Battery module and battery pack

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, disclosed is a battery module with improved stability against swelling. The battery module according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells stacked in at least one direction; a module case accommodating the cell assembly in the inner space thereof; and a heat conduction member which is interposed between the cell assembly and the module case to transfer heat and which has partial difference in adhesive force.

Description

Battery modules and battery packs

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0161479, filed on November 20, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to battery technology, and more particularly, to a battery module having improved stability against swelling, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle.

[0003] As demand for portable electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and smartwatches increases significantly and electric vehicles become increasingly widespread, research is actively being conducted on the batteries used in these devices, especially secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0004] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among these, lithium secondary batteries are receiving attention for their advantages of being able to charge and discharge freely, having a very low self-discharge rate, and having a high energy density, as they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries.

[0005] Lithium secondary batteries primarily use lithium oxide and carbon materials as the positive and negative active materials, respectively. Lithium secondary batteries comprise an electrode assembly comprising positive and negative plates coated with the positive and negative active materials, respectively, arranged with a separator between them, and an outer case, i.e., a battery case, that seals and encloses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0006] In general, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the outer packaging material. Furthermore, can-type secondary batteries can be classified into cylindrical batteries and prismatic batteries, depending on their shape. Currently, secondary batteries, particularly lithium secondary batteries, can be classified into three representative types: pouch-type, prismatic, and cylindrical.

[0007] Secondary batteries are widely used for powering and storing energy not only in small devices like portable electronic devices, but also in medium- to large-scale devices like electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). Furthermore, with the recent rapid growth of the electric vehicle industry, interest in batteries, a core technology, is growing.

[0008] These secondary batteries can be electrically connected and housed together within a module case to form a single battery module. Furthermore, a battery pack can be formed by including one or more battery modules, along with various electronic components for controlling their charging and discharging operations, such as a Battery Management System (BMS) or electrical components like fuses.

[0009] In battery modules, a thermally conductive adhesive, such as thermal resin, may be inserted between the battery cells (secondary batteries) and the module case to ensure cooling performance and structural stability. However, in this type of battery module, the adhesive can cause problems when swelling occurs.

[0010] For example, if swelling occurs when multiple pouch-type cells are stacked within a module case or pack case, a repulsive force may act between the battery cells. This force may be greater for battery cells positioned closer to the outside. In this case, if one side of the battery cells is adhered to the module case, the pressure caused by swelling may cause some of the battery cells to break or the arrangement structure of the cell assembly to collapse.

[0011] For example, if multiple pouch-shaped cells are stacked and housed within the internal space of a module case with their lower portions bonded to thermal resin, swelling may occur in the cell stack, causing the pouch-shaped cells located on the periphery to be excessively pushed by the swelling. In this process, the pouch-shaped cells located on the periphery may be damaged, such as by cracks or tears.

[0012] Furthermore, even in the case of square or cylindrical cells, if the swelling of the cell stack exceeds a certain level, the cells located on the periphery may be pushed outward. This process may cause the battery cells to detach from the thermal resin, which may degrade the heat dissipation performance of the battery cells. Furthermore, if the cured thermal resin is damaged during the process of the battery cells being pushed, this may result in partial or complete structural collapse of the cell stack or battery device.

[0013] Accordingly, the present invention has been created to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a battery module having an improved structure so that stability can be secured even when a swelling phenomenon occurs, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same.

[0014] However, the technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-described purpose, a battery module according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a cell assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked in at least one direction; a module case accommodating the cell assembly in an internal space; and a heat-conducting member interposed between the cell assembly and the module case, configured to transmit heat and have a partial difference in adhesive strength.

[0016] Here, the thermal conductive member may be interposed between the entire battery cell provided in the cell assembly and the module case.

[0017] Additionally, the thermally conductive member may have a portion having a difference in adhesive strength along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

[0018] Additionally, the thermally conductive member may be configured such that a portion located on the outside in the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells has a weaker adhesive strength than a portion located on the inside.

[0019] Additionally, the thermally conductive member may be configured so that the adhesive strength of the portion where the outermost battery cell is located in the cell assembly is the weakest.

[0020] In addition, the thermally conductive member has two or more thermally conductive unit members having different adhesive strengths, and the two or more thermally conductive unit members can be arranged along the stacking direction of the cell assembly.

[0021] Additionally, the thermally conductive member may be configured to have partially different degrees of hardening.

[0022] Additionally, the above-mentioned heat-conducting member may include a curable heat-conducting part and a non-curable heat-conducting part.

[0023] Additionally, the heat-conducting member may be configured to have an adhesive strength difference in two or more directions.

[0024] In addition, the thermally conductive member may have a portion having different adhesive strengths with respect to both the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells provided in the cell assembly and the longitudinal direction of each battery cell.

[0025] Additionally, the thermally conductive member may be configured such that the longitudinal end portion of the battery cell has a weaker adhesive strength than the central portion.

[0026] In addition, the heat-conducting member includes a center member and an outer member having a weaker adhesive force than the center member and positioned outside the center member in the stacking direction of the cell assembly, and the outer member may be configured to have a partially different width in the stacking direction of the cell assembly.

[0027] Additionally, the center member may have a portion whose width gradually changes in the stacking direction of the cell assembly.

[0028] In addition, the battery module according to the present invention may further include a cooling member provided on the outside or inside of the module case and configured to allow coolant to move.

[0029] In addition, a battery pack according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose includes a battery module according to the present invention.

[0030] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above purpose, a vehicle includes a battery module according to the present invention.

[0031] According to the present invention, stability against swelling of a battery device including a battery cell, i.e., a battery module or a battery pack, can be secured.

[0032] In particular, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in a battery module or battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells in a stacked form, the cell stacking state can be stably maintained under normal conditions. Furthermore, in a state where swelling occurs, at least some cells, particularly the outermost cells, can be prevented from being damaged.

[0033] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in a swelling occurrence situation, collapse of the structure of the battery device due to breakage of the curable adhesive can be prevented or suppressed.

[0034] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the problem of battery cells detaching from the thermally conductive adhesive due to swelling, thereby reducing heat dissipation, can be prevented. Accordingly, the cooling performance of the battery device can be consistently maintained.

[0035] Accordingly, according to these aspects of the present invention, the cycle performance of a battery device can be improved. In other words, according to various aspects of the present invention, a battery device with an improved lifespan that can be stably used for a long period of time can be provided.

[0036] In addition, the present invention may have various other effects, which will be described in each embodiment configuration, or an explanation of effects that can be easily inferred by a person skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0037] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention described below, serve to further understand the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to matters described in such drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of Figure 1.

[0040] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a drawing schematically showing a part of the configuration of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an example of a heat-conducting member included in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a heat-conducting member included in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the configuration of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 12 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figures 13 and 14 are partial enlarged views of some components of Figure 12.

[0051] FIG. 15 is a drawing schematically showing the application form of a heat-conducting member for one battery cell included in a cell assembly in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 16 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 17 is an enlarged view of portion B6 of Figure 16.

[0054] FIG. 18 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 19 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 21 is an enlarged view of portion B8 of Figure 20.

[0058] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which a plurality of cylindrical cells are provided and stacked on each other in a cell assembly of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Fig. 25 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Fig. 26 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings. Based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms to best explain his or her invention, they should be interpreted in a way that aligns with the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0064] Accordingly, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, and it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of this application.

[0065] Meanwhile, in this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back may be used, but these terms are only for convenience of explanation, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms may vary depending on the position, arrangement, rotation, and position of the object being targeted, or the position of the observer.

[0066] In addition, this specification includes several embodiments, and detailed descriptions are omitted for parts where the description of other embodiments can be applied identically or similarly.

[0067]

[0068] Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 3 may be a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1' of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 may be an enlarged view of portion B1 of Fig. 3.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a battery module according to the present invention includes a cell assembly (100), a module case (200), and a heat-conducting member (300).

[0070] The above cell assembly (100) may include one or more battery cells (110), particularly a plurality of battery cells (110). Here, each battery cell (110) may refer to a single secondary battery or may refer to a battery group comprising multiple secondary batteries. In this specification, the description is based on the assumption that a battery cell (110) represents a single secondary battery.

[0071] The battery cell (110) may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a battery case. The battery case may have various shapes, and depending on the shape of the battery case, the battery cell (110) may be classified into a pouch-type cell, a cylindrical cell, a square cell, etc. Since the types of these battery cells (110) were widely known at the time of filing of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The present invention is applicable to all types of secondary batteries known at the time of filing of the present invention, and is not limited to a specific type of secondary battery.

