CN118198757A

CN118198757A - Electric connector and manufacturing device and manufacturing method thereof, battery, energy storage device and electric device

Info

Publication number: CN118198757A
Application number: CN202410621481.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 汤耀宇; 杨志斌; 孙昊; 吴凯
Original assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2024-05-20
Filing date: 2024-05-20
Publication date: 2024-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 2044-05-20
Also published as: CN118198757B

Abstract

The application discloses an electric connector, a manufacturing device and a manufacturing method thereof, a battery, an energy storage device and an electric device, and belongs to the technical field of batteries. The electric connector comprises a circuit board, a conductive pin, a reinforcing plate and a connecting shell, wherein the circuit board comprises a conductive layer and a first insulating layer overlapped on the conductive layer; one end of the conductive pin penetrates through the circuit board and is connected with the conductive layer, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for being butted with a conductive terminal of the butt joint connector; the stiffening plate is overlapped on one side of the first insulating layer, which is opposite to the conducting layer, the surface of the stiffening plate facing the first insulating layer is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer facing the stiffening plate is a second surface, a buffer gap is arranged between a part area of the first surface and a part area of the second surface, the connecting shell is connected to the stiffening plate, and one end of the conducting pin, which is far away from the circuit board, extends into the connecting shell and extends towards the inserting port. The electric connector, the manufacturing device and the manufacturing method thereof, the battery, the energy storage device and the electric device can prolong the service life.

Description

Electric connector and manufacturing device and manufacturing method thereof, battery, energy storage device and electric device

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of battery technologies, and in particular, to an electrical connector, a manufacturing device and a manufacturing method thereof, a battery, an energy storage device, and an electrical device.

Background

New energy batteries are increasingly used in life and industry, for example, new energy automobiles having a battery mounted therein have been widely used, and in addition, batteries are increasingly used in the field of energy storage and the like. In a new energy vehicle that carries a battery, the battery may be used to fully or partially power. In the energy storage field, the battery may be mounted in an energy storage case or directly on the user side.

Along with the continuous development of Battery technology, intelligent control over batteries is more abundant and diverse, for example, a Battery Management System (BMS) MANAGEMENT SYSTEM is mainly used for intelligently managing and maintaining each Battery unit, monitoring the state of the Battery, and preventing the Battery from being overcharged and overdischarged so as to prolong the service life of the Battery. Therefore, the battery needs to use an electrical connector to electrically connect the battery unit and the battery management system, and the service life of the electrical connector is related to the service life of the battery as a whole.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides an electrical connector with a long service life, and a manufacturing device, a manufacturing method, a battery, an energy storage device and an electrical device thereof.

The application is realized by the following technical scheme.

A first aspect of the present application provides an electrical connector comprising: a circuit board including a conductive layer and a first insulating layer overlapped with the conductive layer; one end of the conductive pin penetrates through the circuit board and is connected with the conductive layer, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for being butted with a conductive terminal of the butt connector; the reinforcing plate is overlapped on one side, facing away from the conductive layer, of the first insulating layer, the surface, facing the first insulating layer, of the reinforcing plate is a first surface, the surface, facing the reinforcing plate, of the first insulating layer is a second surface, and a buffer gap is reserved between a partial region of the first surface and a partial region of the second surface; the electric connector further comprises a connecting shell, the connecting shell is connected to the surface, facing away from the circuit board, of the reinforcing plate, the connecting shell is provided with a plug-in port, and one end, far away from the circuit board, of the conductive pin extends into the connecting shell and extends towards the plug-in port.

A buffer gap is formed between the partial area of the first surface and the partial area of the second surface, namely, a buffer gap is formed between the circuit board and the reinforcing plate, and the buffer gap can be used for a welding spot to release stress through deformation, so that the phenomenon that the welding spot is cracked can be reduced, and the electric connector has a longer service life.

In some embodiments, the reinforcing plate includes a welding medium layer and a reinforcing layer overlapped on the welding medium layer, a surface of the welding medium layer facing away from the reinforcing layer is the first surface, the first surface and the second surface are welded to form a welding seam, and a space between the first surface and the second surface except for the welding seam forms the buffer gap.

So, increase the welding medium layer between enhancement layer and circuit board for the first insulating layer of welding medium layer and circuit board can be connected through welded mode, welded mode makes stiffening plate and circuit board on having sufficient joint strength's basis, can also form the buffer clearance between stiffening plate and circuit board, thereby can supply the solder joint to release stress through warping, thereby can reduce the solder joint and take place the phenomenon of cracking, and then make electric connector have longer life.

In some embodiments, the conductive pin is welded to the conductive layer to form a weld, and a space is provided between the weld and the weld.

Therefore, the buffer gaps are formed around the welding spots, stress generated by the welding spots can be released through the buffer gaps close to the welding spots, the buffer gaps can better provide the welding spots to release stress through deformation, the phenomenon that the welding spots crack can be reduced, and the electric connector has longer service life.

In some embodiments, the welding seams are in a strip-shaped structure, at least two welding seams are arranged, and the welding seams are parallel and/or intersected.

Therefore, the connection strength between the reinforcing plate and the circuit board can be improved, a buffer gap can be formed between the first surface and the second surface, the buffer gap can be used for a welding spot to release stress through deformation, the phenomenon that the welding spot is cracked can be reduced, and the electric connector has a longer service life.

In some embodiments, the electrical connector includes at least two spaced apart conductive pins, at least one weld disposed between adjacent conductive pins.

