CN220692159U - End cover assembly, battery cell and battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides an end cover assembly, a battery monomer and a battery, which can effectively improve the performance of the battery. The end cap assembly is applied to a battery cell, and comprises: an electrode terminal, a current collecting plate, and a connecting member, which connects the electrode terminal and the current collecting plate, respectively; the connecting piece is a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises a circuit layer.

Description

End cover assembly, battery cell and battery

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to an end cover assembly, a battery cell and a battery.

Background

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

With the development of society, consumers have increasingly demanded battery performance. Therefore, how to improve the performance of the battery is a problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides an end cover assembly, a battery monomer and a battery, which can effectively improve the performance of the battery.

In a first aspect, there is provided an end cap assembly for use with a battery cell, comprising: an electrode terminal, a current collecting plate, and a connecting member, which connects the electrode terminal and the current collecting plate, respectively; the connecting piece is a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises a circuit layer.

Because the flexible material has good pulling-up performance, the flexible material can be freely bent and is not easy to break. Therefore, the embodiment of the application sets up the connecting piece as the flexible circuit board, like this, at the in-process of battery monomer vibration from top to bottom, the connecting piece can freely stretch deformation, and the fracture risk is low, and then has effectively improved the single performance of battery. Further, since the flexible circuit board can be freely bent and folded, the connecting pieces can be arranged at will according to the space layout requirement, so that the applicability of the end cover assembly and even the battery cell is improved. In addition, the connecting piece is arranged to be a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises a circuit layer, so that the process difficulty is reduced, and the purpose of conducting electricity of the connecting piece is realized.

In some possible embodiments, the thickness of the circuit layer ranges from 0.035mm to 0.07mm.

Above-mentioned technical scheme sets the value scope of the thickness of circuit layer to 0.035 millimeter to 0.07 millimeter, on the one hand, can satisfy the requirement of the overflow ability of connecting piece under most scenes, on the other hand, can satisfy the requirement of connecting piece overall dimension, has compatible overflow ability and dimensional requirement promptly.

In some possible embodiments, the number of the connecting pieces is a plurality, and a plurality of the connecting pieces are connected in parallel.

In the above-described configuration, the plurality of connectors are connected in parallel, so that the current flowing from the electrode terminal to the current collecting plate is the sum of the currents of the plurality of connectors. Thus, the current of each connecting piece is smaller, and the width of the connecting piece is reduced, so that the overcurrent capacity of the connecting piece can be maintained while the width of the circuit layer is shortened.

In some possible embodiments, the range of values L of the width of the line layer included in each of the plurality of connectors satisfies: K/N; and N is the number of the connecting pieces, and K is the value range of the total width of the circuit layer under the condition that the connecting pieces meet the target overcurrent capacity.

In some possible embodiments, each of the connectors includes a plurality of the wiring layers connected by end portions.

According to the technical scheme, each connecting piece is arranged to comprise a plurality of circuit layers, so that the applicability of the connecting piece is improved, and the connecting piece and the battery unit can be applied to more scenes.

In some possible embodiments, the range R of values of the width of each of the plurality of circuit layers satisfies: H/M; m is the number of the circuit layers included in each connecting piece, and H is the value range of the total width of the circuit layers under the condition that the connecting piece meets the target overcurrent capacity.

In some possible embodiments, the width of the circuit layer ranges from 2cm to 4cm.

According to the technical scheme, the range of the value of the width of the circuit layer is set to be 2cm to 4cm, so that on one hand, the requirement of the overcurrent capacity of the connecting piece in most scenes can be met, and on the other hand, the requirement of the whole size of the connecting piece can be met, namely, the requirements of the overcurrent capacity and the size are compatible.

In some possible embodiments, the connection member further includes a protective layer and a connection layer, wherein the connection layer is disposed at both sides of the line layer in a width direction of the line layer, and the protective layer is disposed at both sides of the connection layer.

