KR102714945B1 - Battery module and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery module is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a battery module comprises: a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; and a casing configured to surround the battery cell stack and having an insertion groove formed into which a support member for supporting the connection of an electrode lead of a battery cell and a bus bar can be inserted.

Description

BATTERY MODULE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, to a battery module in which electrode leads and a bus bar can be tightly joined to each other when combined, and a method for manufacturing the same.

As technological development and demand for mobile devices increase, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing. Nickel-cadmium batteries or hydrogen-ion batteries have been used as secondary batteries in the past, but recently, lithium secondary batteries are being widely used because they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, can be freely charged and discharged, have a very low self-discharge rate, and have a high energy density.

These lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium oxide and carbon material as positive and negative active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly in which positive and negative plates, each coated with the positive and negative active materials, are arranged with a separator between them, and an outer material, i.e., a battery case, that seals and stores the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

Lithium secondary batteries consist of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator and electrolyte interposed between them, and are divided into lithium ion batteries (LIBs), lithium polymer batteries (PLIBs), etc., depending on which positive and negative electrode active materials are used. Typically, the electrodes of these lithium secondary batteries are formed by applying a positive or negative electrode active material to a current collector such as an aluminum or copper sheet, mesh, film, or foil, and then drying it.

In the case of conventional technology, when joining electrode leads and bus bars by welding, there is a problem that the electrode leads and bus bars are not in close contact, resulting in weak welding, or the welding joint of the electrode leads and bus bars is pushed, resulting in welding defects.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0078776 (Publication Date: July 10, 2018)

Accordingly, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a battery module and a manufacturing method thereof in which the electrode lead and the bus bar can be in close contact with each other when the electrode lead and the bus bar are combined.

In addition, the present invention provides a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, which can prevent the welding part from slipping during welding of electrode leads and bus bars.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery module may be provided, including a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; and a casing provided to surround the battery cell stack and having an insertion groove formed into which a support member supporting a connection between an electrode lead of the battery cell and a bus bar can be inserted.

In addition, the electrode lead and the bus bar are joined by welding, and in order to prevent the welding portion of the electrode lead and the bus bar from slipping, the support member can be inserted into the insertion groove when welding the electrode lead and the bus bar.

And, the insertion grooves can be formed on the upper and lower sides of the casing, respectively.

Additionally, the insertion groove may be formed on the edge of an end of the casing.

And, the support member may include an insertion part inserted into the insertion groove; and a power source coupled to the insertion part and driving the insertion part.

Additionally, the support member may further include a plug member that fills the insertion groove after the support member is separated from the insertion groove.

Meanwhile, according to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a battery module can be provided, including a step of inserting a support member into an insertion groove formed in a casing; a step of connecting an electrode lead of a battery cell supported by the support member and a bus bar; and a step of separating the support member from the insertion groove.

Additionally, the electrode lead and the bus bar may include a step of being joined by welding.

And, it may include a step of inserting the insertion part of the support member into the insertion groove while being driven by being coupled to a power source.

In addition, the method may further include a step of filling the insertion groove with a plug member after the support member is separated from the insertion groove.

Meanwhile, according to another aspect of the present invention, a battery pack including the above-described battery module can be provided, and further, a battery pack including a battery module manufactured by the above-described battery module manufacturing method can be provided.

Meanwhile, according to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle including the above-described battery module can be provided, and further, a vehicle including a battery module manufactured by the above-described battery module manufacturing method can be provided.

In embodiments of the present invention, since a support member is inserted into an insertion groove formed in a casing to support an electrode lead and a bus bar, there is an effect in which the electrode lead and the bus bar can be brought into close contact with each other when the electrode lead and the bus bar are combined.

In addition, there is an effect that can prevent the welding joint from sliding when welding the electrode lead and the bus bar by the support member.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a partial view of the insertion groove of the casing viewed from the upper side of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial view of the insertion groove of the casing viewed from the lower side of Figure 1.
FIG. 4 is a front view of a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which an insertion part coupled to a power source is inserted into an insertion groove of a casing.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which an insertion portion coupled to a power source is separated from an insertion groove of a casing.
FIG. 6 is a front view of a battery module according to the second embodiment of the present invention, with the plug member filling the insertion groove.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings according to preferred embodiments. The terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain his own invention in the best way. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, and it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of the present application.

In the drawings, the size of each component or a specific part of the component is exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity of explanation. Therefore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. If it is judged that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such description will be omitted.

The term 'joint' or 'connection' as used herein includes not only cases where one member and another member are directly joined or directly connected, but also cases where one member is indirectly joined or indirectly connected to another member through a connecting member.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial view looking at the insertion groove of the casing from the upper side of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partial view looking at the insertion groove of the casing from the lower side of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a front view showing an insertion portion coupled to a power source in the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention inserted into the insertion groove of the casing, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing an insertion portion coupled to a power source in the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention separated from the insertion groove of the casing. In FIGS. 4 and 5, only a portion of the insertion groove is illustrated in a cross-sectional view in order to explain the insertion process of the support member.

Referring to FIG. 1, a battery module (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell stack (100) and a casing (200).

