Battery cell and battery device including same

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, a battery cell may be provided, the battery cell comprising: a case including an electrode assembly accommodation part in which an electrode assembly is accommodated; a first venting part disposed, facing the electrode assembly, inside the case; a second venting part spaced apart from the first venting part and disposed so as to communicate with the outside; and a fire extinguishing part formed between the first venting part and the second venting part and accommodating a fire extinguishing material.

Description

Battery cells and battery devices including the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery cell and a battery device including the same.

[0002] Unlike primary batteries, secondary batteries can be recharged and discharged, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptops, hybrid and electric vehicles, and energy storage systems (ESS). Secondary batteries can be lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, or nickel-hydrogen batteries.

[0003] Secondary batteries are manufactured as flexible pouch-type battery cells or rigid square or cylindrical can-type battery cells.

[0004] A cell assembly may be arranged within a module housing to form a battery module, and a plurality of battery modules may be arranged within a pack housing to form a battery pack.

[0005] Gas may be generated within the case of a battery cell. If the gas released from the case is transferred to another battery cell or other component, heat transfer may occur or the other component may be damaged. Therefore, the battery cell may include a venting portion to discharge the gas generated within the case. At least a portion of the venting portion may be ruptured when the internal pressure of the case exceeds a certain level, thereby allowing the gas generated within the case to be discharged to the outside.

[0006] Additionally, if a fire breaks out inside a battery cell and is released to the outside, a thermal runaway phenomenon may occur in which the fire spreads to adjacent battery cells or other devices, and harmful gases caused by the fire may be released outside the battery cell.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the timing of emission of gas generated inside the case of a battery cell can be delayed.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, flames occurring inside a battery cell can be reduced.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the amount of gas generated inside the case of a battery cell can be reduced.

[0010] The battery cell of the present disclosure and the battery device including it can be widely applied to electric vehicles, battery charging stations, and other green technology fields such as solar power generation and wind power generation utilizing batteries. Furthermore, the battery cell of the present disclosure and the battery device including it can be used in eco-friendly electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like, which aim to prevent climate change by suppressing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

[0011] A battery cell according to the present disclosure may include a case including an electrode assembly receiving portion for receiving an electrode assembly; a first venting portion disposed inside the case to face the electrode assembly; a second venting portion spaced apart from the first venting portion and disposed to communicate with the outside; and a fire extinguishing portion formed between the first venting portion and the second venting portion and configured to receive a fire extinguishing agent.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the first venting portion includes a first breaking portion, the second venting portion includes a second breaking portion, and the first breaking portion and the second breaking portion can be configured to break by a set pressure.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the breaking pressure at which the first breaking portion breaks may be less than the breaking pressure of the second breaking portion.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the first fracture portion has a fracture pressure of 8.0 kgf / cm 2 Above 9.0 kgf / cm 2 It is configured to be less than, and the second breaking part has a breaking pressure of 9.0 kgf / cm2 Above 10.0 kgf / cm 2 It can be configured as follows.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the case includes a first side on which the second venting portion is positioned, and the second venting portion and the first side may not have a step.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the case includes a first side on which the second venting portion is positioned, and the second venting portion and the first side can form a first step.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the device may further include a support member disposed between the first venting portion and the second venting portion, and fixing the first venting portion and the second venting portion.

[0018] In one embodiment, the digestive material may be composed of a solid in liquid or powder form.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the first venting portion includes a first breaking portion, the second venting portion includes a second breaking portion, the first breaking portion and the second breaking portion are configured to break by a set pressure, and the first breaking portion and the second breaking portion may include a bending portion.

[0020] In another aspect, the battery cell according to the present disclosure may include a case including a first side on which the second venting portion is positioned, and the second venting portion and the first side may form a first step.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the electrode terminal is disposed on the first side, the electrode terminal and the first side form a second step, and the first step may be equal to or smaller than the second step.