Above-mentioned technical scheme, the connecting piece still includes protective layer and protective layer setting in the outside of connecting piece, can effectively protect the circuit layer. Further, the connecting piece further comprises a connecting layer, and the purposes of connecting the circuit layer and the protective layer are achieved.

In some possible embodiments, the width of the connector is greater than or equal to 4cm.

According to the technical scheme, the width of the connecting piece is set to be larger than or equal to 4cm, so that on one hand, the requirement of the overcurrent capacity of the connecting piece in most scenes can be met, and on the other hand, the requirement of the whole size of the end cover assembly can be met, namely, the requirements of the overcurrent capacity and the size are compatible.

In some possible embodiments, the connector is directly connected to the manifold plate.

According to the technical scheme, the connecting piece is directly connected with the current collecting disc, so that the process is simple and easy to realize.

In some possible embodiments, the connector is connected to the manifold disk by an intermediate piece.

According to the technical scheme, the connecting piece is connected to the current collecting disc through the middle piece, so that the connecting tension can be larger, and the tensile strength of the battery cell can also be larger.

In some possible embodiments, the intermediate piece is a nickel piece.

In some possible embodiments, the end cap assembly further comprises: and the electrode terminals are arranged on the end cover, and the shape of the end cover is round.

In a second aspect, there is provided a battery cell comprising: a housing having an opening; an electrode assembly accommodated in the case; the end cap assembly of the first aspect covers the opening to cap the electrode assembly in the case.

In some possible embodiments, the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell.

In a third aspect, there is provided a battery comprising: the battery cell in the second aspect.

Drawings

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

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

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

Fig. 4 is a top view of an end cap assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another connector of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7a is a schematic cross-sectional view of two connectors connected in parallel according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7b is a schematic cross-sectional view of a connection piece obtained by connecting two connection pieces in parallel in fig. 7 a.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one type of connector according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a connection of a connector to a manifold disk according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of another connector of an embodiment of the present application connected to a current collecting plate.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of an end cap assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

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

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and the like indicate an orientation or positional relationship merely for convenience of description and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus are not to be construed as limiting the present 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.

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 herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application; the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof in the description and claims of the present application and in the description of the figures above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

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

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

In the present application, the battery cell may include a lithium ion secondary battery, a lithium ion primary battery, a lithium sulfur battery, a sodium lithium ion battery, a sodium ion battery, a magnesium ion battery, or the like, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application. The battery cells may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or other regular or irregular shapes, nor are embodiments of the present application limited thereto. The battery cells are generally classified into three types according to the packaging method: the cylindrical battery cell, the square battery cell and the soft pack battery cell are not limited thereto.

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

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

The battery cell may further include an end cap assembly in addition to the electrode assembly. The end cap assembly may include an electrode terminal and a current collecting tray connected with the electrode terminal. Typically, the manifold plate is a metal rigid material and bending areas are present during installation. In the vibration process of the battery monomer, as a certain space exists for the movement of the electrode assembly, the connecting sheet is connected to vibrate in a reciprocating manner in the up-and-down movement process. The problem of fatigue fracture in the bending zone may occur due to the relatively small elastic deformation of the metallic material.

In view of this, the embodiment of the application proposes an end cap assembly, which includes an electrode terminal, a current collecting disc, and a connecting member, the connecting member connects the electrode terminal and the current collecting disc, respectively, the connecting member is a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board includes a circuit layer. I.e. using a flexible material instead of a rigid metal sheet. Because the flexible connecting piece has good pulling-up performance, the flexible connecting piece is not easy to break after bending, and therefore, in the up-and-down vibration process of the battery monomer, the flexible connecting piece can be freely stretched and deformed, the breaking risk is low, and the performance of the battery can be effectively improved. In addition, the connecting piece is arranged to be a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises a circuit layer, so that the process difficulty is reduced, and the purpose of conducting electricity of the connecting piece is realized.

