Battery module comprising wire-fixing ribs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966637-B2
Application number	US-201615307339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2016
Priority date	Jul 21, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A battery module including wire-fixing ribs is disclosed. The battery module includes a battery cell stack constituted by a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell stack being configured such that the battery cells are stacked in the state in which the battery cells are adjacent to each other laterally, the battery cell stack being provided in one end thereof with a step part, a first module cover and a second module cover coupled to each other while covering electrode terminals provided on opposite sides of the battery cell stack, terminal plates for electrically connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells to each other, a battery management system (BMS) mounted in the step part of the battery cell stack for controlling the operation of the battery module, and voltage sensing wires arranged on the battery cell stack, each of the voltage sensing wires having one end connected to a corresponding one of voltage sensing terminals formed on portions of the terminal plates and the other end connected to the BMS.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery module comprising:
a battery cell stack constituted by a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell stack being configured such that the battery cells are stacked in a state in which the battery cells are adjacent to each other laterally, the battery cell stack being provided in one end thereof with a step part;
a first module cover and a second module cover coupled to each other while covering electrode terminals provided on opposite sides of the battery cell stack;
terminal plates for electrically connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells to each other;
a battery management system (BMS) mounted in the step part of the battery cell stack for controlling an operation of the battery module; and
voltage sensing wires arranged on the battery cell stack, each of the voltage sensing wires having one end connected to a corresponding one of voltage sensing terminals formed on portions of the terminal plates and the other end connected to the BMS,
wherein reinforcement members for increasing coupling force between the first module cover and the second module cover are mounted to outsides of the first module cover and the second module cover so as to extend outside and between the first module cover and the second module cover.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the battery cells is a cylindrical battery cell.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell stack is configured such that a number of battery cells arranged in a lower tier is greater than a number of battery cells arranged in an upper tier.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the step part is located at one side of an upper end of the battery cell stack, and the battery module has a hexahedral shape in a state in which the BMS is mounted in the step part.

5. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the first module cover and the second module cover are configured to have a structure in which the battery cell stack is received in the first module cover and the second module cover, and the first module cover and the second module cover are provided at positions corresponding to the electrode terminals with holes corresponding to a shape of the terminal plates for electrically connecting the battery cells to each other.

6. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the first module cover and the second module cover are coupled to each other using a fastening member.

7. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein ribs for fixing the voltage sensing wires are alternately formed on upper ends of the first module cover and the second module cover.

8. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the ribs comprise:
first ribs formed to have a bar shape that protrudes in a direction in which the module covers are coupled to each other for fixing the voltage sensing wires in spaces defined between the battery cells; and
second ribs formed on upper end surfaces of the module covers so as to have a groove shape corresponding to an outer diameter of the voltage sensing wires for allowing the voltage sensing wires to be fitted thereinto from above.

9. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the first ribs protrude from inside ends of the module covers in the direction in which the module covers are coupled to each other.

10. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the first ribs push the voltage sensing wires into the spaces defined between the battery cells and couple the voltage sensing wires into openings formed in the module covers.

11. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the second ribs are formed to have a shape that protrudes upward from the upper end surfaces of the module covers.

12. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the second ribs have a groove that is concavely formed in protrusions protruding from the upper end surfaces of the module covers.

13. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein each of the ribs has a length equivalent to 5% to 30% of a length of each of the battery cells.

14. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal plates comprise two or more terminal plates having different structures for connecting the battery cells to each other.

15. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal plates are mounted to outer surfaces of the first module cover and the second module cover in a state in which the terminal plates are connected to the electrode terminals of the battery cells, and the terminal plates connect two or more battery cells to each other in series or in series and in parallel.

16. The battery module according to claim 15 , wherein each of the terminal plates comprises:
a terminal connection part configured to contact a corresponding one of the electrode terminals of the battery cells, the terminal connection part being configured to have a rectangular shape; and
a voltage sensing terminal extending from one side of each of the terminal plates toward upper surfaces of the module covers for sensing voltages of the battery cells.

17. The battery module according to claim 16 , wherein the terminal connection part is provided at a portion thereof corresponding to a corresponding one of the electrode terminals of the battery cells with a slit for allowing terminal connection part to be welded to the electrode terminal of the battery cells.

18. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein a separable BMS case for protecting the BMS from external impact or penetration of a needle-shaped member is mounted above the BMS.

19. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to claim 1 .

20. A device comprising a battery pack according to claim 19 .

21. A battery module comprising:
a battery cell stack constituted by a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell stack being configured such that the battery cells are stacked in a state in which the battery cells are adjacent to each other laterally, the battery cell stack being provided in one end thereof with a step part;
a first module cover and a second module cover coupled to each other while covering electrode terminals provided on opposite sides of the battery cell stack;
terminal plates for electrically connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells to each other;
a battery management system (BMS) mounted in the step part of the battery cell stack for controlling an operation of the battery module; and
voltage sensing wires arranged on the battery cell stack, each of the voltage sensing wires having one end connected to a corresponding one of voltage sensing terminals formed on portions of the terminal plates and the other end connected to the BMS,
wherein ribs for fixing the voltage sensing wires are alternately formed on upper ends of the first module cover and the second module cover, and
wherein the ribs comprise:
first ribs formed to have a bar shape that protrudes in a direction in which the module covers are coupled to each other for fixing the voltage sensing wires in spaces defined between the battery cells; and
second ribs formed on upper end surfaces of the module covers so as to have a groove shape corresponding to an outer diameter of the voltage sensing wires for allowing the voltage sensing wires to be fitted thereinto from above.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Yong Jun
• Yoon Hyoung Chul
• Yoon Seog Jin

Classifications

• H01M10/425 Primary

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• H01M2010/4271

  Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing · CPC title

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• H01M50/548

  on opposite sides of the cell · CPC title