[0072] In the cell assembly (100), a plurality of battery cells (110) may be configured in a form in which they are stacked in at least one direction. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a plurality of battery cells (110) may be stacked in a form in which they are arranged in a horizontal direction, particularly in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). In addition, a plurality of battery cells (110) provided in the cell assembly (100) may be electrically connected to each other in series and / or in parallel through a bus bar (not illustrated) or the like.

[0073] Meanwhile, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, the X-axis direction in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked is referred to as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction, which is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the cell stacking direction, is referred to as the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane is referred to as the up-down direction (vertical direction). In addition, the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction may also be expressed as the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction, respectively.

[0074]

[0075] The above module case (200) may be configured to have an empty space formed therein and to accommodate a plurality of cell assemblies (100) in the internal space. For example, the module case (200) may have an upper plate (210), a lower plate (220), a left plate (230), a right plate (240), a front plate (250), and a rear plate (260) to limit the internal space. In addition, the cell assemblies (100) may be positioned in the limited internal space. The module case (200) may be at least partially composed of a metal and / or plastic material.

[0076] At least some of the various plate-shaped members constituting the module case (200) may be configured in an integrated form. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the module case (200) may have a U-frame-shaped main body in which a lower plate (220), a left plate (230), and a right plate (240) are integrated with each other, and an upper plate (210), a front plate (250), and a rear plate (260) may be configured to cover or seal the upper, front, and rear portions of the main body. At this time, various fastening methods such as welding, bonding, bolting, and hooking may be used to secure the connection between the upper plate (210), the front plate (250), and the rear plate (260) and the main body. Alternatively, at least some of the module case (200) may be manufactured in a monoframe form in which the upper plate (210), the lower plate (220), the left plate (230), and the right plate (240) are integrated with each other. Alternatively, the module case (200) may be configured in a form in which each plate is manufactured separately and then joined and fixed through welding or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to a specific material or form of the module case (200).

[0077]

[0078] The above thermal conductive member (300) may be interposed between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200). For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the thermal conductive member (300) may be provided between one side of the cell assembly (100), for example, the lower part, and the lower plate (220) of the module case (200).

[0079] In addition, the heat conductive member (300) may be configured to transfer heat between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200). The battery cell (110) may generate heat during use, and if this heat is not properly discharged, the performance of the battery cell (110) cannot be stably guaranteed, and in severe cases, it may lead to thermal runaway, ignition, explosion, etc. of the battery cell. In this respect, the heat generated in the battery cell (110) needs to be properly discharged to the outside through the module case (200). At this time, the heat conductive member (300) may ensure that heat transfer between the battery cell (110) and the module case (200) is performed well, thereby stably securing cooling performance for the battery module.

[0080] The thermally conductive member (300) may include a material capable of transferring heat. In particular, the thermally conductive member (300) may be made of a resin material, and in this case, the thermally conductive member (300) may be referred to as a thermal resin. The thermally conductive member (300) may include various materials, such as urethane, silicone, and epoxy. The thermally conductive member (300) may be expressed by other terms such as TIM (Thermal Interface Material), potting resin, etc., and as a material of the thermally conductive member (300) of the battery module according to the present invention, various thermal resins or TIMs known at the time of filing of the present invention may be used.

[0081]

[0082] Additionally, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to adhere the cell assembly (100) to the module case (200). To this end, the thermally conductive member (300) may include an adhesive component. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the thermally conductive member (300) is positioned at the bottom of the cell assembly (100), the thermally conductive member (300) may adhere and fix the lower side of the cell assembly (100) to the lower plate (220) of the module case (200).

[0083] In particular, in the battery module according to the present invention, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to adhere at least a portion of the cell assembly (100) to the module case (200), but to partially generate a difference in adhesive strength. Here, the adhesive strength may refer to a force or fixed strength that is fixed between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) by the thermally conductive member (300).

[0084] In this regard, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 3, a heat-conducting member (300) is interposed between the lower part of the cell assembly (100) and the lower plate (220) of the module case (200), so that the lower part of the cell assembly (100) can be adhered to the lower plate (220) of the module case (200). At this time, the adhesive strength of the heat-conducting member (300) may be configured to be partially different in the lower part of the cell assembly (100). For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, on the lower side of the cell assembly (100) included in one battery module, the heat-conducting member (300) may be configured so that the adhesive strengths of the portion indicated by B1 and the portion indicated by B2 are different from each other.

[0085] The difference in partial adhesive strength of the thermally conductive member (300) can be determined in various ways. For example, the difference in partial adhesive strength of the thermally conductive member (300) can be determined by measuring the force required to separate the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) at each location. As another example, the difference in partial adhesive strength of the thermally conductive member (300) can also be determined by the properties or shape of the thermally conductive member (300).

[0086]

[0087] According to this embodiment of the present invention, by partially varying the adhesive strength of the heat-conducting member (300), the swelling response performance of the battery module can be improved. Furthermore, the vulnerability to swelling within a single battery module may partially vary. According to the above aspect of the present invention, by appropriately distributing the adhesive strength according to the partial vulnerability to swelling, adaptive response to swelling for each part can be possible. Therefore, the battery module according to the present invention can ensure stability and safety against swelling.

[0088]

[0089] The above-described heat-conducting member (300) may be interposed between all battery cells (110) provided in the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200). For example, referring to the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 2 and 3, when the cell assembly (100) is configured in a form in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked in the left-right direction, the heat-conducting member (300) may be placed at the bottom of the cell assembly (100). At this time, the heat-conducting member (300) may be configured to be in direct contact with all battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100). That is, in the exemplary configuration of FIG. 3, the heat-conducting member (300) may be provided in a form in which it is in direct contact with the bottoms of all battery cells (110), from the battery cell (110) located at the far left to the battery cell (110) located at the far right. As a more specific example, if 24 battery cells (110) are provided in one battery module, the thermal conductive member (300) may be arranged to make direct contact with all 24 battery cells (110).

[0090] According to this embodiment of the present invention, heat dissipation can be achieved through the heat-conducting member (300) for all battery cells (110) included in the battery module. Accordingly, the overall cooling performance of the battery module can be further improved.

[0091]

[0092] The above thermal conductive member (300) can be configured to have a difference in adhesive strength depending on the direction (first direction) in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked in the cell assembly (100).

[0093] For example, referring to the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of battery cells (110) may be stacked in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). In addition, the thermally conductive member (300) may be arranged in a form extending in the left-right direction from the bottom of the plurality of battery cells (110) stacked in the left-right direction in this way, but the adhesive strengths in the left-right direction may be configured to be different from each other. As a more specific example, in the exemplary configuration of FIG. 3, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to have different adhesive strengths at a portion indicated by B1 and a portion indicated by B2.

[0094] In a cell assembly (100) equipped with a plurality of battery cells (110) stacked, if a swelling phenomenon occurs, movement occurs in the stacking direction of the battery cells (110), which may result in damage or breakage of the cell assembly (100), structural collapse, etc. However, by configuring the adhesive strength of the heat-conducting member (300) differently in the cell stacking direction as in the above-described embodiment, the swelling phenomenon of the cell assembly (100) can be dealt with more efficiently.

[0095]

[0096] In particular, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured, at least partially, such that a portion located outside in the direction in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked in the cell assembly (100) has a weaker adhesive force than a portion located inside. Here, the inside may refer to a portion located in a direction toward the center of the cell assembly (100), and the outside may refer to a portion located in a direction opposite to the inside and toward the outside of the cell assembly (100). The inside and the outside may be concepts indicating relative positions.

[0097] For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, referring to B1 and B2, B1 may be a portion located on the inner side since it is relatively close to the center of the cell assembly (100), and B2 may be a portion located on the outer side. Here, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured such that the portion (B2) located on the outer side has a weaker adhesive strength than the portion (B1) located on the inner side. In other words, the thermally conductive member (300) may allow the portion (B1) located on the inner side to more strongly adhere the battery cell (110) to the module case (200) than the portion (B2) located on the outer side.

[0098] When a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked in one direction, for example, the left-right direction (X-axis direction), the battery cells (110) located on the outside in the left-right direction may be pushed more than the battery cells (110) located on the inside. Therefore, when the battery cells (110) are fixed with the same adhesive force, the possibility of damage due to swelling may be greater for the outside cells. However, in the case of the above-described embodiment, by making the adhesive force of the outside cells to the thermally conductive member (300) lower than that of the inside cells, the freedom of movement of the battery cells (110) may be granted to a certain level. Therefore, when swelling occurs, the problem of damage to the outside cells or collapse of the structure of the entire cell assembly (100) may be suppressed.

[0099] Meanwhile, in this specification, unless otherwise specifically stated, the direction toward the center of the battery module is referred to as the inward direction, and the direction toward the outside of the battery module is referred to as the outward direction.