[0022] A battery device according to the present disclosure comprises a cell stack having at least one battery cell stacked thereon; and a module housing configured to accommodate the cell stack, wherein the battery cell may include a case including an electrode assembly receiving portion for accommodating an electrode assembly; a first venting portion disposed inside the case to face the electrode assembly; a second venting portion spaced apart from the first venting portion and arranged to communicate with the outside; and a fire extinguishing portion formed between the first venting portion and the second venting portion and configured to accommodate a fire extinguishing agent.

[0023]

[0024] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the timing of emission of gas generated from an electrode assembly can be delayed.

[0025] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, flames occurring inside a battery cell can be reduced.

[0026] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the amount of gas generated inside a battery cell can be reduced.

[0027]

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a battery cell of one embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery cell of one embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of Figure 1.

[0031] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the first venting section, the second venting section, the digestion section, and the support section separately.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first venting part or the second venting part is open.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing only a portion of the cap assembly along line II-II' of Fig. 6.

[0035] Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating a battery device according to the present disclosure.

[0036]

[0037] Before going into the detailed description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims described below should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical spirit of the present disclosure based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to best describe his or her own invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of filing this application.

[0038] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that, where possible, identical components are represented by identical reference numerals in the attached drawings. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present disclosure will be omitted. For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated, and the sizes of each component do not entirely reflect the actual sizes. For example, expressions such as "upper," "top," "upward," "lower," "lower," and "side" in this specification are described based on the drawings, and may be expressed differently if the direction of the corresponding object changes.

[0039] Hereinafter, a battery cell and a battery device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0040] Before describing the configuration of the battery cell and battery device according to the present disclosure, the length direction can be defined as the Y-axis direction, the height direction can be defined as the Z-axis direction, and the thickness direction can be defined as the X-axis direction.

[0041]

[0042] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a battery cell (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery cell (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a first venting portion (150), a second venting portion (160), a fire extinguishing portion (170), and a support portion (180) separately, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the first venting portion (150) or the second venting portion (160) is open.

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the battery cell (100) may include a case (110), a cap assembly (130), a vent hole (140), a first venting portion (150), a second venting portion (160), and a extinguishing portion (170).

[0044] The case (110) forms at least a portion of the exterior of the battery cell (100) and can accommodate the electrode assembly (120). For example, the case (110) may include an electrode assembly receiving portion (111) in which the electrode assembly (120) is accommodated. The electrode assembly receiving portion (111) may also accommodate an electrolyte. According to one embodiment, the case (110) may include aluminum. The case (110) may be referred to as a can or a housing. The case (110) may have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with at least a portion of the case being open. For example, the case (110) may include a first side (112) and a second side (113) having a width greater than the width of the first side (112).

[0045] According to one embodiment, the case (110) may include a first opening (114) formed on one side (+Y direction) of the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the battery cell (100), and a second opening (115) formed on the other side (-Y direction) of the longitudinal direction. The first opening (114) and the second opening (115) may each be an empty space connected to the internal space of the case (110).

[0046] The cap assembly (130) can be coupled to each of both sides of the case (110) in the longitudinal direction (e.g., Y-axis direction). The cap assembly (130) can include a first cap assembly (130a) coupled to an end of the case (110) in a first direction (+Y direction) and a second cap assembly (130b) coupled to an end of the case (110) in a second direction (-Y direction) opposite to the first direction (+Y direction). The first cap assembly (130a) can seal the first opening (114) of the case (110). The second cap assembly (130b) can seal the second opening (115) of the case (110).

