CN116458004A

CN116458004A - Battery cell, battery, electric equipment and method and device for preparing battery cell

Info

Publication number: CN116458004A
Application number: CN202180073998.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 林蹬华; 唐代春; 陈新祥; 郭志君; 郑于炼; 王鹏; 金海族
Original assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-11
Filing date: 2021-11-11
Publication date: 2023-07-18
Also published as: CN219017776U; WO2023082152A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a battery monomer, a battery, electric equipment and a method and a device for preparing the battery monomer, wherein the battery monomer comprises the following components: an electrode terminal; a housing including a shell and a cover plate; the first side wall comprises a first sub-surface, a second sub-surface and a transition surface, the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub-surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub-surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall; the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface. The battery monomer of this application embodiment can improve the space utilization of battery monomer.

Description

Battery cell, battery, electric equipment and method and device for preparing battery cell

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a battery monomer, a battery, electric equipment and a method and a device for preparing the battery monomer.

Background

Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to sustainable development of the automobile industry. In this case, the electric vehicle is an important component for sustainable development of the automobile industry due to the advantage of energy conservation and environmental protection. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor for development.

In order to adapt to the fast-paced travel of people, the battery needs to meet the fast-charging requirement in the use process, and therefore, the capacity of the battery monomer needs to be improved, the size of the battery monomer can be changed, and more accommodating space is occupied. Therefore, how to increase the space utilization of the battery cell is a problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a battery monomer, a battery, electric equipment and a method and device for preparing the battery monomer, which can improve the space utilization rate of the battery monomer.

In a first aspect, there is provided a battery cell comprising: an electrode terminal; the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, wherein the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, and the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls; the first side wall comprises a first sub surface, a second sub surface and a transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall; the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface.

In this embodiment, the outer case of the battery cell is recessed in the edge region of the end portion in the first direction to form a receiving space outside the outer case, and the electrode terminal is disposed on a first division or transition surface forming the receiving space and extends from the inside of the outer case to the outside of the outer case and is disposed in the receiving space, so that the electrode terminal can be hidden without occupying additional space, thereby improving the space utilization of the battery cell and reducing the influence on the energy density of the battery. Further, hiding the electrode terminals in the accommodation space formed by the surface having the smallest area can further reduce the influence on the energy density of the battery.

In one possible implementation, the battery cell further includes: the electrode assembly is arranged in the shell and comprises a tab protruding along the first direction, the tab is arranged in a space between the second sub-surface and the first sub-surface in the shell, and the tab is electrically connected with the electrode terminal.

In this embodiment, the tab of the electrode assembly is disposed in the space between the first and second facets in the case, and the electrode terminal is disposed in the receiving space formed by the first facet, the second facet, and the transition surface outside the case, so that the electrode terminal and the tab share the space in the length direction of the electrode assembly, whereby the space utilization of the battery cell can be improved.

In one possible implementation, the electrode terminals are disposed on the transition surface; the electrode terminal includes a first portion and a second portion; the electrode terminal extends along the second direction, and the first part is connected with the tab; the second portion extends through the transition surface to a receiving space outside the housing, the receiving space being formed by the first facet, the second facet and the transition surface.

Alternatively, the first portion and the second portion of the electrode terminal are each sheet-shaped.

In this embodiment, the first portion connected to the tab and the second portion connected to the bus member in the electrode terminal are provided in a sheet shape, so that the tab and the bus member are directly connected to the electrode terminal, respectively, without a switching member, thereby simplifying the parts and reducing the problems of increased resistance and unstable electrical connection caused by internal electrical connection switching. In addition, the occupied space of the switching part is reduced, and the electrode lug and the electrode terminal are made larger, so that the overcurrent capacity is higher.

In one possible implementation, the battery cell further includes: and the switching part is arranged in the shell and is used for electrically connecting the electrode lug and the electrode terminal.

In this embodiment, by providing the switching member, the electrical connection of the tab and the electrode terminal can be achieved, thereby achieving the power supply function of the battery cell.

In one possible implementation, the battery cell further includes: the insulating support is arranged in the shell and positioned between the electrode assembly and the shell, and the insulating support is used for supporting the electrode lug and the switching part.

In this embodiment, through setting up insulating support in the battery monomer, can fix electrode assembly and adapting unit in the shell to can reduce the rocking of utmost point ear and adapting unit, avoid the utmost point ear to be cut or adapting unit becomes flexible, make the structure of battery monomer more firm.

In one possible implementation manner, the insulating support includes a receiving part and an extension part, the receiving part is disposed in a space between the second sub-surface and the first sub-surface in the housing, the extension part is disposed between the electrode assembly and the first sub-surface, the adapting member includes a first connection part and a second connection part, the first connection part extends along the first direction and is connected with the tab at the receiving part, and the second connection part is connected with the first connection part and is connected with the electrode terminal.

In this embodiment, when the tab is located at the accommodating portion of the insulating bracket, the tab may share a space with the insulating bracket without occupying an unnecessary space, so that the structure of the battery cell is more compact, thereby improving the space utilization of the battery cell. And through buckling the changeover component into first connecting portion and second connecting portion, first connecting portion is connected with the utmost point ear, and second connecting portion is connected with electrode terminal to can realize the electric connection of utmost point ear and electrode terminal.

In one possible implementation manner, the electrode terminal is disposed on the first sub-surface, and the second connection part is connected with the first connection part and covers at least a portion of the first sub-surface to be connected with the electrode terminal on the first sub-surface; or the electrode terminal is disposed on the transition surface, and the second connection part is connected with the first connection part and covers at least part of the transition surface to be connected with the electrode terminal on the transition surface.

In this embodiment, the second connection portion covers at least a portion of the transition surface or the first split surface, so that connection with the electrode terminal on the transition surface or the first split surface can be achieved, and if the electrode terminal is disposed on the transition surface, the switching component does not occupy the space in the length direction of the electrode assembly, and can avoid the tab of the electrode assembly, thereby facilitating reduction of damage to the tab and prolonging the service life of the battery cell.

In one possible implementation, the battery cell further includes: the first insulating piece is arranged in the shell and positioned between the second connecting part and the first split surface so as to isolate the shell and the switching part; and the second insulating piece is arranged outside the shell and is used for isolating the shell and the riveting piece of the electrode terminal.

In this embodiment, the case and the adapter member are isolated by the first insulating member, and the case and the rivet member are isolated by the second insulating member, so that the safety of the battery cell can be improved.

In one possible implementation, the first insulating member is the extension of the insulating support.

The first insulating piece and the insulating support are integrally formed, so that the safety of the battery can be improved, and meanwhile, the structural stability of the battery cell can be improved.

In one possible implementation, the battery cell further includes: the first insulating piece is arranged in the shell and at least positioned between the second connecting part and the transition surface so as to isolate the shell and the switching part; and the second insulating piece is arranged outside the shell and is used for isolating the shell and the riveting piece of the electrode terminal.

In one possible implementation, the first insulating member includes a first insulating portion and a second insulating portion, the first insulating portion is disposed between the first connecting portion and the housing, and the second insulating portion is connected with the first insulating portion and disposed between the second connecting portion and the transition surface to isolate the housing from the adapting member.

In one possible implementation, the transition surface is a plane.

In this embodiment, the transition surface is a plane, that is, the accommodation space outside the housing penetrates the housing in the third direction, which is advantageous to conceal the bus member for realizing electrical connection between the battery cells, that is, the bus member does not occupy additional space, so that the energy density of the battery can be improved.

In one possible implementation, the transition surface is perpendicular to the second direction.

In one possible implementation, the transition surface is an L-shaped folded surface.

