CN217182341U

CN217182341U - Connecting piece, battery monomer containing same, battery and power consumption device

Info

Publication number: CN217182341U
Application number: CN202220796140.4U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘迪
Original assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-04-07
Filing date: 2022-04-07
Publication date: 2022-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2032-04-07

Abstract

The application discloses connecting piece, battery monomer, battery and power consumption device, this connecting piece are used for connecting electrode terminal and utmost point ear, electrode terminal's first face is provided with spacing portion, the perpendicular to is followed to spacing portion the direction of the first face of electrode terminal extends, the connecting piece includes: the fitting part, the fitting part have with spacing portion matched with shape, the first face of connecting piece with when electrode terminal's first face attaches, the fitting part with spacing portion be in the connecting piece with first face parallel arrangement's second face forms the piece, so that the connecting piece with electrode terminal passes through piece welded connection. The application provides a connecting piece can make connecting piece and electrode terminal pass through the seam welded mode and be connected, improves welding quality, saves the required consumption of welding to improve free quality of battery and production efficiency.

Description

Connecting piece, battery monomer containing same, battery and power consumption device

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a connecting piece, a battery monomer containing the connecting piece, a battery and an electric device.

Background

Batteries are widely used as important energy conversion devices in the fields of electronic devices, vehicles, and the like. For example, electric vehicles are becoming an important component of sustainable development of the automotive industry due to their excellent performances in environmental protection, energy conservation and emission reduction. For electric vehicles, battery technology is one of the important factors regarding its development.

With the development of battery technology, higher requirements are put on battery processing and manufacturing technology, and how to prepare a high-quality battery more efficiently becomes a problem to be solved.

Content of application

The embodiment of the application provides a connecting piece, a single battery containing the connecting piece, a battery, an electric device, a method and equipment for manufacturing the single battery. This connected mode need not high-power laser and can realize and the junction has good mechanical strength and overcurrent capacity, from this, the connecting piece help that this application provided has reduced the consumption in the battery monomer course of working and has improved the free quality of battery.

In a first aspect, a connecting piece is provided, the connecting piece is used for connecting electrode terminal and utmost point ear, electrode terminal's first face is provided with spacing portion, the perpendicular to is followed to spacing portion the direction of electrode terminal first face extends, the connecting piece includes: the fitting part, the fitting part have with spacing portion matched with shape, the first face of connecting piece with when electrode terminal's first face attaches, the fitting part with spacing portion be in the connecting piece with first face parallel arrangement's second face forms the piece, so that the connecting piece with electrode terminal passes through piece welded connection.

In the embodiment of the application, the electrode terminal is connected with the electrode lug of the electrode component through the connecting piece, the electrode terminal is provided with the limiting part, and the connecting piece is provided with the matching part matched with the limiting part in shape. In the process of connecting the lug and the electrode terminal through the connecting piece, firstly, the limiting part and the matching part can form a seam, so that the connecting piece and the electrode terminal can be connected in a seam welding mode, compared with the mode of connecting the electrode terminal and the connecting piece through penetration welding, the laser power used in welding can be reduced through seam welding, and the conditions of explosion points, splashing and cracks caused by overlarge laser power in the welding process are improved, so that the energy consumption in the production and processing process of the single battery is saved, and the welding quality of the connecting piece and the electrode terminal is improved; secondly, the welding mode does not need to pretreat the surface of the connecting piece, so that the process steps are saved, and the production efficiency of the single battery is improved; in addition, spacing portion can help the connecting piece pinpoint with the in-process that cooperation portion formed the piece for the connecting piece is fixed by the position of welding preceding for electrode terminal, thereby avoids it to take place to slide and leads to the welding failure, and the welding quality between connecting piece and the electrode terminal is effectively promoted to the single weeping scheduling problem of battery, thereby the help improves the free quality of battery.

In some embodiments, the stopper portion extends outward in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the electrode terminal as a first protrusion, and the mating portion has a first recess penetrating the first surface and the second surface of the mating portion to mate with the first protrusion.

In the embodiment of the application, the shape matching between the connecting piece and the electrode terminal is realized by the first convex part and the first concave part, and the structure is simple and the processing is easy.

