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EP-3975324-B1 - BATTERY MODULE CAPABLE OF PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF GAS TO ADJACENT MODULE

EP3975324B1EP 3975324 B1EP3975324 B1EP 3975324B1EP-3975324-B1

Inventors

  • YU, SANG HYUN
  • LIM, DAE HOON
  • LEE, YOUNG SEOK
  • SHIN, JIN KYU
  • BAE, KYUNG HYUN
  • IM, YOUNG BIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200928

Claims (13)

  1. A battery module comprising: a module case (100); and a unit module (200), wherein the module case (100) is made of a heat-resistant material, wherein two or more unit modules (200) are received in the module case, wherein the two or more unit modules (200) are located spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and wherein each of the unit modules (200) comprises one or more stacked battery cells (230), each cell (230) extending in a vertical direction, wherein the module case (100) comprises an upper housing (110), a lower housing (120), a front cover (130), and a rear cover (140), and characterized in that the rear cover (140) is provided with a bent portion (141) formed so as to project outwards, and wherein a plurality of holes (142) is formed in the bent portion (141) wherein the bent portion (141) wraps a first projection portion (215) of the upper cover (210) and a second projecting portion (225) of the lower cover (220).
  2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the unit module (200) comprises a plurality of battery cells (230) received in a space portion defined by the upper cover (210) and the lower cover (220), a front busbar assembly (240), a rear busbar assembly (250), a pair of end plates (260), one surface of each of which is brought into tight contact with a corresponding one of the upper cover (210) and the lower cover (220), and a pair of cooling fins (270) located respectively at an upper part and a lower part of the battery cells (230).
  3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the upper cover (210) comprises a first horizontal portion (211) located horizontally, a pair of first vertical portions (212) extending downwards from opposite side edges of the first horizontal portion (211), a pair of first receiving recesses (213) formed in each of the first vertical portions (212) so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and a first cut-out portion (214) formed in one side edge of each of the first vertical portions (212), the first cut-out portion being formed so as to have a predetermined shape by cutting, and wherein the lower cover (220) comprises a second horizontal portion (221) located horizontally, a pair of second vertical portions (222) extending upwards from opposite side edges of the second horizontal portion (221), a pair of second receiving recesses (223) formed in each of the second vertical portions (222) so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and a second cut-out portion (224) formed in one side edge of each of the second vertical portions (222), the second cut-out portion being formed so as to have a predetermined shape by cutting.
  4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein each of the upper cover (210) and the lower cover (220) is made of a steel sheet.
  5. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the front busbar assembly (240) comprises a first frame (241) having a plurality of slits formed therein, the first frame being configured to have a hexahedral shape, a plurality of third protrusions (242) formed on an outer surface of the first frame (241), the third protrusions being coupled to the first receiving recesses (213) and the second receiving recesses (223), and a plurality of first distance maintenance portions (244) spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, each of the first distance maintenance portions extending inwards by a predetermined length, and wherein the rear busbar assembly (250) comprises a second frame (251) having a plurality of slits formed therein, the second frame being configured to have a hexahedral shape, a plurality of fourth protrusions (252) formed on an outer surface of the second frame (251), the fourth protrusions being coupled to the first receiving recesses (213) and the second receiving recesses (223), and a plurality of second distance maintenance portions (254) spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, each of the second distance maintenance portions extending inwards by a predetermined length.
  6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the two or more unit modules (200) are electrically connected to each other by an inter-busbar (300), and wherein the two or more unit modules (200) are maintained spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance by a third distance maintenance unit (400).
  7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the inter-busbar (300) comprises a third horizontal portion (310) having a predetermined length, a pair of third vertical portions (320) bent from an edge of the third horizontal portion (310) at a predetermined angle, and a fifth cut-out portion (330) formed between the pair of third vertical portions (320).
  8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the third distance maintenance unit (400) comprises a fourth horizontal portion (410) seated in the first cut-out portions (214) of adjacent unit modules (200), a pair of fourth vertical portions (420) extending perpendicularly from opposite side edges of the fourth horizontal portion (410) by a predetermined length, the fourth vertical portions being located inside the covers of the adjacent unit modules (200), and a fifth horizontal portion (430) connected to lower ends of the fourth vertical portions (420), the fifth horizontal portion being seated in the second cut-out portions (224) of the adjacent unit modules (200).
  9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the fifth horizontal portion (430) is configured to have a "[" shape such that the third horizontal portion (310) of the inter-busbar (300) is received in the fifth horizontal portion.
  10. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the two or more unit modules (200) are spaced apart from each other by 20 mm to 30 mm.
  11. The battery module according to claim 10, wherein the lower housing (120) is provided at an inner surface thereof with a support portion (123) configured to maintain the unit modules (200) spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance.
  12. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
  13. A device having the battery pack according to claim 12.