The electric connector comprises at least two mutually-spaced conductive pins, so that the electric connector can meet the electric conduction requirement. At least one welding seam is arranged between the adjacent conductive pins, so that the connection strength among the reinforcing plate, the circuit board and the conductive pins can be improved, a buffer gap can be formed between the first surface and the second surface, the buffer gap can be used for the welding spots to release stress through deformation, the phenomenon that the welding spots crack can be reduced, and the electric connector has longer service life.

In some embodiments, the material of the soldering medium layer comprises a light absorbing material.

After the light-absorbing material is irradiated by light such as laser, the plastic contact surface can be melted by heat generated by the laser, so that the welding medium layer and the first insulating layer are combined together, and the welding medium layer and the first insulating layer are welded together.

In some embodiments, the material of the soldering medium layer comprises polybutylene terephthalate and/or polycarbonate.

The polybutylene terephthalate and the polycarbonate are light-absorbing materials, and welding of the welding medium layer and the first insulating layer can be well achieved.

In some embodiments, the weld media layer and the reinforcement layer are bonded.

In this way, the connection strength of the soldering medium layer and the reinforcing layer can be improved.

In some embodiments, the first insulating layer is a light transmissive material.

The light-transmitting material can transmit light such as laser, so that the light can irradiate the welding medium layer after transmitting through the first insulating layer, thereby enabling part of the first surface of the welding medium layer to be melted and enabling welding operation to be carried out smoothly.

In some embodiments, the first insulating layer employs polyimide and/or polyetherimide.

Polyimide and polyetherimide are light-transmitting materials and are both heat-melting materials, so that light rays such as laser can be transmitted and can be melted, and the melted part of the first insulating layer and the melted part of the welding medium layer are fused together, so that a welding seam is formed, and welding of the first insulating layer and the welding medium layer is completed.

A second aspect of the present application provides a battery comprising: at least one battery cell; the sensor is arranged on the battery cell; the electric connector is arranged on the battery cell and is electrically connected with the sensor; a battery management system has a docking connector with which the electrical connector mates.

Since the battery comprises the electrical connector provided in the first aspect, the battery comprises all the advantages of the electrical connector, and therefore the battery has a long service life.

A third aspect of the application provides an energy storage device comprising a battery as described above.

Since the energy storage device comprises the battery provided in the second aspect, the energy storage device comprises all the beneficial effects of the battery, and thus has a long service life.

A fourth aspect of the application provides an electrical device comprising a battery as described above for providing electrical energy.

Since the electricity consumption device includes the battery provided in the second aspect, the electricity consumption device includes all the beneficial effects of the battery, and thus has a long service life.

A fifth aspect of the present application provides an electrical connector manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising: a circuit board including a conductive layer and a first insulating layer overlapped with the conductive layer; one end of the conductive pin penetrates through the circuit board and is welded with the conductive layer, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for being butted with a conductive terminal of the butt connector; the reinforcing plate is overlapped on one side, facing away from the conductive layer, of the first insulating layer, the surface, facing the first insulating layer, of the reinforcing plate is a first surface, the surface, facing the reinforcing plate, of the first insulating layer is a second surface, and a buffer gap is reserved between a partial region of the first surface and a partial region of the second surface; the electric connector further comprises a connecting shell, the connecting shell is connected to the surface, facing away from the circuit board, of the reinforcing plate, the connecting shell is provided with a plug-in port, and one end, far away from the circuit board, of the conductive pin extends into the connecting shell and extends towards the plug-in port.

In the electric connector manufactured by the electric connector manufacturing device, a buffer gap is arranged between the partial area of the first surface and the partial area of the second surface, namely, the buffer gap is arranged between the circuit board and the reinforcing plate, and the buffer gap can be used for releasing stress through deformation of welding spots, so that the phenomenon of cracking of the welding spots can be reduced, and the electric connector has longer service life, namely, the electric connector manufactured by the electric connector manufacturing device has longer service life.

In some embodiments, the reinforcing plate comprises a welding medium layer and a reinforcing layer overlapped on the welding medium layer, wherein the surface of the welding medium layer, which is opposite to the reinforcing layer, is the first surface; the electric connector manufacturing device comprises a light emitting device and a light-transmitting pressing strip, wherein the light-transmitting pressing strip is configured to press the circuit board towards the reinforcing plate, so that a part of the second surface of the first insulating layer is pressed on the first surface of the reinforcing plate, the light emitting device is configured to emit light towards the light-transmitting pressing strip, so that a part of the second surface pressed by the light-transmitting pressing strip is welded on the first surface and forms a welding seam, and a space between the first surface and the second surface except the welding seam forms a buffer gap.

In the welding process, the light-transmitting layering compresses the part of the first insulating layer on the reinforcing plate, the light emitting device emits light towards the light-transmitting layering, the light irradiates the first insulating layer through the light-transmitting layering and irradiates the welding medium layer through the first insulating layer, so that the compressed part of the first insulating layer and the welding medium layer, which is compressed by the light-transmitting layering, is melted and combined to form a welding seam, and the welding of the circuit board and the welding medium layer is completed. The welding mode makes between welding medium layer and the circuit board on the basis that has sufficient joint strength, can also form the buffer clearance between welding medium layer and circuit board to can supply the solder joint to release stress through warping, thereby can reduce the phenomenon that the solder joint takes place to split, and then make the electric connector have longer life.