In this embodiment, the transition surface is an L-shaped folded surface, that is, the accommodating space outside the housing does not penetrate through the housing in the third direction, which is favorable for making the area of the tab larger, thereby realizing stronger overcurrent capability.

In one possible implementation, the transition surface includes a first transition facet perpendicular to the second direction and a second transition facet perpendicular to the third direction.

In one possible implementation, the electrode terminals are arranged on the first transition surface.

In one possible implementation, the tab and the first connection extend in the second direction and cover at least a portion of the second transition section.

In this embodiment, the tab and the second connection portion in the battery cell may extend in the second direction, that is, the area of the tab may be made larger, so that the battery cell has a stronger overcurrent capability.

In one possible implementation manner, the electrode terminal is disposed on the first sub-surface, and a length of the first connection portion along the second direction is greater than a length of the second connection portion along the second direction.

In one possible implementation manner, the first split surface or the transition surface is provided with a first opening, the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface through the first opening, and the battery cell further includes: and a seal ring for sealing a gap between the electrode terminal and the first opening.

In this embodiment, the provision of the seal ring can prevent leakage of the electrolyte in the case, so that the safety of the battery cell can be improved.

In one possible implementation, the inner side of the sealing ring protrudes outside the sealing ring in the axial direction, and the inner side of the sealing ring is embedded into the first opening.

In this embodiment, the sealing property of the seal ring can be further improved by providing the inner side of the seal ring to protrude outside the seal ring in the axial direction and embedding the inner side of the seal ring into the first opening.

In one possible implementation, the two first facets of the pair of first side walls are symmetrically disposed along a diagonal of the housing or symmetrically disposed along a midline of the housing in the first direction.

In a second aspect, there is provided a battery including a plurality of battery cells and a bus member, each of the plurality of battery cells including: an electrode terminal; the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls, the first side walls comprise a first sub-surface, a second sub-surface and a transition surface, the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface are connected through the transition surface, the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub-surface is closer to the middle position of the shell body in the first direction than the second sub-surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is smaller than that of the second side walls, and the sum of the areas of the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is smaller than the sum of the areas of the bottom surfaces; wherein the electrode terminal is disposed on the first facet or the transition surface; the plurality of battery cells are arranged along the third direction, and the bus member is used for connecting electrode terminals of two adjacent battery cells in the plurality of battery cells.

In one possible implementation manner, the transition surface is a plane, the connection surfaces of the electrode terminals of the two adjacent battery cells and the converging component are located on the same plane, and the converging component is of a sheet-shaped structure.

In one possible implementation, the transition surface is a plane, the electrode terminals of the two adjacent battery cells are parallel to the connection surface of the bus bar component, and the bus bar component has a U-shaped structure.

In one possible implementation manner, the transition surface is an L-shaped folded surface, and the bus member includes two connection portions connected with the crossing portion, the two connection portions respectively connecting the electrode terminals of the adjacent two battery cells, and the crossing portion crossing the second split surface of one of the adjacent two battery cells.

In a third aspect, there is provided a powered device comprising: the third aspect and any one of the possible implementations of the third aspect are battery cells for providing electrical energy.

In a fourth aspect, there is provided a method of preparing a battery cell, comprising: providing an electrode terminal; providing a shell, wherein the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, and the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls; the first side wall comprises a first sub surface, a second sub surface and a transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall; the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface.

In a fifth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for preparing a battery cell, comprising: providing a module for: providing an electrode terminal; providing a shell, wherein the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, and the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls; the first side wall comprises a first sub surface, a second sub surface and a transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall; the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings that are needed in the embodiments of the present application will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and that other drawings may be obtained according to the drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is an exploded view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of an adapting unit according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of an adapter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural view of an insulating bracket according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 15 is a schematic structural view of an electrode assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 16 is an exploded view of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 17 is a schematic view of the structure of an electrode terminal disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 18 is a schematic view of a structure of a battery disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 19 is a schematic view showing the structure of a battery disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 20 is a schematic view of the structure of a battery disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 21 is a schematic block diagram of a method of preparing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 22 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for preparing battery cells according to an embodiment of the present application.

In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more apparent, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present application, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments herein without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the present application.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs; the terminology used in the description herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application; the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof in the description and claims of the present application and in the description of the figures above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms first, second and the like in the description and in the claims or in the above-described figures, are used for distinguishing between different objects and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order.

The directional terms appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the drawings and do not limit the specific structure of the present application. In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and defined, the terms

"mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The specific meaning of the terms in the present application can be understood as appropriate by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Reference in the specification to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Those of skill in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

The term "and/or" in this application is merely an association relation describing an associated object, and indicates that three relations may exist, for example, a and/or B may indicate: there are three cases, a, B, a and B simultaneously. In this application, the character "/" generally indicates that the associated object is an or relationship.

The term "plurality" as used herein refers to two or more (including two), and similarly, "plural sets" refers to two or more (including two), and "plural sheets" refers to two or more (including two).

In the present application, the battery cell may include a lithium ion secondary battery, a lithium ion primary battery, a lithium sulfur battery, a sodium lithium ion battery, a sodium ion battery, a magnesium ion battery, or the like, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application. The battery cells may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or otherwise shaped, as well as the embodiments herein are not limited in this regard. The battery cells are generally classified into three types according to the packaging method: the cylindrical battery cell, the square battery cell and the soft package battery cell are not limited thereto.

Reference to a battery in embodiments of the present application refers to a single physical module that includes one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. For example, the battery referred to in the present application may include a battery module or a battery pack, or the like. The battery generally includes a case for enclosing one or more battery cells. The case body can prevent liquid or other foreign matters from affecting the charge or discharge of the battery cells.

The battery cell comprises an electrode assembly and electrolyte, wherein the electrode assembly consists of a positive plate, a negative plate and a separation membrane. The battery cell mainly relies on metal ions to move between the positive and negative electrode plates to operate. The positive plate comprises a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer, wherein the positive electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode current collector, the current collector without the positive electrode active material layer protrudes out of the current collector coated with the positive electrode active material layer, and the current collector without the positive electrode active material layer is used as a positive electrode lug. Taking a lithium ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode current collector may be aluminum, and the positive electrode active material may be lithium cobaltate, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, lithium manganate or the like. The negative electrode sheet comprises a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer, wherein the negative electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode current collector, the current collector without the negative electrode active material layer protrudes out of the current collector with the coated negative electrode active material layer, and the current collector without the negative electrode active material layer is used as a negative electrode tab. The material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon, silicon, or the like. In order to ensure that the high current is passed without fusing, the number of positive electrode lugs is multiple and stacked together, and the number of negative electrode lugs is multiple and stacked together. The material of the diaphragm can be PP or PE. In addition, the electrode assembly may be a wound structure or a lamination structure, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

A signal transmission assembly may also be included in the housing of the battery. The signal transmission assembly may be used to transmit signals such as voltage and/or temperature of the battery cells. The signal transmission assembly may include a bus member for making electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells, such as parallel, series, or series-parallel. The bus member may realize electrical connection between the battery cells by connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells. In some embodiments, the bus member may be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells by welding. The bus component transmits the voltage of the battery cells, and a plurality of battery cells can obtain higher voltage after being connected in series, and correspondingly, the electric connection formed by the bus component can also be called as high-voltage connection.

In addition to the buss component, the signal transmission assembly may also include a sensing device for sensing the condition of the battery cells, e.g., the sensing device may be used to measure and transmit sensing signals of the temperature, state of charge, etc. of the battery cells. In embodiments of the present application, the electrical connection members within the battery may include a bussing component and/or a sensing device.

