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EP-4184696-B1 - BATTERY MODULE AND BATTERY PACK INCLUDING SAME

EP4184696B1EP 4184696 B1EP4184696 B1EP 4184696B1EP-4184696-B1

Inventors

  • KIM, Kwangmo
  • SEONG, JUNYEOB
  • Jung, Hyemi
  • BYOUN, Dayoung

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220111

Claims (9)

  1. A battery module (100a, 100b) comprising: a battery cell stack (120) in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a module frame (200) for housing the battery cell stack (120); and end plates (410, 420) for covering the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack (120), wherein at least one of the module frames (200) or the end plates (410, 420) comprises a venting part (v) for discharging gas and flame, and wherein the venting part (700a-700c) has a shape that guides the discharge passage of the gas and flame so as to be bent, wherein the venting part (700a-700c) comprises a through hole (710a-710c) formed in at least one of the module frames (200) and the end plates (410, 420); a first cover part (720a-720c) for covering the through hole (710a-710c); and a first opening (730a-730c) formed on one side of the first cover part (720a-720c) and communicating with the through hole (710a-710c), wherein an opening direction of the through hole (710a-71oc) and an opening direction of the first opening (730a-730c) are perpendicular to each other, wherein the venting part (700a-700c) is configured to guide the gas and flame to be discharged to the outside in a direction parallel to one surface of module frames (200) or the end plates (410, 420), and characterized in that the venting part (700a-700c) further comprises a second cover part (740a-740c) for covering the through hole (710a-71oc) while being located on the opposite side of the first cover part (720a-720c) with respect to the through hole (710a-710c); and a second opening (750a-750c) formed on one side of the second cover part (740a-740c) and communicating with the through hole (710a-710c).
  2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein an area of the first cover part (720a-720c) is larger than an opening area of the through hole (710a-710c).
  3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein an opening direction of the through hole (710a-71oc) is different from an opening direction of the first opening (730a-730c).
  4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein an area of the second cover part (740a-740c) is larger than an opening area of the through hole (710a-710c).
  5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein an opening direction of the through hole (710a-71oc) is different from an opening direction of the second opening (750a-750c).
  6. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein an opening direction of the through hole (710a-710c) and an opening direction of the second opening (750a-750c) are perpendicular to each other.
  7. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the discharge passage of the gas and flame is bent at least twice by the first cover part (720a-720c) and the second cover part (740a-740c).
  8. The battery module according to claim 1, which further comprises an insulating cover located between the battery cell stack (120) and the end plate (410, 420), wherein the venting part (700a-700c) is formed in the end plate (410, 420), and an insulating cover opening is formed at a position corresponding to the venting part (700a-700c) of the insulating cover.
  9. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1.

Description

[TECHNICAL FIELD] The present disclosure relates to a battery module and a battery pack including the same, and more particularly, to a battery module with improved safety and a battery pack including the same. [BACKGROUND] In modern society, as portable devices such as a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a camcorder and a digital camera has been daily used, the development of technologies in the fields related to mobile devices as described above has been activated. In addition, chargeable/dischargeable secondary batteries are used as a power source for an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (P-HEV) and the like, in an attempt to solve air pollution and the like caused by existing gasoline vehicles using fossil fuel. Therefore, there is a growing need for development of the secondary battery. Currently commercialized secondary batteries include a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a nickel zinc battery, a lithium secondary battery, and the like. Among them, the lithium secondary battery has come into the spotlight because they have advantages, for example, hardly exhibiting memory effects compared to nickel-based secondary batteries and thus being freely charged and discharged, and having very low self-discharge rate and high energy density. Such lithium secondary battery mainly uses a lithium-based oxide and a carbonaceous material as a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate each coated with the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material are disposed with a separator being interposed between them, and a battery case that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte solution. Generally, the lithium secondary battery may be classified based on the shape of the exterior material into a can type secondary battery in which the electrode assembly is mounted in a metal can, and a pouch-type secondary battery in which the electrode assembly is mounted in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet. In the case of a secondary battery used for small-sized devices, two to three battery cells are disposed, but in the case of a secondary battery used for a middle or large-sized device such as an automobile, a battery module in which a large number of battery cells are electrically connected is used. In such a battery module, a large number of battery cells are connected to each other in series or in parallel to form a cell stack, thereby improving capacity and output. In addition, one or more battery modules may be mounted together with various control and protection systems such as BDU(battery disconnect unit), BMS (battery management system) and a cooling system to form a battery pack. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery module. Referring to Fig. 1, the conventional battery module 10 can be manufactured by housing a battery cell stack (not shown) in the module frame 20 and then joining the end plate 40 to the opened portion of the module frame 20. At this time, a terminal busbar opening 41H where a part of the terminal busbar is exposed and a module connector opening 42H where a part of the module connector is exposed can be formed in the end plate 40. The terminal busbar opening 41H is for guiding the high voltage (HV) connection of the battery module 10, and the terminal busbar exposed through the terminal busbar opening 41H can be connected to another battery module or a BDU (battery disconnect unit). The module connector opening 42H is for guiding the LV (Low voltage) connection of the battery module 10, and the module connector exposed through the module connector opening 42H is connected to a BMS (battery management system) and can transmit voltage information, temperature information, or the like of the battery cell. Fig. 2 is a view showing a state at the time of ignition of the battery module in the conventional battery pack in which the battery module of Fig. 1 is mounted. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line I-I' of Fig. 2, which is a cross-sectional view showing the appearance of a flame that affects adjacent battery modules during ignition of a conventional battery module. Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the conventional battery module 10 includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells 11 are stacked, a module frame 20 that houses the battery cell stack, and end plates 40 that are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack. When physical, thermal or electrical damage including overcharging occurs to the battery cell, the internal pressure of the battery cell 11 increases and exceeds a limit value of the fusion strength of the battery cell 11. In this case, the high-temperature heat, gas, and flame generated in the ba