A sixth aspect of the present application provides an electrical connector manufacturing method for manufacturing an electrical connector, the manufacturing method comprising:

providing a circuit board, a conductive pin, a reinforcing plate and a connecting shell,

The circuit board comprises a conductive layer and a first insulating layer overlapped on the conductive layer;

Overlapping the reinforcing plate on one side of the first insulating layer, which is opposite to the conductive layer;

penetrating one end of the conductive pin into the circuit board through the reinforcing plate;

Soldering the conductive pins to the conductive layer of the circuit board;

The connection shell is arranged on the surface of the reinforcing plate, which is opposite to the circuit board, so that one end of the conductive pin, which is far away from the circuit board, extends into the connection shell and extends towards the plug-in port of the connection shell;

the surface of the reinforcing plate facing the first insulating layer is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer facing the reinforcing plate is a second surface, and a buffer gap is formed between a partial area of the first surface and a partial area of the second surface.

The buffer gap is arranged between the partial area of the first surface and the partial area of the second surface in the electric connector manufactured through the steps, namely, the buffer gap is arranged between the circuit board and the reinforcing plate, and the buffer gap can be used for releasing stress through deformation of welding spots, so that the phenomenon of cracking of the welding spots can be reduced, and the electric connector has longer service life, namely, the electric connector manufactured by the electric connector manufacturing device has longer service life.

Effects of the invention

The application can provide the electric connector with long service life, and the manufacturing device, the manufacturing method, the battery, the energy storage device and the electric device thereof.

Drawings

Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the application. Also, like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present application;

fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery provided in some embodiments of the application;

fig. 3 is a front view of the internal structure of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a structure at a weld of an electrical connector provided by some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 6 is a front view of an electrical connector provided in some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view at A-A of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view at B-B in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of FIG. 8 at A;

FIG. 10 is a top view of an electrical connector provided by some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a side view of an electrical connector provided in some embodiments of the present application;

fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of an apparatus for manufacturing an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application when soldering a circuit board and a stiffener of the electrical connector;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a prior art electrical connector after 540 cycles of temperature impact resistance test;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application at a weld after 540 cycles of a temperature impact resistance test;

fig. 15 is a flow chart of a method of manufacturing an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application.

Description of the reference numerals

1000. A vehicle; 100. a battery; 101. a battery box; 1011. a case cover; 1012. a case; 200. a controller; 300. a motor; 10. a battery cell; 20. an electrical connector; 30. a battery management system; 301. a docking connector; 40. a light emitting device; 50. a light-transmitting depression bar; 60. a sensor;

1. A circuit board; 11. a conductive layer; 12. a first insulating layer; 13. a second insulating layer; 2. a conductive needle; 3. a reinforcing plate; 31. welding a dielectric layer; 32. a reinforcing layer; 4. a buffer gap; 5. welding spots; 6. welding seams; 7. and connecting the shells.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the technical scheme of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following examples are only for more clearly illustrating the technical aspects of the present application, and thus are merely examples, and are not intended to limit 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 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 of the application and in the description of the drawings above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

In the description of embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used merely to distinguish between different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated, a particular order or a primary or secondary relationship. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more unless explicitly defined otherwise.

Reference herein 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 appreciate that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and/or" is merely an association relationship describing an association object, and indicates that three relationships may exist, for example, a and/or B may indicate: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. In this context, the character "/" generally indicates that the associated object is an "or" relationship.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the technical terms "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "circumferential", etc. are orientation or positional relationship based on the drawings, and are merely for convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and for simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the apparatus or element in question must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated, or used in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured" and the like should be construed broadly and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; or may be mechanically or electrically connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communicated with the inside of two elements or the interaction relationship of the two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to specific circumstances.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the term "contact" is to be understood in a broad sense as either direct contact or contact across an intermediate layer, as either contact with substantially no interaction force between the two in contact or contact with interaction force between the two in contact.

The present application will be described in detail below.

At present, new energy batteries are increasingly widely applied to life and industry. The new energy battery is not only applied to energy storage power supply systems such as hydraulic power, firepower, wind power and solar power stations, but also widely applied to electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric automobiles, and a plurality of fields such as aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application field of the power battery, the market demand of the power battery is also continuously expanding.

At present, an electric connector for connecting a battery cell and a battery management system in a battery pack comprises a flexible circuit board, a reinforcing plate connected with the flexible circuit board and a metal needle penetrating through the flexible circuit board and the reinforcing plate, wherein the metal needle is welded with copper foil of the flexible circuit board, welding spots are formed at the welding positions, and glue is packaged among the metal needle, the flexible circuit board and the reinforcing plate, so that the metal needle, the flexible circuit board and the reinforcing plate are tightly adhered together.

The inventor of the application notices that the metal needle, the flexible circuit board and the reinforcing plate are completely connected together through the adhesive action of glue, the bonding is too tight, no reserved deformation space exists, in addition, the bonding interfaces in the electric connector are numerous and are various in materials, the expansion coefficient and the modulus are inconsistent, so that when the ambient temperature changes, the welding spot position can generate great alternating stress, no deformation space exists in the electric connector, the stress cannot be released through deformation, and the welding spot position is extremely easy to crack, so that the service life of the electric connector is shorter, and the service life of the battery pack is shorter.

The inventor of the application discovers that on the premise that the flexible circuit board is connected with the reinforcing plate, a certain buffer gap is reserved between the flexible circuit board and the reinforcing plate, and the buffer gap can allow welding spots to release stress through deformation, so that the probability of cracking of the welding spots can be reduced, and the electric connector has longer service life.

