KR20190069875A - Battery module having a crush plate and Method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, provided is a battery module which can improve the energy density while improving the productivity. To this end, the battery module comprises: a plurality of cell groups including at least one battery cell; and a crush plate having opened upper and lower parts, receiving the plurality of cell groups, and having one metal plate which is bent several times.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module having a crush plate and a method of manufacturing the same,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery module having a crush plate and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a battery module having a crush plate, And a method of manufacturing the battery module.

In the case of a battery module / pack for an automobile, an additional structure for protecting the battery cell is provided in comparison with a conventional battery module / pack in order to reduce or prevent the danger of ignition / explosion due to damage of the battery cell due to an accident .

A structure for protecting the battery cell includes a crush plate that encloses the battery cell. A battery module / pack to which such a crush plate is applied typically includes a battery cell accommodated in a cartridge to form a cell assembly, a crush plate interposed between the plurality of cell assemblies, and a plurality of such cell assemblies and crush plates are stacked And the end plates are disposed on both sides of the laminated body. Further, the stacked end plates, the cell assemblies, and the crush plates are fastened together at a time using a fastening member such as a shoulder bolt.

As described above, the conventional battery module / pack structure for securing the rigidity of the battery module / pack requires a process of accommodating the battery cells in the cartridge for fastening the respective components using the shoulder bolts. In addition, such a conventional battery module / pack structure has a problem in that the battery cell is accommodated in the cartridge, and the additional cell assembly, such as a separate hole processing for fastening members such as the end plate and the crush plate, Process is also required.

As described above, the conventional battery module / pack structure to which the crush plate is applied requires a complicated process for fastening the respective members. Therefore, the battery module / pack structure is very disadvantageous in terms of productivity, There is a drawback that the volume of the module / pack can not but increase.

Accordingly, there is a demand for development of a battery module / pack having an improved structure that can improve the productivity of a battery module / pack applied to an automobile requiring electric energy such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, It is true.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a crush plate capable of securing rigidity while being simple in structure and not complicating the manufacturing process, thereby improving productivity and increasing energy density. And a battery module having the battery module.

It is to be understood, however, that the technical subject matter of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other matters not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of cell groups including at least one battery cell; And a crush plate having an open top and a bottom, the crush plate receiving the plurality of cell groups; The crush plate has a shape in which one metal plate is bent a plurality of times.

The metal plate may have a configuration in which the metal plate is interposed between adjacent cell groups surrounded by the outer surfaces of the plurality of cell groups.

The battery cell may be a pouch-type battery cell.

Adhesive tapes are attached to both sides of the battery cell group, and the metal plate portion located on both sides of the battery cell group and the battery cell group can be fixed by the adhesive member.

The metal plate may have a rupture portion formed along a banding reference line.

The battery module may further include a module case accommodating an assembly composed of the plurality of cell groups and the crush plate.

An adhesive is filled between the crush plate and the module case so that the crush plate and the module case can be fixed to each other.

Meanwhile, a method of manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention for manufacturing the battery module includes: (S1) providing a metal plate having a rectangular shape; (S2) forming a rupture portion along a reference line for bending on the metal plate; (S3) attaching a plurality of cell groups including at least one battery cell so as to be spaced apart from each other on the metal plate; And (S4) forming a crush plate surrounding the plurality of cell groups by bending the metal plate around the baseline.

In the step (S2), a continuous or discontinuous groove may be formed along the reference line for bending to form a rupture portion having a thinner metal plate than the peripheral region.

The step (S3) may include attaching the cell groups at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate, and alternately attaching the groups of cells to the opposite surfaces of the metal plate.

In the step (S3), a cell group is attached on the same surface of the metal plate along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate, and the distance between adjacent cell groups becomes closer toward the other side from the longitudinal direction of the metal plate .

The step (S4) may be a step of bending the metal plate so that the metal plate is interposed between adjacent cell groups.