In some embodiments, the first protrusion is a trapezoid structure, and the first recess is a trapezoid structure matching the first protrusion.

In the embodiment of the application, the first convex part is designed into the trapezoidal structure, the length of the abutted seam formed by the limiting part and the matching part is increased, and therefore the welding area of the connecting piece and the electrode terminal is increased, and the mechanical strength and the overcurrent capacity of the connecting part and the electrode terminal are correspondingly enhanced.

In some embodiments, the stopper portion extends inwardly in a direction perpendicular to the first face of the electrode terminal as a second concave portion extending to at least one edge of the first face in the direction along the first face of the electrode terminal, and the fitting portion has a second convex portion fitting with the second concave portion.

In the embodiment of the application, the shape matching between the connecting piece and the electrode terminal is realized by the way of the second concave part and the second convex part, and the structure is simple and easy to process.

In some embodiments, the connector has a reinforcing region provided at least one side of the fitting portion so that the connector and the electrode terminal are connected by welding the reinforcing region.

In the embodiment of this application, can set up the reinforcing district in at least one side of cooperation portion, the connecting piece and the electrode terminals who strengthens district department pass through welded connection, can further strengthen the ability of overflowing of connecting piece and electrode terminals junction, help promoting the free quality and the performance of battery.

In some embodiments, the reinforcing region has a rough surface so that the connection member and the electrode terminal are connected at the reinforcing region by penetration welding.

In the embodiment of this application, when welding the connecting piece and the electrode terminal of reinforcing district department through piercing through welded mode, can carry out rough treatment to the reinforcing district department of connecting piece, increase the laser absorption efficiency of reinforcing district department to promote the welding quality of reinforcing district department.

In some embodiments, the reinforcing region has a third concave portion penetrating through the first surface and the second surface of the fitting portion, a region of the first surface of the electrode terminal corresponding to the reinforcing region has a third convex portion fitting with the third concave portion, and the third convex portion and the third concave portion form a seam on the first surface of the connecting member, so that the connecting member and the electrode terminal are welded and connected by the seam in the reinforcing region.

In the embodiment of this application, when welding the connecting piece and the electrode terminals of reinforcing district department through the mode of piece welded, set up the third concave part reinforcing district, the corresponding position of electrode terminals sets up the third convex part for connecting piece and electrode terminals also can be connected through the mode of welding the piece in reinforcing district department, thereby help improves the welding quality of connecting piece and electrode terminals, has further promoted the ability to flow over of connecting piece and electrode terminals junction.

In a second aspect, a battery cell is provided, including: a housing having an accommodating chamber and one end opened; an electrode assembly accommodated in the accommodation chamber and having tabs; an end cap assembly for covering the opening to enclose the electrode assembly in the case; the electrode terminal is arranged on the wall of the shell or the end cover assembly and penetrates through the shell or the end cover assembly, one end, located in the accommodating cavity, of the electrode terminal is provided with a first surface, the first surface is provided with a limiting part, and the limiting part extends in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the electrode terminal; the connecting member according to the first aspect, which is used for connecting the electrode terminal and the tab.

In a third aspect, a battery is provided, which includes the battery cell of the second aspect.

In a fourth aspect, an electrical device is provided, which includes the battery in the third aspect, and the battery is used for supplying power to the electrical device.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used 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 it is obvious for a person skilled in the art to obtain other drawings based on the drawings without any creative effort.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electric device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is another schematic top view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is another schematic side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a schematic flow chart of a method of manufacturing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 is a schematic structural view of an apparatus for manufacturing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are provided to illustrate the principles of the application and are not intended to limit the scope of the application, i.e., the application is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and the like, indicate an orientation or positional relationship that is merely for convenience in describing the application and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. "vertical" is not strictly vertical, but is within the tolerance of the error. "parallel" is not strictly parallel but within the tolerance of the error.

The following description is given with the directional terms as they are used in the drawings and not intended to limit the specific structure of the present application. In the description of the present application, it is also to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood as appropriate by one of ordinary skill in the art.

The term "and/or" in this application is only one kind of association relationship describing the associated object, and means that there may be three kinds of relationships, for example, a and/or B, which may mean: there are three cases of A, A and B, and B. In addition, the character "/" in this application generally indicates that the former and latter related objects are in an "or" relationship.