Description

[Technical Field] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2019-0165836 filed on December 12, 2019. The present invention relates to a battery module capable of preventing the movement of gas to an adjacent module, and more particularly to a battery module capable of preventing the movement of gas to an adjacent module, wherein a plurality of modules is separated from each other, and a plurality of holes is formed in a cover, whereby gas generated in the battery module is easily discharged to the outside. [Background Art] With technological development of mobile devices, such as mobile phones, laptop computers, camcorders, and digital cameras, and an increase in demand therefor, research on secondary batteries, which are capable of being charged and discharged, has been actively conducted. In addition, secondary batteries, which are energy sources substituting for fossil fuels causing air pollution, have been applied to an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (P-HEV), and therefore there is an increasing necessity for development of secondary batteries. There are a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-hydride battery, a nickel-zinc battery, and a lithium secondary battery as currently commercialized secondary batteries. Thereamong, the lithium secondary battery is in the spotlight, since the lithium secondary battery has little memory effect, whereby the lithium secondary battery is capable of being freely charged and discharged, has a very low self-discharge rate, and has high energy density, compared to the nickelbased secondary batteries. Meanwhile, in the case in which the above secondary battery is used in a device that requires large capacity and high voltage, such as an electric vehicle, the secondary battery is used in the form of a battery module or a battery pack having a structure in which a plurality of battery cells is arranged. When thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell due to short circuit, thermal impact, or electrical breakdown, however, high-temperature gas is generated in the battery cell, and the generated gas causes deformation of or damage to unit cells adjacent thereto or the battery module. In connection therewith, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2013-0086677 discloses a battery pack including a battery module array constituted by one or more battery modules, each of which includes one or more unit modules, each of which has a structure in which a battery cell is wrapped by a cell cover, are mounted in a module case in the state in which the unit modules are stacked while being erected vertically, a base plate on which the battery module array is mounted, a pair of end plates configured to support opposite side surfaces of the battery module array in the state in which the lower ends of the end plates are fixed to the base plate, and an insulative member interposed between the battery module array and each of the end plates, the insulative member being provided at the surface thereof that faces the battery module array with one or more ribs configured to perform a shock absorption function with respect to external force and to form a refrigerant channel. In Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2013-0086677, the shock absorption function is performed and the refrigerant channel is formed using the end plates, whereby safety of the battery pack is supplemented. Since the battery cells are in tight contact with each other, however, there is still a problem in that, when short circuit, thermal impact, or electrical breakdown occurs in a specific battery cell, high-temperature gas is accumulated in the battery cell, which affects battery cells adjacent thereto, whereby thermal runaway occurs. (Prior Art Document) (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2013-0086677, Documents US 2018/212292, KR 2019 0110782, FR 3 062 521, US 2012/103714, JP 2018 032468 and JP 2018 0110782 each disclose a battery pack. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery module capable of preventing the movement of gas to an adjacent module, the battery module having a structure capable of minimizing the effect of heat or gas generated when thermal runaway occurs on the adjacent module. It is another object of the present invention to provide a battery module capable of preventing the movement of gas to an adjacent module, the battery module having a structure capable of minimizing the number of fastening members while being simply assembled. [Technical Solution] In order to accomplish the above objects, a battery module capable of preventing the movement of gas to an adjacent module according to the present invention includes a module case (100) and a unit module (200), wherein the module case (100) is made of a heat-resistant material, two or more unit m