[0100]

[0101] Furthermore, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to have the weakest adhesive strength at the portion where the outermost battery cell (110) is located in the cell assembly (100). The thermally conductive member (300) may be applied to the entire surface from the outermost battery cell (110) stacked most externally in the stacking direction to the innermost battery cell (110) stacked most internally. At this time, the thermally conductive member (300) may be attached to the module case (200) with the weakest adhesive strength for the outermost cell among all battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100).

[0102] For example, the battery cells (110) indicated as BCL and BCR in FIG. 3 may be said to be the outermost cells positioned at the outermost portion of the cell assembly (100). In addition, the portions indicated as B2 and B2' are portions where the thermally conductive member (300) is positioned at the lower portion of these outermost cells, and may have the weakest adhesive force among all portions of the thermally conductive member (300).

[0103] Here, the weakest adhesive strength may include both the meaning that there is adhesive strength but that it is relatively weak compared to other parts, and the meaning that the adhesive strength is 0, that is, there is no adhesive strength at all. For example, the thermally conductive member (300) arranged at the bottom of the outermost cell indicated by B2 and B2' in FIG. 3 may adhere the outermost cell (BCL, BCR) to the module case (200) with a weak force, and the adhesive strength may be released even with a relatively weak force compared to the central part indicated by B1. Alternatively, the thermally conductive member (300) arranged at the outer part indicated by B2 and B2' may not adhere the outermost cell to the module case (200) and may only play a role in transferring heat.

[0104] According to the above-described embodiment, the effect of preventing damage to the outermost cell among the entire configuration of the cell assembly (100) can be more stably secured. That is, when swelling of the cell assembly (100) occurs, the outermost cell may have the greatest possibility of damage, but in the above-described embodiment, by providing the weakest adhesive force to the outermost cell, the problem of the outermost cell being damaged can be prevented.

[0105]

[0106] The above-mentioned heat-conducting member (300) may include two or more heat-conducting unit members having different adhesive strengths. This will be described in more detail with additional reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0107] FIG. 5 is a drawing schematically showing a part of a configuration of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, FIG. 5 may be a drawing viewed from above of a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is secured to the bottom surface of a module case (200), particularly a U-frame, in the separated configuration of FIG. 2. In addition, FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating an example of a heat-conducting member (300) included in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention. And, FIG. 7 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, in FIG. 7, for convenience of explanation, the heat-conducting member (300) is illustrated transparently, and the battery cell (110) beyond the heat-conducting member (300) is illustrated in a dotted line form.

[0108] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the heat-conducting member (300) may include a first unit member (310) and a second unit member (320). More specifically, one first unit member (310) may be provided, and two second unit members (320) may be provided. Here, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) may be unit components of the heat-conducting unit member, i.e., the heat-conducting member (300), and may have different adhesive strengths. Furthermore, these heat-conducting unit members (310, 320) may be made of different types, i.e., different materials.

[0109] And, these heterogeneous heat-conducting unit members (310, 320) can be arranged in the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) in the cell assembly (100), the first unit member (310) and the second unit members (320L, 320R) can be arranged in parallel in the left-right direction.

[0110] In particular, the heat-conducting member (300) arranged on one side of the cell assembly (100) may be configured in a plate shape. At this time, the heterogeneous unit members constituting the heat-conducting member (300), that is, two or more heat-conducting unit members, may each be configured in a plate shape, but may form a single plate shape by having their sides face each other in parallel on the same plane. For example, referring to the configurations illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, one first unit member (310) and two second unit members (320) may be arranged in a laid-down plate shape and in parallel in the X-axis direction on the same XY plane, thereby forming a single integrated plate shape.

[0111] As illustrated in FIG. 7, in a state where a plurality of battery cells (110) are arranged in a left-right direction, a first unit member (310) and a second unit member (320), which are different types of heat-conducting unit members, may be arranged in a left-right direction at the bottom of the cell assembly (100). In this case, the first unit member (310) may be positioned at the lower part of the inner portion of the cell assembly (100), and the second unit member (320) may be positioned at the lower part of the outer portion of the cell assembly (100) than the first unit member (310). Since the two second unit members (320L, 320R) are arranged on the left and right sides of the first unit member (310), respectively, the first unit member (310) may be referred to as a center member, and the two second unit members (320L, 320R) may be referred to as left and right members, respectively.

[0112] In this embodiment, the second unit member (320) may be configured to have a weaker adhesive force than the first unit member (310). That is, the first unit member (310) may fix the battery cells (110) stacked on the central side to the module case (200) with a relatively strong adhesive force, and the second unit member (320) may fix the battery cells (110) stacked on the outer side to the module case (200) with a relatively weak adhesive force. For other embodiments included in the present specification, unless otherwise specifically described, the first unit member (310) will be described based on the fact that the first unit member (310) has a relatively strong adhesive force and the second unit member (320) has a relatively weak adhesive force.

[0113] With this embodiment, the battery module according to the present invention can be constructed with a simple structure. Furthermore, with this embodiment, the battery module according to the present invention can be manufactured more easily. In particular, with this embodiment, the problem of the battery cell (110) positioned on the outer side being easily damaged due to swelling can be more effectively prevented.

[0114]

[0115] The above-described thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to have partially different degrees of curing. In particular, in order to prepare the thermally conductive member (300) during the battery module manufacturing step, a thermally conductive paste containing a thermally conductive material may be applied or filled between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) in a form having fluidity and viscosity. In addition, the thermally conductive paste may be at least partially cured, thereby exhibiting adhesive force that fixes the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) to each other.

[0116] At this time, the thermal conductive member (300) can be configured so that the degree of curing of the thermal conductive paste partially differs, thereby allowing a partial difference in adhesive strength. In particular, under the same conditions, for example, at room temperature, a thermal conductive paste with a high degree of curing can have a higher adhesive strength (fixing strength) than a thermal conductive paste with a low degree of curing.

[0117] The thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to have a different degree of hardening along the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100). This degree of hardening may refer to the degree of hardening, and since techniques for measuring or determining the degree of hardening are widely known at the time of filing of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0118] For example, in the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 5 to 7, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) may be configured to have different degrees of curing. In addition, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) may be arranged along the stacking direction (X-axis direction) of the cell assembly (100). Furthermore, the second unit member (320) may be arranged on the outer side in the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100) relative to the first unit member (310). In particular, the second unit member (320) may be in direct contact with the outermost cells of the cell assembly (100), as indicated by BCL and BCR in FIG. 3.

[0119] In this configuration, the second unit member (320) may be configured to have a lower degree of hardening than the first unit member (310). That is, in a normal state after the battery module is manufactured, the first unit member (310) is maintained in a relatively harder state than the second unit member (320), so that the movement of the battery cell (110) arranged on the central side can be more strongly suppressed. On the other hand, the second unit member (320) is maintained in a relatively softer state than the first unit member (310), so that the movement of the battery cell (110) arranged on the outer side can be permitted to some extent.

[0120] According to the embodiment configuration in which a partial difference in hardening degree is provided to the heat conductive member (300) in this way, a configuration in which the adhesive strength between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) is partially different can be more easily implemented.

[0121] Meanwhile, when the thermally conductive paste applied or filled between one side of the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) is cured, the thermally conductive member (300) may have a sheet or pad shape. In this case, the thermally conductive member (300) may also be referred to as a thermally conductive sheet or thermally conductive pad.

[0122]

[0123] The heat conductive member (300) may include a curable heat conductive part and a non-curable heat conductive part.

[0124] Here, the curable thermally conductive part may refer to a specific portion of the thermally conductive member (300) that remains in a hardened solid state under typical conditions in which the battery module is used, such as room temperature conditions. In particular, even if the thermally conductive paste is applied or filled in a fluid state between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200) during the manufacturing stage of the battery module, the curable thermally conductive part may be provided by curing and maintaining the hardened state over a certain period of time thereafter.

[0125] And, the uncured thermally conductive part may refer to a specific part of the thermally conductive member (300) that is not hardened under normal conditions in which the battery module is used, but is maintained in a state having a certain degree of fluidity or viscosity. In particular, the uncured thermally conductive part may be provided in a form in which, after the thermally conductive paste in a fluid state is applied or filled between the cell assembly (100) and the module case (200), it is not hardened into a solid state, but is maintained in a state such as a gel or sol. Furthermore, the uncured thermally conductive part may maintain a sticky state having a viscosity of a certain level or higher even after a certain period of time has elapsed. The uncured thermally conductive part may have a relatively strong adhesive force or fixing force compared to the curable thermally conductive part.