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 of the application in the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application; the terms "including" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the description and claims of this application and the description of the above figures are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of this application or in the above-described drawings are used for distinguishing between different elements and not for describing a particular sequential or chronological order.

Reference in the specification to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the specification. The appearances of the phrase 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. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by one skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

In the embodiments of the present application, like reference numerals denote like parts, and a detailed description of the same parts is omitted in different embodiments for the sake of brevity. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width and other dimensions of the various components in the embodiments of the present application and the overall thickness, length, width and other dimensions of the integrated device shown in the drawings are only exemplary and should not constitute any limitation to the present application.

In this application, a battery refers to a physical module including one or more battery cells to provide electrical energy. For example, the battery referred to in the present application may include a battery module or a battery pack, etc. Batteries generally include a case for enclosing one or more battery cells. The box can avoid liquid or other foreign matters to influence the charging or discharging of battery monomer.

Alternatively, the battery cell may include a lithium ion 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 in this application.

The battery monomer comprises an electrode assembly and electrolyte, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a positive plate, a negative plate and a diaphragm. The battery cell mainly depends on metal ions moving between the positive plate and the negative plate to work. The positive plate comprises a positive current collector and a positive active substance layer, wherein the positive active substance layer is coated on the surface of the positive current collector, the current collector which is not coated with the positive active substance layer protrudes out of the current collector which is coated with the positive active substance layer, and the current collector which is not coated with the positive active substance 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 pole piece includes negative current collector and negative pole active substance layer, and the negative pole active substance layer coats in the surface of negative current collector, and the mass flow body protrusion in the mass flow body of coating the negative pole active substance layer of uncoated negative pole active substance layer, the mass flow body of uncoated negative pole active substance layer is as negative pole utmost point ear. 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 fuse is not fused when a large current is passed, the number of the positive electrode tabs is multiple and the positive electrode tabs are stacked together, and the number of the negative electrode tabs is multiple and the negative electrode tabs are stacked together. The material of the diaphragm may be Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), or the like. In addition, the electrode assembly may have a winding structure or a lamination structure, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

The development of battery technology needs to consider various design factors, such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, charge and discharge rate, and other performance parameters, and also needs to consider the production cost and processing technology of the battery to improve the quality and production efficiency of the battery.

In some battery manufacturing technologies, a plurality of battery cells (cells) are first integrated into a battery module, and then the battery module is mounted in a battery case to form a battery pack (pack). In other production and processing technologies, a plurality of battery monomers can be directly arranged in the box body to form the battery pack, and the intermediate state of the battery module is eliminated, so that the quality of the battery pack can be reduced, and the energy density of the battery can be improved. The second manufacturing technology may also be referred to as a cell to pack (cell to pack) packaging technology, and the pack may be referred to as a battery in this application.

In the manufacturing technology of the battery cell, the electrode assembly is usually placed in a case having an opening, the case is covered with an end cap assembly, an electrolyte is injected into the case, and the case is sealed to finally form the battery cell. The tabs of the electrode assembly need to be electrically connected to the electrode terminals disposed on the case to utilize the electric energy in the battery cells. The tab and the electrode terminal can be directly connected by welding, riveting or the like, and can also be riveted or welded by a connecting piece. The assembly mode of the battery monomer is more flexible and convenient by the connection mode of the connecting piece, so that the battery monomer is widely applied.

In the above-described connection method by a connector, the connection of the connector to the electrode terminal is generally performed by laser penetration welding. The welding mode needs larger laser energy, so that the conditions of explosion points and splashing are easy to occur in the welding process, and the welding quality of the connecting piece and the electrode terminal is influenced; moreover, the laser absorption efficiency of the surface of the connecting piece is low, the surface of the connecting piece needs to be pretreated to increase the surface roughness of the connecting piece, the process difficulty is increased, and the production efficiency of the single battery is not favorably improved; in addition, the welding mode requires that laser penetrates through the connecting piece and the electrode terminal to form welding, so that the thickness of the connecting piece is limited, and the mechanical strength of the welding position of the connecting piece and the electrode terminal is also limited, so that the connecting position is easy to crack, and the quality of a single battery is adversely affected.

