Battery module of improved safety

• US 10,632,848 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jin Kyu, Yeo, Jaeseong, Shin, Yongshik, Yoon, Hee Soo, Lee, BumHyun, Kang, Dal Mo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara L
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDermott, Helen M
• Application Number:
  US12/842,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,567 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6553 Terminals or leads
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/659 by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/231 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 : comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery module configured in a structure in which a plurality of battery cells or unit modules (‘unit cells’) are stacked, and a heat sink is mounted to electrical connection regions between the unit cells and/or to outsides of battery module connection members connected to the electrical connection regions.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising:

a plurality of stacked battery cells or unit modules;

electrical connection regions extending from the battery cells or unit modules, the electrical connection regions electrically connecting the battery cells or unit modules;

a heat sink mounted to at least one of the electrical connection regions, wherein the heat sink includes;

a connection part; and

a plurality of bar contact parts extending from the connection part perpendicular to the connection part, each bar contact part having a slit formed therein extending parallel to the connection part; and

bus bars for connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells or unit modules to external input and output terminals, wherein portions of outsides of the bus bars are connected to the electrical connection regions,

wherein, when the heat sink is mounted to the battery module, the electrical connection regions are inserted into the slits,

wherein the heat sink is formed in a shape so as to not extend beyond outermost edges of the bus bars, and the heat sink is mounted to insides or outsides of the bus bars excluding said portions, and

wherein an overall length of the heat sink in a first direction is less than an overall length of the plurality of stacked battery cells or unit modules in the first direction.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is located at a top of a sensing member for detecting voltage and/or current.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink includes a heat absorbing material contained in a sealing member.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink includes a heat absorbing material contained in a sheet member in a state in which the heat absorbing material is supported by a capsule, and the sheet member includes a fiber-shaped member.

5. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the heat absorbing material is selected so as to change phase at a specific temperature between 50°

C. and 150°

C.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the phase change material is one selected from a group consisting of paraffin, polyethylene glycol and inorganic hydrates or combinations thereof.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery module includes the plurality of battery cells or unit modules as unit batteries.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the battery module includes

(a) a unit cell stack including the plurality of battery cells or unit modules connected in series to each other in a state in which the battery cells or unit modules stand in a lateral direction,

(b) an upper case configured to surround one side of the unit cell stack and to surround a portion of an upper end and a portion of a lower end of the unit cell stack, the upper case being provided at a front thereof with external input and output terminals,

(c) a lower case coupled to the upper case, the lower case configured to surround the other side of the unit cell stack and to surround a portion of the upper end and a portion of the lower end of the unit cell stack, the upper case being provided at a front thereof with the bus bars for connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells or unit modules to the external input and output terminals,

(d) a sensing member including frames for the sensing member mounted in spaces defined at a front and a rear of the lower case, each frame including a sensing part disposed therein, and a conduction part for connecting the sensing parts to each other, and

(e) a front cover mounted to the front of the lower case for protecting connection regions between the electrode terminals of the battery cells or unit modules and the bus bars from outside.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the unit cell stack includes a plurality of unit modules each including plate-shaped battery cells each having electrode terminals formed at an upper end and a lower end thereof, and each of the unit modules includes two or more battery cells configured such that electrode terminals of the battery cells are connected in series to each other and connections between the electrode terminals are bent, the battery cells being stacked, and a pair of cell covers coupled to each other for surrounding outsides of the battery cells excluding the electrode terminals of the battery cells.

10. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the lower case is provided at an inside of the front and the rear thereof with fixing grooves, into which the connections between the electrode terminals are fixedly inserted.

11. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the lower case is provided at the front thereof with a pair of slits, through which outermost electrode terminals of the unit cell stack are inserted.

12. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein the outermost electrode terminals are bent, after being inserted through the respective slits, such that the outermost electrode terminals are connected to the bus bars provided at the front of the lower case.

13. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the bus bars are configured such that upper ends of the bus bars are formed in the shape of a depressed groove, into which the external input and output terminals provided at the front of the upper case are inserted when the upper and lower cases are coupled to each other.

14. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the front cover is coupled to the lower case.

15. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the front cover is provided with a groove for fixing a power cable.

16. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the lower case is provided at a lower end of the front and/or the rear thereof with a coupling part protruding from the lower case such that the coupling part is fixed to an external device, the coupling part having a through hole formed in a center thereof.

17. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the battery module includes a plurality of plate-shaped battery cells mounted in a module case in a state in which the battery cells are sequentially stacked, each of the plate-shaped battery cells includes an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure mounted in a battery case formed of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, and a plurality of heat dissipation members disposed in two or more interfaces between the battery cells and a heat exchange member for integrally interconnecting the heat dissipation members are mounted at one side of the battery cell stack, whereby heat generated from the battery cells during charge and discharge of the battery cells are removed by the heat exchange member.

18. The battery module according to claim 17, wherein each of the heat dissipation members is made of a metal sheet.

19. The battery module according to claim 17, wherein the heat exchange member is made of a metal material.

20. The battery module according to claim 17, wherein the heat dissipation members are disposed in the interfaces between the battery cells in a state in which the heat dissipation members are at least partially exposed outward from the stacked battery cells, and the exposed portions of the heat dissipation members are bent in a lateral direction of the battery cells.

21. A battery pack including the battery module according to claim 1 as a unit body.

22. The battery pack according to claim 21, wherein the battery pack is used as a power source for electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

23. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein electrical connection regions comprise adjacent electrode terminals of the battery cells or unit modules connected to each other.