[One]Cross-Citation with Related Application(s)
[2]
This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0078783 dated July 01, 2019, and all contents disclosed in the literature of the Korean patent application are incorporated as a part of this specification.
[3]
The present invention relates to a battery module and a battery pack including the same, and more particularly, to a battery module with improved space utilization of a secondary battery and a battery pack including the same.
background
[4]
Secondary batteries are receiving a lot of attention as an energy source in various product groups such as mobile devices and electric vehicles. Such a secondary battery is a powerful energy resource that can replace the use of conventional products using fossil fuels, and is in the spotlight as an eco-friendly energy source because by-products due to energy use do not occur.
[5]
Recently, as the need for a large-capacity secondary battery structure, including the use of secondary batteries as an energy storage source, increases, the demand for a battery pack having a multi-module structure in which a plurality of secondary batteries are assembled in series/parallel connected battery pack is increasing. .
[6]
On the other hand, when configuring a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series/parallel, a battery module composed of at least one battery cell is configured, and other components are added using the at least one battery module to add other components to the battery pack. The general way to configure
[7]
These battery modules include a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a bus bar frame formed at both ends of the battery cell stack, a terminal bus bar formed in the bus bar frame, and an end plate formed outside the bus bar frame. , an insulating cover formed inside the end plate, a terminal bus bar, and a power supply, and a nut for connecting a bus bar or a high voltage cable connected to another module.
[8]
1 is an exploded perspective view showing an assembly direction of a bus bar frame, a terminal bus bar, a nut, an insulating cover, and an end plate in a conventional battery module. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an assembled state of the components of FIG. 1 .
[9]
Referring to FIG. 1 , in the related art, a bus bar frame 10 is installed on the outside of a battery cell stack, and a terminal bus bar 11 is installed on the outside of the bus bar frame 10, respectively, and a terminal bus bar 11 is provided. ), the nut 12 is installed on the outside, and the insulating cover 21 and the end plate 20 are sequentially installed on the outside of the nut 12 in the longitudinal direction of the battery module.
[10]
However, there is a risk that the nut 12 may be separated from the battery module, so as shown in the figure, it was necessary to separately manufacture an insertion structure of the nut on the end plate 20 and insert the nut 12. At this time, the shape of the nut 12 In addition, there is a problem in that it has to be formed somewhat complicated so that it can be fitted into the nut insertion structure.
[11]
Also, referring to FIG. 2 , the upper end of the terminal bus bar 11 in the battery module is bent, and the nut 12 is formed on the right side of the bent portion of the terminal bus bar 11 , so the nut 12 and the bus bar An empty space (S) is formed between the upper ends of (11). Since no other electrical equipment is installed in the empty space (S), there is a need to utilize the space (S) by changing the arrangement of parts and the like.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
technical challenge
[12]
An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module having a nut fixing structure having a more compact and simple structure, and a battery pack including the same.
[13]
Another object of the present invention is to efficiently utilize the remaining space in the battery module to optimize the component arrangement and to provide a battery module having a more compact structure and a battery pack including the same.
[14]
The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.
means of solving the problem
[15]
A battery module and a battery pack including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object include a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, and a bus bar frame formed on front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack , a terminal bus bar formed on the outside of the bus bar frame based on the battery cell stack and electrically connected to an external power source, and an end plate covering the bus bar frame, wherein the terminal bus bar has a side surface A nut is inserted into the space formed by the recessed side surface and the bus bar frame.
[16]
The terminal bus bar may include a main body coupled to the bus bar frame, a protrusion formed perpendicular to the bus bar frame from an upper side of the main body and protruding outwardly, and a bent portion connecting the main body and the protrusion and formed to be bent. Including, a side surface of the bent portion may be formed in a depression.
[17]
The protrusion may be formed to cover an upper side of the nut.
[18]
A hole may be formed at one side of the protrusion, and the hole may be formed at a position corresponding to the hollow portion of the nut.
[19]
The end plate may be formed outside the terminal bus bar and the nut based on the longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack to cover the bus bar frame.
[20]
The end plate may further include an insulating cover formed between the terminal bus bar and the nut and the end plate.
[21]
The nut may be formed in a cube shape.
[22]
The nut may also be formed in a cuboid shape.
[23]
The terminal bus bar is respectively formed on both sides of the bus bar frame, the opposite side of the terminal bus bar on both sides is respectively recessed, and a nut is inserted into each of the recessed spaces.
[24]
A plurality of bus bars are formed between the terminal bus bars on both sides, and a bus bar frame protrusion for covering the plurality of bus bars from side surfaces is formed on the bus bar frame, and the bus bar frame protrusion part is opposite to the terminal bus bar. Opposing portions of the nuts inserted in the recessed space on the viewing side may be supported, respectively.
