TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-
0131449 filed on October 12, 2020 in the Republic of Korea, the disclosures of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
10 The present disclosure relates to a battery module, a battery pack, and a vehicle,
and more particularly, to a battery module, a battery pack, and a vehicle with reduced
manufacturing cost and improved safety against fire.
BACKGROUND ART
15 Currently, commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium
batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries and
the like, and among them, lithium secondary batteries have little or no memory effect, and
thus they are gaining more attention than nickel-based secondary batteries for their
advantages that recharging can be done whenever it is convenient, the self-discharge rate is
20 very low and the energy density is high.
In addition, depending on the shape of the exterior, the lithium secondary battery
may be classified into a cylindrical battery cell in which an electrode assembly is included
in a metal can and a pouch-type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is
3
included in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet.
In particular, the demand for large-capacity battery modules applied to electronic
devices, vehicles, and the like is increasing recently. Such a large-capacity battery
module may include a plurality of battery cells, for example a plurality of cylindrical
5 battery cells.
However, in the battery module, when thermal runaway, fire, explosion, or the like
occurs in some of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, high-temperature heat,
fragments, flame, gas, or the like of the electrode assembly may be discharged to raise the
temperature of other adjacent battery cells. Accordingly, there is a problem in that
10 thermal runaway, fire, or the like is propagated to other adjacent battery cells, resulting in a
larger secondary fire or explosion, thereby exacerbating the damage.
Moreover, the space between the plurality of cylindrical battery cells or between
the module case and the battery cell is very narrow in many cases, but this structure is very
vulnerable to the propagation of heat or flame between the plurality of battery cells. In
15 addition, due to such a narrow space, there are many restrictions in providing a separate
member for preventing heat or flame propagation. Further, in the case of the
conventional battery module, a configuration in which a specific material is input to
prevent the propagation of internal heat or flame is also attempted, but there is a problem
that the cost of the specific material is high. Accordingly, the conventional battery
20 module has many difficulties in efficiently securing safety against heat or fire.
DISCLOSURE
Technical Problem
4
The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and
therefore the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery module capable of
efficiently securing safety against heat or fire, and a battery pack and a vehicle including
the battery module.
5 These and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure may be
understood from the following detailed description and will become more fully apparent
from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, it will be easily
understood that the objects and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized by the
means shown in the appended claims and combinations thereof.
10
Technical Solution
In order to accomplish the above object, a battery module according to one aspect
of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of battery cells; a module case having an
inner space formed therein and configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in
15 the inner space; a polymer member configured to be filled in at least a part of the inner
space of the module case accommodating the plurality of battery cells; and a filler at least
partially located inside the polymer member and interposed in at least one space of a space
between at least one of the plurality of battery cells and the module case and a space
between the plurality of battery cells.
20 The polymer member may include a silicon resin.
The polymer member may be cured after being filled in at least a part of the inner
space of the module case.
The filler may include a plurality of particles and is dispersed inside the polymer
5
member.
The filler may include a plastic material or a ceramic material.
The filler may include a plurality of particles with different sizes.
The filler may have an empty space formed therein.
5 The filler may contain a fire-extinguishing material therein.
The filler may contain a flame-retardant liquid therein.
The filler may be configured such that the polymer member is partially inserted
therein.
The filler may include a plurality of particles that respectively have an outer layer
10 and a porous inner layer.
In addition, in another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a
battery pack, comprising at least one battery module according to the present disclosure.
Moreover, in still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a
vehicle, comprising at least one battery module according to the present disclosure.
15
Advantageous Effects
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery module with
excellent safety and economic feasibility may be secured.
In particular, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since the
20 polymer member and the filler are included in the battery module, heat or flame
propagation prevention performance, explosion prevention performance, or the like may be
more effectively secured.
Moreover, the polymer member may serve as a barrier to prevent flame from being
6
propagated to other adjacent battery cells when any one of the plurality of battery cells
ignites and explodes. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent the plurality of
battery cells from serially exploding or spreading a fire.
In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the
5 heat/flame propagation prevention performance is secured at a relatively low cost, a battery
module or a battery pack having economic feasibility along with excellent safety may be
implemented.
In particular, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a
silicon resin (silicon polymer) serving as the polymer member is injected into the battery
10 pack to delay ignition or explosion of the battery cell, the amount of silicon resin may be
reduced by means of the filler.
Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the
amount of relatively expensive silicon resin may be reduced, the manufacturing cost may
be reduced.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A battery module, comprising:
a plurality of battery cells;
5 a module case having an inner space formed therein and configured to
accommodate the plurality of battery cells in the inner space;
a polymer member configured to be filled in at least a part of the inner space of the
module case accommodating the plurality of battery cells; and
a filler at least partially located inside the polymer member and interposed in at
10 least one space of a space between at least one of the plurality of battery cells and the
module case and a space between the plurality of battery cells.
2. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the polymer member includes a silicon resin.
15
3. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the polymer member is cured after being filled in at least a part of the
inner space of the module case.
20 4. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler includes a plurality of particles and is dispersed inside the
polymer member.
33
5. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler includes a plastic material or a ceramic material.
6. The battery module according to claim 1,
5 wherein the filler includes a plurality of particles with different sizes.
7. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler has an empty space formed therein.
10 8. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler contains a fire-extinguishing material therein.
9. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler contains a flame-retardant liquid therein.
15
10. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler is configured such that the polymer member is partially inserted
therein.
20 11. The battery module according to claim 1,
wherein the filler includes a plurality of particles that respectively have an outer
layer and a porous inner layer.
34
12. A battery pack, comprising at least one battery module according to any one
of claims 1 to 11.
13. A vehicle, comprising at least one battery module according to any one of
5 claims 1 to 11.