In view of this, the embodiment of the present application provides a connecting piece, which is used for connecting a tab and an electrode terminal, wherein the electrode terminal is provided with a limiting portion, the connecting piece is provided with a matching portion matched with the limiting portion, and the limiting portion and the matching portion can form a seam, so that the connecting piece and the electrode terminal are not required to be connected in a manner of penetration welding but in a manner of seam welding, thereby avoiding the above problems caused by penetration welding, and improving the production efficiency of a single battery and improving the quality of the single battery.

The technical scheme described in the embodiment of the application is suitable for various electric equipment using batteries.

The electric equipment can be vehicles, mobile phones, portable equipment, notebook computers, ships, spacecrafts, electric toys, electric tools and the like. The vehicle can be a fuel oil vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle or a range-extended vehicle and the like; spacecraft include aircraft, rockets, space shuttles, spacecraft, and the like; electric toys include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game machines, electric car toys, electric ship toys, electric airplane toys, and the like; the electric power tools include metal cutting electric power tools, grinding electric power tools, assembly electric power tools, and electric power tools for railways, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, electric impact drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the above-mentioned electric devices.

For the sake of brevity, the following embodiments are described with reference to an electric vehicle as an example.

For example, as shown in fig. 1, which is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 100 according to the present application, the vehicle 1 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 electric vehicle, or an extended range vehicle. The vehicle 100 may be provided with a motor 101, a controller 102, and a battery 200, wherein the controller 102 is configured to control the battery 200 to supply power to the motor 101. For example, the battery 200 may be provided at the bottom or the head or tail of the vehicle 100. The battery 200 may be used for power supply of the vehicle 100, for example, the battery 200 may be used as an operation power supply of the vehicle 100 for a circuit system of the vehicle 100, for example, for power demand for operation in starting, navigation, and running of the vehicle 100. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery 200 may be used not only as an operation power source of the vehicle 100, but also as a driving power source of the vehicle 100, instead of or in part replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power to the vehicle 100.

In order to meet different power requirements, the battery may include a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series or in parallel or in series-parallel, and the series-parallel refers to a mixture of series connection and parallel connection. The battery may also be referred to as a battery pack. Alternatively, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series or in parallel or in series-parallel to form a battery module, and a plurality of battery modules may be connected in series or in parallel or in series-parallel to form a battery. That is, a plurality of battery cells may directly constitute a battery, or a battery module may be first constituted and then a battery may be constituted.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, the battery 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 300 for a structural schematic diagram of a battery 200 according to the present disclosure. The battery 200 may further include a case 201 (or a cover), the case 201 has a hollow structure, and the plurality of battery cells 300 are accommodated in the case 201. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 201 may include two portions, referred to herein as a first portion 211 and a second portion 212, respectively, with the first portion 211 and the second portion 212 snap together. The shape of the first and

second portions

211 and 212 may be determined according to the shape of a combination of the plurality of battery cells 300, and the first and

second portions

211 and 212 may each have one opening. For example, each of the first portion 211 and the second portion 212 may be a hollow rectangular parallelepiped and only one surface of each may be an opening surface, the opening of the first portion 211 and the opening of the second portion 212 are oppositely disposed, and the first portion 211 and the second portion 212 are fastened to each other to form the case 201 having a closed chamber. The plurality of battery cells 300 are connected in parallel or in series-parallel combination and then placed in the box 201 formed by buckling the first part 211 and the second part 212.

Optionally, the battery 200 may also include other structures, which are not described in detail herein. For example, the battery 200 may further include a bus member for electrically connecting the plurality of battery cells 300, such as in parallel or in series-parallel. Specifically, the bus member may achieve electrical connection between the battery cells 300 by connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells 300. Further, the bus member may be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells 300 by welding. The electric energy of the plurality of battery cells 300 can be further led out through the case 201 by the conductive mechanism. Alternatively, the conductive means may also belong to the bus bar member.

The number of the battery cells 300 may be set to any number according to different power requirements. A plurality of battery cells 300 may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to achieve greater capacity or power.

