and a locking projection protruding toward the mounting space at the lower end of its inner surface, at least one cell opening into which the at least one battery cell is inserted, a cell support member mounted on the locking projection and spaced apart from the lower end of the cell frame at a predetermined distance and configured to support the at least one battery cell laterally, and a cell fixing member formed by injecting and curing an adhesive in a stepped space between one side of the cell support member and the lower end of the cell frame, and configured to fix each battery cell exposed to one side of the cell support member to the cell support member and the cell frame.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the catch may be formed to have a step with respect to the lower end of the cell frame, so as to provide a first gap between the lower end of the cell frame and the catch.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell support member is a plate having a rigidity greater than that of the cell fixing member, and may be provided to be seated on the catch so as to secure a second gap between one surface of the cell support member and the lower end of the cell frame.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell fixing member may have the thickness of the second gap and be arranged to support the at least one battery cell laterally while surrounding the outer surface of each battery cell together with the cell support member.

[0015] The above second interval may be 1 mm or more.

[0016] For example, the cell opening is characterized by having a shape that surrounds the outer surface of the battery cell.

[0017] Specifically, the cell opening has a diameter larger than the diameter of the battery cell, and is characterized in that the inner surface of the cell opening is configured to be in contact with the outer surface of the battery cell.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one cell opening may be provided to correspond to an arrangement of the at least one battery cell.

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[0025] Meanwhile, a method for manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: (S1) preparing at least one battery cell, a cell frame having a mounting space for the at least one battery cell and a stopper protruding toward the mounting space at the bottom of the inner surface, and a cell support member having at least one cell opening; (S2) inserting the at least one battery cell into the mounting space of the cell frame with a spacing between them; (S3) inserting the cell support member into the mounting space by penetrating each of the at least one battery cell and mounting it on the stopper so as to be spaced apart from the bottom of the cell frame by a predetermined distance; (S4) injecting an adhesive into a stepped space formed between one surface of the cell support member and the bottom of the cell frame and spreading and applying it to cover the at least one battery cell exposed on one surface of the cell support member; (S5) installing a curing treatment sheet on the cell frame to cover the portion where the adhesive is applied; and (S6) after the adhesive is cured, the curing treatment sheet It may include a removal step.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the curing treatment sheet is characterized by having a material that is separable from the adhesive.

[0027] For example, the sheet for curing treatment is characterized as being a film-type sheet made of PC material or PET material. Effects of the invention

[0028] The present invention allows for the removal of a fixing plate from a conventional battery module by modifying the coupling structure of the battery cell to the cell frame, in which at least one battery cell is supported at a uniform interval using a cell support member, and the battery cell is coupled to the cell frame while supporting the side of the battery cell as an adhesive is injected and cured into the stepped space between the cell support member and the battery cell.

[0029] The present invention can improve the heat dissipation performance of a battery module by removing a fixing plate from the battery module, thereby eliminating the thermal resistance caused by the fixing plate blocking the lower part of the cell frame in conventional battery modules.

[0030] In addition, the present invention can reduce the manufacturing cost of the battery module by reducing the cost of the component corresponding to the fixed plate.

[0031] In addition, the present invention has a structure in which a fixed plate is omitted from the battery module, thereby enabling the battery module to be slimmed down. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional battery module, and Figure 2 schematically illustrates an enlarged view of part A of Figure 1. FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining a method for manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4 to 6 are drawings for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of xx of FIG. 3(d), and FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged view of B in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of C in FIG. 4, and is a drawing to explain the state in which the fixing plate is removed from the conventional battery module compared to the conventional battery module of FIG. 2. FIG. 7(a) is a diagram illustrating the thermal resistance value of a conventional battery module, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram illustrating the thermal resistance value of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0033] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings.

[0034] However, this is not intended to limit the present application to specific embodiments and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present application. In describing the present application, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions may obscure the essence of the present application.

[0035] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but components should not be limited by these terms. The terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0036] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0037] In this application, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0038] Therefore, the configurations illustrated in the embodiments described in this specification are merely the most preferred embodiments of this application and do not represent all of the technical ideas of this application; thus, various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0039] In addition, the drawings attached to this application should be understood as being enlarged or reduced for convenience of explanation.

[0041] ● Method for manufacturing a battery module

[0042] First, with reference to FIG. 3, a method for manufacturing a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 3(a), a cell frame (110), at least one battery cell (120), and a cell support (130) constituting a battery module (100) are prepared (S1). The structure of the cell frame (110), the battery cell (120), and the cell support (130) will be described later.