The method for manufacturing a battery battery module according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of: (S5) receiving an assembly including the plurality of cell groups and the crush plate into a module case, filling an adhesive in a space formed between the assembly and the module case, So that the mutual is fixed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crush plate and a method of simultaneously obtaining a crush plate and a battery cell structure fixed therein by attaching a battery cell on one metal plate and appropriately bending a metal plate, The manufacturing process can be simplified and the productivity of the battery module can be improved.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the energy density of the battery module can be improved because the structure is simplified since no additional fastening member or the like for crush plate application is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the description of the invention given below, serve to further the understanding of the technical idea of the invention. And should not be construed as limiting.
1 is a perspective view illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view showing a battery cell applied to a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing a state in which a crush plate applied to a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention is unfolded and cell groups are attached on the crush plate.
5 is a view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which an assembly including cell groups and a crush plate is accommodated in a module case.
6 is a perspective view illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a plan view showing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view showing a state in which a crush plate applied to a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention is unfolded and cell groups are attached on the crush plate.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as limited to ordinary or dictionary terms, and the inventor should appropriately interpret the concepts of the terms appropriately It should be interpreted in accordance with the meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can be defined. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only some of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, It is to be understood that equivalents and modifications are possible.

1 to 4, a structure of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention and a manufacturing method thereof will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a battery cell applied to a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a state in which a crush plate applied to a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention is unfolded, Fig.

1 to 3, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of cell groups 100 and a plurality of crush plates 200 (Crush plate.

Each of the plurality of cell groups (100) includes at least one battery cell (10). In the drawing of the present invention, each cell group 100 is shown only in the case where three battery cells 10 are stacked. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and one cell group 100 may be composed of only one battery cell 10 or two or four or more battery cells 10 may be stacked .

The battery cell 10 may be a pouch-type battery cell 10. Referring to FIG. 2, a pouch type battery cell 10 according to the present invention includes an electrode assembly (not shown), a pouch case 11, a pair of electrode leads 14, and a sealant 15.

Although not shown in the drawing, the electrode assembly has a shape in which a separator is interposed between alternately alternately stacked positive and negative electrode plates, and separators are preferably positioned for insulation at both outermost sides.

The positive electrode uncoated region has a positive electrode active material layer coated on the positive electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer is formed on one side of the positive electrode active material layer, As a positive electrode tab.

Likewise, the negative electrode plate is composed of a negative electrode collector and a negative electrode active material layer coated on at least one surface thereof. At one end of the negative electrode plate, an uncoated region having no coating of the negative electrode active material layer is formed. As a negative electrode tab.

The separator is disposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate to prevent direct contact between the electrode plates having different polarities. In order to allow ions to move between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate using an electrolyte as a medium, have.

The pouch case 11 may include an upper case covering the upper portion of the electrode assembly and a lower case covering the lower portion. Each of the upper case and the lower case corresponds to the first resin layer / middle layer corresponding to the innermost layer A metal layer / a second resin layer corresponding to the outermost layer, and the like.

The first resin layer constituting the innermost side of the pouch film may be made of a resin having heat-sealability so that the upper and lower cases can be fused to each other when heat is applied while the upper and lower cases are in contact with each other. As the first resin layer, lead-free polypropylene, polypropylene or a mixture thereof may be used. As the metal layer, a metal having excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum (Al) may be used. As the second resin layer constituting the outermost layer, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon or a mixture thereof may be used.

The pouch case 11 includes a receiving part 12 for receiving an electrode assembly (not shown) and a pouch case 12 extending in the circumferential direction of the receiving part 12 and being thermally fused with the electrode lead 14 drawn out to the outside, And a sealing portion 13 for sealing the sealing portion 12.

The electrode leads 11 are divided into a positive electrode lead connected to the positive electrode tab and a negative electrode lead connected to the negative electrode tab, and the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead are drawn out to the outside of the pouch case 11. In the drawing of the present invention, only a pair of electrode leads 11 are drawn out in different directions, but this is merely an example, and the pair of electrode leads 11 can also be drawn out in the same direction.

