Battery module

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery module comprising: a lower case in which a battery is accommodated; a substrate installed on the upper surface of the lower case and having a substrate bus bar fastening part formed thereon; an upper cover coupled to the lower case to protect the battery and the substrate, the upper cover having an external terminal installed on the upper surface thereof; and a bus bar installed on the lower surface of the upper cover, and including an external terminal connection part connected to the external terminal and a substrate connection part connected to the substrate bus bar fastening part. The upper cover further includes a bolting fastening hole opened such that the substrate connection part and the substrate bus bar fastening part can be bolt-fastened from the outside, and further includes a vent hose having one end inserted into the bolting fastening hole. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be reduced by simplifying the mold structure and reducing the assembly process.

Description

battery module

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, and more specifically, to a battery module for effectively discharging gases that may be generated in a battery cell.

[0002] Unless otherwise indicated in this specification, the contents described in this identification item are not prior art for the claims of this application, and are not recognized as prior art simply because they are described in this identification item.

[0003] Various types of secondary batteries are used in automobiles. While lead-acid batteries were generally used in conventional internal combustion engines, the use of lithium-ion battery modules for propulsion has recently increased due to the emergence of electric vehicles. In particular, there is a trend of replacing lead-acid batteries used for starting in conventional internal combustion engines with lithium-ion batteries.

[0004] Lithium-ion battery modules are widely used in various industries due to their high energy density and charging characteristics. However, there is a risk of overheating or fire in the battery cells, which may lead to the release of harmful gases. To address these issues, conventional technology has adopted air vent or gas vent structures in battery module cases to safely vent internal gases.

[0005] As prior art, technologies equipped with a structure for discharging gas from a battery module have been proposed. For example, patent document KR10-2014-0012244A proposes a structure for cooling a battery cell and discharging gas. In this technology, an inlet and an outlet are formed inside the battery case, and through this structure, cooling air circulates to cool the battery cell while simultaneously discharging gas to the outside. This method provides the advantage of improving the safety of the battery module and effectively controlling the temperature of the cell.

[0006] However, conventional air or gas vent structures require separate parts and molds, which has been a cause of increased manufacturing costs for battery modules. Such structures complicate the battery module assembly process, reduce production efficiency, and lower the cost competitiveness of the overall system.

[0007] The embodiments of the present invention are devised to solve the above-mentioned problems and aim to provide a battery module capable of reducing manufacturing costs by simplifying the mold structure and reducing the assembly process.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides a battery module characterized by solving the above-mentioned problem by comprising: a lower case in which a battery is housed; a substrate installed on the upper surface of the lower case and having a substrate busbar fastening portion formed therein; an upper cover coupled to the lower case to protect the battery and the substrate and having an external terminal installed on its upper surface; and a busbar installed on the lower surface of the upper cover and including an external terminal connecting portion connected to the external terminal and a substrate connecting portion connected to the substrate busbar fastening portion; wherein the upper cover further comprises a bolting fastening hole open to allow bolting of the substrate connecting portion and the substrate busbar fastening portion from the outside; and further comprises a vent hose having one end fitted into the bolting fastening hole.

[0009] It is preferable to further include a fastening hole sealing member that is fitted into and seals the bolting holes, wherein the bolting fastening holes are formed in multiple numbers.

[0010] It is effective for the upper cover to further include a support boss formed protruding from the lower surface where the bolting fastening hole is formed.

[0011] It is preferable that the above support boss supports the upper surface of the above busbar.

[0012] It is effective for the upper cover above to further include a vent portion formed by penetrating the side of the support boss.

[0013] It is preferable that the above-mentioned vent portion be formed by making a long cut along the longitudinal direction of the above-mentioned support boss.

[0014] According to the means for solving the problem of the present invention as described above, various effects including the following can be expected. However, the present invention is not required to exhibit all of the following effects to be valid.

[0015] The battery module of one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to discharge harmful gases using bolting fastening holes that fix the busbar and the substrate without forming a separate exhaust port for the discharge of harmful gases, thereby having a simple structure, simplifying the manufacturing process, and consequently reducing costs.

[0016] In addition, the elements requiring sealing in the battery module are reduced, making sealing much more efficient.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the upper cover of FIG. 2.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the upper cover of FIG. 2.

[0021] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the fracture of section V in FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the upper cover of FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the busbar of FIG. 3.

[0024] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0025] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described illustratively above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope described in the claims.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the upper cover of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a top view of the upper cover of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a broken enlarged perspective view of the V portion of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the upper cover of FIG. 2, and FIG. 7 is a top view of the busbar of FIG. 3.

[0027] As illustrated in these drawings, a battery module of one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a lower case (100) in which a battery (110) is housed; a substrate (500) installed on the upper surface of the lower case (100) and having a substrate busbar fastening portion (510) formed thereon; an upper cover (200) coupled to the lower case (100) to protect the battery (110) and the substrate (500) and having an external terminal (210) installed on its upper surface; a busbar (400) installed on the lower surface of the upper cover (200) and including an external terminal connecting portion (410) connected to the external terminal (210) and a substrate connecting portion (420) connected to the substrate busbar fastening portion (510); and a vent hose (300) having one end fitted into a bolting fastening hole (220).

[0028] The battery (110) is a lithium battery. However, it is not limited to this.

[0029] The lower case (100) is formed in a concave shape to accommodate a plurality of batteries (110). A plurality of batteries (110) may be installed as needed.

[0030] The substrate (500) is a circuit board that electrically connects a plurality of batteries (110) and implements a BMS that controls the charging and discharging of the batteries (110). On the upper surface of the substrate (500), a plurality of substrate busbar fastening portions (510) are formed so as to be electrically connected to an external terminal (210) for charging and discharging. The substrate busbar fastening portions (510) are fixed such that a bolt protrudes upward.