[0047] The electrode assembly (120) may include an electrode plate (121), a separator (122), and an electrode tab (123). The electrode plate (121) may include a positive electrode plate (121b) and a negative electrode plate (121a). The separator (122) may be formed as an insulator interposed between the negative electrode plate (121a) and the positive electrode plate (121b). For example, the electrode assembly (120) may be formed by repeatedly arranging the positive electrode plate (121b), the negative electrode plate (121a), and the separator (122). In some embodiments, the electrode assembly (120) may be a winding type, a stacking type, a z-folding type, or a stack-folding type. The negative electrode plate (121a) and the positive electrode plate (121b) may each have a structure in which a negative electrode active material or a positive electrode active material is coated on a foil. For example, the negative electrode plate (121a) may be formed by coating graphite or the like on a foil made of copper or nickel, and the positive electrode plate (121b) may be formed by coating a transition metal oxide active material on a foil made of aluminum. The electrode tab (123) may be configured to electrically connect a plurality of positive electrode plates (121b) or a plurality of negative electrode plates (121a). For example, the first electrode tab (123a) may be configured to be electrically connected to the negative electrode plates (121a), and the second electrode tab (123b) may be configured to be electrically connected to the positive electrode plates (121b).

[0048] The cap assembly (130) may include a cap plate (131) that is coupled with the case (110) to seal the case (110). For example, the cap plate (131) may be formed of aluminum or a material including aluminum. The cap plate (131) may be laser welded to the case (110) along the edge portion. When the cap plate (131) is coupled with the case (110), the interior of the case (110) is sealed, so at least one of the cap plates (131) may include an electrolyte injection port (132) for injecting an electrolyte into the interior of the case (110). The electrolyte injection port (132) may be sealed with a stopper or the like after the electrolyte is injected.

[0049] The cap assembly (130) may include an electrode terminal (133). The electrode terminal (133) may be coupled to one side of the cap plate (131). The one side of the cap plate (131) may be the opposite side of the side facing the inside of the case (110). When configuring a module or pack, the battery cell (100) may be electrically connected to an adjacently arranged battery cell (100) through the electrode terminal (133).

[0050] The electrode terminal (133) may have a positive or negative polarity. For example, based on the drawing, the first electrode terminal (133a) arranged in the first direction (+Y direction) of the case (110) may have a negative polarity, and the second electrode terminal (133b) arranged in the second direction (-Y direction) of the case (110) may have a positive polarity. For example, the first electrode terminal (133a) may be electrically connected to the negative electrode plate (121a) through the first electrode tab (123a). The second electrode terminal (133b) may be electrically connected to the positive electrode plate (121b) through the second electrode tab (123b).

[0051] The components of the cap assembly (130) described above are only one embodiment, so some of the components of the cap assembly (130) may be omitted or other configurations not described may be added.

[0052] The case (110) may include a vent hole (140) on at least one surface. Gas may be generated inside the case (110) of the battery cell (100). The generated gas may increase the pressure inside the case (110), thereby degrading the performance of the battery cell (100) or damaging the battery cell (100). Therefore, the generated gas may need to be removed or discharged. The vent hole (140) may be formed as a hole. The shape of the hole may be formed in various ways, and the gas or flame generated inside the case (110) may be discharged to the outside through the vent hole (140).

[0053] The first venting portion (150) may provide a path for releasing gas generated inside the case (110) to the outside of the case (110). For example, the first venting portion (150) may include a first breaking portion (151) configured to break when a set pressure or higher is applied. The first breaking portion (151) may be formed of a material that is thinner or more easily broken than other portions of the first venting portion (150) and may break first when the set pressure or higher is applied. At this time, the set pressure may be defined as the breaking pressure. The shape of the first breaking portion (151) may be formed in various ways. For example, in the drawings of the present specification, the first breaking portion (151) is expressed in the form of two alphabets 'T' facing each other, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0054] In addition, the first rupture portion (151) may be configured to melt and break at a set temperature or higher. At this time, the set temperature may be defined as a rupture temperature. For example, the first rupture portion (151) may be configured of a material that is more easily melted by heat than other parts of the first venting portion (150). Therefore, when the rupture temperature is reached, the first rupture portion (151) melts and breaks, and gas or flame may be moved inside the electrode assembly receiving portion (111) or the extinguishing agent stored in the extinguishing portion (170) may be discharged to the electrode assembly receiving portion (111).