Effects of the Invention
[25]
In the battery module and the battery pack including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention, the side of the terminal bus bar is recessed, and the nut is inserted and installed in the space formed by the recessed portion and the bus bar frame, whereby a separate nut is fixed It is now possible to support and fix the nut only with the existing busbar structure without any structure. In addition, since the size of the nut can be minimized and the shape of the nut can be simplified, there is an advantage that the cost can be reduced during nut production.
[26]
In addition, the battery module and the battery pack including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention optimize the arrangement of components by making a space on the side of the bent part of the conventional terminal bus bar and inserting a nut into the space, and the terminal bus bar and the nut By being positioned side by side in the width direction of the battery module, the overall length of the battery module is reduced, thereby providing the effect of increasing the energy density compared to the volume of the battery module.
[27]
Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.
Brief description of the drawing
[28]
1 is an exploded perspective view showing installation positions of a bus bar frame, a terminal bus bar, a nut, an insulating cover, and an end plate in a conventional battery module.
[29]
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state that the parts of Figure 1 are assembled.
[30]
3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating installation positions of a bus bar frame, a terminal bus bar, a nut, an insulating cover, and an end plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[31]
4 is a perspective view illustrating a terminal bus bar, a nut, and a peripheral configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[32]
5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a terminal bus bar, a nut, and a peripheral configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[33]
6 is a front view illustrating a terminal bus bar, a nut, and a peripheral configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[34]
7 is a view showing one terminal bus bar and a nut according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Modes for carrying out the invention
[35]
It should be understood that the embodiments described below are illustratively shown to help understanding of the invention, and that the present invention may be implemented with various modifications different from the embodiments described herein. However, in the description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or component may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description and specific illustration thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale in order to help understanding of the invention, but dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.
[36]
The first and second terms used in the present application may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.
[37]
In addition, the terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of rights. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "comprises", "consists of" or "consisting It should be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of addition or existence of other features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
[38]
Hereinafter, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7 .
[39]
3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating installation positions of a bus bar frame, a terminal bus bar, a nut, an insulating cover, and an end plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a terminal bus bar, a nut, and a peripheral configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a terminal bus bar, a nut, and a peripheral configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a front view illustrating a terminal bus bar, a nut, and a peripheral configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a view showing one terminal bus bar and a nut according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[40]
3 to 7 , a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells 100 are stacked, and a bus bar frame 200 formed on front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack. ), a terminal bus bar 210 formed on the outside of the bus bar frame 200 based on the battery cell stack and electrically connected to an external power source, a terminal bus bar 210 and an external power source, and connected to other modules It includes a nut 220 for connecting a bus bar or a high voltage cable, the terminal bus bar 210 has a side recessed shape, and the nut 220 includes a recessed side surface of the terminal bus bar 210 and a bus bar frame 200 . ) is inserted into the space it forms.
[41]
The battery cell 100 is a secondary battery and may be configured as a pouch-type secondary battery. The battery cells 100 may be configured in plurality, and the plurality of battery cells 100 may be stacked to each other so as to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery cell stack. Each of the plurality of battery cells may include an electrode assembly, a battery case, and an electrode lead (not shown) protruding from the electrode assembly.
[42]
The bus bar frame 200 is formed on the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, respectively. The bus bar frame 200 may be formed by covering the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack to electrically connect the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells 100 .
[43]
The terminal bus bar 210 is formed on the outside of the bus bar frame 200 based on the battery cell stack. The terminal bus bar 210 is respectively formed on both sides of the bus bar frame 200 to electrically connect the bus bar frame 200 connected to the battery cell 100 and an external power source.
[44]
The end plate 300 may be formed on the outside of the terminal bus bar 210 and the nut 220 in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack to cover the bus bar frame 200 . The end plate 300 protects the bus bar frame 200 and various electrical components connected thereto from external impact, has a battery module mounting structure as a component of the frame, and at the same time provides an opening 300a formed in the end plate 300 . By allowing the terminal bus bar 210 and the nut 220 to protrude through the outside, it is possible to guide the electrical connection between the bus bar frame 200 and the external power source.
[45]
The insulating cover 310 may be formed between the terminal bus bar 210 and the nut 220 and the end plate 300 to block unnecessary electrical connection between the bus bar frame 200 and the outside.
[46]
The terminal bus bar 210 includes a main body 211 , a protrusion 213 formed perpendicular to the bus bar frame 200 and protruding outward from the upper side of the main body 211 , and the main body 211 and the protrusion 213 . ) and may include a bent portion 212 that is formed to be bent.
