Stacked type battery module having easily modifiable connection structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016197332-A1
Application number	US-201414909813-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 22, 2014
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery module including unit cells, each of which has electrode terminals formed at one side thereof, cartridges for fixing the unit cells, respectively, and busbars coupled to the electrode terminals for electrically interconnecting the unit cells, wherein the unit cells are mounted at the respective cartridges such that the electrode terminals are opposite to each other, and the electrode terminals are connected in parallel to each other via the busbars for parallel connection, which are mounted at the respective cartridges, such that the cartridges have unit cell parallel connection structures, and wherein the cartridges are stacked such that the unit cell parallel connection structures are arranged in a height direction from a ground, and the unit cell parallel connection structures are connected to each other via a series connection member and/or a parallel connection member for connecting the unit cell parallel connection structures in series and/or in parallel to each other.

First claim

1 . A battery module comprising unit cells, each of which has electrode terminals formed at one side thereof, cartridges for fixing the unit cells, respectively, and busbars coupled to the electrode terminals for electrically interconnecting the unit cells, wherein
the unit cells are mounted at the respective cartridges such that the electrode terminals are opposite to each other, and the electrode terminals are connected in parallel to each other via the busbars for parallel connection, which are mounted at the respective cartridges, such that the cartridges have unit cell parallel connection structures, and wherein the cartridges are stacked such that the unit cell parallel connection structures are arranged in a height direction from a ground, and the unit cell parallel connection structures are connected to each other via a series connection member and/or a parallel connection member for connecting the unit cell parallel connection structures in series and/or in parallel to each other.

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 2 , wherein two battery cells are mounted in the cell cover.

7 . The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein the two battery cells are stacked in the cell cover such that electrode terminals having the same polarities are connected in parallel to each other while being adjacent to each other.

8 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the cartridges is provided at opposite sides thereof with protrusions, each of which has a fastening hole, and the cartridges are coupled to each other by inserting cartridge fastening members through the fastening holes.

9 . The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the protrusions formed at the opposite sides of each cartridge are arranged symmetrically with respect to a middle of each cartridge.

10 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the busbars for parallel connection are coupled to the cartridges.

11 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode terminals of the unit cells are coupled to the busbars for parallel connection by laser welding or ultrasonic welding.

12 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein one end of a surface of each of the busbars for parallel connection of each of the unit cell parallel connection structures to which the electrode terminals are coupled is bent upward or downward, and the series connection member is coupled to the bent end of each of the busbars for parallel connection.

13 . The battery module according to claim 12 , wherein coupling holes are formed at the bent end of each of the busbars for parallel connection and at one end of the series connection member, and bolts, bolts-nuts, or clinching nuts are electrically and mechanically fastened to the coupling holes.

14 . The battery module according to claim 12 , wherein the busbars for parallel connection comprise a first busbar connected to positive electrode terminals of the unit cells and a second busbar connected to negative electrode terminals of the unit cells, and the unit cell parallel connection structures are stacked such that the first busbar and the second busbar are alternately arranged on a per cartridge basis.

15 . The battery module according to claim 14 , wherein an upper cartridge is stacked on a lower cartridge in s state in which the upper cartridge is rotated by 180 degrees with respect to the lower cartridge on a plane such that the first busbar and the second busbar are alternately arranged.

16 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein one end of a surface of each of the busbars for parallel connection of each of the unit cell parallel connection structures to which the electrode terminals are coupled is bent upward or downward, and the parallel connection member and the series connection member are coupled to the bent end of each of the busbars for parallel connection.

17 . The battery module according to claim 16 , wherein coupling holes are formed at the bent end of each of the busbars for parallel connection, at one end of the parallel connection member, and at one end of the series connection member, and bolts, bolts-nuts, or clinching nuts are electrically and mechanically fastened to the coupling holes.

18 . The battery module according to claim 16 , wherein bent ends of at least two of the busbars for parallel connection are connected in series to each other via the series connection member, and at least one of the busbars for parallel connection that are connected to each other via the series connection member is connected in parallel to the remaining busbars for parallel connection via the parallel connection member.

19 . The battery module according to claim 18 , wherein the busbars for parallel connection comprise a first busbar connected to positive electrode terminals of the unit cells and a second busbar connected to negative electrode terminals of the unit cells, and the busbars for parallel connection that are connected in series to each other via the series connection member are stacked such that the first busbar and the second busbar are alternately arranged on a per cartridge basis.

20 . The battery module according to claim 19 , wherein an upper cartridge is stacked on a lower cartridge in s state in which the upper cartridge is rotated by 180 degrees with respect to the lower cartridge on a plane such that the first busbar and the second busbar are alternately arranged.

21 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the unit cells of each of the unit cell parallel connection structures are mounted at the respective cartridges in a state in which the unit cells are arranged symmetrically with respect to the busbars for parallel connection.

22 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein an external input and output terminal, which is electrically connected to the series connection member, is formed at one side of an outer surface of the stacked unit cell parallel connection structures.

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

24 . A device comprising a battery pack according to claim 23 .

25 . The device according to claim 24 , 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 suppl

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Bum Hyun
• Shin Jin-Kyu

Classifications

• B60L50/66 Primary

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/566

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/507

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/512

  Connection only in parallel · CPC title