The bus member and the sensing device may be encapsulated in an insulating layer to form a signal transmission assembly. Accordingly, the signal transmission assembly may be used to transmit the voltage and/or sensing signals of the battery cells. The signal transmission assembly has no insulating layer at the connection with the electrode terminals of the battery cells, i.e., the insulating layer has openings therein so as to be connected with the electrode terminals of the battery cells.

The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are applicable to various devices using batteries, for example, mobile phones, portable devices, notebook computers, battery cars, electric toys, electric tools, electric vehicles, ships, spacecraft, and the like, and for example, spacecraft include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, spacecraft, and the like.

It should be understood that the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the above-described devices, but may be applied to all devices using batteries, but for simplicity of description, the following embodiments are described by taking an electric vehicle as an example.

For example, as shown in fig. 1, a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle 1 may be a fuel-oil vehicle, a gas-fired vehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended range vehicle. The motor 80, the controller 60, and the battery 100 may be provided inside the vehicle 1, and the controller 60 is configured to control the battery 100 to supply power to the motor 80. For example, the battery 100 may be provided at the bottom or the head or the tail of the vehicle 1. The battery 100 may be used for power supply of the vehicle 1, for example, the battery 100 may be used as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, for circuitry of the vehicle 1, for example, for operating power requirements at start-up, navigation and operation of the vehicle 1. In another embodiment of the present application, battery 100 may not only serve as an operating power source for vehicle 1, but may also serve as a driving power source for vehicle 1, instead of or in part instead of fuel oil or natural gas, to provide driving power for vehicle 1.

To meet different power requirements, the battery may include a plurality of battery cells, where the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series or parallel or a series-parallel connection, and the series-parallel connection refers to a mixture of series and parallel connection. The battery may also be referred to as a battery pack. Optionally, the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series or parallel or in series-parallel to form a battery module, and then the plurality of battery modules are connected in series or parallel or in series-parallel to form a battery. That is, a plurality of battery cells may be directly assembled into a battery, or may be assembled into a battery module first, and the battery module may be assembled into a battery.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, a schematic structure of a battery 100 according to an embodiment of the present application, the battery 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 20. The battery 100 may further include a case (or housing) having a hollow structure therein, and the plurality of battery cells 20 are accommodated in the case. As shown in fig. 2, the case may include two parts, herein referred to as a first part 111 and a second part 112, respectively, the first part 111 and the second part 112 being snapped together. The shape of the first portion 111 and the second portion 112 may be determined according to the shape of the combination of the plurality of battery cells 20, and each of the first portion 111 and the second portion 112 may have one opening. For example, each of the first portion 111 and the second portion 112 may be a hollow rectangular parallelepiped and each has only one surface as an open surface, the opening of the first portion 111 and the opening of the second portion 112 are disposed opposite to each other, and the first portion 111 and the second portion 112 are fastened to each other to form a case having a closed chamber. The plurality of battery cells 20 are connected in parallel or in series-parallel combination and then placed in a box formed by buckling the first part 111 and the second part 112.

Alternatively, the battery 100 may further include other structures, which are not described in detail herein. For example, the battery 100 may further include a bus member for making electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells 20, such as parallel or series-parallel connection. Specifically, the bus member may realize electrical connection between the battery cells 20 by connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells 20. Further, the bus member may be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells 20 by welding. The electrical energy of the plurality of battery cells 20 may be further drawn through the housing by a conductive mechanism. Alternatively, the conductive means may also belong to the bus bar member.

The number of battery cells 20 may be set to any number according to different power requirements. The plurality of battery cells 20 may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to achieve a larger capacity or power. Since the number of battery cells 20 included in each battery 100 may be large, the battery cells 20 may be arranged in groups for easy installation, and each group of battery cells 20 constitutes a battery module. The number of battery cells 20 included in the battery module is not limited, and may be set according to requirements.

As shown in fig. 3, a schematic structure of a battery cell 20 according to an embodiment of the present application, the battery cell 20 includes one or more electrode assemblies 22, a case 211, and a cap plate 212. The walls of the housing 211 and the cover 212 are referred to as the walls of the battery cells 20. The case 211 is determined according to the shape of the combined one or more electrode assemblies 22, for example, the case 211 may be a hollow rectangular parallelepiped or square or cylindrical body, and one face of the case 211 has an opening so that one or more electrode assemblies 22 may be placed in the case 211. For example, when the housing 211 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped or square, one of the planes of the housing 211 is an opening surface, i.e., the plane has no wall body so that the inside and outside of the housing 211 communicate. When the housing 211 may be a hollow cylinder, the end surface of the housing 211 is an open surface, i.e., the end surface has no wall body so that the inside and outside of the housing 211 communicate. The cap plate 212 covers the opening and is connected with the case 211 to form a closed cavity in which the electrode assembly 22 is placed. The housing 211 is filled with an electrolyte, such as an electrolyte solution.

The battery cell 20 may further include two electrode terminals 214, and the two electrode terminals 214 may be disposed on the cap plate 212. The cap plate 212 is generally in the shape of a flat plate, and two electrode terminals 214 are fixed to the flat plate surface of the cap plate 212, the two electrode terminals 214 being a positive electrode terminal 214a and a negative electrode terminal 214b, respectively. One connection member 23, or may also be referred to as a current collecting member 23, is provided for each electrode terminal 214, which is located between the cap plate 212 and the electrode assembly 22, for electrically connecting the electrode assembly 22 and the electrode terminal 214.

As shown in fig. 3, each electrode assembly 22 has a first tab 221a and a second tab 222a. The polarities of the first tab 221a and the second tab 222a are opposite. For example, when the first tab 221a is a positive tab, the second tab 222a is a negative tab. The first tab 221a of one or more electrode assemblies 22 is connected to one electrode terminal through one connection member 23, and the second tab 222a of one or more electrode assemblies 22 is connected to the other electrode terminal through the other connection member 23. For example, the positive electrode terminal 214a is connected to the positive electrode tab through one connection member 23, and the negative electrode terminal 214b is connected to the negative electrode tab through the other connection member 23.

In the battery cell 20, the electrode assemblies 22 may be provided in a single unit, or in a plurality of units, as shown in fig. 3, according to actual use requirements, and 4 individual electrode assemblies 22 are provided in the battery cell 20.

As an example, a pressure release mechanism 213 may be further provided on one wall of the battery cell 20, such as the first wall 21a shown in fig. 3. For ease of illustration, the first wall 21a is separated from the housing 211 in fig. 3, but this does not limit the bottom side of the housing 211 to have an opening. The pressure release mechanism 213 is used to actuate to release the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 20 when the internal pressure or temperature reaches a threshold.

Alternatively, in one embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 3, in the case where the pressure release mechanism 213 is provided to the first wall 21a of the battery cell 20, the electrode terminal 214 is provided on the other wall of the battery cell 20, which is different from the first wall 21a.

Alternatively, a wall where the electrode terminal 214 is provided opposite to the first wall 21a. For example, the first wall 21a may be a bottom wall of the battery cell 20, and the wall provided with the electrode terminal 214 may be a top wall of the battery cell 20, i.e., the cap plate 212.

As can be seen from fig. 3, no matter on which wall of the battery cell 20 the electrode terminal 214 is disposed, the electrode terminal protrudes from the battery cell 20 itself, and the bus bar member connecting different battery cells 20 protrudes from the battery cell 20, so that the battery cell needs to occupy additional space of the battery case to be placed, and thus the energy density of the battery is affected.