[0031] The busbar (400) is formed as a plate-shaped strip, and an external terminal connection part (410) and a substrate connection part (420) are formed at each end, respectively. The external terminal connection part (410) and the substrate connection part (420) are formed with fastening holes penetrating them. Accordingly, the substrate connection part (420) is fitted into a bolt formed on the substrate busbar fastening part (510), and the external terminal connection part (410) is fitted into a protrusion formed on the bottom surface of the external terminal (210) and then fixed by a separately provided nut.

[0032] The upper cover (200) is fastened and fixed to the upper side of the lower case (100), and a plurality of external terminals (210) are installed on its upper surface. The external terminals (210) protrude through the upper cover (200) so that a bus bar (400) can be fixed inwardly.

[0033] Additionally, the upper cover (200) includes a bolting hole (220) that is open to allow the substrate connection part (420) and the substrate busbar fastening part (510) to be bolted from the outside, and a support boss (230) formed protruding from the lower surface where the bolting hole (220) is formed.

[0034] The above bolting fastening holes (220) are formed in multiple numbers. That is, the bolting fastening holes (220) are formed by penetrating through from the outside (upper side) to a size large enough to allow a nut to be fastened using a tool while the substrate connection part (420) of the bus bar (400) is fitted into the substrate bus bar fastening part (510).

[0035] Since the bolting fastening hole (220) is open, a structure is required to prevent external foreign matter from entering the interior of the battery module.

[0036] Some of the multiple bolting holes (220) are sealed by fitting a vent hose (300), and the remaining bolting holes (220) include a fastening hole sealing member (600) that is fitted into the bolting holes (220) to seal them. The fastening hole sealing member (600) is formed of an elastic synthetic resin material and is formed in a shape that can be forcibly fitted into the bolting holes (220) to seal them.

[0037] The support boss (230) extends long downward from the bolting fastening hole (220), and the central part is formed to penetrate downward as a hollow space. By forming this support boss (230) to a length that supports the upper surface of the bus bar (400), the bus bar (400) is supported more stably on the upper side of the substrate.

[0038] Meanwhile, the upper cover (200) further includes a vent portion (232) formed by penetrating the side of the support boss (230) into which the vent hose (300) is fitted. The vent portion (232) is formed by being cut long along the longitudinal direction of the support boss (230), thereby allowing harmful gases generated from the battery module to be discharged more stably.

[0039] The vent hose (300) is formed so that one end seals the upper surface of the bolting fastening hole (220) and simultaneously discharges gas discharged from the bolting fastening hole (220) to the outside.

[0040] The assembly sequence of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention is described below.

[0041] First, when the lower case (100) and the substrate (500) are prepared in a fixed state, the external terminal connection part (410) of the bus bar (400) is fitted into the protrusion protruding from the bottom surface of the external terminal (210) of the upper cover (200) and fixed with a nut.

[0042] Next, the upper cover (200) with the bus bar (400) attached is positioned on the upper surface of the lower case (100), such that the fastening hole formed in the substrate connection part (420) of the bus bar (400) is fitted into the bolt of the substrate bus bar fastening part (510) of the substrate (500).

[0043] Next, the lower case (100) is fixed to the upper cover (200), and the connection between the upper cover (200), the busbar (400), and the substrate (500) is completed by fastening a nut to a bolt of the substrate busbar fastening part (510) through the bolting fastening hole (220).

[0044] Next, one end of the vent hose (300) is inserted into the bolting fastening hole (220) in which the vent portion (232) is formed, and the remaining bolting fastening hole (220) is sealed by fitting a fastening hole sealing member (600).

[0045] At this time, if harmful gas is generated inside the battery module during use, the harmful gas can be stably discharged through the vent part (232) and the vent hose (300).

[0046] As described above, the battery module of one embodiment of the present invention can discharge harmful gases by utilizing the bolting fastening holes that fix the busbar and the substrate without forming a separate exhaust port for the discharge of harmful gases, and thus has the advantage of having a simple structure, simplifying the manufacturing process, and consequently reducing costs.

[0047] In addition, the elements requiring sealing in the battery module are reduced, making sealing much more efficient.

Claims

1. A lower case (100) in which a battery (110) is stored; A substrate (500) installed on the upper surface of the lower case (100) and having a substrate busbar fastening portion (510) formed thereon; An upper cover (200) that is coupled with the lower case (100) to protect the battery (110) and the substrate (500), and has an external terminal (210) installed on its upper surface; and A busbar (400) installed on the lower surface of the upper cover (200) and comprising an external terminal connection part (410) connected to the external terminal (210) and a substrate connection part (420) connected to the substrate busbar fastening part (510); Includes, The upper cover (200) above is, A bolting hole (220) that is open so that the above substrate connection part (420) and the above substrate busbar fastening part (510) can be bolted from the outside; Includes more, A vent hose (300) that is inserted into the bolting hole (220) above; A battery module characterized by further including 2. In Paragraph 1, The above bolting fastening holes (220) are formed in multiple numbers, A fastening hole sealing member (600) that is fitted into and seals the above bolting fastening hole (220); A battery module characterized by further including 3. In Paragraph 1, The upper cover (200) above is, A support boss (230) formed protruding from the lower surface where the above-mentioned bolting fastening hole (220) is formed; A battery module characterized by further including 4. In Paragraph 3, A battery module characterized in that the support boss (230) supports the upper surface of the bus bar (400).

5. In Paragraph 3, The upper cover (200) above is, A vent portion (232) formed by penetrating the side of the support boss (230); A battery module characterized by further including 6. In Paragraph 5, The above vent portion (232) is, A battery module characterized by being formed by being cut lengthwise along the length of the support boss (230).

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