【TECHNICAL FIELD】
Cross Citation with Related Application(s)
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0169334
filed on December 7, 2020 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0150561 filed on
November 4, 2021 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
10 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a battery module and a battery pack including the same,
and more particularly, to a battery module that effectively delays the speed of heat propagation
between battery cells, and a battery pack including the same.
15 【BACKGROUND ART】
As technology development and demands for mobile devices increase, the demand for
batteries as energy sources is rapidly increasing. In particular, a secondary battery has attracted
considerable attention as an energy source for power-driven devices, such as an electric bicycle,
an electric vehicle, and a hybrid electric vehicle, as well as an energy source for mobile devices,
20 such as a mobile phone, a digital camera, a laptop computer and a wearable device.
The middle or large-sized battery module is preferably manufactured so as to have as small
a size and weight as possible. For this reason, a prismatic battery, a pouch-type battery or the like,
which can be stacked with high integration and has a small weight to capacity ratio, is usually used
as a battery cell of the middle or large-sized battery module. Meanwhile, in order to protect the
25 battery cell stack from external impact, heat or vibration, the battery module may include a module
frame in which a front surface and rear surface are opened to house the battery cell stack in an
internal space.
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional battery module. Fig. 2 is a top view of a
battery cell stack included in a conventional battery module. Fig. 3 (a) is a plane view of the
region A of Fig. 2 as viewed from above, and Fig. 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the
cut surface B-B of (a).
5 Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the conventional battery module includes a battery cell stack 12
in which a plurality of battery cells 11 are stacked in one direction, module frames 30 and 40 for
housing the battery cell stack 12, an end plate 15 for covering the front and rear surfaces of the
battery cell stack 12. The module frames 30 and 40 include a lower frame 30 for covering the
lower and both side surfaces of the battery cell stack 12, and an upper plate 40 for covering the
10 upper surface of the battery cell stack 12.
In addition, the battery cell stack 12 includes a fixing member 17 for fixing the plurality of
battery cells 11 to each other, and the fixing member 17 is located at a central part and/or an end
part of the battery cell stack 12. Further, a compression pad 20 is located between a pair of battery
cells adjacent to each other in the battery cell stack 12.
15 Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the compression pad 20 located in the conventional battery cell
stack makes contact with the upper surface or the lower surface of the battery cells 11. The
compression pad 20 can absorb the impact propagated to adjacent battery cells 11. Further, when
the battery cell 11 ignites, the heat propagation speed can be delayed due to the thickness possessed
by the compression pad 20. However, when the battery cells 110 ignite, secondary cell ignition
20 may occur due to heat conduction between adjacent battery cells 11 and external heat conduction
caused by flames generated in the battery cells 11.
Consequently, it is difficult to sufficiently perform the role of delaying the heat propagation
speed by using only the conventional compression pad 20. Therefore, there is a need to develop a
battery module that effectively delays the speed of heat propagation between battery cells unlike
25 the conventional one.
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【DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION】
【Technical Problem】
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a battery module that effectively delays
the speed of heat propagation between battery cells, and a battery pack including the same.
5 However, the technical problem to be solved by embodiments of the present disclosure is
not limited to the above-described problems, and can be variously expanded within the scope of
the technical idea included in the present disclosure.
【Technical Solution】
10 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery module
comprising: a battery cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells, and a barrier layer
interposed between battery cells adjacent to each other among the plurality of battery cells, wherein
the barrier layer includes a body part parallel to the battery cell, and an extension part that is bent
at one end of the body part and covers the upper end part of the battery cell.
15 The extension part may be formed of a flexible material, and cover upper end parts of at least
two battery cells.
The barrier layer may include a first barrier layer disposed parallel to the battery cell, and a
second barrier layer disposed between the first barrier layer and the battery cell, and the second
barrier layer may include a body part disposed parallel to the first barrier layer, and an extension
20 part that is bent at one end of the body part and covers the upper end part of the battery cell.
The first barrier layer is located between a first battery cell and a second battery cell adjacent
to each other, the second barrier layer includes a 2-1 barrier layer located between the first barrier
layer and the first battery cell, and a 2-2 barrier layer located between the first barrier layer and
the second battery cell, and a first extension part of the 2-1 barrier layer and a second extension
25 part of the 2-2 barrier layer may be bent in the same direction.
The first extension part and the second extension part may overlap each other.
The body part may include an additional extension part that covers an end part of the battery
cell in which the electrode lead is located.
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An opening for passing the electrode lead may be formed in the additional extension part of
the body part.
The barrier layer may be formed of a flame retardant member.