The technical scheme described in the embodiment of the application is applicable to 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 fuel 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; spacecraft including airplanes, rockets, space planes, spacecraft, and the like; the electric toy includes fixed or mobile electric toys, such as a game machine, an electric car toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric airplane toy; power tools include metal cutting power tools, grinding power tools, assembly power tools, and railroad power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete shakers, and electric planers, among others. The embodiment of the application does not limit the electric equipment in particular.

For convenience of explanation, the following embodiments take electric equipment as an example of a vehicle.

For example, as shown in fig. 1, a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle 1 may be a fuel-oil vehicle, a gas-fired vehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended range vehicle. The vehicle 1 may be provided with a motor 40, a controller 30 and a battery 10, the controller 30 being arranged to control the battery 10 to supply power to the motor 40. For example, the battery 10 may be provided at the bottom or the head or the tail of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 may be used for power supply of the vehicle 1, e.g. the battery 10 may be used as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, for electrical circuitry of the vehicle 1, e.g. for start-up, navigation and operational power requirements of the vehicle 1. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 may not only serve as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, but also as a driving power source for the vehicle 1, instead of or in part instead of fuel oil or natural gas, to provide driving power for the vehicle 1.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, a schematic structure of a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The battery 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 20. In addition to the battery cells 20, the battery 10 may further include a case 11, the inside of the case 11 being of a hollow structure, and a plurality of battery cells 20 being receivable in the case 11. As shown in fig. 2, the housing 11 may include two portions, referred to herein as a first housing portion 111 and a second housing portion 112, respectively, the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 being snap-fit together. The shape of the first and second case parts 111 and 112 may be determined according to the shape of the combination of the plurality of battery cells 20, at least one of the first and second case parts 111 and 112 having an opening. For example, as shown in fig. 2, only one of the first case portion 111 and the second case portion 112 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped having an opening, and the other is a plate-like shape to cover the opening. Here, taking the second case portion 112 as a hollow rectangular parallelepiped and only one face as an opening face, and the first case portion 111 as a plate-like example, the first case portion 111 is covered at the opening of the second case portion 112 to form a case 11 having a closed chamber that can be used to house a plurality of battery cells 20. The plurality of battery cells 20 are connected in parallel, in series or in a combination of series and parallel, and then placed in the case 11 formed by the first case portion 111 and the second case portion 112 after being fastened.

For another example, unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the first case portion 111 and the second case portion 112 may each be hollow rectangular parallelepiped and have only one surface as an opening surface, the opening of the first case portion 111 and the opening of the second case portion 112 are disposed opposite to each other, and the first case portion 111 and the second case portion 112 are fastened to each other to form a case having a closed chamber. The plurality of battery cells 20 are connected in parallel, in series or in a combination of series and parallel, and then placed in the case 11 formed by the first case portion 111 and the second case portion 112 after being buckled.

In some embodiments, the battery 10 may further include other structures, which are not described in detail herein.

For convenience of explanation, the cylindrical battery cell 20 shown in fig. 2 will be taken as an example, and the technical scheme of the present application will be explained. It should be understood that embodiments of the present application are not so limited.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 3, the battery cell 20 includes a case 210, an electrode assembly 220, and an end cap assembly 230. The housing 210 and the end cap assembly 230 form an outer shell or battery compartment. The housing 210 is formed of metal, such as aluminum. The case 210 is dependent on the shape of the one or more electrode assemblies 220 combined. For example, the housing 210 may be a hollow cylinder as shown in fig. 3.

The case 210 has an opening, the electrode assembly 220 is received in the case 210, and the cap assembly 230 is used to cover the opening to receive the electrode assembly 220 in the case 210. Housing and protection of the electrode assembly 220 and other components is achieved through the case 210 and the cap assembly 230. The housing 210 is filled with an electrolyte, such as an electrolyte solution.