Based on such design concept, the inventor of the present application devised an electrical connector including a circuit board, a conductive pin, and a reinforcing plate, the circuit board including a conductive layer and a first insulating layer overlapped with the conductive layer; one end of the conductive pin penetrates through the circuit board and is welded with the conductive layer, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for butt joint with a conductive terminal of the butt joint connector; the reinforcing plate is overlapped on one side of the first insulating layer, which is back to the conducting layer, the surface of the reinforcing plate facing the first insulating layer is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer facing the reinforcing plate is a second surface, and a buffer gap is reserved between a partial area of the first surface and a partial area of the second surface.

A buffer gap is formed between the partial area of the first surface and the partial area of the second surface, namely, a buffer gap is formed between the flexible circuit board and the reinforcing plate, and the buffer gap can be used for a welding spot to release stress through deformation, so that the phenomenon that the welding spot is cracked can be reduced, and the electric connector has a longer service life.

The electrical connector provided by the embodiment of the application can be used for a battery, the battery can be a battery module, and when a plurality of battery cells are provided, the plurality of battery cells are arranged and fixed to form a battery module. The battery can also be a battery pack, which comprises a box body and a battery unit, wherein the battery unit or the battery module is accommodated in the box body.

The electric connector provided by the embodiment of the application can be used for an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device comprises an energy storage container, an energy storage electric cabinet and the like.

The electric connector provided by the embodiment of the application can be used for an electric device, and the electric device can be a mobile phone, a flat plate, a notebook computer, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery car, an electric automobile, a ship, a spacecraft and the like. Among them, the electric toy may include fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game machines, electric car toys, electric ship toys, electric plane toys, and the like, and the spacecraft may include planes, rockets, space planes, and spacecraft, and the like.

In the following embodiments, for convenience of explanation, the electric device according to an embodiment of the present application will be described by taking the vehicle 1000 as an example. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 1000 according to some embodiments of the present application. The vehicle 1000 may be a fuel oil vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or a range-extended vehicle. As shown in fig. 1, the battery 100 is provided inside the vehicle 1000, and the battery 100 may be provided at the bottom or the head or the tail of the vehicle 1000. The battery 100 may be used for power supply of the vehicle 1000, for example, the battery 100 may be used as an operating power source of the vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 may also include a controller 200 and a motor 300, the controller 200 being configured to control the battery 100 to power the motor 300, for example, for operating power requirements during start-up, navigation, and travel of the vehicle 1000.

In some embodiments of the application, battery 100 may not only serve as an operating power source for vehicle 1000, but may also serve as a driving power source for vehicle 1000, instead of or in part instead of fuel oil or natural gas, to provide driving power for vehicle 1000.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 2, the battery 100 includes a battery case 101 and at least one battery cell 10, an accommodating space is provided in the battery case 101, and the at least one battery cell 10 is accommodated in the accommodating space.

In some embodiments of the present application, the battery case 101 includes a case 1012 and a case cover 1011, and the case cover 1011 is covered over the case 1012, thereby forming the receiving space between the case 1012 and the case cover 1011.

The case 1012 may have a hollow structure with one end opened, and the case cover 1011 may have a plate-like structure, and the case cover 1011 is covered on the opening side of the case 1012, so that the case cover 1011 and the case 1012 define an accommodating space together; the case cover 1011 and the case 1012 may be hollow structures each having one side opened, and the opening side of the case cover 1011 may be closed to the opening side of the case 1012. Of course, the battery case 101 formed of the case cover 1011 and the case body 1012 may be of various shapes, such as a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc.

The battery cell 10 refers to the smallest unit constituting the battery. In the battery 100, the number of the battery cells 10 may be plural, and the plural battery cells 10 may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel, and series-parallel refers to both of the plural battery cells 10 being connected in series and parallel. The plurality of battery cells 10 can be directly connected in series or in parallel or in series-parallel, and then the whole body formed by the plurality of battery cells 10 is placed in an accommodating space formed by the box 1012 and the box cover 1011; of course, the battery 100 may be a battery module formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells 10 in series or parallel or series-parallel connection, and a plurality of battery modules are connected in series or parallel or series-parallel connection to form a whole and are accommodated in an accommodating space formed by the case 1012 and the case cover 1011. The battery 100 may further include other structures, for example, the battery 100 may further include a bus member for making electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells 10.

In the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell 10 may be a secondary battery, and the secondary battery refers to a battery cell that can be continuously used by activating the active material in a charging manner after the battery cell is discharged.

The battery cell 10 may be a lithium ion battery, a sodium lithium ion battery, a lithium metal battery, a sodium metal battery, a lithium sulfur battery, a magnesium ion battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a lead storage battery, or the like, which is not limited by the embodiment of the application.

Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 to 13.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the internal structure of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application; fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application; FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a structure at a weld of an electrical connector provided by some embodiments of the present application; fig. 6 is a front view of an electrical connector provided in some embodiments of the present application; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view at A-A of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view at B-B in FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of FIG. 8 at A; FIG. 10 is a top view of an electrical connector provided by some embodiments of the present application; FIG. 11 is a side view of an electrical connector provided in some embodiments of the present application; fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of an apparatus for manufacturing an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application when soldering a circuit board and a stiffener of the electrical connector; FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a prior art electrical connector after 540 cycles of temperature impact resistance test; fig. 14 is a block diagram of an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application at a solder joint after 540 cycles of a temperature impact resistance test.