[47]
The main body 211 may be formed in a vertical plate shape to be coupled to the bus bar frame 200 . Through this, the electrical signal received from the battery cell 100 may be transmitted to the protrusion 213 .
[48]
The protrusion 213 may protrude to the outside through the opening 300a of the end plate to be electrically connected to an external power source. A hole 213-1 is formed on one side of the protrusion 213, and the hollow part of the nut 220 penetrates through the hole 213-1, and a bolt is inserted into the through space to insert the nut 220 and the terminal bus bar. (210) can be combined.
[49]
The bent portion 212 has a side recessed, and the nut 220 may be inserted into a space formed by the recessed portion of the bent portion 212 and the frame surface of the bus bar frame 200 located inside. .
[50]
Conventionally, the nut is located on the outside of the terminal bus bar, and a nut insertion structure for fixing and supporting the nut has to be separately provided on the end plate, and the shape of the nut is also somewhat complicated and has no choice but to be manufactured relatively large. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the nut 220, the side of the bent portion 212 is recessed, the nut 220 is inserted into the space formed in the recessed portion, and the bus bar frame 200 is formed. , since it is fixed and supported by the terminal bus bar 210 and the bus bar frame protrusion 240 and the end plate 300 to be described later, there is no need to provide a separate nut insertion structure to the end plate. In addition, the nut 220 can be manufactured in a simple form, and according to an embodiment of the present invention, the nut 220 can be formed in a simple structure in the shape of a cube. In addition, the nut 220 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped structure. When it is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the size of the nut can be further reduced.
[51]
In addition, in the prior art, the nut is located outside the bent part separately from the space formed by the bent part of the terminal bus bar, so the length of the battery module can be increased by the sum of the space formed by the bent part and the space occupied by the nut. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the nut 220 can be inserted into the side recessed space formed by the bent portion 212, so that the length of the battery module can be reduced by the space for forming the conventional bent portion.
[52]
According to the simulation result, the ratio of the length of the battery cell to the total length of the conventional battery module occupies about 93.04%, but the ratio of the length of the battery cell to the total length of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention accounts for 94.48% Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the length of the battery module compared to the length of the battery cell. As described above, the length of the battery module can be reduced by optimizing the arrangement of components, thereby increasing the energy density compared to the volume of the battery module.
[53]
The terminal bus bars 210 may be respectively formed on both sides of the bus bar frame 200 . Referring to FIG. 6 , the terminal bus bars 210a and 210b may be formed of a left terminal bus bar 210a and a right terminal bus bar 210b.
[54]
The left terminal bus bar 210a has a main body 211a, a protrusion 213a formed perpendicular to the bus bar frame 200 from the upper side of the main body 211a and protruding outward, and the body 211a and the protrusion 213a. ) and may include a bent portion 212a formed to be bent.
[55]
The right terminal bus bar 210b has a main body 211b, a protrusion 213b formed perpendicular to the bus bar frame 200 from the upper side of the main body 211b and protruding outwardly, and the main body 211b and the protrusion 213b. ) and may include a bent portion 212b formed to be bent.
[56]
7 shows the structure of the right terminal bus bar 210b in more detail. The left terminal bus bar 210a is formed in a symmetrical structure with the right terminal bus bar 210b, so that the structure of the left terminal bus bar 210a can be understood through the structure of the right terminal bus bar 210b.
[57]
Referring to FIG. 6 for the position and fixing structure of the nut, the terminal bus bars 210a and 210b are respectively formed on both sides of the bus bar frame 200, and the opposite side surfaces of the terminal bus bars 210a and 210b are Each may be formed in a depression. Accordingly, the two nuts 220a and 220b may be respectively positioned on opposite side surfaces of the two terminal bus bars 210a and 210b.
[58]
More specifically, the -x-axis direction portion of the bent portion 212a of the left terminal bus bar 210a may be recessed, and the nut 220a may be inserted into the recessed portion. Also, an x-axis direction portion of the bent portion 212b of the right terminal bus bar 210b may be recessed, and a nut 220b may be inserted into the recessed portion.
[59]
The two terminal bus bars 210a and 210b may be formed symmetrically to each other in the same shape. To correspond to this, the two nuts 220a and 220b may have the same shape.
[60]
A plurality of bus bars 230 coupled to the bus bar frame 200 may be formed between the terminal bus bars 210a and 210b on both sides. Also, the bus bar frame protrusion 240 protruding from the bus bar frame 200 may be formed on the bus bar frame 200 to cover side surfaces of the plurality of bus bars 230 .
