Battery module with improved cooling performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018269544-A1
Application number	US-201715811168-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Sep 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery module is provided. The battery module includes a battery stack that has a plurality of secondary batteries stacked on each other in multiple stages along a predetermined stack direction. Additionally, the battery module includes at least one cooling fin which has a contact part disposed to contact at least one of the secondary batteries and a fitting part that extends from the contact part to expose at least a portion of the fitting part to the exterior of the battery stack. A cooling channel which has at least one fitting groove is provided and the fitting part is fitted into the fitting groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery module, comprising:
a battery stack having a plurality of secondary batteries stacked on each other in multiple stages along a predetermined stack direction; at least one cooling fin having a contact part disposed to contact at least one of the secondary batteries and a fitting part that extends from the contact part to expose at least a portion of the fitting part to an exterior of the battery stack; and a cooling channel having at least one fitting groove into which the fitting part is fitted.

2 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the contact part is interposed between a pair of secondary batteries disposed adjacent to each other among the secondary batteries.

3 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the fitting groove is formed on a first surface of the cooling channel, which faces the battery stack.

4 . The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the cooling channel further includes:
at least one anti-deformation groove formed on a second surface of the cooling channel that is opposite to the first surface and has a shape that is symmetrical to the fitting groove.

5 . The battery module of claim 4 , wherein the fitting groove and the anti-deformation groove are formed alternately along the stack direction.

6 . The battery module of claim 4 , wherein the fitting groove has at least one first inclined surface formed at an end of the fitting groove, which is connected to the first surface of the cooling channel, to be inclined, and wherein the anti-deformation groove has at least one second inclined surface formed at an end of the anti-deformation groove, which is connected to the second surface of the cooling channel, to be inclined.

7 . The battery module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of cartridges that accommodate at least one of the secondary batteries, respectively, and are stacked on each other in multiple stages along the stack direction.

8 . The battery module of claim 7 , wherein the fitting part passes through any one of the cartridges to extend to the exterior of the battery stack.

9 . The battery module of claim 7 , wherein the fitting part passes between a pair of cartridges disposed adjacent to each other among the cartridges to extend to the exterior of the battery stack.

10 . The battery module of claim 7 , wherein the cooling channel is disposed extraneous to the battery stack to contact the cartridges.

11 . The battery module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastening member configured to fasten the cooling channel and the fitting part to each other such that the fitting groove abuts the fitting part.

12 . The battery module of claim 11 , wherein the fastening member includes a bolt by which the cooling channel and the fitting part are screw-coupled to each other.

13 . The battery module of claim 12 , further comprising:
at least one end plate disposed extraneous to the battery stack, wherein the end plate includes a fastening part that extends to be disposed on the same line as the fitting part, and wherein the bolt screw-couples the cooling channel, the fitting part, and the fastening part to each other.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Choi Yong Hwan
• Lim Hae Kyu

Classifications

• H01M50/291

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M50/262

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title

• H01M50/211

  adapted for pouch cells · CPC title

• H01M50/233

  characterised by physical properties of casings or racks, e.g. dimensions · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title