The first barrier layer may be formed of a silicon material, a mica material, or a mixed material
5 thereof, and the second barrier layer may be formed of a mica material.
The battery module comprises at least two or more barrier layers, and at least two or more
battery cells are located between adjacent barrier layers of the two or more barrier layers.
The extension parts of the barrier layers adjacent to each other may be bent in mutually
different directions.
10 According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack
comprising the above-mentioned battery module.
【ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS】
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the barrier layer formed between a
15 pair of battery cells adjacent to each other in the battery cell stack functions as a flame retardant
member, thereby capable of delaying the speed of heat propagation between adjacent battery cells
when a battery cell ignites.
Further, the barrier layer is applied not only to the body part of the battery cell but also to
the top part and lead part of the battery cell extending therefrom, thereby capable of delaying the
20 speed of heat propagation into a battery cell in which no flame occurs by cell external flames.
The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above and
additional other effects not described above will be clearly understood from the description of the
appended claims by those skilled in the art.
25 【BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS】
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional battery module;
Fig. 2 is a top view of a battery cell stack contained in a conventional battery module.
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Fig. 3 (a) is a plane view of the region A of Fig. 2 as viewed from above, and Fig. 3 (b) is
a cross-sectional view taken along the cut surface B-B of (a);
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a method of forming a battery cell stack according to a
comparative example;
5 Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a method of forming a battery cell stack included in a battery
module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing one battery cell included in the battery cell stack of
Fig. 5; and
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which a barrier layer is extended in a protruding
10 direction of an electrode lead from a battery cell included in a battery module according to another
embodiment of the present disclosure.
【DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS】
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with
15 reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them.
The present disclosure may be modified in various different ways, and is not limited to the
embodiments set forth herein.
Portions that are irrelevant to the description will be omitted to clearly describe the present
disclosure, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.
20 Further, in the figures, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily illustrated for
convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those illustrated
in the figures. In the figures, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In
the figures, for convenience of description, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are shown
to be exaggerated.
25 In addition, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or
plate is referred to as being "on" or "above" another element, it can be directly on the other element
or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being
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"directly on" another element, it means that other intervening elements are not present. Further,
the word "on" or "above" means disposed on or below a reference portion, and does not necessarily
mean being disposed on the upper end of the reference portion toward the opposite direction of
gravity.
5 Further, throughout the specification, when a portion is referred to as "including" a certain
component, it means that the portion can further include other components, without excluding the
other components, unless otherwise stated.
Further, throughout the specification, when referred to as "planar", it means when a target
portion is viewed from the upper side, and when referred to as "cross-sectional", it means when a
10 target portion is viewed from the side of a cross section cut vertically.
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a method of forming a battery cell stack according to a
comparative example.
Referring to Fig. 4, in the step of stacking the battery cells 11, they can be stacked by
interposing a compression pad 20 between battery cell 11 and battery cell 11 adjacent to each
15 other. After stacking the compression pad 20, stacking of the battery cells 11 can be continuously
performed again. At this time, the compression pad 20 may have a constant thickness. The
compression pad 20 can play a role in preventing cell swirling and can delay heat propagation to
some extent when the cell ignites. The battery cells 11 and the compression pad 20 can be stacked
to form a battery cell stack, and subsequently, subjected to a lead welding process and a module
20 frame process to form a battery module.
Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a method of forming a battery cell stack included in a battery
module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a perspective view
showing one battery cell included in the battery cell stack of Fig. 5.
Referring to Fig. 5, the battery cell stack included in the battery module according to the
25 present embodiment is formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells 110, and includes a barrier
layer 200 interposed between battery cells 110 adjacent to each other among the plurality of battery
cells 110. The barrier layer 200 according to the present embodiment includes body parts 200b11
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and 200b21 disposed parallel to the battery cells 110, and extension parts 200b12 and 200b22 that
are bent at one end of the body parts 200b11 and 200b21 and covers the upper end part of the
battery cell 110. The barrier layer 200 according to the present embodiment includes a first barrier
layer 200a disposed parallel to the battery cell 110, and a second barrier layer 200b disposed
5 between the first barrier layer 200a and the battery cell 110.
The second barrier layer 200b includes body parts 200b11 and 200b21 disposed parallel to
the first barrier layer 200a, and extension parts 200b12 and200b22 that are bent at one end of the
body parts 200b11 and 200b21 and cover the upper end part of the battery cell 110. The extension
parts 200b12 and200b22 may be formed of a flexible material, and cover upper end parts of at
10 least two battery cells 110.