The first aspect of the present application provides an electrical connector 20, as shown in fig. 3 to 5, the electrical connector 20 includes a circuit board 1, conductive pins 2 and a stiffener 3, the circuit board 1 includes a conductive layer 11 and a first insulating layer 12 overlapped on the conductive layer 11; one end of the conductive pin 2 penetrates through the circuit board 1 and is connected with the conductive layer 11, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for being butted with a conductive terminal of the butting connector; the reinforcing plate 3 is overlapped on one side of the first insulating layer 12 facing away from the conductive layer 11, the surface of the reinforcing plate 3 facing the first insulating layer 12 is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer 12 facing the reinforcing plate 3 is a second surface, and a buffer gap 4 is formed between a partial region of the first surface and a partial region of the second surface.

The circuit board 1 may be, but is not limited to, a flexible circuit board. The conductive layer 11 of the circuit board 1 may be, but is not limited to, copper foil. The material of the first insulating layer 12 may be, but is not limited to, polyimide or polyetherimide. Illustratively, the circuit board 1 further includes a second insulating layer 13 overlapped on a side of the conductive layer 11 facing away from the first insulating layer 12, and a material of the second insulating layer 13 may be, but is not limited to, polyimide or polyetherimide.

The main function of the reinforcing plate 3 is to improve the mechanical strength of the circuit board 1, solve the problem of flexibility, and strengthen the strength of the plugging portion, thereby facilitating the overall assembly of the electrical connector 20. The material of the reinforcing plate 3 may include, but is not limited to, FR4 material.

The conductive pins 2 are needle-like structures made of conductive materials and used for making electrical connection, and the conductive pins 2 may be made of, but not limited to, metallic materials such as brass, phosphor bronze, and beryllium copper.

A buffer gap 4 is arranged between the partial area of the first surface and the partial area of the second surface, namely, the buffer gap 4 is arranged between the circuit board 1 and the reinforcing plate 3, and the buffer gap 4 can be used for releasing stress through deformation of the welding spots 5, so that the phenomenon that the welding spots crack can be reduced, and the electric connector has longer service life.

In some embodiments of the present application, the reinforcing plate 3 includes a welding medium layer 31 and a reinforcing layer 32 overlapped on the welding medium layer 31, wherein a surface of the welding medium layer 31 facing away from the reinforcing layer 32 is a first surface, the first surface and a second surface are welded to form a welding seam 6, and a space between the first surface and the second surface except the welding seam 6 forms a buffer gap 4.

The first surface is welded to the second surface such that a weld 6 is formed between the partial region of the first surface and the partial region of the second surface, i.e. the partial region of the first surface and the partial region of the second surface are filled with the weld 6, the parts other than the weld 6 having the buffer gap 4.

In this way, the welding medium layer 31 is added between the reinforcing layer 32 and the circuit board 1, so that the welding medium layer 31 and the first insulating layer 12 of the circuit board 1 can be connected in a welding manner, and the reinforcing plate 3 and the circuit board 1 can form the buffer gap 4 between the reinforcing plate 3 and the circuit board 1 on the basis of having enough connection strength in the welding manner, so that the welding point 5 can release stress through deformation, the phenomenon that the welding point 5 is cracked can be reduced, and the electric connector 20 has longer service life.

In some embodiments of the present application, the conductive pin 2 is welded to the conductive layer 11 to form the weld 5, with a space between the weld 6 and the weld 5.

So for the solder joint 5 all around has buffer gap 4, and the stress that solder joint 5 produced can be released through being close to the buffer gap 4 of solder joint 5 for buffer gap 4 can be better supply solder joint 5 to release stress through the deformation, thereby can reduce the phenomenon that solder joint 5 takes place the fracture, and then makes the electric connector have longer life.

In some embodiments of the application, the weld 6 is in a strip configuration and there are at least two welds 6 that are parallel and/or intersecting each other.

In this way, the connection strength between the reinforcing plate 3 and the circuit board 1 can be improved, and the buffer gap 4 can be formed between the first surface and the second surface, and the buffer gap 4 can provide the welding spot 5 to release stress through deformation, so that the phenomenon that the welding spot 5 cracks can be reduced, and the electric connector 20 has a longer service life.

In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 6-9, the electrical connector 20 includes at least two spaced apart conductive pins 2 with at least one weld 6 disposed between adjacent conductive pins 2.

The electrical connector 20 comprises at least two spaced apart conductive pins 2 to meet the electrical conductivity requirements of the electrical connector 20. At least one welding seam 6 is arranged between the adjacent conductive pins 2, so that the connection strength among the reinforcing plate 3, the circuit board 1 and the conductive pins 2 can be improved, a buffer gap 4 can be formed between the first surface and the second surface, the buffer gap 4 can be used for releasing stress by deforming the welding spots 5, the phenomenon that the welding spots 5 crack can be reduced, and the electric connector 20 has a longer service life.

In some embodiments of the present application, the material of the soldering medium layer 31 comprises a light absorbing material.

After being irradiated by light such as laser, the light-absorbing material can melt the plastic contact surface by using heat generated by the laser, so that the welding medium layer 31 and the first insulating layer 12 are combined together, and the welding medium layer 31 and the first insulating layer 12 are welded together.

In some embodiments of the present application, the material of the bonding medium layer 31 includes polybutylene terephthalate and/or polycarbonate.

Both polybutylene terephthalate and polycarbonate are light absorbing materials, and can be used to bond the bonding medium layer 31 and the first insulating layer 12 well.