As shown in fig. 3, end cap assembly 230 includes a negative end cap assembly 2301 and a positive end cap assembly 2302, the negative end cap assembly 2301 and positive end cap assembly 2302 covering the opening of housing 210 from both ends of housing 210, respectively, to cap electrode assembly 220 within housing 210. A negative end cap assembly 2301 is provided for providing a negative electrode terminal and a positive end cap assembly 2302 is provided for providing a positive electrode terminal. The electrode assembly 220 is provided with a tab 221, wherein a positive electrode terminal is electrically connected with a positive tab of the electrode assembly 220, and a negative electrode terminal is electrically connected with a negative tab of the electrode assembly 220. The positive and negative electrode terminals may be any number, for example, the battery cell 20 may have two positive electrode terminals disposed on the positive end cap assembly 2302 and two negative electrode terminals disposed on the negative end cap assembly 2301. The positive end cap assembly 2302 is identical in structure to the negative end cap assembly 2301. Hereinafter, the end cap assembly 230 described may be any of the positive end cap assembly 2302 and the negative end cap assembly 2301.

In the battery cell 20, the electrode assembly 220 may be provided in a single or a plurality according to actual use requirements, for example, as shown in fig. 3, 1 electrode assembly 220 is provided in the battery cell 20.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of an end cap assembly 230 of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 4, the cap assembly 230 may include an electrode terminal 231, a current collecting tab 232, and a connection member 233. Wherein the connection member 233 connects the electrode terminal 231 and the current collecting tray 232, respectively, and the connection member 233 is a flexible material.

The current collecting plate 232 may have an overcurrent function, and one end thereof is connected to the connection member 233 and the other end thereof is connected to other components of the battery cell 20.

Because the flexible material has good pulling-up performance, the flexible material can be freely bent and is not easy to break. Therefore, the connecting piece 233 is made of a flexible material, so that the connecting piece 233 can be freely stretched and deformed in the process of vibrating the battery cell 20 up and down, the fracture risk is low, and the performance of the battery cell 20 is effectively improved. Further, since the flexible material can be freely bent and folded, the connection members 233 can be arbitrarily arranged according to the space layout requirements, thereby improving the applicability of the end cap assembly 230 and even the battery cell 20.

In some embodiments, the connector 233 may be a flexible circuit board (flexible printed circuit, FPC).

The FPC may have an area of, for example, 1.5 centimeters (cm) by 9cm. Further, the FPC may have an area of 2.5cm×7cm, or may have an area of 3cm×6cm.

Further, the connection 233 may include a wiring layer 2331. In the case where the electrode terminal 231 is a negative electrode terminal, the wiring layer 2331 may include, but is not limited to, copper foil, i.e., copper as a conductive path of the connection member 233. In the case where the electrode terminal 231 is a positive electrode terminal, the wiring layer 2331 may include, but is not limited to, aluminum foil, i.e., aluminum as a conductive path of the connection member 233.

According to the technical scheme, the connecting piece 233 is arranged as the flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises the circuit layer 2331, so that the process difficulty is reduced, and the purpose of conducting electricity of the connecting piece is achieved.

In addition to wiring layer 2331, as shown in fig. 5, connector 233 may also include protective layer 2332 and connection layer 2333. Wherein, in the width direction of the line layer 2331, the connection layer 2333 is disposed at both sides of the line layer 2331, and the protection layer 2332 is disposed at both sides of the connection layer 2333. In other words, the protective layer 2332 is disposed at the outermost side of the connection member 233, and the connection layer 2333 is used to connect the wiring layer 2331 and the protective layer 2332.

Alternatively, the protective layer 2332 may include a flexible insulating material such as Polyimide (PI), i.e., PI polymer material as a soft protective film, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The connection layer 2333 may be an Adhesive (ADH), and the ADH may be epoxy, for example.

According to the technical scheme, the connecting piece 233 further comprises the protection layer 2332, and the protection layer 2332 is arranged on the outer side of the connecting piece 233, so that the circuit layer 2331 can be effectively protected. Further, the connection member 233 further includes a connection layer 2333, which achieves the purpose of connecting the circuit layer 2331 and the protection layer 2332.

