BATTERY MODULE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20190198952A1
• Filed: 12/26/2018
• Published: 06/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2017
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: SK On Company Limited (SK Innovation Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SK Innovation Company Limited
• Inventors: CHOI, Yang Kyu, SON, Sol San, LIM, Dong Hun, JU, Seung Hoon
• Application Number:
  US16/232,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20190198952A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/655 Solid structures for heat exchange or heat conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/20 Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/502 Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing
• 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: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery module, which includes: a battery group formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells, each of which includes electrode tabs; a cooling housing including a cooling plate located corresponding to one side of sides of the battery group, in which the electrode tabs are not extended, and side plates located on both sides of the battery group perpendicular to the one side of the sides, thus to house the battery group; a cover plate located on the other side of the battery group; and a front cover part and a rear cover part, which are located at outermost front and rear of the battery group on both sides in a direction in which the electrode tabs are extended.

Claims

1. A battery module comprising:

a battery group formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells, each of which includes electrode tabs;

a cooling housing including a cooling plate located corresponding to one side of sides of the battery group, in which the electrode tabs are not extended, and side plates located on both sides of the battery group perpendicular to the one side of the sides, thus to house the battery group;

a cover plate located on the other side of the battery group; and

a front cover part and a rear cover part, which are located at outermost front and rear of the battery group on both sides in a direction in which the electrode tabs are extended.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer member,

wherein the heat transfer member is located in a thin film form between the cooling plate and the battery group.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, the heat transfer member is filled in an empty space between the cooling plate and the plurality of battery cells.

4. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells includes a sealing part and an adhesion part, which are formed at outer peripheries thereof by a sheath,

wherein the sealing part is formed on three sides among four sides of circumferences of the battery cell, and the adhesion part is formed on the other side of the battery cell, and

the cooling plate closely comes into contact with the adhesion part of the plurality of stacked battery cells through the heat transfer member.

5. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the cooling plate a plurality of protrusions formed thereon, and

each of the protrusions is disposed across the adhesion parts of adjacent battery cells.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein each of the protrusions has a curved surface corresponding to a shape of a portion of the adhesion part.

7. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein a portion of the sealing part adjacent to the adhesion part has an extension part extending in a direction perpendicular to the adhesion part.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the cooling plate has a plurality of recesses formed therein to receive the extension part.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of recesses are formed in the cooling plate at positions corresponding to the extension parts.

10. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the cooling plate has a plurality of accommodating grooves formed therein to receive the extension parts of one or more battery cells adjacent to each other of the plurality of stacked battery cells, respectively.

11. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the cooling housing is formed as a single piece.

12. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the electrode tabs are extended from both sides of the battery group, and

further comprising:

bus bar assemblies which are connected to the electrode tabs on both sides thereof, respectively, to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells to each other, and a sensing module assembly which is located on the other side of the battery group.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, further comprising:

a sensing board located at one side of the bus bar assemblies on both sides thereof to detect a voltage of the plurality of battery cells,

wherein the sensing module assembly electrically connects the remaining one of the bus bar assemblies to the sensing board.

14. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein the sensing module assembly further comprises an elastic pad to press the battery group toward the cooling plate.

15. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery group includes elastic members disposed between at least two bundles of the plurality of battery cells.

16. A method of manufacturing a battery module, comprising:

stacking a plurality of battery cells, each of which includes electrode tabs;

mounting the stacked plurality of battery cells in a cooling housing including a cooling plate located corresponding to one side of sides of the plurality of battery cells in which the electrode tabs are not extended;

disposing a front cover part and a rear cover part at outermost both sides of the plurality of battery cells, in which the electrode tabs are extended; and

disposing a cover plate on the other side of the plurality of battery cells.

17. The method of manufacturing a battery module according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of battery cells are placed after a heat transfer member is applied to the cooling plate.

18. The method of manufacturing a battery module according to claim 17, wherein, when the plurality of battery cells are placed on the cooling plate, the heat transfer member is thinly spread.

19. The method of manufacturing a battery module according to claim 16, further comprising:

when the plurality of battery cells are placed, connecting bus bar assemblies to the electrode tabs to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells with each other.

20. The method of manufacturing a battery module according to claim 19, wherein the bus bar assemblies are connected to both sides of the battery group, in which the electrode tabs are extended, and

after connecting the bus bar assemblies, a sensing board to detect a voltage of the plurality of battery cells is connected to one of the bus bar assemblies on both sides thereof.

21. The method of manufacturing a battery module according to claim 20, further comprising:

after connecting the sensing board,

placing a sensing module assembly, which electrically connects the remaining one of the bus bar assemblies on both sides thereof and the sensing board, on the other side of the plurality of battery cells.

22. The method of manufacturing a battery module according to claim 21, further comprising:

after the sensing module assembly is placed,

disposing the front cover part, the rear cover part and the cover plate; and

coupling the front and rear cover parts and the cover plate with the cooling housing.