[0055] The first venting portion (150) may be disposed inside the case (110) to face the electrode assembly (120). For example, the first venting portion (150) may be disposed within the electrode assembly receiving portion (111). Specifically, the electrode assembly (120) may be spaced apart from the case (110) by a predetermined distance, and an empty space may be formed between the electrode assembly (120) and the case (110), so that the first venting portion (150) may be positioned in the empty space. In addition, a path of a virtual vent hole (140) may be formed along a penetrating direction of the vent hole (140), and the first venting portion (150) may be positioned on the path of the vent hole (140). In addition, since the first venting portion (150) forms a plate structure, it may be disposed such that the vertical direction of the surface faces the electrode assembly (120).

[0056] The second venting portion (160) may provide a path for releasing gas generated inside the case (110) to the outside of the case (110), similar to the first venting portion (150). For example, the second venting portion (160) may include a second rupture portion (161) configured to rupture at a set pressure (rupture pressure) or higher. Alternatively, the second rupture portion (161) may be configured to melt and rupture at a set temperature (rupture temperature) or higher.

[0057] The second venting portion (160) may be spaced apart from the first venting portion (150). For example, the second venting portion (160) may be disposed on the path of the vent hole (140) similarly to the first venting portion (150), and may be located inside or outside the vent hole (140) along the path of the vent hole (140). The second venting portion (160) may be disposed to communicate with the outside. For example, the second venting portion (160) may be located further outward of the case (110) than the first venting portion (150). The direction toward the electrode assembly receiving portion (111) with respect to the case (110) may be referred to as the inward direction (I), and conversely, the direction toward the outside with respect to the case (110) may be referred to as the outward direction (O). The first venting portion (150) is positioned close to the electrode assembly (120), the second venting portion (160) can be positioned farther from the electrode assembly (120) than the first venting portion (150), and the second venting portion (160) can be in contact with the outside of the battery cell (100).

[0058] The extinguishing unit (170) may be formed between the first venting unit (150) and the second venting unit (160). Since the second venting unit (160) is arranged to be spaced apart from the first venting unit (150), an empty space may be formed therebetween. Accordingly, the extinguishing unit (170) may be formed in the empty space. The extinguishing unit (170) may accommodate an extinguishing agent. The extinguishing agent may be composed of a material for reducing gas or flame generated within the case (110). The extinguishing agent may be formed as a liquid or a solid in powder form. The extinguishing agent may be stored within the extinguishing unit (170) including the empty space, and the extinguishing unit (170) may be sealed by the first venting unit (150) and the second venting unit (160).

[0059] The first venting portion (150), the fire extinguishing portion (170), and the second venting portion (160) may be sequentially arranged from the inside to the outside of the case (110). Therefore, when the inside of the case (110) reaches a certain pressure due to gas or flame generated within the case (110), the first rupture portion (151) of the first venting portion (150) may be ruptured first. When the first rupture portion (151) is ruptured, the gas or flame inside the case (110) may move outward (O) and meet the fire extinguishing agent stored in the fire extinguishing portion (170). Alternatively, when the first rupture portion (151) is ruptured, the fire extinguishing agent stored in the fire extinguishing portion (170) may move inward (I) and move to the electrode assembly receiving portion (111). The fire extinguishing agent that has moved to the electrode assembly receiving portion (111) may meet the gas or flame. At this time, the amount of gas can be reduced by the extinguishing agent, and the fire can be extinguished.

[0060] The rupture pressure at which the first rupture portion (151) ruptures may be lower than the rupture pressure of the second rupture portion (161). When the pressure within the case (110) reaches the rupture pressure of the first rupture portion (151), the first rupture portion (151) may rupture first. At this time, the gas or flame may be reduced in quantity or extinguished by an extinguishing agent. Therefore, the reduced gas or extinguished flame may not satisfy the rupture pressure of the second rupture portion (161), and the case (110) may remain in an unopened state. In order for the second rupture portion (161) to rupture, a greater pressure or a higher temperature may be required than the first rupture portion (151). When the gas or flame that has been initially suppressed by the first rupture section (151) and the extinguishing section (170) increases again and satisfies the rupture pressure or rupture temperature of the second rupture section (161), the second rupture section (161) is ruptured to discharge the gas or flame to the outside of the case (110).