In view of this, this application embodiment provides a technical scheme, and the free casing of battery is in the marginal region of tip invaginated to form accommodation space in the outside of casing, electrode terminal sets up in this accommodation space, thereby can hide electrode terminal, need not to occupy extra space, thereby can improve the free space utilization of battery, and reduce the influence to the energy density of battery.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of another battery cell 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the battery cell 30 includes: electrode terminal 32 and case 31, case 31 includes case 311 and cap plate 312. One of the faces of the housing 311 has an opening, and a cover plate 312 may cover the opening and be connected with the housing 311 to form a closed cavity. The respective surfaces of the housing 31 may form the walls of the battery cells 30, that is, the surfaces of the housing 31 mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are actually walls of the battery cells 30 having a certain thickness.

Alternatively, a closed cavity formed by the case 311 and the cap plate 312 may be used to place the electrode assembly, and the shape of the case 31 may be determined according to the shape of the electrode assembly placed inside thereof, for example, the case 31 may be a rectangular parallelepiped, a square, or a cylinder. Although the housing 31 is described herein as a rectangular parallelepiped, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

For example, the housing 311 includes a pair of first side walls 313 disposed opposite to each other in the first direction X, a pair of second side walls 314 disposed opposite to each other in the second direction Y, and a bottom wall 315. The cover plate 312 covers the housing 311, and the cover plate 312 and the bottom wall 315 are disposed opposite to each other along a third direction Z, wherein the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

Optionally, the area of the bottom wall 315 is larger than the area of the first side wall 313, and the area of the bottom wall 315 is larger than the area of the second side wall 314. That is, the area of the cover plate 312 is larger than the area of the first sidewall 313, and the area of the cover plate 312 is larger than the area of the second sidewall 314.

Further, the first sidewall 313 may include a first facet 313a, a second facet 313b, and a transition facet 313c. The first and second facets 313a, 313b are connected by a transition surface 313c, and the first and second facets 313a, 313b are perpendicular to the first direction X, the first facet 313a is closer to an intermediate position of the housing 31 in the first direction X than the second facet 313b, a sum of areas of the first and second facets 313a, 313b is smaller than an area of the second sidewall 314, and a sum of areas of the first and second facets 313a, 313b is smaller than an area of the bottom wall 315.

As shown in fig. 4, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first facet 313 a. Specifically, the electrode terminal 32 extends from the inside of the case 31 to the accommodation space 316 outside of the case 31 in the first direction X, the accommodation space 316 being formed by the first divided surface 313a, the second divided surface 313b, and the transition surface 313 c.

As shown in fig. 5, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the transition surface 313 c. Specifically, the electrode terminal 32 extends from the inside of the case 31 to the accommodation space 316 outside of the case 31 in the second direction Y, the accommodation space 316 being formed by the first divided surface 313a, the second divided surface 313b, and the transition surface 313 c.

Therefore, the casing 31 of the battery cell 30 is recessed in the edge region of the end portion in the first direction X to form the accommodating space 316 outside the casing 31, and the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first division surface 313a or the transition surface 313c forming the accommodating space 316 and extends from the inside of the casing 31 to the outside of the casing 31 and is disposed in the accommodating space 316, so that the electrode terminal 32 can be hidden without occupying an additional space, and further, the space utilization of the battery cell 30 can be improved, and the influence on the energy density of the battery can be reduced. Further, hiding the electrode terminal 32 in the accommodation space 316 formed by the wall having the smallest area can further reduce the influence on the energy density of the battery.

As can be seen in fig. 4 and 5, the transition surface 313c may be planar. In other words, the accommodation space 316 penetrates the housing 31 in the third direction Z. In one implementation, the transition surface 313c may be perpendicular to the second direction Y. In another embodiment, the transition surface 313c may also be non-perpendicular to the second direction Y, i.e. the transition surface 313c connecting the first and second sub-surfaces 313a, 313b may be an inclined surface. In the embodiment of the present application, whether the transition surface 313c is perpendicular to the second direction Y is not particularly limited, as long as the first sub-surface 313a, the second sub-surface 313b, and the transition surface 313c can form the accommodating space 316.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of another battery cell 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of another battery cell 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the transition surface 313c is an L-shaped folded surface, i.e. the accommodating space 316 does not penetrate the housing 31 in the third direction Z. Optionally, the transition surface 313c includes a first transition facet 313c-1 perpendicular to the second direction Y and a second transition facet 313c-2 perpendicular to the third direction Z. In other possible implementations, the first transition surface 313c-1 and the second transition surface 313c-2 may not be perpendicular to the second direction Y and the third direction Z, respectively, as long as the first surface 313a, the second surface 313b, and the first transition surface 313c-1 and the second transition surface 313c-2 may form the accommodating space 316. In the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 6, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first partial surface 313 a. In the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 7, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first transition surface 313 c-1.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, the electrode terminal 32 may be disposed on the second transition surface 313c-2, which is not limited thereto.

Fig. 8 to 11 show an exploded schematic view of the battery cell 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 4, fig. 9 is an exploded view of the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 5, fig. 10 is an exploded view of the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 6, and fig. 11 is an exploded view of the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 7. As shown in fig. 8 to 11, the battery cell 30 further includes: an electrode assembly 33 disposed in the case 31, the electrode assembly 33 including a tab 331 protruding in the first direction X, the tab 331 being disposed in a space between the second and first facets 313b and 313a in the case, and the tab 331 being electrically connected to the electrode terminal 32.

The electrode assembly 33 may be composed of a positive electrode tab, a negative electrode tab, and a separator. The positive electrode plate comprises a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer, wherein the positive electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode current collector, the current collector without the positive electrode active material layer protrudes out of the current collector with the coated positive electrode active material layer, and the current collector without the positive electrode active material layer is used as a positive electrode lug. The negative electrode sheet comprises a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer, wherein the negative electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode current collector, the current collector without the negative electrode active material layer protrudes out of the current collector with the coated negative electrode active material layer, and the current collector without the negative electrode active material layer is used as a negative electrode tab. In the embodiment of the present application, the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab may protrude in the first direction X, that is, the first direction X may also be the length direction of the electrode assembly 33.

In general, the electrode terminal 32 electrically connected to the positive electrode tab is a positive electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal 32 electrically connected to the negative electrode tab is a negative electrode terminal. The embodiment of the present application mainly describes the arrangement position of the electrode terminal 32, and thus, the electrode terminal 32 may be a positive electrode terminal or a negative electrode terminal, which is not limited herein.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 8 to 11, the battery cell 30 further includes: the switching member 34 is disposed in the case 31 and electrically connects the tab 331 and the electrode terminal 32.

Various implementations of the adapter member 34 will be described in detail below in connection with whether the electrode terminal 32 is provided on the first partial surface 313a or the transition surface 313c, and whether the transition surface 313c is a planar or an L-shaped folded surface.

As shown in fig. 8, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first split surface 313a and the transition surface 313c is a plane. Further, referring to fig. 12, the adapter member 34 further includes a first connection portion 341 and a second connection portion 342, wherein the first connection portion 341 extends along the first direction X and is connected to the tab 331, the first connection portion 341 is perpendicular to the second connection portion 342, and the second connection portion 342 is connected to the first connection portion 341 and covers at least a portion of the first sub-surface 313a to connect to the electrode terminal 32 on the first sub-surface 313 a.

Specifically, the first connection portion 341 is parallel to the tab 331, that is, the first connection portion 341 is perpendicular to the third direction Z, and the first connection portion 341 and the tab 331 are stacked and connected in a flat plate, and the second connection portion 342 is perpendicular to the first direction X and extends along the second direction Y. It is apparent that since the first facets 313a do not overlap with the tab 331 in the second direction Y, the length of the first connection portions 341 in the second direction Y may be smaller than the dimension of the second connection portions 342 in the second direction Y, both to ensure connection of the first connection portions 341 and the second connection portions 342 and to ensure electrical connection of the first connection portions 341 and the tab 331 and electrical connection of the second connection portions 342 and the electrode terminals 32.