As shown in fig. 3, which is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell 300 of the present application, the battery cell 300 includes a case including a case 301 and an end cap 303, and one or more electrode assemblies 302. The walls of the housing 301 and the end cap 303 are referred to as the walls of the enclosure. The case 301 is determined according to the shape of one or more electrode assemblies 302 after combination, and the case 301 shown in fig. 3 may be a hollow rectangular parallelepiped, as an example. One of the faces of the case 301 has an opening so that one or more electrode assemblies 302 can be placed in the case 301. End cap 303 covers the opening and is connected to case 301 to form a closed cavity in which electrode assembly 302 is placed. The case 301 is filled with an electrolyte, such as an electrolytic solution.

The battery cell 300 may further include two electrode terminals 410, and the two electrode terminals 410 may be disposed on the end cap 303. The end cap 302 is generally in the shape of a flat plate, and two electrode terminals 410 are fixed to the flat plate surface of the end cap 302, the two electrode terminals 410 being a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, respectively. One connector 400, which may also be referred to as a current collecting member 400, is provided for each of the electrode terminals 410, between the end cap 303 and the electrode assembly 302, for electrically connecting the electrode assembly 302 and the electrode terminals 410.

As shown in fig. 3, each electrode assembly 302 has tabs 3021, and the tabs 3021 include positive and negative tabs of opposite polarities. One or more tabs 3021 of one or more electrode assemblies 302 are connected with one electrode terminal 410 through one connection member 400, and one or more tabs 3021 of one or more electrode assemblies 302 are connected with the other electrode terminal 410 through the other connection member 400. For example, the positive electrode terminal is connected to the positive electrode tab through one connecting member 400, and the negative electrode terminal is connected to the negative electrode tab through the other connecting member 400.

In the battery cell 300, the electrode assembly 302 may be provided singly or in multiple, as shown in fig. 3, according to the actual use requirement, and 4 independent electrode assemblies 302 are provided in the battery cell 300.

Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a connector 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4, the connector 400 is used to connect the electrode terminal 410 with a tab 3021 (not shown in fig. 4), and the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal 410 is provided with a stopper portion 411, the stopper portion 411 extending in a direction perpendicular to the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal.

The connector 400 includes a fitting portion 401, the fitting portion 401 has a shape fitted with the stopper portion 411, and when the first face 4001 of the connector 400 is attached to the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal, the fitting portion 401 and the stopper portion 411 form a seam 40 on a second face 4002 of the connector 400, which is arranged in parallel with the first face 4001, so that the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410 are welded together through the seam 40.

Specifically, the connector 400 may have a plate-like structure including a first surface 4001 and a second surface 4002 arranged parallel to each other. The first surface 4101 of the electrode terminal 410 is provided with a stopper 411, and one end of the connector 400 connected to the electrode terminal 410 is provided with a fitting portion 401. Thus, the connector 400 can be positioned at the position of the stopper 411 when moving along the first surface 4101 of the electrode terminal 410 toward the stopper 411. At this time, the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal 410 is attached to the first face 4001 of the connector 400, and the stopper portion 411 and the fitting portion 401 form a seam 40 at the second face 4002 of the connector 4001, so that the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410 can be connected by seam welding.

In this embodiment, first, the connecting member 400 and the electrode terminal 410 are connected by means of seam welding, which can avoid the problems of explosion, splashing, and the like caused by the penetration welding, and help to improve the welding quality; secondly, compared with a penetration welding mode, the laser power used for the seam welding is lower, and the energy consumption in the production and processing process of the single battery 300 is saved; then, the surface of the connecting piece 400 is not required to be pretreated by welding in a seam welding mode, and the connecting piece 400 and the electrode terminal 401 can be welded by swinging the laser head back and forth at the seam 40, so that the process steps are saved, and the production efficiency of the single battery 300 is improved; finally, the limiting portion 411 and the matching portion 401 are matched with each other, so that the connecting piece 400 can be positioned before welding and can be kept fixed in position relative to the electrode terminal 410, the phenomenon that the welding quality is affected due to the fact that the connecting piece 400 moves relative to the electrode terminal 410 before welding or during welding is avoided, the welding quality between the connecting piece 400 and the electrode terminal 410 is improved, and the quality of the battery cell 300 is improved.