[61]
Of the bus bar frame protrusions 240 , the outermost protruding portions adjacent to the two terminal bus bars 210a and 210b, respectively, are located opposite to each other in a space recessed on the opposite side of the terminal bus bars 210a and 210b. (220a, 220b) may be formed to support the opposing portions, respectively.
[62]
More specifically, as for the nut 220a inserted into the recessed space of the left terminal bus bar 210a, the right side of the nut 220a is supported through the bus bar frame protrusion 240 formed on the right side of the nut 220a, The nut 220b inserted into the recessed space of the right terminal bus bar 210b may support the left side of the nut 220b through the bus bar frame protrusion 240 formed on the left side of the nut 220b.
[63]
As a result, the nut 220a located on the left side is the bus bar frame 200 supporting the nut 220a in the -y-axis direction with respect to the nut 220a, and fixing the upper side of the nut 220a in the z-axis direction. The protrusion 213a, the bent part 212a for supporting the nut 220a in the x-axis direction and the -z-axis direction, and the bus bar frame protrusion 240 for supporting the nut 220a in the -x-axis direction and the -z-axis direction ), it is possible to support and fix the nut 220a by utilizing existing parts in the xyz-axis direction of the nut 220a except for the connection direction with the external electric length (y-axis direction).
[64]
Similarly, the nut 220b located on the right side is a bus bar frame 200 for supporting the nut 220b in the -y-axis direction with respect to the nut 220b, and a protrusion for fixing the upper side of the nut 220b in the z-axis direction. (213b), a bent portion 212b for supporting the nut 220b in the -x-axis direction and the -z-axis direction, and a bus bar frame protrusion 240 for supporting the nut 220b in the x-axis direction and the -z-axis direction Through , it is possible to support and fix the nut 220b by utilizing existing parts in the xyz direction of the nut 220b except for the connection direction (y-axis direction) with the external electric length.
[65]
The battery module described above may be included in the battery pack. The battery pack may have a structure in which one or more battery modules according to the present embodiment are collected and a battery management system (BMS) that manages the temperature, voltage, etc. of the battery and a cooling device are added and packed.
[66]
The battery pack may be applied to various devices. Such a device may be applied to transportation means such as an electric bicycle, an electric vehicle, and a hybrid vehicle, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to various devices that can use a battery module, which also falls within the scope of the present invention .
[67]
In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and it is common in the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications may be made by those having the knowledge of, of course, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.
[68]
Explanation of symbols
[69]
100: battery cell
[70]
200: bus bar frame
[71]
210: terminal bus bar
[72]
211: protrusion
[73]
211-1: hole part
[74]
212: bend
[75]
213: body part
[76]
220: nut
[77]
230: bus bar
[78]
240: bus bar frame protrusion
[79]
300: end plate
[80]
300a: opening
[81]
310: insulation cover

WE CLAIMS

a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a bus bar frame formed on front and back surfaces of the battery cell stack; a terminal bus bar formed outside the bus bar frame based on the battery cell stack and electrically connected to an external power source; and an end plate covering the bus bar frame, wherein a side of the terminal bus bar is recessed, and a nut is inserted into a space formed between the recessed side and the bus bar frame.
[Claim 2]
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the terminal bus bar comprises: a main body coupled to the bus bar frame; a protrusion formed perpendicular to the bus bar frame from an upper side of the main body and protruding outward; and a bent part that connects the body part and the protrusion part and is bent, wherein a side surface of the bent part is recessed.
[Claim 3]
The battery module of claim 2, wherein the protrusion is formed to cover an upper side of the nut.
[Claim 4]
The battery module of claim 3 , wherein a hole is formed at one side of the protrusion, and the hole is formed at a position corresponding to a hollow portion of the nut.
[Claim 5]
The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the end plate is formed outside the terminal bus bar and the nut based on the longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack to cover the bus bar frame.
[Claim 6]
The battery module of claim 5 , wherein the end plate further comprises an insulating cover formed between the terminal bus bar and the nut and the end plate.
[Claim 7]
The battery module of claim 1, wherein the nut has a cube shape.
[Claim 8]
The battery module of claim 1, wherein the nut is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
[Claim 9]
The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the terminal bus bars are respectively formed on both sides of the bus bar frame, opposite side surfaces of the terminal bus bars on both sides are respectively recessed, and a nut is inserted into each of the recessed spaces.
[Claim 10]
10. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of bus bars are formed between the terminal bus bars on both sides, and a bus bar frame protrusion for covering the plurality of bus bars from side surfaces is formed on the bus bar frame, and the bus bar frame protrusion comprises: A battery module supporting each of the opposite portions of the nuts inserted in a space recessed on the opposite side of the terminal bus bar.
[Claim 11]
A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 1 .