In some embodiments of the present application, the bonding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 are bonded.

In this way, the connection strength of the bonding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 can be improved.

Illustratively, the bonding glue is filled between the welding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32, so that the reliability of the connection between the welding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 is high, and the buffer gap 4 can be used for releasing the stress of the welding spot 5 through deformation, so that the welding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 are strong in connection tightness and not easy to crack the welding spot 5. Illustratively, the bonding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 are bonded by ADH glue.

The welding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 are adhered by structural adhesive, so that the connection firmness of the welding medium layer 31 and the reinforcing layer 32 can be improved, and the strength of the structural adhesive is higher, so that the whole reinforcing plate 3 has higher structural strength.

In some embodiments of the present application, the first insulating layer 12 is a light transmissive material.

The light-transmitting material can transmit light such as laser, so that the light can irradiate the welding medium layer 31 after transmitting through the first insulating layer 12, thereby partially melting the first surface of the welding medium layer 31 and enabling the welding operation to be performed smoothly.

In some embodiments of the present application, the first insulating layer 12 employs polyimide and/or polyetherimide.

Polyimide and polyetherimide are both light-transmitting materials and are both heat-fusible materials, so that light rays such as laser light can be transmitted and can be melted, and the melted part of the first insulating layer 12 and the melted part of the welding medium layer 31 are fused together, so that a welding seam 6 is formed, and welding of the first insulating layer 12 and the welding medium layer 31 is completed.

In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 3, 7, 10 and 11, the electrical connector 20 further includes a connection housing 7, the connection housing 7 being connected to a surface of the stiffener 3 facing away from the circuit board 1, the connection housing 7 having an insertion opening, and an end of the conductive pin 2 facing away from the circuit board 1 extending into the connection housing 7 and toward the insertion opening.

The connection housing 7 is a housing-like structure for fixing one end of the conductive pin 2 away from the circuit board 1 and for engaging with the mating connector 301, and the connection housing 7 is made of an insulating material such as polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene, or the like.

The connection shell 7 is used for being clamped with the butt connector 301, so that one end of the conductive pin 2 positioned in the connection shell 7 is contacted with a conductive terminal of the butt connector 301, the butt connector 301 is butted with the electric connector 20, and the electric connector 20 is electrically connected with the electric connector 301.

A second aspect of the present application provides a battery 100, as shown in fig. 3, where the battery 100 includes at least one battery cell 10, an electrical connector 20 provided in the first aspect, a sensor 60, and a battery management system 30, the sensor 60 is provided on the battery cell 10, and the electrical connector 20 is provided on the battery cell 10 and is electrically connected to the sensor 60; the battery management system 30 has a docking connector 301, and the electrical connector 20 mates with the docking connector 301.

The sensor 60 may be a sensor for detecting the temperature and/or air pressure outside or inside the battery cell 10, and the sensor 60 is electrically connected with the battery management system 30 through the electrical connector 20, so that information detected by the sensor 60 may be transmitted to the battery management system 30, thereby enabling the battery management system 30 to intelligently manage and maintain each battery cell 10 according to the obtained information, monitoring the state of the battery 100, and preventing the battery 100 from being overcharged and overdischarged, so as to prolong the service life of the battery 100.

Since the battery 100 includes the electrical connector 20 provided in the first aspect, the battery includes all the advantageous effects of the electrical connector 20, and thus, the battery 100 has a long service life.

A third aspect of the application provides an energy storage device comprising the battery 100 provided in the second aspect.

Since the energy storage device comprises the battery 100 provided in the second aspect, the energy storage device comprises all the beneficial effects of the battery 100, and thus has a long service life.

A fourth aspect of the application provides an electrical device comprising a battery 100 provided in the second aspect for providing electrical energy.

Since the electricity using device includes the battery 100 provided in the second aspect, the electricity using device includes all the advantageous effects of the battery 100, and thus has a long service life.

A fifth aspect of the present application provides an electrical connector manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an electrical connector 20, the electrical connector 20 including a circuit board 1, conductive pins 2, and a stiffener 3, the circuit board 1 including a conductive layer 11 and a first insulating layer 12 overlapped with the conductive layer 11; one end of the conductive pin 2 penetrates through the circuit board 1 and is welded with the conductive layer 11, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for butt joint with a conductive terminal of the butt joint connector; the reinforcing plate 3 is overlapped on one side of the first insulating layer 12 facing away from the conductive layer 11, the surface of the reinforcing plate 3 facing the first insulating layer 12 is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer 12 facing the reinforcing plate 3 is a second surface, and a buffer gap 4 is formed between a partial region of the first surface and a partial region of the second surface.

Since the buffer gap 4 is formed between the partial region of the first surface and the partial region of the second surface in the electrical connector 20 manufactured by the electrical connector manufacturing apparatus, that is, the buffer gap 4 is formed between the circuit board 1 and the stiffener 3, the buffer gap 4 can allow the solder joint 5 to release stress by deformation, so that the cracking phenomenon of the solder joint 5 can be reduced, and the electrical connector 20 has a longer service life, that is, the electrical connector 20 manufactured by the electrical connector manufacturing apparatus has a longer service life.