[0126] For example, in the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 5 and 6, the first unit member (310) positioned on the center side may be a curable thermally conductive part, and the second unit member (320) positioned on the outer side may be a non-curable thermally conductive part. As a more specific example, a solid-state urethane-based thermal resin may be used for the first unit member (310), and a gel-state silicone-based thermal resin may be used for the second unit member (320). At this time, the gel state of the second unit member (320) may be configured to be continuously maintained during use or distribution of the battery module, or under room temperature conditions. Here, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) may be referred to as a thermal pad and a thermal gel, respectively, based on their states.

[0127] According to this embodiment of the present invention, by maintaining the portion of the thermal conductive member (300) that comes into contact with the outer battery cell (110) in an uncured state, the outer battery cell (110) can be sufficiently moved when the cell assembly (100) swells. Therefore, in this case, damage to the outer battery cell (110) can be minimized.

[0128] The curable thermally conductive part may maintain a state in which the unevenness is formed similar to the shape of the battery cell (110) at the part that comes into contact with each battery cell (110) due to the cured state even when the cell assembly (100) is separated. On the other hand, the shape of the non-cured thermally conductive part may be at least partially deformed due to its fluidic nature when the cell assembly (100) is separated. Of course, even in the case of the non-cured thermally conductive part, the shape of the battery cell (110) may be maintained as it is due to viscosity, etc. when the cell assembly (100) is separated. In the exemplary drawings such as FIG. 6, in order to indicate the difference in the degree of adhesion or curing, a difference in the unevenness shape is illustrated between the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320). However, this is for the convenience of explanation and does not necessarily mean that there must be a difference in the structure or shape, etc., between the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320). That is, when the cell assembly (100) is assembled or separated, the shape or structure of the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) may be similar.

[0129] Meanwhile, the fact that the thermally conductive member (300) has partially different degrees of curing may also be expressed as having partially different properties. Here, the different properties may include a solid state, a gel state, a sol state, etc. as a completely elastic body. That is, the difference in the partial degrees of curing of the thermally conductive member (300) may be expressed as a difference in elasticity, viscosity, fluidity, etc. In particular, the thermally conductive member (300) may have both a solid state portion and a gel state portion. For example, the first unit member (310) may have a completely elastic state as a curable resin, and the second unit member (320) may have a gel state as an uncured resin.

[0130]

[0131] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is positioned at the bottom of a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 8 can be considered a modified example of the embodiment configuration of Fig. 7.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 8, the heat-conducting member (300) includes a first unit member (310) and a second unit member (320), but the widths (lengths in the left-right direction) of the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) are shown differently from the embodiment of FIG. 7. More specifically, the two second unit members (320) may be reduced in width compared to the embodiment of FIG. 7. In particular, the second unit member (320) may be configured to cover only the lower portions of the outermost cells (BCL, BCR) on the left and right sides in the cell assembly (100). In addition, the first unit member (310) may be increased in width as much as the width of the second unit member (320) is reduced, so that the width may be increased compared to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

[0133] In this case, the first unit member (310) may be in contact with most of the battery cells (110) except for the outermost cells (BCL, BCR) in the cell assembly (100). In addition, the second unit member (320) may be in contact with the outermost cells (BCL, BCR). At this time, as in the previous embodiment, the first unit member (310) may have a higher adhesive strength than the second unit member (320).

[0134] According to this implementation configuration, mobility is granted only to the outermost cells (BCL, BCR), while fixing force can be secured for most of the remaining battery cells (110). This implementation configuration can improve the overall fixing force for the cell assembly (100) while ensuring the effect of preventing damage to the outermost cells.

[0135]

[0136] In addition to the exemplary configurations illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the configuration for partially varying the adhesive strength of the heat-conducting member (300) disposed on at least one side of the cell assembly (100) may have various other forms. For example, the width (length in the X-axis direction) of the first unit member (310) and / or the second unit member (320) may be configured differently from the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, the width of the second unit member (320) may be configured to be wider than the shape illustrated in FIG. 8 and narrower than the shape illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0137] The width of the first unit member (310) and / or the second unit member (320) may be designed in various ways according to various conditions. For example, the width may be designed to be an appropriate value depending on various factors such as the shape, type, size, number of stacks, arrangement form, or the type, properties, components, size, or shape of the thermal conductive member (300) of the battery cell (110) included in the cell assembly (100).

[0138] As a more specific example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the width of the left unit member (320L) among the second unit members (320) is indicated as W2, and the width of the right unit member (320R) is indicated as W2'. At this time, the width (W2) of the left unit member (320L) can be designed according to the following relationship.

[0139] W0≤W2≤(n / 3)W0.

[0140] Here, W0 represents the width of one battery cell (110), and n represents the total number of battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100).

[0141] According to the above relationship, the width (W0) of the left unit member (320L) can be at least as small as the width of one battery cell (110), and at most as large as the sum of the widths of the battery cells (110) corresponding to 1 / 3 of the total number of battery cells (110). For example, when 24 battery cells (110) are provided in the cell assembly (100), the left unit member (320L) can be configured to have a width that allows the lower cover to be formed of at least one battery cell (110) and at most eight battery cells (110).

[0142] Moreover, the left unit member (320L) is positioned at the left end of the heat-conducting member (300) and can be in direct contact with at least the leftmost battery cell (110). For example, the left unit member (320L) may be configured to be in contact only with the outermost left cell (BCL), as in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 8. Alternatively, the left unit member (320L) may be configured to be in contact with the battery cells (110) located somewhat inward from the outermost left cell (BCL), as in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 7. For example, the left unit member (320L) may be configured to be in direct lower contact with a total of eight battery cells (110), from the outermost left cell (BCL) to the eighth battery cell (110) located in the right direction.

[0143] In addition, the right unit member (320R) may be provided in a form symmetrical to the left unit member (320L) in size and shape, except that it is located on the right side rather than the left side of the heat-conducting member (300). Therefore, a description similar to the width (W2') of the right unit member (320R) as to the width (W2) of the left unit member (320L) may be applied to the width (W2). For example, the right unit member (320R) may be configured to contact only the outermost right cell (BCR), as in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 8. Alternatively, the right unit member (320R) may directly contact the lower portion of two or more battery cells, including the outermost right cell (BCR), for example, a total of eight battery cells (110) from the outermost right cell (BCR) to the eighth battery cell (110) located leftward from the outermost right cell (BCR).

[0144] Meanwhile, the first unit member (310) may be appropriately designed according to the width of the second unit member (320). In particular, since the first unit member (310) is positioned between two second unit members (320) while the entire width of the thermally conductive member (300) is configured to be able to cover all of the battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100), the width of the first unit member (310) may be determined according to the width design of the second unit member (320). For example, when the width of the second unit member (320) is designed to be narrow, the width of the first unit member (310) may be designed to be wide. On the other hand, when the width of the second unit member (320) is designed to be wide, the width of the first unit member (310) may be relatively narrow.

[0145]

[0146] FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a heat-conducting member (300) included in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 9, three or more different types of heat-conducting unit members may be provided. More specifically, the heat-conducting member (300) may include a first unit member (310), a second unit member (320), and a third unit member (330) as heat-conducting unit members. These different types of unit members may be arranged in parallel in the stacking direction (X-axis direction) of the cell assembly (100). Here, in the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100), the first unit member (310) is located in the central portion, and the second unit member (320) is located at the outermost portion, and these may be similar to the embodiment of FIG. 6. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, the third unit member (330) may be interposed between the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320).

[0148] The third unit member (330) may be configured to have adhesive strengths different from those of the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320). The adhesive strength of the third unit member (330) may be located in a range between the adhesive strengths of the first unit member (310) and the adhesive strengths of the second unit member (320). In particular, the adhesive strength of the first unit member (310) may be configured to be greater than the adhesive strength of the second unit member (320). In this case, the third unit member (330) may have an adhesive strength that is less than the adhesive strength of the first unit member (310) and greater than the adhesive strength of the second unit member (320).

[0149] In this case, when the adhesive force of the first unit member (310) is represented as D1, the adhesive force of the second unit member (320) as D2, and the adhesive force of the third unit member (330) as D3, the following relationship can be established.

[0150] D1>D3>D2.

[0151] In particular, in this implementation configuration, for the battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100), the adhesive strength may sequentially weaken as the cells move from the center toward the outer side.

[0152] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to prevent a rapid change in the adhesive force between adjacent battery cells between different thermally conductive unit members. Therefore, in this case, a more precise response to swelling of the battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100) can be possible. In particular, in the plurality of battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100), the pressure due to swelling can show a sequential change that gradually increases from the center toward the outer side. Therefore, in the case of a configuration as in the above-described embodiment, if the change in the adhesive force between adjacent battery cells (110) occurs gradually, it is possible to more effectively respond to the sequential swelling pressure change in the cell stacking direction. Therefore, it can be more effective in suppressing damage to multiple battery cells (110) and maintaining the structural rigidity of the battery module. Furthermore, the thermally conductive member (300) may include four or more types of thermally conductive unit members with different adhesive forces. In this case, the change in adhesion between the thermal conductivity unit modules can be made more gradual.