Fig. 5 and 6 are schematic top and side views of a connector 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Alternatively, referring to fig. 4 to 6, the stopper 411 extends outward as a first protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal, and the fitting part 401 has a first recess penetrating the first face 4001 and the second face 4002 of the fitting part to fit with the first protrusion.

Alternatively, referring to fig. 4-6, the first protrusion has a trapezoidal configuration and the first recess has a trapezoidal configuration that mates with the first protrusion.

Specifically, the upper and lower bases of the trapezoidal structure may be disposed in parallel with one side edge of the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal 410, the upper base being close to the side edge, and the lower base being far from the side edge. Alternatively, the upper base of the trapezoid structure may coincide with the side.

In this embodiment, the first convex portion is designed to be a trapezoid structure, which is helpful to increase the length of the seam 40 formed by the limiting portion 411 and the fitting portion 401, thereby increasing the welding area between the connecting member 400 and the electrode terminal 410, and accordingly, the mechanical strength and the overcurrent capacity of the joint between the connecting member 400 and the electrode terminal 410 are correspondingly enhanced. Moreover, the trapezoidal structure is easy to process and realize.

Optionally, in one embodiment, the first convex portion is a triangular structure, and the first concave portion is a triangular structure matched with the first convex portion. In another embodiment, the first convex portion has a rectangular configuration and the first concave portion has a rectangular configuration to which the first convex portion is fitted. In yet another embodiment, the first convex portion is a semi-circular structure and the first concave portion is a semi-circular structure that fits with the first convex portion.

Fig. 7 and 8 are another schematic top view and a side view of a connector 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Alternatively, referring to fig. 7 to 8, the stopper 411 may be extended inward in a direction perpendicular to the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal as a second concave portion extended to at least one edge of the first face 4101 in a direction along the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal, and the fitting portion 401 may have a second convex portion fitted into the second concave portion.

Specifically, the second concave portion and the second convex portion may also be provided in a trapezoidal structure, a triangular structure, a rectangular structure, a circular structure, or the like. Taking the trapezoidal structure as an example, the second concave portion of the trapezoidal structure has an upper bottom and a lower bottom, in which case the lower bottom coincides with one side edge of the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal 410, and the upper bottom is distant from the side edge.

Alternatively, with continued reference to fig. 5-8, the connector 400 has a reinforced area 402, and the reinforced area 402 is disposed on at least one side of the mating portion 401, such that the connector 400 is connected to the electrode terminal 410 by welding the reinforced area 402.

Specifically, taking the example where the fitting portion 401 is a first concave portion having a trapezoidal structure, the reinforcing region 402 may be disposed outside the upper base of the trapezoidal structure, outside the two waists of the trapezoidal structure, or inside the trapezoidal structure, and one or more reinforcing regions 402 may be provided (only one reinforcing region 402 is shown in fig. 5 to 8). Taking the example where the fitting portion 401 is a second convex portion having a trapezoidal structure, the reinforcing region 402 can be provided only on the inner side of the trapezoidal structure.

In this embodiment, in addition to the connection between the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410 by welding the seam 40, the overcurrent capability at the connection between the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410 is further enhanced by providing the reinforcement region 402 on at least one side of the fitting portion 401, which helps to further improve the quality and performance of the battery cell.

Optionally, the reinforcing region 402 has a rough surface so that the connection member 400 and the electrode terminal 410 are connected at the reinforcing region 402 by means of penetration welding.

In particular, the reinforced region 402 may be welded by means of penetration welding. At this moment, can be through carrying out rough treatment to reinforcing region 402, increase the roughness on connecting piece reinforcing region 402 surface, improve laser absorption efficiency to promote the welding quality in reinforcing region.

Alternatively, the reinforcing region 402 has a third concave portion penetrating the first surface 4001 and the second surface 4002 of the fitting part 401, and a region of the first surface 4101 of the electrode terminal 410 corresponding to the reinforcing region 402 has a third convex portion fitting the third concave portion, and the third convex portion and the third concave portion form a fillet 40 on the first surface 4001 of the connector 400, so that the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410 are welded and connected by the fillet 40 in the reinforcing region 402.