The battery cell stack (100) is formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells (110). Here, the battery cells (110) may have various structures, and furthermore, the plurality of battery cells (110) may be stacked in various ways. In addition, the battery cell stack (100) is provided with a plurality of battery cells (110) provided with electrode leads (111). The electrode leads (111) provided in the battery cells (110) are a type of terminal that is exposed to the outside and connected to an external device, and may be made of a conductive material. The electrode leads (111) may include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead. The positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be arranged in opposite directions with respect to the longitudinal direction of the battery cells (110), or the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be positioned in the same direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the battery cells (110). The electrode leads (111) may be electrically coupled to the bus bar (300). The battery cell (110) may have a structure in which a plurality of unit cells arranged in the order of positive plate-separator-negative plate or bi-cells arranged in the order of positive plate-separator-negative plate-separator-positive plate-separator-negative plate are stacked according to the battery capacity.

The battery cell stack (100) may be provided with a plurality of cartridges (not shown) that accommodate each battery cell (110). Each cartridge (not shown) may be manufactured by injection molding of plastic, and a plurality of cartridges (not shown) having a storage portion formed therein that can accommodate the battery cell (110) may be stacked. A cartridge assembly in which a plurality of cartridges (not shown) are stacked may be provided with a connector element or a terminal element. The connector element may include various forms of electrical connection parts or connection members for connection to, for example, a BMS (Battery Management System, not shown) that can provide data on the voltage or temperature of the battery cell (110). In addition, the terminal element is a main terminal connected to the battery cell (110) and includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and the terminal element may be provided with a terminal bolt to be electrically connected to the outside. Meanwhile, the battery cell (110) may have various shapes.

A battery cell stack (100) or a cartridge assembly containing a battery cell stack (100) can be stored in a casing (200). The casing (200) surrounds the entire battery cell stack (100) or a plurality of cartridge assemblies, thereby protecting the battery cell stack (100) or the cartridge assembly from external vibrations or shocks.

The casing (200) may be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the battery cell stack (100) or the cartridge assembly. For example, if the battery cell stack (100) or the cartridge assembly is formed in a hexahedral shape, the casing (200) may also be formed in a hexahedral shape corresponding thereto. The casing (200) may be manufactured by, for example, bending a metal plate or may be manufactured by a plastic injection molding. In addition, the casing (200) may be manufactured as an integral part or as a separate part. A penetration portion (not shown) through which the aforementioned connector element or terminal element may be exposed to the outside may be formed in the casing (200). That is, the connector element or the terminal element may be electrically connected to a predetermined external component or member, and a penetration portion may be formed in the casing (200) so that such electrical connection is not hindered by the casing (200).

An insertion groove (210) is formed in the casing (200) into which a support member (400) that supports the connection of the electrode lead (111) of the battery cell (110) and the bus bar (300) can be inserted. The bus bar (300) is connected to the casing (200), and the electrode lead (111) of the battery cell (110) is bent to come into contact with the bus bar (300), and the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) can be connected by welding. The electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) can be connected by laser welding or the like, but the welding method is not limited thereto. In addition, the connection method of the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) is not limited to welding. When welding the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300), if the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) are not in close contact, there is a possibility that the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) may easily fall off due to weak welding, and also, the welding part (600) of the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) may be pushed, resulting in a welding defect. To prevent this, that is, to prevent the welding part (600) of the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) from being pushed, in the present embodiment, when welding the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300), a support member (400, see FIG. 4) is inserted into the insertion groove (210) to support the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300). Here, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the insertion groove (210) may be formed on the upper and lower sides of the casing (200), respectively. That is, the support member (400) may be inserted into the insertion grooves (210) formed on the upper and lower sides of the casing (200), respectively, so as to support both the upper and lower sides of the welded portion (600) of the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300). In addition, the insertion grooves (210) may be formed on the edge portion (220) of the end of the casing (200) so as to support the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) at a position as close as possible to the welded portion (600) of the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300). The insertion grooves (210) may be formed in various numbers. The insertion grooves (210) may be one or more, and a plurality may be formed on each of the upper and lower sides of the casing (200) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the support member (400) may include an insertion portion (410) and a power source (420). The insertion portion (410) is inserted into the insertion groove (210) to support the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300). The insertion portion (410) may be formed in various ways, and may be formed in a pin shape, for example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The power source (420) is coupled to the insertion portion (410) to drive the insertion portion (410). The power source (420) may be provided in various ways, and may include, for example, various cylinders. However, the power source (420) is not limited to a cylinder. Here, the insertion portion (410) may be coupled to the power source (420) to be inserted into the insertion groove (210) and separated from the insertion groove (210). The insertion portion (410) is inserted into the insertion groove (210) by the power source (420) and the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) are welded while supporting the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300). As a result, the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) can be in close contact with each other, and further, there is an effect of preventing the welding portion (600) from being pushed during welding. Then, when the welding is completed, the insertion portion (410) is separated from the insertion groove (210) by the power source (420). The support member (400) may be a type of jig separated from the battery module (10).