[0153]

[0154] Meanwhile, two or more types of heat-conducting unit members may be configured in a semi-solid or fluid state, such as a gel or sol. In this case, the different types of heat-conducting unit members may be configured to have different viscosities.

[0155] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, the second unit member (320) and the third unit member (330) may both be configured in a fluid state, particularly a gel or sol state, but may be configured to have different viscosity coefficients. In particular, the second unit member (320), which is positioned relatively outer in the cell stacking direction, may have a lower viscosity coefficient than the third unit member (330), which is positioned relatively inner.

[0156] According to this embodiment configuration, when swelling of the cell assembly (100) occurs, the outer battery cell (110) (second cell) in contact with the second unit member (320) can move relatively better than the inner battery cell (110) (third cell) in contact with the third unit member (330). That is, when swelling of the battery cell (110) occurs, both the second cell and the third cell can move, but the third cell may move a smaller distance than the second cell. Since the third cell has a lower pressing force due to swelling than the second cell, even if the moving distance is small, the possibility of damage may not be high. In addition, in the case of this configuration, the third cell can be made to absorb the swelling of the cell assembly (100) to a certain level or more, and the third cell can be prevented from moving excessively and the pressing force on the second cell becoming larger.

[0157]

[0158] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 10 can be said to illustrate an example of a cross-sectional configuration along line A2-A2' in the exploded perspective view of Fig. 2.

[0159] Referring to FIG. 10, the module case (200) may have a separation protrusion, such as a portion indicated by P1, at a portion where the heat-conducting member (300) is attached. In particular, when the heat-conducting member (300) is applied to the upper surface of the lower plate (220) constituting the bottom of the module case (200), the separation protrusion (P1) may be provided on the upper surface of the lower plate (220) of the module case (200). In particular, the separation protrusion (P1) may have a shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the module case (200) in a direction toward the inner space. In addition, the separation protrusion (P1) may be configured to be elongated in the horizontal direction. In particular, the extension direction of the separation protrusion (P1) may be the longitudinal direction of the battery cell (110), which is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the battery cell (110). For example, the separation protrusion (P1) illustrated in Fig. 10 may be configured in a form that extends long in the Y-axis direction.

[0160] Moreover, such a separating protrusion (P1) may be interposed between different heat-conducting unit members. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, when a first unit member (310), a third unit member (330), and a second unit member (320) are sequentially arranged as heat-conducting unit members, the separating protrusion (P1) may be arranged between the first unit member (310) and the third unit member (330) and / or between the third unit member (330) and the first unit member (310). In such an embodiment, adjacent heat-conducting unit members may not be configured in a form in direct contact with each other, but may be configured in a form in which at least a portion is spaced apart in the cell stacking direction. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, adjacent heat-conducting unit members may be spaced apart in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) by the separating protrusion (P1).

[0161] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when a fluid thermally conductive paste is applied or filled to provide a thermally conductive member (300) on the surface of the module case (200), the thermally conductive paste can be properly settled at a predetermined position. Moreover, in this case, the thermally conductive paste can be effectively prevented from being separated to another position. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the module case (200) includes a U-frame-shaped main body, the battery module can be manufactured in a form in which the thermally conductive paste is applied to the upper surface of the lower plate (220) of the U-frame, and then the cell assembly (100) is settled thereon. At this time, the separating protrusion (P1) can guide the application position of the thermally conductive paste for each thermally conductive unit member. Furthermore, the separating protrusion (P1) can divide the space in the module case (200) where the thermally conductive member (300) is attached into several parts, thereby allowing several thermally conductive unit members to be easily divided and arranged. Additionally, these separating protrusions (P1) can prevent the thermally conductive paste for each thermally conductive unit member from flowing or moving from a designated location to another location. Therefore, in this case, the application or filling process of the thermally conductive member (300) can be performed more easily, and the productivity and structural stability of the battery module can be improved.

[0162] In addition, according to the above-described embodiment, in the case of a thermally conductive unit member formed of a non-curable resin or the like, changes in the shape or position of the thermally conductive unit member can be minimized by the separation protrusion (P1) even during use of the battery module. In particular, even in cases where the battery module for an automobile is frequently exposed to environments such as vibration or acceleration, each thermally conductive unit member can maintain its position consistently. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance of the cell assembly (100) by the thermally conductive member (300) can be continuously and stably secured.

[0163] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, swelling can be effectively countered through the appropriate positioning of heat-conducting unit members having different adhesive or fixing strengths. Furthermore, since the arrangement of these heat-conducting unit members can be maintained according to the above-described configuration, swelling resistance can also be continuously and stably secured.

[0164]

[0165] The above-described separation protrusion (P1) may have a portion whose width becomes narrower towards the end, as illustrated in FIG. 10. In particular, the separation protrusion (P1) may be provided in a form in which the end is configured to be sharp, thereby forming a slope. With this configuration, when applying the thermally conductive paste, the thermally conductive paste can easily reach the inner surface of the module case (200). Therefore, since the thermally conductive member (300) is securely interposed between the battery cell (110) and the module case (200), the cooling performance by the thermally conductive member (300) can be stably secured. In addition, the separation protrusion (P1) may have various other shapes.

[0166]

[0167] Meanwhile, in the case of the various embodiments described above, the change in adhesive force in one thermally conductive member (300) was described as being discontinuous at a specific portion, but this change in adhesive force can be configured to be continuous. For example, in the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 6 to 8, an area where the adhesive force changes is set around the left and right sides where the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) are in contact with each other. However, this change in adhesive force can be configured to gradually change from the center to the end of the thermally conductive member (300) in the cell stacking direction. For example, by applying different types of thermally conductive pastes to the inner surface of the module case (200), but not clearly distinguishing the application section between the thermally conductive pastes, and allowing them to be mixed at the portions where they are in contact with each other, this sequential change in adhesive force can be implemented.

[0168]

[0169] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is positioned at the bottom of a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 11 can be considered another modified example of the embodiment configuration of Fig. 7.

[0170] Referring to Fig. 11, a heat-conducting member (300) may be applied to one side of the cell assembly (100), particularly to the lower portion. At this time, the heat-conducting member (300) may not be applied to the central portion in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the battery cell (110), such as the portion indicated by E1. Furthermore, the heat-conducting member (300) may be configured to directly contact all battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100), but not to be applied to the central portion of all battery cells (110).

[0171] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the cost efficiency and lightweight of the battery module can be improved through the efficient arrangement of the heat-conducting member (300). In particular, the central portion of the cell assembly (100), such as the E1 portion, may not generate much heat. Therefore, in the case where the heat-conducting member (300) is not applied to the central portion, as in the above embodiment, the cooling performance of the battery module is not significantly reduced, and it may be advantageous in terms of cost reduction or lightweighting due to the reduced use of the heat-conducting member (300).

[0172]

[0173] The thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to have adhesive strength differences in two or more directions. That is, in the preceding descriptions, the thermally conductive member (300) has been described primarily with respect to a configuration in which the adhesive strength differences occur in one direction, particularly in the stacking direction of the battery cells (110). However, the thermally conductive member (300) may also be configured to have adhesive strength differences in two or more different directions. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 12 and the like.

[0174] Fig. 12 is a schematic bottom view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which a heat-conducting member (300) is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly (100). In addition, Figs. 13 and 14 are partial enlarged views of some of the components of Fig. 12. In particular, Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of portion B4 of Fig. 12, and Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of portion B5 of Fig. 12.

[0175] Referring to FIGS. 12 to 14, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) are configured to have different adhesive strengths and can be arranged in the left-right direction, which is the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100). At this time, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) may have a curved portion at a portion where they contact each other. For example, as shown in the portion indicated by B3 in FIG. 12, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) each have a curved portion formed at their boundary lines, and these curved portions may be provided to be fitted with each other. In addition, due to this curved shape, the heat-conductive member (300) may have adhesive strength differences in two or more different directions.

[0176] In particular, looking at the B4 portion of FIG. 12 and the configuration of FIG. 13, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) are arranged in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), which is the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100), and thus, it can be said that the adhesive force of the heat-conducting member (300) in this portion is configured differently in the left-right direction. On the other hand, looking at the B5 portion of FIG. 12 and the configuration of FIG. 14, it can be said that the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) are arranged in a direction different from the stacking direction (X-axis direction) of the cell assembly (100).

