Battery module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11637339-B2
Application number	US-201916656406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2019
Priority date	Oct 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A battery module includes a cell stack in which a plurality of unit cells including terminal parts are aligned in a first direction and an insulating member surrounds the plurality of unit cells; and a module housing in which a plurality of receiving parts, into each of which the cell stack is configured to be inserted, are provided and are aligned in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of receiving parts includes a fixing wall around the cell stack and having at least a portion which is in contact with the cell stack. The cell stacks adjacent to each other in the second direction are electrically connected to each other, and the cell stacks adjacent to each other in the first direction are electrically disconnected from each other, when not connected to an end module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery module comprising:
a plurality of cell stacks, each of the plurality of cell stacks comprising a plurality of unit cells aligned with each other in a first direction, each unit cell comprising terminal parts;
an insulating member around the plurality of unit cells;
a module housing comprising a plurality of receiving parts aligned in the first direction and a second direction, crossing the first direction, wherein the cell stack is configured to be inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of receiving parts;
a stack bus bar electrically connecting at least some of the plurality of unit cells to each other;
a connection bus bar electrically connecting two cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks adjacent to each other in the second direction;
a terminal bus bar extending from the cell stack; and
a module bus bar connected to the terminal bus bar and configured to be extended outside of the module housing and inserted into an adjacent module housing,
wherein each of the plurality of receiving parts comprises a fixing wall around the cell stack, at least a portion of the fixing wall being in contact with the cell stack,
wherein the cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks adjacent to each other in the second direction are electrically connected to each other,
wherein the cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks adjacent to each other in the first direction are electrically disconnected from each other, when not connected in an end module at the opposite end of an electricity-consuming device in a battery pack to which a plurality of the battery modules are coupled,
wherein the terminal bus bar is connected to a unit cell of the plurality of unit cells at one end of the cell stack, and the connection bus bar is connected to a unit cell of the plurality of unit cells at another end thereof,
wherein the plurality of receiving parts form a first column and a second column arranged with each other in the first direction, each of the first column and the second column extending in the second direction,
wherein the one end of the cell stack faces a region between the first column and the second column,
wherein the terminal bus bar extends to overlap the region between the first column and the second column, and
wherein the terminal bus bars in the first column and the terminal bus bars in the second column are alternatively arranged along the second direction.

2. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein:
the cell stack comprises a plurality of cell groups, each cell group of the plurality of cell groups comprising one or more unit cells in which the terminal parts having the same polarity face each other in the first direction, and
the stack bus bar extends in the first direction and connects two cell groups of the plurality of cell groups in series, wherein the two cell groups of the plurality of cell groups are adjacent to each other and have the terminal parts of different polarities face each other in the first direction.

3. The battery module of claim 2 , wherein:
any one of the two cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks electrically connected to each other through the connection bus bar comprises two cell groups of the plurality of cell groups adjacent to each other in the first direction and having the terminal parts of the same polarity face each other in the first direction, and
the battery module further comprises a cross bus bar crossing the first direction and diagonally connecting one or more unit cells in one of the two cell groups with one or more unit cells in an adjacent one of the two cell groups.

4. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein:
the connection bus bar and the cross bus bar are together connected to the unit cell of the other end of the cell stack opposite from the one end of the cell stack facing the region between the first column and the second column.

5. A battery module comprising:
a plurality of cell stacks, each of the plurality of cell stacks comprising a plurality of unit cells aligned with each other in a first direction, each unit cell comprising terminal parts;
an insulating member around the plurality of unit cells;
a module housing comprising a plurality of receiving parts aligned in the first direction and a second direction, crossing the first direction, wherein the cell stack is configured to be inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of receiving parts;
a stack bus bar electrically connecting at least some of the plurality of unit cells to each other;
a connection bus bar electrically connecting two cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks adjacent to each other in the second direction;
a terminal bus bar extending from the cell stack;
a module bus bar connected to the terminal bus bar and configured to be extended outside of the module housing and inserted into an adjacent module housing;
a coupler in the module housing and coupled to an adjacent module housing and
an outer wall around an inner space of the module housing, the outer wall comprising a first wall facing the second direction and a second wall opposite the first wall,
wherein each of the plurality of receiving parts comprises a fixing wall around the cell stack, at least a portion of the fixing wall being in contact with the cell stack,
wherein the cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks adjacent to each other in the second direction are electrically connected to each other,
wherein the cell stacks of the plurality of cell stacks adjacent to each other in the first direction are electrically disconnected from each other, when not connected in an end module at the opposite end of an electricity-consuming device in a battery pack to which a plurality of the battery modules are coupled,
wherein the terminal bus bar is connected to a unit cell of the plurality of unit cells at one end of the cell stack, and the connection bus bar is connected to a unit cell of the plurality of unit cells at another end thereof,
wherein the plurality of receiving parts form a first column and a second column arranged with each other in the first direction, each of the first column and the second column extending in the second direction,
wherein the one end of the cell stack faces a region between the first column and the second column,
wherein the terminal bus bar extends to overlap the region between the first column and the second column, and
wherein the coupler comprises:
a connection tunnel at a central portion of the first wall, the connection tunnel protruding in the second direction and comprising a hollow region into which the module bus bar is configured to extend from inside the module housing; and
a tunnel insertion hole on the second wall into which the connection tunnel of the adjacent module housing and the module bus bar are configured to be inserted.

6. The battery module of claim 5 , wherein:
the module bus bar connected to the cell stack in the first column and the module bus bar connected to the cell stack in the second column extend outside of the module housing through the connection tunnel.

7. The battery module of claim 5 , wherein:
the coupler further comprises:
guide pins at both sides of the connection tunnel on the first wall and protruding in the second direction;
guide grooves on the second wall, into which the guide pins of the adjacent module housing are configured to be inserted; and
fasteners on the first wall and the second wall, respectively, configured to fasten the first wall of the module housing and the second wall of the adjacent module housing.

8. The battery module of claim 5 , wherein:
the fixing wall comprises:
a separation wall extending in the first direction and being in contact with a side surface

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Dooyong
• Kim Sungyong
• Kim Jaeho
• Moon Soodeok
• Park Daeyeop
• Bae Jangwoong
• Lee Junhyung
• LIM Jisoon
• Heo Eungi

Classifications

• H01M10/613 Primary

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M50/258

  Modular batteries; Casings provided with means for assembling · CPC title

• H01M50/242

  adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling · CPC title

• H01M50/20 Primary

  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 title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title