Considering that the overcurrent capability of the connection member 233 is determined by the width and thickness of the wiring layer 2331. Therefore, the width and thickness of the circuit layer 2331 may be set to enable the connector 233 to achieve different overcurrent capacities, so that the connector 233 may be applied to batteries with different capacities. Further, the connection manner of the connection member 233 may also affect the overcurrent capability, so the embodiment of the application may further enable the connection member 233 to achieve a certain overcurrent capability by setting the connection manner of the connection member 233.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the circuit layer 2331 may range from 0.02 millimeters (mm) to 0.1mm. For example, the thickness of the wiring layer 2331 may be 0.25mm, 0.03mm, 0.08mm, 0.09mm, or the like.

Further, the thickness of the wiring layer 2331 may have a value ranging from 0.035mm to 0.07mm. For example, the thickness of the wiring layer 2331 may be 0.04mm, 0.05mm, 0.06mm, or the like.

The thickness of the circuit layer 2331 is set to be 0.035mm to 0.07mm, so that on one hand, the requirement of the overcurrent capacity of the connecting piece 233 in most scenes can be met, and on the other hand, the requirement of the whole size of the connecting piece 233 can be met, namely, the requirements of the overcurrent capacity and the size are compatible.

The width of the line layer 2331 may be relatively small if used for conventional sampling. For example, the width of the wiring layer 2331 may be less than or equal to 0.02mm. Further, the width of the wiring layer 2331 may be less than or equal to 0.01mm. For example, the width of the wiring layer 2331 may be 0.008mm, 0.007mm, 0.005mm, or 0.003mm, etc.

If the battery cell 20 having a certain capacity, for example, the battery cell 20 having a capacity of 10Ah is satisfied, the width and thickness of the circuit layer 2331 may be determined based on the capacity of the battery cell 20 and/or an overcurrent formula.

As an example, the width of the line layer 2331 may range from 1cm to 6cm. For example, the width of the wiring layer 2331 may be 1cm, 4.5cm, 5cm, or the like.

Further, the width of the circuit layer 2331 may be in the range of 2cm to 4cm. For example, the width of the wiring layer 2331 may be 2.5cm, 3cm, 3.5cm, or the like. The range of the width of the circuit layer 2331 is set to be 2cm to 4cm, so that on one hand, the requirement of the overcurrent capacity of the connecting piece 233 in most scenes can be met, and on the other hand, the requirement of the whole size of the connecting piece 233 can be met, namely, the requirements of the overcurrent capacity and the size are compatible.

In this case, the width of the connection piece 233 may be greater than or equal to 6cm. For example, the width of the connection member 233 may be 7cm, 8cm, 9cm, or the like.

Further, the width of the connection piece 233 may be greater than or equal to 4cm. For example, the width of the connection member 233 may be 5cm, 5.5cm, or the like. The width of the connecting piece 233 is set to be greater than or equal to 4cm, so that on one hand, the requirement of the overcurrent capacity of the connecting piece 233 in most scenes can be met, and on the other hand, the requirement of the whole size of the end cover assembly 230 can be met, namely, the requirement of the overcurrent capacity and the size are compatible.

Typically, as shown in fig. 6, the number of the connection pieces 233 is one, and the number of the line layers 2331 included in the connection pieces 233 is also one. In some cases, the width of the circuit layer 2331 and the width of the connection 233 may be larger. However, if the width of the circuit layer 2331 is larger, the requirement of the overall design area of the connection 233 may not be satisfied. For example, if the width of the circuit layer 2331 is large, the size of the end cap assembly 230 is also large, and thus, a problem may occur in that the battery cell 20 cannot accommodate the end cap assembly 230.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the number of the connection pieces 233 may be plural, and the plural connection pieces 233 are connected in parallel.

Alternatively, a plurality of connectors 233 may be welded together. For example by thermocompression bonding. Along the length of the wiring layer 2331. The lands 2334 of the plurality of connection members 233 may be disposed at both ends of the wiring layer 2331.