[0177] In this embodiment, it can be said that the adhesive strength is configured to be partially different in two or more directions between different thermally conductive unit members. In this case, in addition to providing different adhesive strengths between adjacent battery cells (110), the adhesive strength by the thermally conductive member (300) may also be partially provided differently within a single battery cell (110). For example, referring to the configuration of FIG. 13, it can be said that different adhesive strengths are provided between adjacent battery cells (110). In addition, referring to FIG. 14, it can be said that different adhesive strengths are partially provided within a single battery cell (110).

[0178]

[0179] In particular, the thermally conductive member (300) may have a portion having different adhesive strengths with respect to both the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells (110) provided in the cell assembly (100) and the longitudinal direction of one battery cell (110). That is, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured to have different adhesive strengths in two directions perpendicular to each other. In this case, it can be considered that the thermally conductive member (300) has both a portion having different adhesive strengths with respect to the stacking direction of the battery cells (110) and a portion having different adhesive strengths with respect to the longitudinal direction of each battery cell (110).

[0180] For example, referring to the exemplary configurations of FIGS. 12 to 14, in the cell assembly (100), a plurality of battery cells (110) are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), and each battery cell (110) may be configured to be long in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction). At this time, the thermally conductive member (300) may include a part configured to have different adhesive strengths in the left-right direction, such as part B4 of FIG. 12, that is, the part illustrated in FIG. 13, and a part configured to have different adhesive strengths in the front-back direction, such as part B5 of FIG. 12, that is, the part illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0181] In this case, the difference in adhesive force can be more appropriately provided depending on the deformation form of the cell assembly (100) when swelling occurs. In particular, the pressing force due to swelling may differ between different battery cells (110), but may also be applied partially differently within a single battery cell (110). Alternatively, the possibility of damage due to swelling may differ between different battery cells (110), but may also differ depending on a portion within a single battery cell (110). According to the above-described embodiment, the mobility of the battery cells (110) is differentially provided depending on the size of the pressing force or the possibility of damage per cell and / or per portion due to swelling, thereby more effectively reducing the possibility of damage in a specific cell and / or per portion.

[0182]

[0183] Furthermore, the thermally conductive member (300) may be configured such that the longitudinal end portion of the battery cell (110) has a weaker adhesive force than the central portion. This will be described in more detail with additional reference to FIG. 15.

[0184] FIG. 15 is a drawing schematically showing the application form of a heat-conducting member (300) for one battery cell (110) included in a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 15 may be a battery cell (110) indicated as C3 in FIG. 14.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 15, the battery cell (110) may be formed to be elongated in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction). In particular, the battery cell (110) is a pouch-shaped cell, and the cell assembly (100) of the battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured in a form in which a plurality of pouch-shaped cells are stacked left-right (X-axis direction) while standing upright in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). At this time, each pouch-shaped cell may have a wide surface of a storage portion arranged left-right to face each other, and a sealing portion arranged at the edge of the storage portion may be arranged in the front-back direction and up-down direction. In particular, an electrode lead (111) may protrude from the sealing portion arranged in the front-back direction of the pouch-shaped cell.

[0186] A battery cell (110) of this type is included in a cell assembly (100), and for some of the battery cells (110), different adhesive strengths may be applied in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction). That is, in the case of the pouch-shaped cell (C3) illustrated in FIG. 15, a first unit member (310) may be arranged on the longitudinal center side indicated by G1, and a second unit member (320) may be arranged on the longitudinal end side indicated by G2. In particular, the second unit member (320) may be configured to have a lower adhesive strength than the first unit member (310). For example, a non-curable thermal resin having a relatively weak adhesive strength may be used for the second unit member (320), and a curable thermal resin having a strong adhesive strength may be used for the first unit member (310).

[0187] When swelling occurs in the cell assembly (100), the pouch-shaped cells included in the cell assembly (100) are often damaged, such as by tearing, at the longitudinal end portion, as indicated by G2, compared to the longitudinal center portion, as indicated by G1. Furthermore, when the pouch-shaped cell is subjected to pressure due to swelling while the lower portion is bonded, damage, such as by cracking or tearing, can easily occur at the lower edge portion on the terrace portion where the electrode lead (111) is located. However, according to the above-described configuration, in consideration of these characteristics, by configuring the adhesive strength of the heat-conducting member (300) to be weak at the end portion where damage easily occurs, movement of the end portion is permitted to a certain extent, thereby preventing damage to the end portion more effectively. On the other hand, by suppressing movement of the central portion of the pouch-shaped cell, movement of the pouch-shaped cell as a whole can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the pressure from swelling into the battery cell (110) located outside the pouch-shaped cell, and to absorb the swelling to a certain extent. In addition, in this case, it may be more advantageous to maintain the overall structure of the cell assembly (100).

[0188] Meanwhile, in several exemplary drawings including FIG. 15, the thermally conductive member (300) is depicted as not being applied to the entire side (e.g., the lower side) of the battery cell (110), but rather to both ends in the length direction of the cell. However, this corresponds to one embodiment, and the thermally conductive member (300), particularly the second unit member (320), may be applied to both ends of each battery cell (110).

[0189]

[0190] The above-described heat-conducting member (300) may include a center member and an outer member. Here, the center member may be a heat-conducting unit member located on the central side in the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100). And, the outer member may be a heat-conducting unit member located on the outer side relative to the center member in the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100). In particular, the outer member may have a weaker adhesive force than the center member. For example, in the above-described various embodiments including FIG. 12, the first unit member (310) may be the center member and the second unit member (320) may be the outer member.

[0191] At this time, the outer member may be configured to have a width that is partially different in the stacking direction of the cell assembly (100). In particular, the outer member may be arranged to have a width that is different for each portion in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100). For example, referring to the exemplary configuration of FIG. 12, the second unit member (320) arranged on the left side of the first unit member (310) may be an outer member, and the width of the central portion in the longitudinal direction may be represented as W21, and the width of the end portion may be represented as W22. At this time, W21 and W22 may have different sizes. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the outer member may be configured to have a width (W22) of the end portion that is larger than the width (W21) of the central portion.

[0192] Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 12, when the heat-conducting member (300) is viewed from the top or bottom, it may be configured as an overall rectangular shape. At this time, the second unit member (320) positioned on the left as an outer member may have a shape in which the central portion of the right side is concavely recessed in the left direction. In addition, the second unit member (320) positioned on the right as an outer member may have a shape in which the central portion of the left side is concavely recessed in the right direction. In addition, the first unit member (310) positioned between the two outer members, that is, the center member, may be configured to correspond to the recessed shape of the outer members. That is, the center member may have a convex shape in the central portion so as to be inserted into the concave portion of the outer member. For example, the center member may have a convex shape in which the central portion of the left side protrudes leftward and a convex shape in which the central portion of the right side protrudes rightward.

[0193] In this embodiment, the battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100) may be in contact with the heat-conducting member (300) in various forms. For example, the battery cells (110) arranged in the portion indicated as J1 in FIG. 12 may be in contact only with the first unit member (310) (center member) and may be firmly fixed to the module case (200) as a whole. In addition, the battery cells (110) arranged in the portion indicated as J2 in FIG. 12 may be in contact only with the second unit member (320) (outer member) and may be provided with mobility as a whole. In particular, the portion indicated as J2 may include the outermost battery cell (110). Next, the battery cells (110) arranged in the portion indicated as J3 in FIG. 12 may be in contact with both the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320). In particular, the battery cells (110) arranged in the portion indicated by J3, like the battery cell (110) illustrated in FIG. 15, have a first unit member (310) with high adhesiveness arranged in the central portion to be fixed to the module case (200), and a second unit member (320) with low adhesiveness arranged in the end portion to be partially allowed to move.

[0194] In this case, the cell assembly (100) may include both battery cells (110) that are in contact only with a single type of thermally conductive unit member and battery cells (110) that are in contact with different types of thermally conductive unit members. In particular, the cell assembly (100) may include battery cells (110) that are in contact only with the first unit member (310), battery cells (110) that are in contact only with the second unit member (320), and battery cells (110) that are in contact with both the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320).

[0195] According to this embodiment of the present invention, by providing different adhesive strengths to the thermally conductive member (300) depending on the stacking positions of the battery cells (110) within the cell assembly (100), the overall structural stability of the cell assembly (100) is improved in a normal state, and the effect of preventing damage to individual cells when swelling occurs can be improved.

[0196]

[0197] Meanwhile, the width change according to the position of the outer member may be configured in the form of steps with steps, as illustrated in Fig. 12. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this form, and the width change of the outer member or inner member may be provided in various other ways.

[0198] Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is positioned at the bottom of a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 17 is an enlarged view of portion B6 of Fig. 16.