[0061] The first fracture section (151) has a fracture pressure of 8.0 kgf / cm 2Above 9.0 kgf / cm 2 It can be configured to be less than 9.0 kgf / cm. This may be a pressure range where the pressure inside the case (110) increases and begins to deteriorate the performance of the battery. The second rupture portion (161) has a rupture pressure of 9.0 kgf / cm. 2 Above 10.0 kgf / cm 2 It can be configured to be as follows. For example, the pressure inside the case (110) is 8.5 kgf / cm 2 In this case, the first fracture part (151) is fractured, and since the internal pressure is reduced by the extinguishing agent, the second fracture part (161) may not fracture immediately.

[0062] The fracture temperature of the first fracture portion (151) may be lower than the fracture temperature of the second fracture portion (161). Therefore, when the fracture temperature of the first fracture portion (151) is reached, only the first fracture portion (151) may fracture and the second fracture portion (161) may not fracture.

[0063] The case (110) may include a first side (112) where a vent hole (140) is positioned. The first side (112) may be a side of the case (110) that is positioned in the height direction (Z-axis). The second venting portion (160) and the first side (112) may not have a step. For example, one side of the second venting portion (160) and the side of the first side (112) may coincide with each other so that the second venting portion (160) does not form a shape in which it protrudes outward from the first side (112) or is recessed into the first side (112). That is, the second venting portion (160) and the first side (112) may be arranged on the same plane.

[0064] Since the second venting portion (160) does not protrude outwardly beyond the first side surface (112), the battery cell may not deteriorate its energy density in the height direction (Z-axis). The energy density herein may refer to the amount of energy per unit volume or unit weight. For example, compared to a battery cell (100) in which the second venting portion (160) protrudes outwardly, when the battery cells are stacked in the height direction, the battery cell (100) according to the present disclosure may stack more battery cells (100) per unit height. In addition, the battery module or battery pack to which the battery cell (100) according to the present disclosure is applied may obtain a degree of freedom for applying different configurations in the height direction. In addition, since the second venting portion (160) is flush with the first side surface (112), the space of the digestion portion (170) may be secured as large as possible without protruding outwardly beyond the first side surface (112). The larger the size of the digestive unit (170), the more digestive material can be stored, making it easier to reduce gas or flames. In addition, since the first side (112) does not have a shape that protrudes outward, it is easy to lower the temperature of the battery cell (100) by connecting the first side (112) to the cooling device.

[0065] The battery cell (100) may further include a support member (180). The support member (180) may be positioned between the first venting member (150) and the second venting member (160). For example, the support member (180) may be positioned at the edge of the extinguishing member (170) and may contact the first venting member (150) and the second venting member (160), respectively. The support member (180) may fix the first venting member (150) and the second venting member (160). For example, the support member (180) may be formed along the edges of the first venting member (150) and the second venting member (160), and may have a columnar shape including an empty space in the middle so that the extinguishing member (170) is positioned. Both ends of the support member (180) may be formed integrally with the first venting member (150) and the second venting member (160), or may be joined by welding. Accordingly, the first venting part (150) and the second venting part (160) can be fixed without being detached while being connected to the vent hole (140) by the support part (180). The first venting part (150), the second venting part (160), the support part (180), and the vent hole (140) can be connected by a method such as laser welding.