As shown in fig. 9, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the transition surface 313c and the transition surface 313c is a plane. Further, referring to fig. 13, the adapter member 34 further includes a first connection portion 341 and a second connection portion 342. The first connection portion 341 extends along the first direction X and is connected to the tab 331, the first connection portion 341 is perpendicular to the second connection portion 342, and the second connection portion 342 is connected to the first connection portion 341 and covers at least a portion of the transition surface 313c to be connected to the electrode terminal 32 on the transition surface 313 c.

Specifically, the first connection portion 341 is parallel to the tab 331, that is, the first connection portion 341 is perpendicular to the third direction Z, and the first connection portion 341 and the tab 331 are stacked and connected in a flat plate, and the second connection portion 342 is perpendicular to the second direction Y, extends along the third direction Z, and covers at least a portion of the transition surface 313 c. The length of the first connection portion 341 in the first direction X may be the same as the length of the second connection portion 342 in the first direction X, and the length of the first connection portion 341 in the first direction X depends on the length of the tab 331 in the first direction X.

Compared with the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 8, the adapter component 34 in the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 9 does not occupy the space in the length direction of the electrode assembly 33, and can avoid the tab 331 of the electrode assembly 33, thereby being beneficial to reducing the damage to the tab 331 and prolonging the service life of the battery cell 30.

As can be seen from fig. 8 and 9, since the receiving space 316 penetrates the case 31 in the third direction Z, i.e., the transition surface 313c is a plane, the tab 331 of the electrode assembly 33 can be disposed near the cap plate 312.

As shown in fig. 10, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first split surface 313a and the transition surface 313c is an L-shaped folded surface. Specifically, the transition surface 313c includes a first transition facet 313c-1 perpendicular to the second direction Y and a second transition facet 313c-2 (not shown) perpendicular to the third direction Z. In one example, the adapter member 34 in fig. 10 may be identical in construction to the adapter member 34 shown in fig. 12. In another example, due to the presence of the second transition facet 313c-2, the tab 331 and the first connection 341 may extend in the second direction Y and cover at least a portion of the second transition facet 313 c-2. At this time, the length of the second connection part 342 in the second direction Y may be the same as the length of the first connection part 341 in the second direction Y. Alternatively, the length of the second connection portion 342 in the second direction Y may be smaller than the length of the first connection portion 341 in the second direction. That is, the tab 331 and the first connection portion 341 may extend in the second direction Y and cover at least a portion of the second transition section 313c-2 to connect the second connection portion 342, and the second connection portion 342 covers only the first section 313a in the second direction Y without exceeding the first section 313a.

As shown in fig. 11, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on a transition surface 313c and the transition surface 313c is an L-shaped folded surface. Specifically, the transition surface 313c includes a first transition facet 313c-1 perpendicular to the second direction Y and a second transition facet 313c-2 (not shown) perpendicular to the third direction Z. The electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first transition surface 313 c-1. In one example, the adapter member 34 in FIG. 11 is identical in construction to the adapter member 34 shown in FIG. 13. In another example, due to the presence of the second transition facet 313c-2, the tab 331 and the first connection 341 may extend in the second direction Y and cover at least a portion of the second transition facet 313 c-2. At this time, the adapter member 34 may have a T-shape.

As can be seen from fig. 10 and 11, since the accommodating space 316 does not penetrate the housing 31 in the third direction Z, the transition surface 313c is an L-shaped folded surface. The tab 331 of the electrode assembly 33 may be disposed at a position near the middle of the electrode assembly 33 in the third direction Z.

Compared with the battery cell 30 shown in fig. 8 and 9, the tab 331 and the second connection portion 342 in the battery cell 30 in fig. 10 and 11 may extend in the second direction Y, i.e., the area of the tab 331 may be made larger, thereby making the battery cell 30 have a stronger overcurrent capability.

Although the embodiment of the present application has been described using the battery cell 30 as a rectangular parallelepiped, the battery cell 30 may have other structures, such as a square or a cylinder, as long as the accommodating space 316 outside the case 31 can be formed at the end of the case 31 where the tab 331 is provided, and the electrode terminal 32 is provided in the accommodating space 316.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 8 to 11, the battery cell 30 further includes: an insulating holder 35 disposed in the case 31 between the electrode assembly 33 and the case 31, the insulating holder 35 for supporting the tab 321 and the switching member 34.

By providing the insulating holder 35 in the battery cell 30, the electrode assembly 33 and the adapter member 34 can be fixed in the case 31, thereby making the structure of the battery cell 30 more stable.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 14, the insulating holder 35 includes a receiving part 351 and an extension part 352, wherein the receiving part 351 is disposed in a space between the second and first sub-surfaces 313b and 313a in the case 31 to receive the tab 331 and the first connection part 341, and the extension part 352 extends in the second direction Y and is disposed between the electrode assembly 33 and the first sub-surface 313 b.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 14, the receiving portion 351 is provided with a groove, which may include a first wall 353 and a second wall 354 disposed opposite in the second direction Y, and the first wall 353 is closer to the transition surface 313c than the second wall 354. Wherein the second wall 354 is recessed from the top surface of the inner side toward the bottom of the groove in the third direction Z to form a step 3541, and a step surface of the step 3541 is located on the same plane as the top surface of the first wall 353, thereby forming the receiving portion 351 of the insulating holder 35. The dimension of the receiving portion 351 in the second direction Y includes a width from the step surface of the step 3541 to the top surface of the first wall 353, and the dimension of the receiving portion 351 in the third direction Z includes a height difference from the outer top surface of the second wall 354 and the step surface of the step 3541.

The tab 331 or the first connection portion 341 of the electrode assembly 33 may be overlapped on the stepped surface and the top surface of the first wall 353 at both ends in the second direction Y. Alternatively, it is possible that the first connection portion 341 is first lapped over the step surface and the top surface of the first wall 353, and then the tab 331 is stacked over the first connection portion 341. Alternatively, the tab 331 may be first lapped over the step surface and the top surface of the first wall 353, and then the first connection portion 341 is stacked over the tab 331.

The recess of the insulating holder 35 is not used to accommodate the tab 331 and the first connection portion 341, but is used to reduce the weight of the insulating holder 35, thereby reducing the weight of the battery cell 30. In another example, the insulating holder 35 is not provided with a groove, i.e., a communication is established between the step surface of the step 3541 and the top surface of the first wall 353. I.e. the recess is filled with solid material.

When the tab 331 is located at the accommodating portion of the insulating bracket, the tab 331 can share a space with the insulating bracket 35 without occupying an excessive space, so that the structure of the battery cell 30 is more compact, and the space utilization rate of the battery cell 30 is improved.

Optionally, the recess may further include a third wall, which is a wall of the recess perpendicular to the first direction X and away from the electrode assembly 33, at least a portion of a top surface of the third wall being higher than the step surface in the third direction Z, so that the electrode assembly 33 abuts against the insulating support 35 in the first direction X when the electrode assembly 33 is assembled with the insulating support 35 to fix the electrode assembly 33 in the first direction X while functioning to isolate the electrode assembly 33 from the case 31. For example, the end of the tab 331 of the electrode assembly 33 abuts against the third wall, so that the electrode assembly 33 can be limited, and the structural stability of the battery cell can be improved.