In this embodiment, the plurality of connection members 233 are connected in parallel, and thus, the current from the electrode terminal 231 to the current collecting tray 232 is the sum of the currents of the plurality of connection members 233. In this way, the current of each connection member 233 is smaller, and the width of the connection member 233 is reduced, so that the width of the circuit layer 2331 is shortened while the overcurrent capability of the connection member 233 is maintained.

In this case, the range L of the width of the wiring layer 2331 included in each of the plurality of connection pieces 233 may satisfy the following formula:

K/N（1）

where N is the number of the connectors 233, and K is the range of values of the total width of the circuit layer 2331 when the connectors 233 meet the target overcurrent capability.

Fig. 7a shows two identical connectors 233 welded together by hot pressing, resulting in the connector 233 shown in fig. 7 b. If the capacity of the battery cell 20 is 10Ah, the width of the circuit layer 2331 needs to be in the range of 2cm to 4cm in order to meet the target overcurrent capability, and the value of the width of the circuit layer 2331 of each of the two connectors 233 may be in the range of 1cm to 2cm. The thickness of each circuit layer 2331 may still range from 0.035mm to 0.07mm.

In another possible embodiment, each of the connectors 233 may include a plurality of wiring layers 2331, with the plurality of wiring layers 2331 being connected by ends.

The ends of the plurality of circuit layers 2331 may be welded together by laser welding, for example.

In this case, the range R of values of the width of each of the plurality of wiring layers 2331 may satisfy:

H/M(2)

where M is the number of circuit layers 2331 included in each connection 233, and H is the range of values of the total width of the circuit layers 2331 when the connection 233 meets the target overcurrent capability.

As shown in fig. 8, one connector 233 includes three wiring layers 2331. If the capacity of the battery cell 20 is 10Ah, the width of the circuit layer 2331 needs to be in the range of 2cm to 4cm in order to meet the target overcurrent capability, and the value of the width of each circuit layer 2331 of the three circuit layers 2331 may be in the range of 0.68cm to 1.3cm. The thickness of each circuit layer 2331 may still range from 0.035mm to 0.07mm.

In the above technical solution, each connecting piece 233 is configured to include a plurality of layers of the lines 2331, which increases the applicability of the connecting piece 233, so that the connecting piece 233 and the battery cell 20 can be applied to more scenes.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, in the case of parallel connection between the plurality of connection pieces 233, each connection piece 233 may include a plurality of circuit layers 2331.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of the connection member 233 to the collecting tray 232 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 9, the connection member 233 may be directly connected to the current collecting tray 232. For example, the lead portions of the wiring layer 2331 in the connection 233 may be directly soldered with the current collecting tray 232.

According to the technical scheme, the connecting piece 233 is directly connected with the current collecting disc 232, so that the process is simple and easy to realize.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic view of a connection 233 of another embodiment of the present application with a current collecting tray 232. As shown in fig. 10, the connection member 233 may be connected to the current collecting tray 232 through the intermediate member 234.

The intermediate piece 234 has an electrically conductive capability. Illustratively, the intermediate piece 234 may be, but is not limited to, a nickel sheet. At this time, the lead portion of the circuit layer 2331 of the connection member 233 may be welded prior to the nickel sheet, which is welded with the current collecting tray 232.

In the above technical solution, the connecting member 233 is connected to the current collecting plate 232 through the intermediate member 234, so that the connection tension can be greater, and thus, the tensile strength of the battery cell 20 can be also greater.

Fig. 9 and 10 show two different connection modes of the connection member 233 and the current collecting plate 232, that is, through different connection modes, the battery cells 20 with different tensile strengths can be obtained.

It should be understood that, regardless of the manner in which the connection member 233 and the current collecting tab 232 are connected, the connection member 233 and the electrode terminal 231 may be directly connected or connected through other members. For example, in the case where the connection member 233 and the current collecting tab 232 are connected through a nickel sheet, the connection member 233 may be directly connected to the electrode terminal 231.