[0066] The first break portion (151) and the second break portion (161) may include a fold portion (190). The fold portion (190) may be configured such that at least a portion of the first venting portion (150) and the second venting portion (160) can be easily folded. For example, the fold portion (190) may be a groove formed in a straight line and positioned at both ends of the first break portion (151) in the thickness direction (X-axis) based on the first venting portion (150). The fold portion (190) may be formed thinner than the other first venting portions (150), so that the first venting portion (150) can be easily folded along the fold portion (190). However, the fold portion (190) may be formed thicker than the first break portion (151). Accordingly, after the first rupture portion (151) is broken, at least a portion of the first venting portion (150) can be folded along the bending portion (190). As at least a portion of the first venting portion (150) is folded, the range of communication between the digestion portion (170) and the electrode assembly receiving portion (111) can be expanded, so that the digestion material stored in the digestion portion (170) can easily move to the electrode assembly receiving portion (111).

[0067]

[0068] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a battery cell (100a) of another embodiment according to the present disclosure, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing only a portion of a cap assembly (130a) along line II-II' of FIG. 6.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a unidirectional battery cell (100a) may include a first venting portion (150), a second venting portion (160), and a extinguishing portion (170).

[0070] The battery cell (100) illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 may be a bidirectional battery cell (100) in which the first electrode terminal (133a) and the second electrode terminal (133b) are arranged to face the first direction and the second direction, respectively. The battery cell (100a) illustrated in FIG. 6 may be a unidirectional battery cell (100a) in which the first electrode terminal (133a) and the second electrode terminal (133b) are arranged to face one direction.

[0071] Hereinafter, the differences between the bidirectional battery cell (100) and the one illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be mainly explained.

[0072] The case (110a) may be open only on one side in the height direction (Z-axis direction). For example, the case (110a) may be open in the third direction (+Z direction), and the opposite direction (-Z direction) may be formed as a surface and closed.

[0073] The cap assembly (130a) may be configured as one piece and may be coupled to a portion of the case (110a) that is open on only one side. One cap assembly (130a) may include a first electrode terminal (133a) and a second electrode terminal (133b). For example, the first electrode terminal (133a) and the second electrode terminal (133b) may be coupled to the cap plate (131a) and may be arranged to face the same direction.

[0074] The cap assembly (130a) may include a vent hole (140), a first venting portion (150), a second venting portion (160), and a fire extinguishing portion (170). For example, the vent hole (140) may be formed in the cap plate (131a). The first venting portion (150) and the second venting portion (160) may be coupled to the vent hole (140), and the fire extinguishing portion (170) may be formed therebetween. In addition, a support portion (180) may be provided between the first venting portion (150) and the second venting portion (160), so that the first venting portion (150) and the second venting portion (160) may be fixed through the support portion (180).

[0075] In the case of a unidirectional battery cell (100a), since a vent hole (140) is formed in the cap plate (131a), the first side surface (112a) may be the cap plate (131a). At this time, the second venting portion (160) and the first side surface (112a) may form a first step (d1). For example, the first step (d1) may be the distance between one surface of the second venting portion (160) and one surface of the first side surface (112a). Therefore, since the first step (d1) is formed, the second venting portion (160) may be formed to protrude outward more than the first side surface (112a). However, the second venting portion (160) may not be formed to protrude further than the electrode terminal (133). For example, the electrode terminal (133) and the first side surface (112a) form a second step (d2), and the first step (d1) may be equal to or smaller than the second step (d2). The second step (d2) may be the distance between one side of the electrode terminal and one side of the first side surface (112a). In the unidirectional battery cell (100a), the second venting portion (160) is formed to protrude more than the first side surface (112a), so the size of the extinguishing portion (170) may be larger than in the case of the bidirectional battery cell (100).

[0076]

[0077] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a battery device (200) according to the present disclosure.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 8 and FIGS. 1 to 5 together, the battery device (200) may include a cell stack (210) and a module housing (220).

[0079] The battery device (200) may be a battery module or a battery pack. Battery cells (100) may be arranged inside a frame to form a battery module, and multiple battery modules may be arranged inside a pack housing to form a battery pack. The battery module or battery pack may have a structure in which multiple battery cells (100) are formed into a module using the battery cells (100) according to the present disclosure, or a cell-to-pack structure in which multiple battery cells (100) are formed into a pack.