[0044] At least one battery cell (120) is inserted into the mounting space (111) of the cell frame (110) at a uniform interval (S2). Then, a cell support member (130) is installed on the cell frame (110) so as to penetrate at least one battery cell (120) and be stepped with respect to the bottom (110a) of the cell frame (S3).

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3(b), an adhesive (141) is injected into the stepped space between the cell support (130) and the bottom (110a) of the cell frame and spread to cover at least one battery cell (120) exposed on one side of the cell support (130) (S4).

[0046] Referring to FIG. 3(c), a curing treatment sheet (150) is installed on a cell frame (110) to cover the area where the adhesive (141) is applied (S5). With the curing treatment sheet (150) covering the adhesive (141), the adhesive (141) is cured after a certain period of time.

[0047] The curing treatment sheet (150) has a material that is separable from the adhesive (141). For example, the curing treatment sheet (150) may be a film-type sheet made of PC material or PET material.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 3(d), when the adhesive (141) is cured, the curing treatment sheet (150) is removed from the cell frame (110) (S6). When the curing treatment sheet (150) is removed, the manufacturing of the battery module is completed.

[0050] ● Battery Module

[0051] Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, a battery module (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0052] A battery module (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes at least one battery cell (120), a cell frame (110), a cell support (130), and a cell fixing part (140).

[0053] A cell frame (110) is provided with a mounting space (111) in which at least one battery cell (120) is mounted. Additionally, the cell frame (110) is provided with a catch (112) on which a cell support (130) is mounted on its inner surface. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the gap between the catch (112) and the bottom (110a) of the cell frame is referred to as the "first gap (D1)."

[0054] Here, the stopper (112) is provided to protrude toward the seating space (111) from the inner side of the cell frame (110). The stopper (112) is provided with a step relative to the bottom (110a) of the cell frame. The stopper (112) is a component that supports the cell support member (130) at a predetermined position.

[0055] The cell support member (130) penetrates at least one battery cell (120) and is installed on the cell frame (110) with a step relative to the bottom (110a) of the cell frame. The cell support member (130) supports each battery cell (120) laterally.

[0056] The cell support (130) has greater rigidity than the cell fixing part (140). The cell support (130) has insulating properties. The cell support (130) can be inserted into the seating space (111) and is provided with a size that allows it to be seated on the catch (112).

[0057] The cell support member (130) is provided with at least one cell opening (131) that penetrates each battery cell (120). Here, the at least one cell opening (131) is spaced apart at uniform intervals on the same plane of the cell support member (130). The arrangement pattern of the at least one cell opening (131) is provided to correspond to the arrangement of at least one battery cell (120).

[0058] For example, the cell opening (131) has a shape that surrounds the outer surface of the battery cell (120). Specifically, the cell opening (131) has a diameter larger than the diameter of the battery cell (120), and the inner surface of the cell opening (131) is configured to be in contact with the outer surface of the battery cell (120).

[0059] Here, the cell support member (130) has a thickness smaller than the first gap (D1) between the catch (112) and the bottom (110a) of the cell frame. In this embodiment, when the cell support member (130) penetrates each battery cell (120) and is seated on the catch (112), a stepped space is provided in the cell frame (110) between the bottom (110a) of the cell frame and one side of the cell support member (130).

[0060] In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the gap between one side of the cell frame (110) and the bottom (110a) of the cell frame in a stepped space is referred to as the "second gap (D2)." Here, the second gap (D2) is preferably 1 mm or more.

[0061] The cell fixing part (140) fixes each battery cell (120), which is exposed on one side of the cell support part (130), to the cell support part (130) and the cell frame (110). The cell fixing part (140) is provided by injecting and curing an adhesive (141) into the stepped space between one side of the cell support part (130) and the bottom (110a) of the cell frame.

[0062] The cell fixing part (140) is stacked below the cell support part (130) and, together with the cell support part (130), surrounds the outer surface of each battery cell (120) and supports at least one battery cell (120) laterally while fixing it to the cell frame (110).

[0063] The present invention allows for the removal of a fixed plate (13, see FIG. 1) from a conventional battery module (10) by changing the bonding structure of the battery cell (120) to the cell frame (110) in a manner such that at least one battery cell (120) is supported at a uniform interval using a cell support member (130), and the battery cell (120) is bonded to the cell frame (110) while supporting the side of the battery cell (120) as an adhesive (141) is injected and cured into the stepped space between the cell support member (130) and the battery cell (120).