The sealant 15 is interposed between the inner surface of the pouch case 11 and the electrode lead 14 when the pouch case 11 is sealed to increase the sealing property of the sealing portion 13. [ The sealant 15 may be provided in the form of being wound around a part of the electrode lead 14.

The pouch type battery cell 10 is provided with an adhesive tape T applied to maintain a folded state of the sealing portion 13 located on both sides of the pouch type battery cell 10 toward the receiving portion 12 It is possible.

The battery cell 10 applied to the battery module according to the present invention is not necessarily limited to the pouch type battery cell, Various types of secondary batteries are of course applicable. For example, a rectangular battery cell may be applied in addition to the pouch type battery cell.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the crush plate 200 has a shape in which a substantially long rectangular metal plate having a length substantially equal to the width is bent a plurality of times.

As the crush plate 200, when the battery module according to the present invention is used as a battery for an automobile, the battery cell 10 is protected to prevent ignition / explosion due to battery damage due to an external impact A metal plate made of a material having high rigidity such as a cold rolled steel sheet can be used.

3 and 4, the crush plate 200 includes a plurality of cell groups 100, which are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance on a surface of the crush plate 200, (A1 to A9). In this case, the banding reference lines A1 to A9 are arranged in the order of A1, A2, A3, ..., A3 along the direction from the one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 200 in the unfolded state. ... . , A8, and A9. The crush plate 200 thus bent has a structure in which the outer surface of the cell group stack formed by stacking the plurality of cell groups 100 is surrounded and interposed between adjacent cell groups, It is possible to protect the internal battery cells 10 from an external impact.

The plurality of cell groups 100 are attached to the crush plate 200 using an adhesive member capable of adhering to both sides such as a double-sided tape or the like. That is, the plurality of cell groups 100 are attached on one side of the crush plate 200 before the banding is performed in a state where the adhesive member P is formed on both sides, and after the banding is performed, The cell group 100 of the crush plate 200 is fixed to the portion of the crush plate 200 located on both sides by the adhesive member P. [

Although not shown in the drawing, the crush plate 200 may have a rupture part formed along the bending reference lines A1 to A9. Thus, the bending process of the metal plate made of the cold-rolled steel sheet or the like having high rigidity Can be easily performed.

The crush plate 200 may have a groove shape formed continuously or discontinuously along the bending reference lines A1 to A9 formed for bending, Since the banding reference lines A1 to A9 have a shape in which the metal plate is thinner than the peripheral region, the banding process can be easily performed.

5, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a module case 400 that accommodates an assembly 300 composed of a plurality of cell groups 100 and a crush plate 200 As shown in FIG.

In this case, the empty space S formed between the crush plate 200 and the module case 400 constituting the assembly 300 is filled with an adhesive so that the crush plate 200 and the module case 400 are mutually fixed So that the assembly 300 composed of the plurality of cell groups 100 and the crush plate 200 can be fixed in the module case 400.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

A method of manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: (S1) providing a rectangular metal plate 200; (S2) forming ridges (not shown) along the banding reference lines A1 to A9 for banding on the metal plate 200; (S3) attaching a plurality of cell groups (100) comprising at least one battery cell (10) so as to be spaced apart from each other on a metal plate (200); And S4 forming a crush plate 200 surrounding the plurality of cell groups 100 by bending the metal plate 200 around the banding reference lines A1 to A9.

The method of manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of (S5) assembling an assembly 300 including the plurality of cell groups 100 and the crush plate 200 into a module case 400 And filling the space S formed between the rear assembly 300 and the module case 400 with adhesive to fix the assembly 300 and the module case 400 to each other.

In the following description of the method of manufacturing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the notation such as (S1), (S2), (S3), (S4) , And thus the order of each step constituting the production method is not determined. That is, each step of the manufacturing method can be freely determined as long as it is logically possible as long as there is no mention of the post-post-relationship.

The step (S1) is a step of providing a substantially long rectangular metal plate for forming the crush plate 200. Here, the crush plate and the metal plate refer to substantially the same components, and the metal plate having the finished shape with the banding is referred to as a crush plate. Therefore, in the present invention, the same reference numeral 200 is used for the crush plate and the metal plate.