[0080] The cell stack (210) may be formed by stacking at least one battery cell (100). For example, a plurality of battery cells (100) may be stacked with at least one surface facing each other to form the cell stack (210). The battery cell (100) referred to herein may be the battery cell (100, 100a) illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7. Although FIG. 8 illustrates the bidirectional battery cell (100) illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the unidirectional battery cell (100a) illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 7 may also be applied. Each battery cell (100) may include a case (110), a cap assembly (130), a vent hole (140), a first venting portion (150), a second venting portion (160), and a fire extinguishing portion (170).

[0081] The module housing (220) may be configured to accommodate the cell stack (210). The module housing (220) may be formed to cover at least one surface of the cell stack (210). The module housing (220) may include a lower housing (221), a side wall (222), and an upper housing (223). The lower housing (221) may be formed to cover the lower portion of the cell stack (210). The side wall (222) may be formed to cover the side surface of the cell stack (210). The upper housing (223) may be formed to cover the upper portion of the cell stack (210). The module housing (220) may further include a component (not shown) for electrically connecting each battery cell (100). The module housing (220) may further include a component (not shown) for dissipating heat generated from each battery cell (100) or cooling the battery cell (100). The module housing (220) may further include a configuration (not shown) for discharging gas emitted from the battery cell (100) to the outside.

[0082]

[0083] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations are possible within a scope that does not depart from the technical spirit of the present disclosure described in the claims.

Claims

1. A case including an electrode assembly receiving portion in which an electrode assembly is received; A first venting portion positioned facing the electrode assembly inside the case; A second venting portion spaced apart from the first venting portion and arranged to communicate with the outside; and A battery cell including a fire extinguishing unit formed between the first venting unit and the second venting unit and containing a fire extinguishing material.

2. In claim 1, The above first venting portion includes a first breaking portion, The second venting portion includes a second breaking portion, A battery cell configured such that the first rupture portion and the second rupture portion are ruptured by a set pressure.

3. In claim 2, A battery cell in which the breaking pressure at which the first breaking portion is broken is lower than the breaking pressure at which the second breaking portion is broken.

4. In claim 3, The above first fracture part has a fracture pressure of 8.0 kgf / cm 2 Above 9.0 kgf / cm 2 It is configured to be less than, The above second fracture part has a fracture pressure of 9.0 kgf / cm 2 Above 10.0 kgf / cm 2 Battery cells configured as follows.

5. In claim 1, The case includes a first side on which the second venting portion is located, The second venting portion and the first side are a battery cell without steps.

6. In claim 1, The above first venting portion is a battery cell located within the electrode assembly receiving portion.

7. In claim 1, A battery cell further comprising a support member positioned between the first venting portion and the second venting portion, the support member fixing the first venting portion and the second venting portion.

8. In claim 1, The above-mentioned extinguishing agent is a battery cell composed of a solid in liquid or powder form.

9. In claim 1, The above first venting portion includes a first breaking portion, The second venting portion includes a second breaking portion, The first breaking portion and the second breaking portion are configured to be broken by a set pressure, The first fracture portion and the second fracture portion include a bend portion, A battery cell in which the above-mentioned bending portion is configured such that at least a portion of the first venting portion and the second venting portion can be easily folded.

10. In claim 1, The case includes a first side on which the second venting portion is located, A battery cell in which the second venting portion and the first side form a first step.

11. In claim 10, The electrode terminal is arranged on the first side, The above electrode terminal and the first side form a second step, The first step is a battery cell having a size equal to or smaller than the second step.

12. A cell stack having at least one battery cell stacked thereon; and A module housing configured to accommodate the above cell stack; Includes, The above battery cell, A case including an electrode assembly receiving portion in which an electrode assembly is received; A first venting portion positioned facing the electrode assembly inside the case; A second venting portion spaced apart from the first venting portion and arranged to communicate with the outside; and A battery device comprising a fire extinguishing unit formed between the first venting unit and the second venting unit and containing a fire extinguishing material.

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