In addition to the electrode terminals 231, the current collecting tabs 232, and the connection member 233, as shown in fig. 11, the end cap assembly 230 may further include an end cap 235. Wherein the electrode terminal 231 is disposed on the end cap 235, and the end cap 235 has a circular shape. That is, the battery cell 20 is a cylindrical battery cell 20.

In some embodiments, the end cap 235 may be made of a metal material, such as aluminum, steel, etc.

Further, as shown in fig. 11, a first insulating member 236 may be further disposed between the end cap 235 and the electrode terminal 231, and the first insulating member 236 may be also referred to as a lower plastic for insulating between the electrode terminal 231 and the end cap 235.

The end cap assembly 230 may also include a rivet block 237, a second insulator 238, and a seal ring 239. Wherein the rivet block 237 serves to fix the electrode terminal 231 convexly disposed on the end cap 235. The second insulator 238, also referred to as upper plastic, is used for insulating isolation between the end cap 235 and the staking block 237. The seal ring 239 is used to form a seal between the electrode terminal 231 and the end cap 235. The seal ring 239 may be annular, for example, and fit into the electrode terminal 231.

The embodiment of the application also provides a battery cell. The battery cell may include a case, an electrode assembly, and an end cap assembly. Wherein the case has an opening, the electrode assembly is received in the case, and the cap assembly covers the opening to cover the electrode assembly in the case.

In some embodiments, the battery cell may be a cylindrical battery cell.

The embodiment of the application also provides a battery, which can comprise the battery cells in the previous embodiments. In some embodiments, the battery may further include a case, a bus member, and other structures, which are not described in detail herein.

The embodiment of the application also provides an electric device, which can comprise the battery cell in the embodiment, wherein the battery cell is used for providing electric energy for the electric device.

In some embodiments, the powered device may be the vehicle 1, a vessel, or a spacecraft of fig. 1.

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

Claims (16)

1. An end cap assembly for use with a battery cell, comprising: an electrode terminal, a current collecting plate, and a connecting member, which connects the electrode terminal and the current collecting plate, respectively;

the connecting piece is a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises a circuit layer.

2. The end cap assembly of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the circuit layer has a value in the range of 0.035mm to 0.07mm.

3. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of connectors is plural, and a plurality of the connectors are connected in parallel.

4. The end cap assembly of claim 3, wherein the range L of values for the width of the line layer included in each of the plurality of connectors satisfies:

K/N，

and N is the number of the connecting pieces, and K is the value range of the total width of the circuit layer under the condition that the connecting pieces meet the target overcurrent capacity.

5. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector comprises a plurality of the circuit layers, the plurality of circuit layers being connected by ends.

6. The end cap assembly of claim 5, wherein the range R of values for the width of each of the plurality of circuit layers satisfies:

H/M，

m is the number of the circuit layers included in each connecting piece, and H is the value range of the total width of the circuit layers under the condition that the connecting piece meets the target overcurrent capacity.

7. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the line layer has a width ranging from 2cm to 4cm.

8. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector further comprises a protective layer and a connection layer, wherein the connection layer is disposed on both sides of the line layer in a width direction of the line layer, and the protective layer is disposed on both sides of the connection layer.

9. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector has a width of greater than or equal to 4cm.

10. An end cap assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said connector is directly connected to said manifold plate.

11. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector is connected to the manifold disc by an intermediate piece.

12. The end cap assembly of claim 11, wherein the intermediate piece is a nickel sheet.

13. The end cap assembly of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

and the electrode terminals are arranged on the end cover, and the shape of the end cover is round.

14. A battery cell, comprising:

a housing having an opening;

an electrode assembly accommodated in the case;

the end cap assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13, covering the opening to cap the electrode assembly in the case.

15. The battery cell of claim 14, wherein the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell.

16. A battery comprising the battery cell according to claim 14.