When the insulating holder 35 abuts against the electrode assembly 33 along the first direction X, a portion of the tab 331 may be damaged, for example, the folded portion 331a of the tab 331 shown in fig. 15. For this, in one implementation, the length of the bottom of the groove is smaller than the length of the insulating holder 35 in the first direction X, i.e., the bottom of the groove has a length difference from the insulating holder 35 in the first direction X, so that a space for avoiding the folded portion 331a of the tab 331 can be formed between the insulating holder 35 and the electrode assembly 33. Like this, through the bottom that design insulating support 35 and recess have the length difference in first direction X to form the space of dodging that is used for holding the portion 331a that draws in of utmost point ear 331, can avoid causing the damage to utmost point ear 331, improve battery cell 30's life.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 8 to 11, the battery cell 30 further includes: a first insulating member 37 disposed inside the housing 31 for isolating the housing 31 from the second connection portion 342 of the adapter member 34; and a second insulator 38 provided outside the case 31, and a rivet 39 for isolating the case 31 and the electrode terminal 32. Wherein the rivet 39 is used to fix the electrode terminal 33.

In this embodiment, the safety of the battery cell 30 can be improved by isolating the case 31 from the adapter member 34 by the first insulator 37 and isolating the case 31 from the rivet 39 by the second insulator 38.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 and 10, the first insulating member 37 is an extension 352 of the insulating holder 35. That is, the first insulating member 37 is integrally formed with the insulating holder 35.

Alternatively, in this embodiment, the first insulating member 37 may be a sheet-like structure, disposed between the second connecting portion 342 and the first split surface 313 a.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 and 10, since the second connection part 342 is a sheet-shaped structure having a certain thickness, in order to avoid the end of the second connection part 342 from contacting the case 31, the end of the first insulating member 37, which is remote from the receiving part 351, may be bent toward the inside of the case 31 in the first direction X to isolate the end of the second connection part 342 from the case 31, so that the safety of the battery cell 30 may be further improved.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 9 and 11, the first insulating member 37 is a separate member from the insulating holder 35. Specifically, the first insulator 37 includes a first insulator 371 and a second insulator 372, the first insulator 371 being disposed between the first connector 341 and the housing 31 to isolate the housing 31 from the first connector 341. And the second insulating portion 372 is connected with the first insulating portion 371 and disposed between the second connecting portion 342 and the transition surface 313c to isolate the case 31 from the second connecting portion 342.

Alternatively, the first insulating portion 371 is perpendicular to the first direction X, and the second insulating portion 372 is perpendicular to the second direction Y.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 8 and 10, the first sub-surface 313a is provided with a first opening 3131, the electrode terminal 32 is provided on the first sub-surface 313a through the first opening 3131, and the battery cell 30 further includes: a sealing ring 36 for sealing a gap between the electrode terminal 32 and the first opening 3131. Further, the sealing member 36 is disposed outside the case 31 and is sleeved on the electrode terminal 32, and is located between the second insulating member 38 and the first split surface 313 a.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 9 and 11, the transition surface 313c is provided with a first opening 3131, the electrode terminal 33 is disposed on the transition surface 313c through the first opening 3131, and the battery cell 30 further includes: a seal ring 36 for sealing a gap between the electrode terminal 33 and the first opening 3131. Further, the sealing member 36 is disposed outside the casing 31 and is sleeved on the electrode terminal 32, and is located between the second insulating member 38 and the transition surface 313 c.

The sealing ring 36 can prevent the electrolyte in the housing 31 from leaking, thereby improving the safety of the battery cell.

Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, in order to further improve the tightness of the sealing ring 36, the inner side of the sealing ring 36 may protrude from the outer side of the sealing ring 36 in the axial direction, and the inner side of the sealing ring 36 may be embedded into the first opening 3131 of the first split surface 315a or the first opening 3131 of the transition surface 315 c.

Those skilled in the art understand that as long as the parts through which the electrode terminals 32 pass are all required to be provided with the openings, for example, in the embodiment of the present application, the second connection portion 342 is required to be provided with the openings, the first insulating member 37 is required to be provided with the openings, the second insulating member 38 is required to be provided with the openings, and the rivet 39 is required to be provided with the openings, the electrode terminals 32 are provided on the first division surface 313a or the transition surface 313c through the openings of the respective parts.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, both ends of the housing 31 in the first direction X may have the same structure. For example, the first facets 313a of the pair of first side walls 313 disposed along the first direction X may be symmetrically disposed along a diagonal of the housing 31 or symmetrically disposed along a midline of the housing 31 in the first direction X.

And the electrode terminals 32 may be disposed at the same positions as the first side walls 313 at both ends, or may be a combination of the above-described various embodiments.

It should be understood that the polarities of the electrode terminals 32 disposed at both ends of the case 31 in the first direction X are opposite. That is, the electrode terminal 32 disposed at the first end may be a positive electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal 32 disposed at the second end may be a negative electrode terminal. Alternatively, the electrode terminal 32 provided at the first end may be a negative electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal 32 provided at the second end may be a positive electrode terminal.

Both the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are hidden in the accommodating space in the embodiment of the application, the space utilization rate of the battery cell 30 can be effectively improved, and thus the energy density of the battery can be improved.

Fig. 16 shows a schematic exploded view of another battery cell 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 16, the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the transition surface 313c, and the transition surface 313c is a plane. The electrode terminal 32 includes a first portion 321 and a second portion 322, the electrode terminal 32 extends along the second direction Y, the first portion 321 is connected to the tab 331, the second portion 322 protrudes out of the transition surface 313c to the accommodating space 316 outside the case 31, and the accommodating space 316 is formed by the first sub-surface 313a, the second sub-surface 313b and the transition surface 313 c.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, the first portion 321 and the second portion 322 of the electrode terminal 32 are each sheet-shaped, and the surfaces of the first portion 321 and the second portion 322 are substantially parallel to the bottom wall 315.

The first portion 321 connected with the tab 331 and the second portion 322 connected with the bus member in the electrode terminal 32 are arranged in a sheet shape, so that the tab 331 and the bus member are respectively and directly connected with the electrode terminal 32, and a switching member is not needed, thereby simplifying parts and reducing the problems of increased resistance and unstable electric connection caused by internal electric connection switching. In addition, the occupied space of the switching part is reduced, and the electrode lug and the electrode terminal are made larger, so that the overcurrent capacity is higher.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, the first portion 321 and the tab 331 are stacked in a flat plate structure after being assembled, and thus, the first portion 321 and the tab 331 may be connected using ultrasonic welding, so that generation of metal chips may be reduced.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 16, the battery cell 30 further includes: an insulating holder 35, the insulating holder 35 being disposed within the case 31 and between the electrode assembly 32 and the case 31, the insulating holder 35 for supporting the tab 331 and the electrode terminal 32. Specifically, the insulating holder 35 serves to support the tab 331 and the first portion 321 of the electrode terminal 32.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 16, the insulating holder is provided with a receiving groove 351 for receiving the tab 331, and the first portion 321 is connected to the tab 331 in the receiving groove 351, and the second portion 322 of the electrode terminal 32 is penetrated from the sidewall of the receiving groove 351 to pass through the transition surface 313c and extend to the receiving space 316

And (3) inner part.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 16, the accommodating space 316 may penetrate the housing 31 along the third direction Z, in other words, the transition surface 313c is a plane.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 16, the transition surface 315c is provided with a first opening (not shown in the drawings), through which the second portion 322 of the electrode terminal 32 extends to the accommodating space 316, and the battery cell 30 further includes: a sealing ring 36, the sealing ring 36 is used for sealing the gap between the second portion 322 and the first opening.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, in order to further improve the tightness of the seal ring 36, likewise, the inner side of the seal ring 36 may protrude outside the seal ring 36 in the axial direction, and the inner side of the seal ring 36 may be embedded into the first opening of the transition surface 313 c.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 17, the first electrode terminal 32 further includes a boss 323, the boss 323 is disposed between the first portion 321 and the second portion 322, an outer dimension of a cross section of the boss is larger than a size of the first opening of the transition surface 313c, and the boss 323 is disposed in the housing 31.