In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 12, the stiffening plate 3 includes a welding medium layer 31 and a reinforcing layer 32 overlapped on the welding medium layer 31, and a surface of the welding medium layer 31 facing away from the reinforcing layer 32 is a first surface; the electrical connector manufacturing apparatus includes a light emitting device 40 and a light transmitting bead 50, the light transmitting bead 50 is configured to press the circuit board 1 toward the reinforcing plate 3 such that a portion of the second surface of the first insulating layer 12 is pressed against the first surface of the reinforcing plate 3, the light emitting device 40 is configured to emit light toward the light transmitting bead 50 such that a portion of the second surface pressed against by the light transmitting bead 50 is welded to the first surface and forms a weld 6, and a space between the first surface and the second surface except the weld 6 forms a buffer gap 4.

The light emitting device 40 may be, but is not limited to, a laser emitter. The light-transmitting bead 50 is made of a material that is light-transmitting and has no or low thermoplastic properties, such as quartz glass, calcium fluoride, sapphire, ceramic materials, and the like.

In the welding process, the light-transmitting depression bar 50 presses the part of the first insulating layer 12 to the reinforcing plate 3, the light emitting device 40 emits light towards the light-transmitting depression bar 50, the light irradiates the first insulating layer 12 through the light-transmitting depression bar 50 and irradiates the welding medium layer 31 through the first insulating layer 12, so that the part of the first insulating layer 12 and the welding medium layer 31 pressed by the light-transmitting depression bar 50 is melted and combined, a welding seam 6 is formed, and the welding of the circuit board 1 and the welding medium layer 31 is completed. The welding mode ensures that the buffer gap 4 can be formed between the welding medium layer 31 and the circuit board 1 on the basis of having enough connection strength between the welding medium layer 31 and the circuit board 1, so that the welding spots 5 can release stress through deformation, the phenomenon that the welding spots 5 crack can be reduced, and the electric connector 20 has longer service life.

In some embodiments of the present application, the electrical connector manufacturing apparatus further includes a lifting driving mechanism (not shown) for driving the light-transmitting bead 50 to lift.

The lifting driving mechanism may be any mechanism capable of driving the light-transmitting depression bar 50 to rise or fall in the prior art, including but not limited to a linear motor, a linear cylinder, a screw nut mechanism, etc.

In some embodiments of the present application, the circuit board 1 further includes a second insulating layer 13 overlapped on a side of the conductive layer 11 facing away from the first insulating layer 12, and a material of the second insulating layer 13 may be, but is not limited to, polyimide and polyetherimide.

The conductive layer 11 of the circuit board 1 may be, but is not limited to, copper foil, and is generally in a strip shape, and the conductive layer 11 is only overlapped with a portion of the first insulating layer 12 and a portion of the second insulating layer 13, so that a gap is formed between the portions of the first insulating layer 12 and the second insulating layer 13, which are not overlapped with the conductive layer 11, and therefore, the portions of the first insulating layer 12 and the second insulating layer 13 can be tightly pressed by the pressing of the light-transmitting pressing strip 50, so that the gap in the circuit board 1 is removed, and thus, after the light of the light emitting device 40 is irradiated, the portions of the first insulating layer 12 and the second insulating layer 13 pressed by the light-transmitting pressing strip 50 are melted and combined, thereby improving the welding quality and further prolonging the service life of the electric connector 20.

In order to verify the effect that the electrical connector 20 provided in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the cracking probability of the solder joint 5, the present application performs a temperature impact resistance test on the electrical connector in the prior art and the electrical connector 20 provided in the embodiment of the present application, respectively.

Test equipment: two-box type temperature impact box or three-box type temperature impact box; test conditions: the lowest temperature is-40 ℃, the highest temperature is 125 ℃, the conversion time is less than 30s, and the number of circulation turns is 500, 1000 and 2000 respectively;

the test results are shown in fig. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a prior art electrical connector after 540 cycles of temperature impact resistance test; fig. 14 is a block diagram of an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present application at a solder joint after 540 cycles of a temperature impact resistance test.

As shown in fig. 13, the electrical connector in the prior art forms a crack F on the welding spot after the temperature impact resistance test, that is, the welding spot is cracked, and the reason for the cracking is that the stress brought by the electrical connector in the prior art during the temperature change is concentrated at the welding spot position; as shown in fig. 14, after the temperature impact resistance test, the electrical connector 20 provided by the embodiment of the application has no crack, that is, the welding spot 5 has no crack, because the interface at two sides of the welding spot 5 can float freely in the buffer gap 4 in the temperature change process of the electrical connector 20 provided by the embodiment of the application, that is, the buffer gap 4 of the electrical connector 20 provides a deformation space for the welding spot 5, the welding spot 5 is protected, the welding spot 5 has no crack, the cracking probability of the welding spot 5 is effectively reduced, and the service life of the electrical connector 20 is prolonged.

Through the above test, the life of the welding spot of the electric connector 20 provided by the embodiment of the application is more than 2000 circles, and the cycle number of the electric connector in the prior art is in the range of 500 circles to 1000 circles. It can be seen that the electrical connector 20 provided by the embodiments of the present application has a significantly prolonged service life compared to the prior art.

