Battery module comprising busbar plate, battery pack comprising battery module, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12308482-B2
Application number	US-202017762237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2020
Priority date	Oct 11, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A battery module includes: a plurality of cylindrical battery cells including a gas vent portion to discharge an internal gas; and a busbar plate including a plurality of connection terminals that protrude and extend from an inner edge of a connection opening, and to electrically connect the cylindrical battery cells by contacting a positive or negative electrode terminal, and have different shapes depending on the contacted positive or negative electrode terminal, and a connection terminal contacting a positive or negative electrode terminal not having the gas vent portion. The connection terminal includes: a fuse portion to be disconnected when a current of a predetermined level or higher flows from the cylindrical battery cells and having a bent structure bent; and a protection tube to contract at a predetermined temperature with electric insulation and to surround at least a portion of an outer surface of the fuse portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery module comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical battery cells arranged in a horizontal direction, wherein first ones of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells include positive electrode terminals and negative electrode terminals respectively at upper portions and lower portions and second ones of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells include negative electrode terminals and positive electrode terminals respectively at upper portions and lower portions, and wherein each of the cylindrical battery cells includes a gas vent portion configured to discharge an internal gas by opening the positive electrode terminals or the negative electrode terminals when an internal pressure is increased to a predetermined pressure or higher; and
a busbar plate at the upper portions or lower portions of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells,
wherein the busbar plate includes a plate shape extending in the horizontal direction to cover the plurality of cylindrical battery cells,
wherein the busbar plate includes at least one connection opening facing the positive electrode terminals or negative electrode terminals in an up-and-down direction, and a positive electrode connection terminal and a negative electrode connection terminal that protrude and extend from an inner edge of the at least one connection opening to electrically connect the plurality of cylindrical battery cells to each other when the protruded and extended portion contacts the positive electrode terminals or the negative electrode terminals, the positive electrode connection terminal and the negative electrode connection terminal having different shapes depending on the contacted positive electrode terminals or negative electrode terminals,
wherein a connection terminal that contacts a positive electrode terminal or negative electrode terminal not having the gas vent portion, from among the positive electrode connection terminal and the negative electrode connection terminal, comprises:
a fuse portion configured to be disconnected when a current of predetermined level or higher flows from the plurality of cylindrical battery cells and having a bent structure bent at least one time in the horizontal direction; and
a protection tube, of an electrically insulating material, configured to contract at a predetermined temperature and configured to surround at least a portion of an outer surface of the fuse portion, and

wherein the protection tube comprises a discharge hole configured such that a melted portion of the fuse portion is externally discharged.

2. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the connection terminal further comprises a connecting portion directly contacting the positive electrode terminals or negative electrode terminals of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells and having a branched structure branched and extending in two sides, and
wherein the fuse portion protrudes and extends in the horizontal direction from an inner edge of the connection opening and an end portion in an extending direction is connected to one end portion of the connecting portion.

3. The battery module of claim 2 , wherein the protection tube has one side connected to the inner edge of the connection opening and another side connected to the fuse portion.

4. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the protection tube is configured to at least partially thermally contract to pull a portion of the fuse portion when the fuse portion is disconnected.

5. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the protection tube has a shape separated in at least two pieces.

6. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the fuse portion of the connection terminal comprises at least two fuse portions and the at least two fuse portions are spaced apart from each other.

7. The battery module of claim 6 , wherein the at least two fuse portions have different widths in the horizontal direction.

8. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the fuse portion has a shape in which a portion is curved in an arch shape, and
wherein, when the portion of the fuse portion in the arch shape is disconnected, two portions separated by the disconnection are parted from each other by elasticity.

9. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein a fuse portion of a connection terminal contacting a positive electrode terminal or negative electrode terminal of a cylindrical battery cell located relatively inside from among the plurality of cylindrical battery cells arranged in the horizontal direction has a greater width than a fuse portion of a connection terminal contacting a positive electrode terminal or negative electrode terminal of a cylindrical battery cell located relatively outside.

10. A battery pack comprising at least one battery module of claim 1 .

11. An electronic device comprising the battery pack of claim 10 .

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Hyoung-Chul
• Lee Suk-Hoon
• Son Young-Su

Classifications

• H01M50/502

  Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing · CPC title

• H01M50/581

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H01M50/30

  Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases · CPC title

• H01M50/583

  in response to current, e.g. fuses · CPC title

• H01M50/213 Primary

  adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) · CPC title