Further, as shown in fig. 16, the battery cell 30 further includes: and an engaging portion 391 provided outside the case 31, the engaging portion 391 being engaged with the second portion 322 and engaged with the boss 323 to fix the first electrode terminal.

Optionally, in this embodiment, a clamping groove may be further disposed on the second portion 322, and a clamping block that is clamped with the clamping groove is disposed on the inner periphery of the clamping portion 391. The engaging portion 391 is disposed around the second portion 322, and engages the locking member in the locking groove of the second portion 322.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, the first portion 321, the second portion 322, and the boss 323 may be integrally formed. Alternatively, the first portion 321 and the second portion 322 are integrally formed, and the boss 323 is a separate component, for example, the first boss 323 may be an engaging portion 391 that is sleeved on the first portion 321.

The electrode terminal 32 is fixed by the boss 323 and the engaging portion 391, and the electrode terminal 32 can be restrained in the second direction Y, so that the structural stability of the battery cell 30 can be increased.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, since the boss 323 is provided between the first portion 321 and the second portion 322 of the electrode terminal 32, a stepped structure may be provided between the side wall of the insulating holder 35 near the boss 323 and the bottom wall of the insulating holder 35, so that the boss 323 may be accommodated in a space formed by the stepped structure, so that the surfaces of the first portion 321 and the second portion 322 of the electrode terminal 32 can be parallel to the bottom wall of the case 31, and the tab 331 and the first portion 321 can be brought into flat contact.

In addition, since the second portion 322 of the electrode terminal 32 needs to pass through the case, the sidewall of the insulating holder 35 also needs to be provided with a second opening (not shown) through which the second portion 322 passes and extends to the receiving space 316 through the first opening (not shown) of the transition surface 313 c.

Alternatively, the engaging portion 391 may be plastic, that is, when the second portion 322 extends from the first opening to the accommodating space 316, glue may be applied along the outer portion Zhou Zhuru of the first opening, and after the glue is applied, the position of the electrode terminal 32 along the second direction Y is fixed together with the boss 323.

Further, in this embodiment, other components in the foregoing embodiments, such as an insulating holder, a sealing ring, etc., may be also included, and may be specifically disposed in conjunction with the shape of the electrode terminal, that is, although this embodiment is not described in an expanded manner, other components of the battery cell 30 may be simple modifications of the same components in the various embodiments described above.

The present embodiment also provides a battery 100, the battery 100 including a plurality of the battery cells 30 described in the above-described various embodiments, and the plurality of battery cells 30 arranged in the third direction Z, and a bus member 40 for connecting the electrode terminals 32 of two adjacent battery cells 30 among the plurality of battery cells 30.

Alternatively, the transition surface 313c of the battery cell 30 is a plane, that is, the receiving space 316 penetrates the case 31 in the third direction, and the connection surfaces of the electrode terminals of two adjacent battery cells and the bus member 40 are located at one plane, and the bus member 40 has a sheet structure. As shown in fig. 18.

Although fig. 18 shows only a schematic view in which the electrode terminals 32 are provided on the first partial surface 313a, the connection relationship between the bus member 40 and the electrode terminals 32 shown in fig. 18 and the structure of the bus member 40 are equally applicable to the embodiment in which the transition surface 313c is planar and the electrode terminals 32 are provided on the transition surface 313 c.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, the transition surface 313c is a plane, and the battery cell 30 adopts the structure of the battery cell shown in fig. 16, and the electrode terminals 32 of two adjacent battery cells 30 are parallel to the connection surface of the bus member 40, which is a U-shaped structure. As shown in fig. 19.

With the battery 100 shown in fig. 18 and 19, the accommodating space 316 in the battery cell 30 is advantageously hidden by the bus bar member 40 without occupying additional assembly space of the battery cell 30, so that the energy density of the battery 100 can be improved.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, the transition surface 313c is an L-shaped folded surface, and the bus member 40 includes two connection parts 41 and a spanning part 42, the two connection parts 41 are connected to the spanning part 42, the two connection parts 41 are respectively connected to the electrode terminals 32 of the adjacent two battery cells 30, and the spanning part 42 spans the second sub-surface 313b of one battery cell 30 of the adjacent two battery cells 30. As shown in fig. 20.

Although fig. 19 shows only a schematic view in which the electrode terminals 32 are provided on the first partial surface 313a, the connection relationship between the bus member 40 and the electrode terminals 32 shown in fig. 19 and the structure of the bus member 40 are equally applicable to the embodiment in which the transition surface 313c is an L-shaped folded surface and the electrode terminals 32 are provided on the transition surface 313 c.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a powered device, where the powered device may include the battery cell 30 in the foregoing embodiments, to provide the power for the powered device. Alternatively, the powered device may be a vehicle, a ship, or a spacecraft.

By arranging the battery cell 30 of the foregoing embodiment in the electric device, since the electrode terminal 32 of the battery cell 30 can be accommodated in the accommodating space 316 formed by the edge area of the end portion of the housing 31 along the first direction X, the electrode terminal 32 can be hidden, and the space of the battery cell 30 in all directions is not required to be occupied, thereby improving the space utilization ratio and facilitating the popularization and use of the electric device.

Having described the battery and the powered device according to the embodiments of the present application, a method and an apparatus for preparing a battery according to the embodiments of the present application will be described below, wherein the foregoing embodiments may be referred to in portions that are not described in detail.

Fig. 21 shows a schematic flow chart of a method 400 of preparing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 21, the method 400 may include at least some of the following.

S410, the electrode terminal 32 is provided.

S420, providing the housing 31, where the housing 31 includes a housing 311 and a cover plate 312, the housing 311 includes a pair of first side walls 313 oppositely disposed along a first direction X, a pair of second side walls 314 and a bottom wall 315 oppositely disposed along a second direction Y, the cover plate 312 covers the housing 311, the cover plate 312 and the bottom wall 315 are oppositely disposed along a third direction, the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other, an area of the bottom wall 315 is larger than an area of the first side walls 313, and an area of the bottom wall 315 is larger than an area of the second side walls 314.

Wherein the first side wall 313 includes a first sub-surface 313a, a second sub-surface 313b, and a transition surface 313c, the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b are connected by the transition surface 313c, the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b are perpendicular to the first direction X, and the first sub-surface 313a is closer to an intermediate position of the housing 31 in the first direction X than the second sub-surface 313b, a sum of areas of the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b is smaller than an area of the second side wall 314, and a sum of areas of the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b is smaller than an area of the bottom wall 315, and the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first sub-surface 313a or the transition surface 313 c.

Optionally, upon preparing a plurality of cells 30 using the method 400, at least some of the following may continue.

The plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged in the third direction Z.

A bus member 40 is provided, the bus member 40 being for connecting the electrode terminals 32 of two adjacent battery cells 30 among the plurality of battery cells 30.