In particular, the reinforced region 402 may also be welded by means of a seam weld. At this time, similar to the position limiting portion 411 and the fitting portion 401, corresponding structures that are fitted to each other may be respectively disposed on the connecting member 400 and the electrode terminal 401, so that the seam 40 is formed in the reinforcing region 402 of the first surface 4001 of the connecting member 400, and the reinforcing region 402 is also connected by the welding seam 40. For example, the third concave portion is a rectangular groove, and the third convex portion is a rectangle matching the rectangular groove.

In this embodiment, the connecting member 400 and the electrode terminal 410 at the reinforcing region 402 are welded in a seam welding manner, so that the welding quality at the reinforcing region 402 can be improved in comparison with a penetration welding manner, the power consumption in the welding process is further reduced, and the production efficiency of the single battery 300 is improved.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a battery cell 300, and referring to fig. 3, the battery cell 300 includes a housing 301, an electrode assembly 302, an end cap assembly 303, and a connector 400 in any embodiment of the present application. The case 301 has a receiving cavity and an opening at one end, the electrode assembly 302 is received in the receiving cavity and has a tab 3021, the end cap assembly 303 covers the opening to enclose the electrode assembly 302 in the case 301, the electrode terminal 410 is disposed on a wall of the case 301 or the end cap assembly 303 and penetrates through the case 301 or the end cap assembly 303, one end of the electrode terminal 410 located in the receiving cavity has a first surface 4101, the first surface 4101 is provided with a limiting portion 411, the limiting portion 411 extends in a direction perpendicular to the first surface 4101 of the electrode terminal, and the connector 400 is used for connecting the electrode terminal 110 and the tab 3021.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a battery 200, and referring to fig. 2, the battery 200 includes a battery cell 300 in any embodiment of the present application.

The embodiment of the present application further provides an electric device 100, and referring to fig. 1, the electric device 100 includes a battery 200 in any embodiment of the present application, and the battery 200 is used for supplying power to the electric device.

The present application also provides a method 500 of making a battery cell. Fig. 9 is a schematic flow chart of a method 500 for preparing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 9, the method 500 includes:

s501, the electrode assembly 302 is accommodated in the accommodation cavity of the case 301.

S502, electrode assembly 302 is encapsulated in case 301 through end cap assembly 303.

S503, connecting the electrode terminal 410 and the tab 3021 via the connector 400.

Wherein, one end of the case 301 is open, and the electrode assembly 302 has a tab 3021; the housing 301 or the end cap assembly 303 is provided with an electrode terminal 410 penetrating the housing 301 or the end cap assembly 303, one end of the electrode terminal 410 located in the accommodation cavity is provided with a first surface 4101, the first surface 4101 is provided with a limiting part 411, and the limiting part 411 extends along a direction perpendicular to the first surface 4101 of the electrode terminal.

Wherein the connector 400 includes a fitting portion 401, the fitting portion 401 has a shape fitted with the stopper portion 411, and when the first face 4001 of the connector 400 is attached to the first face 4101 of the electrode terminal 410, the fitting portion 401 and the stopper portion 411 form a seam 40 on a second face 4002 of the connector 400 disposed parallel to the first face 4001, so that the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410 are welded together through the seam 40.

The embodiment of the present application also provides an apparatus 600 for manufacturing a battery cell. Fig. 10 is a schematic structural view of an apparatus 600 for manufacturing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application.

As shown in fig. 10, the apparatus 600 includes an assembly module 601, a packaging module 602, and a connection module 603. The assembly module 601 is used for accommodating the electrode assembly 302 in the accommodating cavity of the casing 301; packaging module 602 is used to package electrode assembly 302 in case 301 through end cap assembly 303; the connection module is used to connect the electrode terminal 410 and the tab 3021 by the connection member 400.

