Battery module having ring terminal guide

• US 9,806,319 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Bum Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Godo, Olatunji
• Application Number:
  US14/909,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20160181586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/10 Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/105 Pouches or flexible bags
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/251 specially adapted for stationary devices, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• 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 50/509 characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/517 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery module having a plurality of unit cells that can be charged and discharged, the battery module including busbars for electrically interconnecting the unit cells, ring terminals connected to electrical connection portions of the unit cells for measuring voltages of the unit cells, and a busbar mounting member mounted at an outer surface of the battery module corresponding to the electrical connection portions of the unit cells, the busbar mounting member including ring terminal guides for preventing rotation of the ring terminals.

Claims

1. A battery module having a plurality of unit cells that can be charged and discharged, the battery module comprising:

busbars for electrically interconnecting the unit cells;

ring terminals connected to electrical connection portions of the unit cells for measuring voltages of the unit cells; and

a busbar mounting member mounted at an outer surface of the battery module corresponding to the electrical connection portions of the unit cells, the busbar mounting member comprising ring terminal guides for preventing rotation of the ring terminals,

wherein each of the ring terminals comprises a terminal end coupled to a corresponding one of series connection portions of the unit cells and a terminal wire connected to the terminal end, and each of the ring terminal guides fixes the terminal wire at a correct position for restraining rotation of the terminal end,

wherein each of the ring terminal guides is configured to have a protruding structure for supporting one side or opposite sides of the terminal wire,

wherein the busbar mounting member further includes a hook for fixing the terminal wire, and

wherein the hook is formed at the one end of each of the ring terminal guides such that the hook protrudes upward therefrom.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein each of the unit cells is a single plate-shaped battery cell, or is configured to have a structure in which two or more plate-shaped battery cells are mounted in a cell cover in a state in which electrode terminals are exposed.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the plate-shaped battery cell is configured to have a structure in which an electrode assembly is mounted in a battery case made of a laminate sheet comprising a metal layer and a resin layer, and an outer edge of the battery case is sealed.

4. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the plate-shaped battery cell is a lithium secondary battery.

5. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the cell cover comprises a pair of sheathing members coupled to each other for covering outer surfaces of the battery cells excluding the electrode terminals.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the unit cells each have electrode terminals formed at one side thereof, and are arranged such that a plurality of pairs of unit cells is vertically arranged in a height direction from a ground, in a state in which each pair of unit cells is arranged on a plane such that the electrode terminals are opposite to each other, to constitute a unit cell stack,

a battery management system (BMS) is mounted at one side of the unit cell stack, and

the ring terminals are electrically connected to the BMS.

7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein

each pair of unit cells that are arranged on the plane are connected in parallel to each other, and the unit cells that are arranged vertically are connected in series to each other, and

the ring terminals are connected to series connection portions of the unit cells.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the busbar mounting member is provided with busbar mounting recesses, each of which has a shape corresponding to that of a corresponding one of the busbars.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the busbar mounting member is configured to have a rectangular structure, and a side wall is formed along an outer edge of the busbar mounting member in a protruding state.

10. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein one end of each of the electrode terminals is bent upward or downward such that the bent end of each of the electrode terminals is connected to a corresponding one of the busbars.

11. The battery module according to claim 10, wherein coupling holes are formed at the bent ends of the electrode terminals and opposite ends of the busbars, and bolts, bolts-nuts, or clinching nuts are electrically and mechanically fastened to the coupling holes.

12. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein each of the ring terminal guides is configured to have a protruding structure for supporting one side or opposite sides of the terminal wire.

13. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein each of the ring terminal guides is configured to have a protruding structure for supporting one side of the terminal wire that restrains rotation of the terminal end in a clockwise direction.

14. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein each of the ring terminal guides has a length equivalent to 35% to 65% a total length of the terminal end and the terminal wire of a corresponding one of the ring terminals located on the busbar mounting member.

15. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein each of the ring terminal guides has a length equivalent to 45% to 55% a total length of the terminal end and the terminal wire of a corresponding one of the ring terminals located on the busbar mounting member.

16. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to claim 1 as a unit module.

17. A device comprising a battery pack according to claim 16.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the device is a household power supply, a power supply for public facilities, a power supply for large-sized stores, a power supply for emergency, a power supply for computer rooms, a portable power supply, a power supply for medical facilities, a power supply for fire extinguishing facilities, a power supply for alarm facilities, a power supply for refuge facilities, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.