A sixth aspect of the present application provides an electrical connector manufacturing method for manufacturing an electrical connector 20, as shown in fig. 13, the manufacturing method comprising:

s1, providing a circuit board, a conductive pin, a reinforcing plate and a connecting shell,

The circuit board 1 includes a conductive layer 11 and a first insulating layer 12 overlapped with the conductive layer 11;

S2, overlapping the reinforcing plate on one side of the first insulating layer, which is opposite to the conductive layer;

S3, enabling one end of the conductive pin to penetrate into the circuit board through the reinforcing plate;

S4, welding the conductive pins with the conductive layer of the circuit board;

s5, mounting a connection shell on the surface of the reinforcing plate, which is opposite to the circuit board, so that one end of the conductive pin, which is far away from the circuit board, extends into the connection shell and extends towards a plug-in port of the connection shell;

the surface of the reinforcing plate 3 facing the first insulating layer 12 is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer 12 facing the reinforcing plate 3 is a second surface, and a buffer gap 4 is formed between a partial region of the first surface and a partial region of the second surface.

The buffer gap 4 is arranged between the partial area of the first surface and the partial area of the second surface in the electric connector 20 manufactured through the steps, namely, the buffer gap 4 exists between the circuit board 1 and the reinforcing plate 3, and the buffer gap 4 can be used for releasing stress through deformation of the welding spots 5, so that the phenomenon that the welding spots 5 crack can be reduced, and the electric connector 20 has longer service life, namely, the electric connector 20 manufactured by the electric connector manufacturing device has longer service life.

Specific examples of some embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the drawings.

As a specific example, the flexible circuit board (circuit board 1) of the electrical connector 20 and the large face (first surface and second surface) of the stiffener (stiffener 3) are not bonded by glue, and have a part of the space (buffer gap 4) free-floating. Only between the welding spots (welding spots 5) there is a plastic laser welding seam (welding seam 6), which ensures the connection between interfaces, and the free floating space (buffer gap 4) can eliminate the electromigration path between the metal pins (conductive pins 2), thereby protecting the welding spots, reducing the cracking probability of the welding spots and prolonging the service life of the electric connector 20.

The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solution of the present application, and not for limiting the same; although the application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical scheme described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some or all of the technical features thereof can be replaced by equivalents; such modifications and substitutions do not depart from the spirit of the application, and they should be included in 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.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

A circuit board including a conductive layer and a first insulating layer overlapped with the conductive layer;

One end of the conductive pin penetrates through the circuit board and is connected with the conductive layer, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for being butted with a conductive terminal of the butt connector;

the reinforcing plate is overlapped on one side, facing away from the conductive layer, of the first insulating layer, the surface, facing the first insulating layer, of the reinforcing plate is a first surface, the surface, facing the reinforcing plate, of the first insulating layer is a second surface, and a buffer gap is reserved between a partial region of the first surface and a partial region of the second surface;

The electric connector further comprises a connecting shell, the connecting shell is connected to the surface, facing away from the circuit board, of the reinforcing plate, the connecting shell is provided with a plug-in port, and one end, far away from the circuit board, of the conductive pin extends into the connecting shell and extends towards the plug-in port.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the stiffener includes a layer of solder media and a reinforcing layer overlying the layer of solder media, a surface of the layer of solder media facing away from the reinforcing layer being the first surface, the first surface being welded to the second surface to form a weld, a space between the first surface and the second surface other than the weld forming the buffer gap.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the conductive pin is soldered to the conductive layer to form a solder joint, the solder joint being spaced from the solder joint.

4. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the weld is in a strip configuration and there are at least two welds that are parallel and/or intersecting.

5. The electrical connector of claim 2, comprising at least two spaced apart conductive pins, at least one weld disposed between adjacent conductive pins.

6. The electrical connector of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the material of the soldering medium layer comprises a light absorbing material.

7. The electrical connector of any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the material of the soldering medium layer comprises polybutylene terephthalate and/or polycarbonate.

8. The electrical connector of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the solder dielectric layer and the reinforcing layer are bonded.

9. The electrical connector of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first insulating layer is a light transmissive material.

10. An electrical connector according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first insulating layer is polyimide and/or polyetherimide.

11. A battery, comprising:

At least one battery cell;

The sensor is arranged on the battery cell;

The electrical connector of any one of claims 1 to 10, provided to the battery cell and electrically connected to the sensor;

A battery management system has a docking connector with which the electrical connector mates.

12. An energy storage device comprising the battery of claim 11.

13. An electrical device comprising the battery of claim 11 for providing electrical energy.

14. An electrical connector manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising:

One end of the conductive pin penetrates through the circuit board and is welded with the conductive layer, and the other end of the conductive pin is used for being butted with a conductive terminal of the butt connector;

15. The electrical connector manufacturing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the stiffener includes a solder dielectric layer and a reinforcing layer overlapping the solder dielectric layer, a surface of the solder dielectric layer facing away from the reinforcing layer being the first surface;

The electric connector manufacturing device comprises a light emitting device and a light-transmitting pressing strip,

The light-transmitting depression bar is configured to press the circuit board toward the reinforcing plate so that a portion of the second surface of the first insulating layer is pressed against the first surface of the reinforcing plate,

The light emitting device is configured to emit light toward the light-transmitting bead such that a portion of the second surface pressed by the light-transmitting bead is welded to the first surface and forms a weld, and a space between the first surface and the second surface other than the weld forms the buffer gap.

16. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector, the method comprising:

Soldering the conductive pins to the conductive layer of the circuit board;

The connection shell is arranged on the surface of the reinforcing plate, which is opposite to the circuit board, so that one end of the conductive pin, which is far away from the circuit board, extends into the connection shell and extends towards the plug-in port of the connection shell; the surface of the reinforcing plate facing the first insulating layer is a first surface, the surface of the first insulating layer facing the reinforcing plate is a second surface, and a buffer gap is formed between a partial area of the first surface and a partial area of the second surface.