[0199] Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, at least a portion of the center member may be configured to have a width that gradually changes in the cell length direction. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the center member, as a first unit member (310), may be configured to have a different width overall from the front end to the rear end in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction), which is the cell length direction. In particular, the first unit member (310) may be configured to have a width that gradually becomes thicker from the front-back direction end part to the center part, such that the center part is the thickest. At this time, the second unit member (320), which is an outer member, may be formed to have a concave shape that becomes thicker from the front-back direction end part to the center part, corresponding to the shape of the first unit member (310). That is, the second unit member (320), which is an outer member, may be formed to have a thick width at the cell length direction end part.

[0200] At this time, at least some of the battery cells (110) may have a boundary line between different thermally conductive unit members formed in a diagonal or curved shape, as illustrated in FIG. 17. In particular, in the case of the pouch-shaped cell arranged in the area indicated by J4 in FIG. 16, the contact area of ​​the first unit member (310) with strong adhesive force may decrease as one goes outward (-X-axis direction), and the contact area of ​​the second unit member (320) with weak adhesive force may increase. In particular, in the pouch-shaped cell arranged in the area, the second unit member (320) is arranged at the front and rear ends to ensure fluidity of the corresponding portion, and the contact area of ​​the second unit member (320) may gradually increase as one goes outward.

[0201]

[0202] FIG. 18 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0203] Referring to Fig. 18, similarly to the embodiment of Fig. 16, the second unit member (320), which is an outer member, may be formed to have a thick width at the longitudinal end of the battery cell (110), and the first unit member (310), which is a center member, may be formed to have a thick width at the longitudinal center of the battery cell (110). Furthermore, the second unit member (320) and the first unit member (310) may be configured to have a recessed shape that matches each other, but may include a portion in which the boundary line is formed in a diagonal shape, such as a portion indicated by B7.

[0204] According to this embodiment, for at least some battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100), for example, battery cells (110) arranged in the area indicated by J5 in FIG. 18, the contact area of ​​the first unit member (310) and / or the second unit member (320) in the cell stacking direction can be changed at a constant ratio. Accordingly, a change in the fixing force (adhesive force) between a plurality of battery cells (110) stacked mutually in the area can be made steadily and gradually.

[0205]

[0206] FIG. 19 is a bottom view schematically showing a configuration in which a heat-conducting member (300) is arranged at the bottom of a cell assembly (100) in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0207] Referring to FIG. 19, the first unit member (310) having strong adhesive force can be brought into contact with all battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100). However, for at least some battery cells (110), the area in contact with the first unit member (310) can be configured differently.

[0208] For example, in the case of battery cells (110) arranged in the central direction in the cell stacking direction, such as in the area indicated by J6, only the first unit member (310) can be in contact with the entire length direction (Y-axis direction). On the other hand, in the case of battery cells (110) arranged in the outer direction in the cell stacking direction, such as in the area indicated by J7, the first unit member (310) can be in contact only with the central portion in the length direction, and the second unit member (320) can be in contact with the vicinity of the longitudinal end portion. In particular, the outermost cell is included in the area J7, and for this outermost cell, it can be said that the first unit member (310) is in contact with the central portion, and the second unit member (320) is in contact with the end portion.

[0209] Moreover, in the outer region indicated by J7, the contact area of ​​the first unit member (310) may gradually decrease and the contact area of ​​the second unit member (320) may gradually increase as the cell stacking direction is directed outward.

[0210] According to this embodiment of the present invention, since adhesive force is provided to the entire battery cells (110) by the first unit member (310), the structural rigidity and structural stability of the entire cell assembly (100) can be improved. In particular, since partial adhesiveness is achieved even for the outermost cell, the overall structure of the cell assembly (100) can be prevented from being significantly disturbed even by vibration or swelling. However, for the battery cells (110) located on the outside, including the outermost cell, the second unit member (320) having a weak adhesive force is in contact with the longitudinal end portion, so that partial movement can be permitted during swelling. Therefore, the problem of easy damage to the longitudinal end portion of the battery cell, particularly the pouch-type cell, can be prevented. Moreover, in the embodiment of FIG. 19, it can be said that the contact area of ​​the second unit member (320) is provided the widest for the outermost cell among all the battery cells (110) included in the cell assembly (100). Therefore, the possibility of damage to the outermost cells due to swelling can be more reliably reduced.

[0211] In addition, as in the embodiment configurations of FIGS. 16, 18, and 19, when the boundary line between the first unit member (310) and / or the second unit member (320) is configured in an oblique or curved shape, a configuration in which the adhesive strength of the heat-conductive member (300) gradually changes along the cell stacking direction can be more easily achieved. In particular, in order to gradually change the adhesive strength of the heat-conductive member (300) according to the position, it may be a difficult process to sequentially change the composition of the heat-conductive member (300) according to the position or to diversely arrange several types of heat-conductive materials having different compositions according to the position. However, according to the embodiment configurations described above, a gradual change in adhesive strength according to the position of the heat-conductive member (300) can be easily implemented without performing a complicated process.

[0212]

[0213] Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 20 may be a modified example of the configuration of Fig. 3. In addition, Fig. 21 is an enlarged view of portion B8 of Fig. 20.

[0214] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, the cell assembly (100) may further include a barrier (120) in addition to the battery cell (110). One or more barriers (120), particularly a plurality of barriers (120), may be provided in one cell assembly (100). Furthermore, the barrier (120) may be arranged between adjacent battery cells (110) in the cell assembly (100), or at the outermost edge of the cell assembly (100) in the stacking direction. The barrier (120) may be configured in a plate shape and may face the surface of the battery cell (110), particularly the outer surface of the storage portion of the pouch-type cell. Furthermore, the barrier (120) may be attached to the outer surface of the storage portion of the pouch-type cell.

[0215] The barrier (120) may be configured to absorb swelling of the cell assembly (100). To this end, the barrier (120) may be formed of an elastic material, such as urethane or rubber. In particular, the barrier (120) may effectively absorb swelling of the central portion in the height direction (Z-axis direction) with respect to a plurality of stacked battery cells (110).

[0216] Additionally, the barrier (120) may be configured to block heat and / or flame between adjacent battery cells (110) in the cell assembly (100). To this end, the barrier (120) may be formed of a material such as silicon, mica, GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic), or CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic).

[0217] In addition, the barrier (120) may be configured to perform various other functions and may include various other materials.

[0218] In this embodiment, the barrier (120) may be placed at the boundary of parts having different adhesive strengths. For example, referring to the configuration of FIG. 20, the battery module may include a first unit member (310) and a second unit member (320) as heterogeneous thermally conductive unit members having different adhesive strengths. At this time, the barrier (120) may be interposed between the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) in the cell stacking direction (X-axis direction), as illustrated in FIG. 21. That is, the barrier (120) may be a boundary that divides the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320).

[0219] In particular, the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) can be applied to the inner surface of the module case (200) as thermally conductive pastes, each in a fluid state. At this time, the barrier (120) can prevent different types of thermally conductive pastes from being placed only in designated sections and from flowing to other unintended sections. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the adhesive force distribution of the thermally conductive member (300) can be accurately achieved as designed in advance.

[0220] Moreover, the barrier (120) may have its end inserted into the module case (200). For example, as shown in the portion indicated by B9 in FIG. 21, a groove having a concave shape in a downward direction is formed on the inner surface (upper surface) of the lower plate (220), and the lower end of the barrier (120) may be inserted into this groove. In this case, the partition performance between the first unit member (310) and the second unit member (320) by the barrier (120) may be further improved. In addition, since the position of the barrier (120) within the battery module may be maintained, the barrier (120) may also serve to absorb swelling of the cell assembly (100). In this case, the structural stability and assemblability of the battery module may also be improved.

[0221]

[0222] Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 22 may be another variation of the configuration of Fig. 3.

[0223] Referring to Fig. 22, the battery module according to the present invention may further include a cooling member (400). The cooling member (400) may be configured to allow a coolant to flow. For example, the cooling member (400) may have a hollow space formed therein, as indicated by H in Fig. 22, to provide a cooling path. Then, the coolant may flow through this cooling path (H). Here, the coolant may include a cooling liquid such as coolant, as well as a cooling gas. The cooling member (400) may be expressed by other terms, such as a heat sink, or may be implemented with other structures.

[0224] The cooling member (400) may be provided on the side where the heat-conducting member (300) is positioned. In other words, the heat-conducting member (300) may be provided on the side where the cooling member (400) is positioned. For example, the cooling member (400) may be provided on the lower side of the battery module, as illustrated in FIG. 22, in which case the heat-conducting member (300) may also be provided on the lower side of the cell assembly (100).

[0225] The cooling member (400) may be provided on the outside of the module case (200). For example, the cooling member (400) may be provided on the outside of the lower side of the module case (200), as illustrated in FIG. 22. However, the position of the cooling member (400) may be configured in various ways.