[0064] In addition, the present invention can reduce the manufacturing cost of the battery module by reducing the cost of the part corresponding to the fixed plate (13, see FIG. 1). Furthermore, the present invention can achieve a slimmer battery module by omitting the fixed plate (13, see FIG. 1) in the battery module structure.

[0065] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 7, the thermal resistance value of a conventional battery module (10) and the thermal resistance value of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention are compared as follows. The experimental data shown in FIG. 7 is based on the premise that all components of the conventional battery module (10) and the battery module of the present invention are identical, except for the fixed plate (13, see FIG. 1).

[0066] Here, FIG. 7(a) is a drawing for explaining the thermal resistance value of a conventional battery module (10), and FIG. 7(b) is a drawing for explaining the thermal resistance value of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. A battery module (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which the powder-coated fixing plate (13) is omitted from a conventional battery module (10).

[0067] Referring to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the thermal resistance value of a conventional battery module (10) is 11 K / W, whereas the thermal resistance value of a battery module (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is 10.24 K / W. Accordingly, the present invention can improve the heat dissipation performance of the battery module by removing the fixed plate (13, see FIG. 1) from the battery module, thereby eliminating the thermal resistance caused by the fixed plate (13, see FIG. 1) blocking the lower part of the cell frame (110).

[0068] The present invention will be specifically described through the following examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following examples. The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art with ordinary knowledge of the present invention will be able to make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions should be considered to fall within the scope of the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0069] 100: Battery module 110: Cell frame 120: Battery cell 130: Cell support 140: Cell fixing part 150: Sheet for curing treatment

Claims

Claim 1 A battery module characterized by comprising: at least one battery cell; a cell frame having a seating space in which the at least one battery cell is seated, and having a stopper protruding toward the seating space at the lower end of the inner surface; a cell support member having at least one cell opening into which the at least one battery cell is inserted, seated on the stopper member and spaced apart from the lower end of the cell frame by a predetermined distance, and provided to support the at least one battery cell laterally; and a cell fixing member formed by injecting and curing an adhesive in a stepped space between one side of the cell support member and the lower end of the cell frame, and provided to fix each battery cell exposed to one side of the cell support member to the cell support member and the cell frame. Claim 2 A battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that the stopper is formed to form a step with respect to the lower end of the cell frame, thereby ensuring a first gap between the lower end of the cell frame and the stopper. Claim 3 A battery module according to paragraph 2, wherein the cell support member is a plate having a rigidity greater than that of the cell fixing member, and is seated on the stopper to secure a second gap between one surface of the cell support member and the lower end of the cell frame. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, the cell fixing portion has the thickness of the second gap and is arranged to support the at least one battery cell laterally while surrounding the outer surface of each battery cell together with the cell support portion. Claim 5 A battery module according to paragraph 3, characterized in that the second gap is 1 mm or more. Claim 6 A battery module according to claim 1, wherein the cell opening has a shape that surrounds the outer surface of the battery cell. Claim 7 A battery module according to claim 1, wherein the cell opening has a diameter larger than the diameter of the battery cell, and the inner surface of the cell opening is provided to be in contact with the outer surface of the battery cell. Claim 8 A battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one cell opening is provided to correspond to an arrangement of the at least one battery cell. Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 delete Claim 12 delete Claim 13 delete Claim 14 delete Claim 15 A method for manufacturing a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: (S1) preparing at least one battery cell, a cell frame having a mounting space for the at least one battery cell and a stopper protruding toward the mounting space at the bottom of the inner surface, and a cell support having at least one cell opening; (S2) inserting the at least one battery cell into the mounting space of the cell frame with a spacing between them; (S3) inserting the cell support into the mounting space by penetrating each of the at least one battery cell and mounting it on the stopper, thereby installing it so as to be spaced apart from the bottom of the cell frame by a predetermined distance; (S4) injecting an adhesive into a stepped space formed between one surface of the cell support and the bottom of the cell frame, and spreading and applying it to cover the at least one battery cell exposed on one surface of the cell support; (S5) installing a curing treatment sheet on the cell frame to cover the portion where the adhesive is applied; A method for manufacturing a battery module characterized by including the step of removing the curing treatment sheet after the adhesive has been cured (S6). Claim 16 A method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 15, wherein the sheet for curing treatment has a material separable from the adhesive. Claim 17 A method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 15, wherein the sheet for curing treatment is a film-type sheet made of PC material or PET material. Claim 18 delete

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