The step (S2) may include a step of forming a continuous or discontinuous groove-like shape to partially thin the metal plate 200 along the bending reference lines A1 to A9 to facilitate bending of the metal plate 200 (Not shown). This step (S2) is a step that can be performed both before and after the step of attaching the cell group 100 to be described later.

It is also possible to form a hole through the metal plate 200 instead of forming the groove forming the rupture part. The formation of such a hole must be discontinuous, and in this case, there is an advantage in terms of ease of bending of the metal plate 200.

In step S3, the cell groups 100 are attached to the same surface of the metal plate 200 along the longitudinal direction of the unfolded metal plate 200, and the length of the metal plate 200 And attaching them so that the distance between the adjacent cell groups becomes further away from one direction to the other.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the present application, where four cell groups 100 are applied, the distance between the banding reference lines A2 and A3, the distance between A4 and A5, the distance between A6 and A7, The distance between the two cell groups 100 is equal to the sum of the widths of the four cell groups 100, the distance of the widths of the three cell groups 100, Width.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, in disposing the cell groups 100 on the expanded metal plate 200, the distance between the banding reference lines A4 and A5 is larger than the distance between A2 and A3 in one cell group ( 100), and the distance between A6 and A7 is closer to the width of one cell group 100 than the distance between A4 and A5, and the distance between A8 and A9 is shorter than the distance between A6 and A7 It is necessary to set the cell group 100 closer to the width of one cell group 100.

In the step S4, the metal plate 200 is bent while the plurality of cell groups 100 are attached, and the metal plate 200 not only surrounds the laminate composed of the plurality of cell groups 100, The metal plate 200 is bent so that the metal plate 200 is interposed between the adjacent cell groups 100 to form the completed crush plate 200.

3, in bending the metal plate 200, a plurality of cell groups 100 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cell group stack 100, The banding is performed in the same direction at all of the banding reference lines A1 to A9 so that the metal plate 200 is interposed therebetween.

Next, a structure of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention and a method of manufacturing such a battery module will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, The crush plate to which the crush plate is applied and the cell groups are attached thereon.

The battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention is different from the battery module according to the embodiment of the present invention in that the position of the battery cell 10 on the metal plate 200 and the corresponding bending reference lines B1- B10) are different from each other, and the other matters are substantially the same. Also, in the method of manufacturing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, there are portions where a difference in manufacturing process naturally occurs due to such structural differences, and other matters are substantially the same.

Therefore, in describing the battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, only the differences from the previous embodiment will be described intensively, and substantially the same description will not be repeated.

6 to 8, the crush plate 200 is bent on the basis of the banding reference lines B1 to B10 in a state in which the cell groups 100 are divided and attached on both sides thereof in the unfolded state . Here, the banding reference lines B1 to B10 are sequentially arranged in the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 200 in the unfolded state from one end to the other end in the order of B1, B2, B3, ... ... . , B8, B9, and B10. The crush plate 200 thus bent has a structure in which the outer surface of the cell group stack formed by stacking the plurality of cell groups 100 is surrounded and interposed between adjacent cell groups, It is possible to protect the internal battery cells 10 from external impacts as in the previous embodiment.

However, in the battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, not only the cell groups 100 are attached on only one side of the metal plate 200 in the unfolded state, but a part of the plurality of three groups 100 The battery module is manufactured in such a manner that it is attached on one surface and the other is attached on both surfaces. In addition, the battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the cell groups 100 are attached at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 200, and alternately attached to the opposite surface of the metal plate 200 Which is different from the battery module according to the previous embodiment.

That is, the manufacturing method of the battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention has a difference in the step (S3) as compared with the previous embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in the method of manufacturing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, the step (S3) includes the steps of: providing a distance between the bending reference lines B2 and B3, a distance between B4 and B5, Is equal to the width of one cell group (100).