More specifically, the first barrier layer 200a is located between a first battery cell 110a
and a second battery cell 110b adjacent to each other, and the second barrier layer 200b may
include a 2-1 barrier layer 200b1 located between the first barrier layer 200a and the first battery
cell 110a, and a 2-2 barrier layer 200b2 located between the first barrier layer 200a and the second
15 battery cell 110b. At this time, a first extension part 200b12 of the 2-1 barrier layer 200b1 and a
second extension part 200b22 of the 2-2 barrier layer 200b2 may be bent in the same direction. At
this time, the first extension part 200b12 and the second extension part 200b22 may overlap each
other, and the overlapping part thereof may be an upper end part of at least one battery cell 110.
According to the present embodiment, the first extension part 200b12 and the second
20 extension part 200b22 cover the upper end part of the battery cell 110 while overlapping each
other, thereby capable of cutting off external propagation caused by inter-cell flames.
The barrier layer 200 according to this embodiment is made of a flame retardant member.
At this time, the first barrier layer 200a may be formed of a silicon material, a mica material, or a
mixed material thereof, and the second barrier layer 200b may be formed of a mica material. The
25 first barrier layer 200a may be formed in the form of a mica sheet, and the second barrier layer
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200b may be formed of a thin mica material having a thickness of about 1 mm or less and having
a well-bendable form.
In the battery module according to the present embodiment, the first barrier layer 200
includes at least two or more, and at least two or more battery cells 110 may be located between
5 two barrier layers 200 adjacent to each other among the barrier layers 200.
Further, according to the present embodiment, the extension parts of the barrier layers 200
adjacent to each other may be bent in mutually different directions. For example, as shown in Fig.
5, the extension parts included in the barrier layer 200 located on the right side with respect to the
two central battery cells 110 are bent in the right direction, and the extension parts included in the
10 barrier layer 200 located on the left side with respect to the two central battery cells 110 may be
bent in the left direction.
The battery cell 110 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is preferably a
pouch-type battery cell. For example, referring to Fig. 6, the battery cell 110 according to the
present embodiment has a structure in which two electrode leads 111 and 112 face each other and
15 protrude from one end part 114a and the other end part 114b of the battery body 113, respectively.
The battery cell 110 can be produced by adhering both end parts 114a and 114b of a battery case
114 and one side part 114c connecting them in a state in which an electrode assembly (not shown)
is housed in the battery case 114. In other words, the battery cell 110 according to the present
embodiment has a total of three sealing parts 114sa, 114sb and 114sc, and the sealing parts 114sa,
20 114sb and 114sc have a structure being sealed by a method such as heat fusion, and the other side
part may be formed of a connection part 115. Between both end parts 114a and 114b of the battery
case 114 can be defined in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110, and between one side
part 114c connecting both end parts 114a and 114b of the battery case 114 and the connection part
115 can be defined in the width direction of the battery cell 110.
25 The connection part 115 is a region that is extended long along one edge of the battery cell
110, and a protrusion part 110p of the battery cell 110 can be formed at the end part of the
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connection part 115 and can protrude in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the
connection part 115 extends. The protrusion part 110p may be located between one of the sealing
parts 114sa and 114sb of both end parts 114a and 114b of the battery case 114 and the connection
part 115.
5 The battery case 114 generally has a laminate structure of a resin layer/a metal thin film
layer/a resin layer. For example, when the surface of the battery case is formed of an O (oriented)-
nylon layer, it tends to slide easily due to external impact when stacking a plurality of battery cells
to form a medium or large-sized battery module. Therefore, in order to prevent this problem and
maintain a stable stacked structure of battery cells, a battery cell stack can be formed by attaching
10 an adhesive member such as a cohesive-type adhesive such as a double-sided tape or a chemical
adhesive bonded by chemical reaction during adhesion to the surface of the battery case. In the
present embodiment, the battery cell stack 120 can be stacked in the y-axis direction.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which a barrier layer is extended in a protruding
direction of an electrode lead from a battery cell included in a battery module according to another
15 embodiment of the present disclosure.
On the other hand, in Fig. 7 and the following description, in order to explain the body part
and the extension part of the second barrier layer 200b, the reference numerals of the body part
200b21 and the second extension part 200b22 of the 2-2 barrier layer 200b2 described above are
used together. However, this is for convenience of explanation only, and the contents described
20 below can also be applied to the body part 200b11 and the first extension part 200b12 of the 2-1
barrier layer 200b1. Further, in the above-mentioned contents, the reference number '200b22' has
been described as the second extension part 200b22, but for convenience of explanation, this will
be indicated by an 'extension part' in the description of Fig. 7.