Fig. 22 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 500 for preparing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 22, the apparatus 500 includes a providing module 510 for: providing an electrode terminal 32; the housing 31 is provided, the housing 31 comprises a housing 311 and a cover plate 312, the housing 311 comprises a pair of first side walls 313 oppositely arranged along a first direction X, a pair of second side walls 314 and a bottom wall 315 oppositely arranged along a second direction Y, the cover plate 312 covers the housing 311, the cover plate 312 and the bottom wall 315 are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall 315 is larger than the area of the first side walls 313, and the area of the bottom wall 315 is larger than the area of the second side walls 314. Wherein the first side wall 313 includes a first sub-surface 313a, a second sub-surface 313b, and a transition surface 313c, the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b are connected by the transition surface 313c, the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b are perpendicular to the first direction X, and the first sub-surface 313a is closer to an intermediate position of the housing 31 in the first direction X than the second sub-surface 313b, a sum of areas of the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b is smaller than an area of the second side wall 314, and a sum of areas of the first sub-surface 313a and the second sub-surface 313b is smaller than an area of the bottom wall 315, and the electrode terminal 32 is disposed on the first sub-surface 313a or the transition surface 313 c.

Optionally, upon preparing a plurality of battery cells 30 using the apparatus 500, the apparatus 500 may further include the following modules: and an assembly module for arranging the plurality of battery cells 30 in the third direction Z. And the providing module 510 is further configured to: a bus member 40 is provided, the bus member 40 being for connecting the electrode terminals 32 of two adjacent battery cells 30 among the plurality of battery cells 30.

While the present application has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, various modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the respective embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

A battery cell, comprising:

an electrode terminal;

the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, wherein the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, and the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls;

The first side wall comprises a first sub surface, a second sub surface and a transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall;

the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface.
The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the battery cell further comprises:

the electrode assembly is arranged in the shell and comprises a tab protruding along the first direction, the tab is arranged in a space between the second sub-surface and the first sub-surface in the shell, and the tab is electrically connected with the electrode terminal.
The battery cell of claim 2, wherein the electrode terminal is disposed on the transition surface;

the electrode terminal includes a first portion and a second portion; the electrode terminal extends along the second direction, and the first part is connected with the tab; the second portion extends through the transition surface to a receiving space outside the housing, the receiving space being formed by the first facet, the second facet and the transition surface.
The battery cell of claim 2, wherein the battery cell further comprises:

and the switching part is arranged in the shell and is used for electrically connecting the electrode lug and the electrode terminal.
The battery cell of claim 4, wherein the battery cell further comprises:

the insulating support is arranged in the shell and positioned between the electrode assembly and the shell, and the insulating support is used for supporting the electrode lug and the switching part.
The battery cell according to claim 5, wherein the insulating holder includes a receiving part and an extension part, the receiving part is disposed in a space between the second and first facets in the case, the extension part is disposed between the electrode assembly and the first facet, the switching member includes a first connection part and a second connection part, the first connection part extends in the first direction and is connected with the tab at the receiving part, and the second connection part is connected with the first connection part and is connected with the electrode terminal.
The battery cell according to claim 6, wherein the electrode terminal is provided on the first facet, and the second connection portion is connected to the first connection portion and covers at least a portion of the first facet; or (b)

The electrode terminal is disposed on the transition surface, and the second connection portion is connected with the first connection portion and covers at least a portion of the transition surface to be connected with the electrode terminal on the transition surface.
The battery cell of claim 7, wherein the battery cell further comprises:

the first insulating piece is arranged in the shell and positioned between the second connecting part and the first split surface so as to isolate the shell and the switching part;

and the second insulating piece is arranged outside the shell and is used for isolating the shell and the riveting piece of the electrode terminal.
The battery cell of claim 8, wherein the first insulator is the extension of the insulating support.
The battery cell of claim 7, wherein the battery cell further comprises:

the first insulating piece is arranged in the shell and at least positioned between the second connecting part and the transition surface so as to isolate the shell and the switching part;

and the second insulating piece is arranged outside the shell and is used for isolating the shell and the riveting piece of the electrode terminal.
The battery cell of claim 10, wherein the first insulator comprises a first insulator and a second insulator, the first insulator is disposed between the first connector and the housing, and the second insulator is connected to the first insulator and disposed between the second connector and the transition surface to isolate the housing from the transition member.
The battery cell of any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the transition face is planar.
The battery cell of claim 12, wherein the transition face is perpendicular to the second direction.
The battery cell of any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the transition surface is an L-fold surface.
The battery cell of claim 14, wherein the transition surface comprises a first transition surface perpendicular to the second direction and a second transition surface perpendicular to the third direction.
The battery cell of claim 15, wherein the electrode terminal is disposed on the first transition facet.
The battery cell of claim 16, wherein the tab and the first connection extend in the second direction and cover at least a portion of the second transition section.
The battery cell according to claim 15, wherein the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface, and a length of the first connection portion in the second direction is greater than a length of the second connection portion in the second direction.
The battery cell of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the first facet or the transition surface is provided with a first aperture through which the electrode terminal is disposed on the first facet or the transition surface, the battery cell further comprising:

and a seal ring for sealing a gap between the electrode terminal and the first opening.
The battery cell of claim 19, wherein an inner side of the seal ring protrudes outside the seal ring in an axial direction, the inner side of the seal ring being embedded within the first aperture.
The battery cell of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the two first facets of the pair of first side walls are symmetrically disposed along a diagonal of the housing or symmetrically disposed along a midline of the housing in the first direction.
A battery comprising a plurality of battery cells and a bussing member, each of the plurality of battery cells comprising:

an electrode terminal;

the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls, the first side walls comprise a first sub-surface, a second sub-surface and a transition surface, the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface are connected through the transition surface, the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub-surface is closer to the middle position of the shell body in the first direction than the second sub-surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is smaller than that of the second side walls, and the sum of the areas of the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is smaller than the sum of the areas of the bottom surfaces;

Wherein the electrode terminal is disposed on the first facet or the transition surface;

the plurality of battery cells are arranged along the third direction, and the bus member is used for connecting electrode terminals of two adjacent battery cells in the plurality of battery cells.
The battery according to claim 22, wherein the transition surface is a plane, the connection surfaces of the electrode terminals of the adjacent two battery cells and the bus bar member are located on one plane, and the bus bar member is a sheet-like structure.
The battery according to claim 22, wherein the transition surface is a plane, the electrode terminals of the adjacent two battery cells are parallel to the connection surface of the current collecting member, and the current collecting member has a U-shaped structure.
The battery of claim 22, wherein the transition surface is an L-shaped folded surface, the bus member includes two connection portions connected to the crossing portion, the two connection portions respectively connecting the electrode terminals of the adjacent two battery cells, and the crossing portion crossing the second split surface of one of the adjacent two battery cells.
An electrical device comprising a cell according to any one of claims 1 to 21 for providing electrical energy to the electrical device.
A method of making a battery cell, the method comprising:

providing an electrode terminal;

providing a shell, wherein the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, and the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls;

the first side wall comprises a first sub surface, a second sub surface and a transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall; the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface.
An apparatus for preparing a battery cell, the apparatus comprising:

providing a module for:

providing an electrode terminal;

providing a shell, wherein the shell comprises a shell body and a cover plate, the shell body comprises a pair of first side walls which are oppositely arranged along a first direction, a pair of second side walls which are oppositely arranged along a second direction and a bottom wall, the cover plate covers the shell body, the cover plate and the bottom wall are oppositely arranged along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are mutually perpendicular, the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the first side walls, and the area of the bottom wall is larger than that of the second side walls;

the first side wall comprises a first sub surface, a second sub surface and a transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are connected by the transition surface, the first sub surface and the second sub surface are perpendicular to the first direction, the first sub surface is closer to the middle position of the shell in the first direction than the second sub surface, the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the second side wall, and the sum of the areas of the first sub surface and the second sub surface is smaller than the area of the bottom wall; the electrode terminal is disposed on the first split surface or the transition surface.