In addition, the manufacturing method of the battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention has a difference in the step (S4) compared with the previous embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in the method of manufacturing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, the step (S4) includes a step of bending the bending reference lines B1 to B10, .

That is, the bending directions (first directions) of the reference lines B1, B2, B3, B6 and B7 are the same and the bending directions of the reference lines B4, B5, B8, B9 and B10 ) Are equal to each other, the first direction and the second direction being opposite to each other.

As described above, the battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention and the battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention are arranged such that the position of the cell group 100 on the metal plate 200, A9 and B1 to B10 and the direction in which banding is performed in the banding reference lines A1 to A9 and B1 to B10. However, the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention and the battery module according to another embodiment all have a structure in which the metal plate 200 surrounds the outer surface of the cell group stack body composed of the plurality of cell groups 100, And the metal plate 200 is interposed between the groups 100. This structure allows the battery cells 10 to be protected from external shocks, do.

Meanwhile, a plurality of battery modules according to various embodiments of the present invention may be connected to realize a battery pack having a larger capacity and / or a higher voltage.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details thereof and that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. And various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

10: Battery cell
11: Pouch case
12:
13: sealing part
14: electrode lead
15: sealant
T: Adhesive tape
100: cell group
200: Crush plate
A1 to A9, B1 to B10: Banding reference line
300: assembly
400: Module case

Claims (15)

A plurality of cell groups including at least one battery cell; And
A crush plate having an open top and a bottom and receiving the plurality of cell groups;
/ RTI >
Wherein the crush plate has a shape in which one metal plate is bent a plurality of times. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the metal plate comprises:
Wherein the battery module is bent so that the metal plate is sandwiched between adjacent cell groups surrounding the outer surface of the cell group stack body composed of the plurality of cell groups. The method according to claim 1,
The battery cell includes:
A battery module characterized by being a pouch type battery cell. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an adhesive member capable of adhering to both sides of the battery cell group is attached on both sides of the battery cell group and the metal plate portion located on both sides of the battery cell group and the battery cell group are fixed by the adhesive member. module. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the metal plate comprises:
And a rupture portion formed along the banding reference line. The method according to claim 1,
The battery module includes:
Further comprising a module case for housing an assembly of the plurality of cell groups and the crush plate. The method according to claim 6,
And an adhesive is filled between the crush plate and the module case to fix the crush plate and the module case to each other. A plurality of cell groups including at least one prismatic battery cell; And
A crush plate having an open top and a bottom and receiving the plurality of cell groups;
Lt; / RTI >
The crush plate has a shape in which one metal plate is bent a plurality of times,
Wherein the metal plate has a configuration in which the metal plate is bent so as to surround the outer surface of the cell group stack body composed of the plurality of cell groups and between adjacent cell groups. A battery pack in which a plurality of battery modules according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are connected and implemented. (S1) providing a rectangular metal plate;
(S2) forming a rupture along a banding reference line for bending on the metal plate;
(S3) attaching a plurality of cell groups including at least one battery cell so as to be spaced apart from each other on the metal plate; And
(S4) forming a crush plate surrounding the laminate composed of the plurality of cell groups by bending the metal plate around the banding reference line;
The battery module comprising: 11. The method of claim 10,
The step (S2)
Forming a continuous or discontinuous groove along the banding reference line to form a rupture portion having a thinner metal plate than the peripheral region. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step (S3)
Attaching a cell group on the same surface of the metal plate along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate so that the distance between the adjacent cell groups becomes closer toward the other side from the longitudinal direction of the metal plate A method of manufacturing a battery module. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step (S3)
Wherein the step of attaching the cell groups to the opposite surfaces of the metal plates is performed by alternately attaching the cell groups at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step (S4)
And bending the metal plate so that the metal plate is interposed between adjacent cell groups. 11. The method of claim 10,
A method of manufacturing a battery battery module,
(S5) receiving an assembly including the plurality of cell groups and the crush plate into a module case, filling an adhesive in the space formed between the assembly and the module case so that the assembly and the module case are fixed to each other;
Further comprising the steps of:

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