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the battery module (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The insertion portion (410) of the support member (400) is inserted into the insertion groove (210) formed in the casing (200) by the power source (420) of the support member (400). Here, the support member (400) can support the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) so that they can be in close contact. The electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) are welded while the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) are supported by the support member (400), and thereby, the welding portion (600) can be prevented from being pushed when welding the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300).

FIG. 6 is a front view of a battery module according to the second embodiment of the present invention, with the plug member filling the insertion groove.

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the battery module (10) according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, parts common to those described in the battery module (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be replaced with the description given above.

The second embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment in that it further includes a plug member (500).

Referring to FIG. 6, the plug member (500) may be provided to fill the insertion groove (210) after the support member (400) is separated from the insertion groove (210). The plug member (500) may be provided with various materials, and may be manufactured with a metal material so as to fill the insertion groove (210) of the casing (200) and reinforce the rigidity of the casing (200). However, the material of the plug member (500) is not limited thereto, and various materials may be used as long as they have sufficient rigidity.

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of a method for manufacturing a battery module (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, referring to Fig. 4, the support member (400) is inserted into the insertion groove (210) formed in the casing (200). Here, the insertion portion (410) of the support member (400) can be inserted into the insertion groove (210) while being driven by being coupled to a power source (420). When the insertion portion (410) of the support member (400) is inserted into the insertion groove (210), the electrode lead (111) of the battery cell (110) and the bus bar (300) can be supported by the support member (400).

Next, the electrode lead (111) of the battery cell (110) and the bus bar (300) are joined while the electrode lead (111) of the battery cell (110) and the bus bar (300) are supported by the support member (400). Here, the electrode lead (111) of the battery cell (110) and the bus bar (300) can be joined by various welding methods, and since the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) are supported by the support member (400), the phenomenon of slippage at the welded portion (600) of the electrode lead (111) and the bus bar (300) can be prevented.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, the insertion portion (410) of the support member (400) is separated from the insertion groove (210). That is, the power source (420) provides power to the insertion portion (410) so that the insertion portion (410) is separated from the insertion groove (210) of the casing (200).

Next, after the insertion portion (410) of the support member (400) is separated from the insertion groove (210), the plug member (500) can fill the insertion groove (210), thereby supplementing the rigidity of the casing (200).

Meanwhile, a battery pack (not shown) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery modules (10) as described above. In addition, the battery pack (not shown) may further include, in addition to the battery module (10), a case for storing the battery module (10), various devices for controlling charging and discharging of the battery module (10), such as a BMS, a current sensor, a fuse, etc.

Meanwhile, a vehicle (not shown) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include the battery module (10) or battery pack (not shown) described above, and the battery pack (not shown) may include the battery module (10). In addition, the battery module (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a vehicle (not shown), for example, a vehicle (not shown) that is designed to use electricity, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

Although the present invention has been described above by means of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations are possible by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the patent claims to be described below.

10: Battery module 100: Battery cell stack
110: Battery cell 111: Electrode lead
200 : Casing 210 : Insertion groove
220 : Border 300 : Busbar
400 : Support member 410 : Insertion part
420 : Power source 500 : Plug material

Claims (14)

A battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; and
A casing is provided to surround the battery cell stack and has an insertion groove formed into which a support member that supports the connection of the electrode lead of the battery cell and the bus bar can be inserted.
The above supporting member is,
An insertion part inserted into the above insertion groove; and
A battery module characterized by including a power source coupled to the insertion part and driving the insertion part. In the first paragraph,
The above electrode leads and the above bus bar are joined by welding,
A battery module characterized in that the support member is inserted into the insertion groove when welding the electrode lead and the bus bar to prevent displacement of the welded portion of the electrode lead and the bus bar. In the first paragraph,
A battery module characterized in that the insertion grooves are formed on the upper and lower sides of the casing, respectively. In the first paragraph,
A battery module characterized in that the above insertion groove is formed on the edge of the end of the above casing. delete A battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; and
A casing is provided to surround the battery cell stack and has an insertion groove formed into which a support member that supports the connection of the electrode lead of the battery cell and the bus bar can be inserted.
A battery module characterized in that it further includes a plug member that fills the insertion groove after the support member is separated from the insertion groove. A step in which a support member is inserted into an insertion groove formed in a casing;
A step of connecting the electrode leads and the busbar of the battery cell supported by the above-mentioned support member; and
A method for manufacturing a battery module, comprising a step of separating the support member from the insertion groove. In Article 7,
A method for manufacturing a battery module, characterized in that it includes a step of joining the electrode lead and the bus bar by welding. In Article 7,
A method for manufacturing a battery module, characterized in that it includes a step of inserting the insertion part of the support member into the insertion groove while being driven by being coupled to a power source. In Article 7,
A method for manufacturing a battery module, characterized in that it further includes a step of filling the insertion groove with a plug member after the support member is separated from the insertion groove. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and claim 6. A battery pack comprising a battery module manufactured by a method for manufacturing a battery module according to any one of claims 7 to 10. A vehicle comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 6. A vehicle including a battery module manufactured by a method for manufacturing a battery module according to any one of claims 7 to 10.