[0226] Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0227] Referring to Fig. 23, a cooling member (400) may be provided within the module case (200). For example, a hollow space is formed in the lower plate (220) of the module case (200), and coolant may flow through this hollow space. In this case, it can be said that the hollow space formed in the module case (200) functions as a cooling passage (H).

[0228] In this embodiment, it can be said that the cooling member (400) is integrated into at least a portion of the module case (200). In other words, the module case (200) can be configured to have a cooling function or cooling configuration built in. In this embodiment, the heat-conducting member (300) can be in direct contact with the module case (200) and discharge heat through the cooling path (H), so that the cooling performance of the battery module can be further improved.

[0229]

[0230] Meanwhile, in the case of the various implementation drawings described above, the description is centered on the case where the battery cell (110) included in the cell assembly (100) is a pouch-shaped cell, but the battery cell (110) may be a cylindrical cell or a square cell.

[0231] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which a plurality of cylindrical cells are provided in a cell assembly (100) of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention and are stacked on top of each other.

[0232] Referring to FIG. 24, a cell assembly (100) may be configured in a form in which a plurality of cylindrical cells are stacked in two or more directions on the XY plane as battery cells (110). In addition, a heat-conducting member (300) may be provided on the lower surface of such a cylindrical cell stack in a form in which the adhesive strength is partially different. For example, in a cell assembly (100) in which a plurality of cylindrical cells (110) are stacked in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the front-back direction (Y-axis direction), the adhesive strength of the heat-conducting member (300) may be configured differently for cylindrical cells that are arranged relatively inwardly, such as in the K1 portion, and for cylindrical cells that are arranged relatively outwardly, such as in the K2 portion.

[0233] For example, a first unit member (310) may be placed in the K1 region, and a second unit member (320) may be placed in the K2 region. At this time, the second unit member (320) may be configured to have a lower adhesive strength than the first unit member (310). As a more specific example, the second unit member (320) may be an uncured adhesive, and the first unit member (310) may be a curable adhesive.

[0234] According to this embodiment, when swelling of the cell assembly (100) occurs, a certain degree of movement is allowed for the cylindrical cells located at the outer portion, thereby preventing the swelling pressure from accumulating in the outer cells and the collapse of the overall structure of the cell assembly (100). In particular, a potting resin may be applied as the heat-conducting member (300), and according to the embodiment as described above, problems such as damage to the resin hardened by swelling and structural collapse occurring can be prevented.

[0235] Moreover, the second unit member (320) having a weak adhesive force may be configured in a ring shape surrounding the first unit member (310) having a strong adhesive force. For example, the second unit member (320) may be formed in a square ring shape, as indicated by K2 in FIG. 24. In this case, in a cell assembly (100) in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked in two or more directions, the second unit member (320) may be arranged on the entire battery cell (110) located on the outer side. In particular, the second unit member (320) may be applied to the side at least for the battery cell (110) arranged at the outermost side.

[0236] The direction in which the cylindrical cell expands due to swelling may not be limited to a specific direction. However, according to the above-described embodiment, regardless of the direction in which the pressure due to swelling of the cell assembly (100) is directed, the second unit member (320) can be placed relative to the cylindrical cell positioned outside of the corresponding direction. Therefore, regardless of the swelling direction, damage to the battery cell (110) or structural collapse of the cell assembly (100) can be prevented.

[0237]

[0238] Meanwhile, although the various drawings of this specification have been described with a focus on a configuration in which the heat-conductive member (300) is positioned on the lower side of the battery module, the heat-conductive member (300) may be positioned on other sides, such as the upper side of the battery module. Furthermore, the heat-conductive member (300) may be positioned on two or more sides of the battery module. For example, the heat-conductive member (300) may be applied to the upper and lower sides of the cell assembly (100), respectively.

[0239]

[0240] Fig. 25 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0241] Referring to FIG. 25, a battery pack according to the present invention may include one or more battery modules according to the present invention described above, as indicated by M. In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include various other components in addition to the battery module (M) according to the present invention. For example, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include components of a battery pack known at the time of filing of the present invention, such as a BMS (Battery Management System), a bus bar, a relay, a current sensor, etc.

[0242] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a pack case, as indicated by PC in FIG. 25. This pack case (PC) may provide a space in which the battery module according to the present invention can be stored. In particular, when the battery pack includes multiple battery modules, the pack case (PC) may be partitioned into spaces for storing the multiple battery modules using cross beams or the like.

[0243]

[0244] Fig. 26 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0245] Referring to FIG. 26, a battery pack according to the present invention may include a battery module according to the present invention, but may not include a separate pack case, and may be configured such that the module case (200) of the battery module functions as a pack case (PC). In this case, components of the battery pack, such as a BMS, a bus bar, and a relay, may be included inside the module case (200). A battery pack of this type is also called a cell-to-pack (CTP) because the battery cells (110) are directly housed in the pack case (PC). Recently, development of such CTP-type battery packs has also been active, and the present invention can be applied to such CTP-type battery packs as well. In particular, a thermally conductive member (300) may be partially provided with different adhesive strengths on the inner surface, for example, the bottom surface, of the housing, which is both the pack case (PC) and the module case (200), so that stability against swelling, etc. may be secured. In addition, the plurality of battery cells (110) can directly transfer heat to the pack case (PC) through the heat-conducting member (300), thereby further improving cooling performance.

[0246]

[0247] The battery module or battery pack according to the present invention can be applied to automobiles such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. That is, an automobile according to the present invention may include a battery module according to the present invention or a battery pack according to the present invention. Furthermore, an automobile according to the present invention may further include various other components included in the automobile in addition to the battery module or battery pack. For example, an automobile according to the present invention may further include a body, a motor, a control device such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and the like, in addition to the battery module according to the present invention.

[0248] As described above, although the present invention has been described by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the equivalent scope of the patent claims to be described below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0249]

[0250] [Explanation of symbols]

[0251] 100: Cell Assembly

[0252] 110: Battery cell

[0253] 111: Electrode lead

[0254] 120: Barrier

[0255] 200: Module Case

[0256] 210: Top, 220: Bottom, 230: Left, 240: Right, 250: Front, 260: Back

[0257] 300: Thermally conductive member

[0258] 310: 1st unit member, 320: 2nd unit member, 330: 3rd unit member

[0259] 400: Cooling element

[0260] P1: Separating protrusion

[0261] H: Cooling Euro

[0262] M: Battery module

[0263] PC: Pack Case

Claims

1. A cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells stacked in at least one direction; a module case accommodating the cell assembly in its internal space; and A heat-conducting member interposed between the above cell assembly and the above module case, configured to transfer heat and have a partial difference in adhesive strength A battery module characterized by including a .

2. In paragraph 1, A battery module, characterized in that the heat-conducting member is interposed between all battery cells provided in the cell assembly and the module case.

3. In paragraph 1, A battery module, characterized in that the heat-conducting member has a portion having an adhesive strength difference along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

4. In paragraph 3, A battery module characterized in that the heat-conducting member is configured such that a portion located on the outside in the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells at least partially has a weaker adhesive force than a portion located on the inside.

5. In paragraph 4, A battery module, characterized in that the heat-conducting member is configured such that the adhesive strength of the portion where the outermost battery cell is located in the cell assembly is the weakest.

6. In paragraph 1, A battery module, characterized in that the heat-conducting member comprises two or more heat-conducting unit members having different adhesive strengths, and the two or more heat-conducting unit members are arranged along the stacking direction of the cell assembly.

7. In paragraph 1, A battery module, characterized in that the above heat-conducting member is configured to have partially different degrees of hardening.

8. In paragraph 7, A battery module, characterized in that the above heat-conducting member comprises a hardenable heat-conducting part and a non-hardenable heat-conducting part.

9. In paragraph 1, A battery module, characterized in that the heat-conducting member is configured to have an adhesive strength difference in two or more directions.

10. In paragraph 9, A battery module characterized in that the heat-conducting member has a portion having different adhesive strengths with respect to both the stacking direction of a plurality of battery cells provided in the cell assembly and the longitudinal direction of each battery cell.

11. In paragraph 10, A battery module characterized in that the heat-conducting member is configured such that the longitudinal end portions of the battery cell have weaker adhesive strength than the central portions.

12. In paragraph 1, The above heat-conducting member comprises a center member and an outer member having a weaker adhesive force than the center member and positioned outside the center member in the stacking direction of the cell assembly. A battery module, wherein the outer member is configured such that the width of the stacking direction of the cell assembly is partially different.

13. In paragraph 12, A battery module characterized in that the center member has a portion whose width gradually changes in the stacking direction of the cell assembly.

14. In paragraph 1, A battery module characterized in that it further includes a cooling member provided on the outside or inside of the module case and configured to allow coolant to move.

15. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A vehicle comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images