In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a connector 400, a battery cell 300 including the connector, a battery 200, and an electric device 100. The connecting member 400 has a fitting part 401 that is fitted with the limiting part 411 of the electrode terminal 3021, so that the connecting member 400 and the electrode terminal 410 can be welded in a seam welding manner, which improves welding quality, saves power consumption required by welding, saves process steps, and improves quality and production efficiency of the battery cell 300, compared with a penetration welding manner. The battery cell 300 including the connector 400 can realize the electrical connection between the tab 3021 and the electrode terminal 410 by welding the seam 40 formed by the connector 400 and the electrode terminal 410, and the electrode terminal 410 and the connector 400 welded and connected by the seam have good overcurrent capacity and mechanical strength, which helps to improve the quality and performance of the battery cell 300. Similarly, the battery 200 including the battery cell 300 also has good quality and performance, so as to provide power to the electric device 100 better. The method and the device for preparing the single battery cell provided by the embodiment of the application can utilize the connecting piece 400 to prepare the single battery cell 300, and improve the quality and the performance of the single battery cell 300.

While the 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 application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way as long as there is no structural conflict. The present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein but is to cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A connection member (400), characterized in that the connection member (400) is used for connecting an electrode terminal (410) with a tab (3021), a first face (4101) of the electrode terminal (410) is provided with a stopper portion (411), the stopper portion (411) extends in a direction perpendicular to the electrode terminal first face (4101), the connection member (400) comprising:

a fitting part (401), the fitting part (401) having a shape fitting with the stopper part (411), when a first face (4001) of the connector (400) is attached to a first face (4101) of the electrode terminal, the fitting part (401) and the stopper part (411) form a butt seam (40) on a second face (4002) of the connector (400) arranged in parallel to the first face (4001), so that the connector (400) and the electrode terminal (410) are welded together through the butt seam (40).

2. The connector (400) according to claim 1, wherein the stopper portion (411) extends outward as a first convex portion in a direction perpendicular to the electrode terminal first surface (4101), and the fitting portion (401) has a first concave portion penetrating the first surface (4001) and the second surface (4002) of the fitting portion to be fitted with the first convex portion.

3. The connector (400) of claim 2, wherein the first male portion is a trapezoidal structure and the first female portion is a trapezoidal structure that mates with the first male portion.

4. The connector (400) according to claim 1, wherein the stopper portion (411) extends inwardly in a direction perpendicular to the electrode terminal first face (4101) as a second concave portion extending to at least one edge of the first face (4101) in a direction along the electrode terminal first face (4101), and the fitting portion (401) has a second convex portion fitted with the second concave portion.

5. The connection member (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connection member (400) has a reinforcing region (402), the reinforcing region (402) being provided at least one side of the fitting portion (401) so that the connection member (400) and the electrode terminal (410) are connected by welding the reinforcing region (402).

6. The connector (400) according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing region (402) has a roughened surface so that the connector (400) and the electrode terminal (410) are connected by means of penetration welding at the reinforcing region (402).

7. The connector (400) according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing region (402) has a third recess penetrating the first face (4001) and the second face (4002) of the fitting part (401), and a region of the first face (4101) of the electrode terminal (410) corresponding to the reinforcing region (402) has a third projection that fits into the third recess, the third projection and the third recess forming a butt seam (40) on the first face (4001) of the connector (400) so that the connector (400) and the electrode terminal (410) are weld-connected by the butt seam (40) in the reinforcing region (402).

8. A battery cell (300), characterized in that the battery cell (300) comprises:

a housing (301) having an accommodation chamber and one end opened;

an electrode assembly (302) accommodated in the accommodation cavity and having tabs (3021);

an end cap assembly (303) for covering the opening to enclose the electrode assembly (302) in the case (301);

an electrode terminal (410) disposed on a wall of the housing (301) or the end cap assembly (303) and penetrating through the housing (301) or the end cap assembly (303), wherein one end of the electrode terminal (410) located in the accommodation cavity has a first surface (4101), the first surface (4101) is provided with a limiting portion (411), and the limiting portion (411) extends in a direction perpendicular to the first surface (4101) of the electrode terminal;

the connection member (400) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, the connection member (400) being for connecting the electrode terminal (110) with the tab (3021).

9. A battery (200), characterized in that the battery (200) comprises a battery cell (300) according to claim 8.

10. An electric consumer (100), characterized in that the electric consumer (100) comprises a battery (200) according to claim 9, the battery (200) being adapted to power the electric consumer (100).