Referring to Fig. 7, the barrier layer 200 according to the present embodiment includes a
25 second barrier layer 200b for covering the body part 110C of the battery cell 110 of Fig. 6, and the
second barrier layer 200b may include a body part 200b21 disposed parallel to the first barrier
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layer 200a, and an extension part 200b22 that is bent at one end of the body part 200b21 and covers
the upper end part 110T of the battery cell 110, as described above.
The body part 110C of the battery cell 110 refers to one surface of the battery cell 110
facing the y-axis direction, which is the stacking direction of the battery cells 110, and the upper
5 end part 110T of the battery cell 110 may be a portion corresponding to one side part 114c that
connects both end parts 114a and 114b of a battery case 114 in Fig. 6. In other words, the upper
end part 110T of the battery cell 110 may refer to the upper end part based on the width direction
of the battery cell 110.
At this time, the thickness of the body part 200b21 of the second barrier layer 200b may
10 be larger than the thickness of the extension part 200b22 of the second barrier layer 200b. The
second barrier part 200b can be formed to be relatively thick, thereby increasing the flame retardant
performance of interrupting heat propagation between adjacent battery cells 110. Due to the
extension part 200b22 of the second barrier part 200b formed to be relatively thin, the occurrence
of a gap between the module frame for housing the battery cell stack and the upper end part of the
15 battery cell 110 can be minimized. In addition, the extension part 200b22 of the second barrier
part 200b is formed of a flexible material, so that the double-side folding structure of the upper
end of the battery cell 110 can be closely covered.
Referring to Fig. 7, the barrier layer 200 according to the present embodiment may further
include a third barrier part 200c for covering an end part of the battery cell 110 around the electrode
20 leads 111 and 112 protruding from the battery cell 110. An opening 200D for passing the electrode
leads 111 and 112 may be formed in the third barrier layer 200c. The third barrier layer 200c may
be formed by extending the second barrier layer 200b or may be formed by extending the first
barrier layer 200a, or the third barrier layer 200c may be referred to as an 'additional extension
part'.
25 Meanwhile, one or more of the battery modules according to embodiments of the present
disclosure can be packaged in a pack case to form a battery pack.
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The above-mentioned battery module and the battery pack including the same can be
applied to various devices. These devices can be applied to vehicle means such as an electric
bicycle, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and
can be applied to various devices that can use the battery module and the battery pack including
5 the same, which also belongs to the scope of the present disclosure.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail
above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and
improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present disclosure
defined in the following claims also belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

【CLAIMS】
【Claim 1】
5 A battery module comprising:
a battery cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells, and
a barrier layer interposed between battery cells adjacent to each other among the plurality of
battery cells,
wherein the barrier layer includes a body part parallel to the battery cell, and an extension part
10 that is bent at one end of the body part and covers the upper end part of the battery cell.
【Claim 2】
The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the extension part is formed of a flexible material, and covers upper end parts of at least two
battery cells.
15 【Claim 3】
The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the barrier layer includes a first barrier layer disposed parallel to the battery cell, and a second
barrier layer disposed between the first barrier layer and the battery cell, and
the second barrier layer includes a body part disposed parallel to the first barrier layer, and an
20 extension part that is bent at one end of the body part and covers the upper end part of the battery
cell.
【Claim 4】
The battery module of claim 3, wherein:
the first barrier layer is located between a first battery cell and a second battery cell adjacent
25 to each other, and the second barrier layer includes a 2-1 barrier layer located between the first
barrier layer and the first battery cell, and a 2-2 barrier layer located between the first barrier layer
and the second battery cell, and
a first extension part of the 2-1 barrier layer and a second extension part of the 2-2 barrier
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layer are bent in the same direction.
【Claim 5】
The battery module of claim 4, wherein:
the first extension part and the second extension part overlap each other.
5 【Claim 6】
The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the body part includes an additional extension part that covers an end part of the battery cell
in which the electrode lead is located.
【Claim 7】
10 The battery module of claim 6, wherein:
an opening for passing the electrode lead is formed in the additional extension part of the body
part.
【Claim 8】
The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
15 the barrier layer is formed of a flame retardant member.
【Claim 9】
The battery module of claim 3, wherein:
the first barrier layer is formed of a silicon material, a mica material, or a mixed material
thereof, and the second barrier layer is formed of a mica material.
20 【Claim 10】
The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the battery module comprises at least two or more barrier layers, and
at least two or more battery cells are located between adjacent barrier layers of the two or
more barrier layers.
25 【Claim 11】
The battery module of claim 10, wherein:
the extension parts of the barrier layers adjacent to each other are bent in mutually different
directions.
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【Claim 12】
A battery pack comprising the battery module of claim 1.