Terminal assembly for current shunting

Abstract

The present invention discloses a terminal assembly for current diversion, comprising an insulating member and at least two terminals, wherein a plurality of terminals are arranged on the insulating member and isolated from each other by the insulating member, and a plurality of terminals are connected to a plurality of tabs on a plurality of core packs arranged inside a battery. By setting a plurality of independent terminals to divert the current, a single terminal only needs to carry part of the current, rather than the entire current, so the requirements for the current carrying capacity of a single terminal are relatively low, and the size of the terminal can be set smaller, occupying less space inside the battery, so that the battery has a larger capacity. The multi-terminal structure enables the current confluence point to be generated outside the battery, and the number of parallel tabs inside the battery is greatly reduced or there are no parallel tabs, thereby reducing the temperature rise inside the battery and improving the safety of the battery. Since the current confluence point is generated outside the battery, a temperature collector can be conveniently set at the confluence point to effectively monitor the temperature of the battery during high current charging and discharging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, and in particular to a terminal assembly for current shunting. Background Art

[0002] A typical battery has only one positive terminal and one negative terminal. Several tabs on the battery core are connected to several connectors, which are connected in parallel to the terminals. Current flows from these connectors to the terminals, causing them to carry a large current. This parallel current also generates a large amount of heat at the confluence point, causing the connection between the terminals and the connectors to heat up rapidly. The heat generated accumulates inside the battery and is difficult to dissipate, increasing the risk of thermal runaway and reducing battery safety. As battery size and capacity increase, the requirements for battery terminal current capacity and temperature rise are becoming increasingly stringent, especially for power batteries, where large-sized, high-energy batteries are widely used.

[0003] The common approach to improving current capacity and reducing temperature rise is to enlarge the battery's positive and negative terminals and connecting components. This involves increasing the length, width, and thickness of the terminals and increasing the cross-sectional area of the connecting components. This improves the current capacity of the terminals and connecting components and reduces temperature rise. However, simply increasing the size of the terminals and connecting components to improve current capacity and reduce temperature rise reduces internal battery space utilization and reduces battery capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a terminal assembly for current diversion, which realizes current diversion through a plurality of terminals isolated from each other, so that the current confluence point is generated outside the battery, reducing the size of the terminal, reducing the space occupied by the internal battery and effectively reducing the temperature rise inside the battery.

[0005] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A terminal assembly for current shunting is provided, comprising an insulating member and at least two terminals, wherein a plurality of the terminals are arranged on the insulating member and isolated from each other by the insulating member, and the plurality of the terminals are connected to a plurality of tabs arranged on a core pack inside a battery.

[0007] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the terminals are connected to the tabs in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0008] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the terminal assembly for current diversion also includes a plurality of connectors, which are spaced apart and insulated from each other, one end of the connector is connected to the terminal, and the other end of the connector is connected to the tab.

[0009] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the terminal includes a main body and a connecting column, the main body is arranged on the cover plate of the battery, the connecting column is protruded on the main body and faces the interior of the battery, a positioning hole is opened on the connector, and the connecting column passes through the positioning hole.

[0010] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the connector includes a first segment and a second segment connected at an angle, the first segment is connected to the terminal, and the second segment is connected to the tab, and the angle is 0 to 180 degrees.

[0011] As a preferred solution of the present invention, several of the terminals are arranged side by side on the insulating member, a first gap is formed between two adjacent terminals and is filled by the insulating member, several of the first segments are arranged side by side, a second gap is formed between two adjacent first segments, and the first gap is arranged parallel to or at an angle to the second gap.

[0012] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the positioning hole is provided at one end of the first segment away from the second segment, the first slit is perpendicular to the second slit, and the lengths of the first segments are different;

[0013] Alternatively, the first slit and the second slit are arranged in parallel, and the lengths of the first segments are the same.

[0014] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the core package is of a wound or laminated type, and the number of the core package is at least one.

[0015] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the terminal assembly for current diversion further includes a conductive sheet, which is arranged on a side of the terminal away from the core package and connected to a plurality of the terminals.

[0016] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the conductive sheet includes a plurality of branch contacts arranged at intervals, and the plurality of branch contacts are connected to the plurality of terminals in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0017] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0018] The terminal assembly for current diversion of the present invention diverts current by providing multiple independent terminals. A single terminal only needs to carry part of the current, rather than the entire current. Therefore, the current carrying capacity requirements for a single terminal are relatively low, and the terminal size can be set smaller, occupying less internal battery space, thereby increasing the battery capacity. The multi-terminal structure allows the current confluence point to be generated outside the battery, greatly reducing the number of parallel tabs inside the battery or eliminating the parallel tabs, thereby effectively reducing the temperature rise inside the battery and improving the safety of the battery. In addition, since the current confluence point is generated outside the battery, a temperature collector can be conveniently set at the confluence point to effectively monitor the temperature of the battery during high-current charging and discharging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A front view of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a terminal being arranged on an insulating member in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 The conductive sheet and Figure 1 A top view of the terminals after connection;

[0022] Figure 4 A top view of a terminal assembly for current diversion according to an embodiment of the present invention disposed on a cover plate;

[0023] Figure 5 A front view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A top view of

[0025] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Side view of;

[0026] Figure 8 A front view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A top view of

[0028] Figure 10 A top view of a battery to which a terminal assembly for current diversion according to some embodiments of the present invention is applied;

[0029] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A way of arranging the connector inside the battery;

[0030] Figure 12 for Figure 11Side view of;

[0031] Figure 13 for Figure 10 Another arrangement of the connector inside the battery;

[0032] Figure 14 A top view of a battery using terminal assemblies for current diversion according to other embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 15 Schematic cross-sectional views of batteries using terminal assemblies for current diversion according to yet other embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 16 for Figure 15 Side view of the battery.

[0035] In the picture:

[0036] 1. Terminal; 11. Main body; 12. Connecting column; 2. Insulating member; 3. Connecting member; 31. First segment; 311. Positioning hole; 32. Second segment; 4. Conductive sheet; 41. Branch contact; 5. Cover; 6. Housing; 100. First gap; 200. Second gap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation methods.

[0038] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly indicate the quantity of the technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the terminal assembly for current diversion in this embodiment includes three terminals 1 and an insulating member 2. The three terminals 1 are arranged on the insulating member 2 and isolated from each other by the insulating member 2. The terminals 1 are connected to several tabs (not shown in the figure) on the core package (not shown in the figure).

[0041] The terminal assembly for current diversion in this embodiment diverts current by providing three independent terminals 1. A single terminal 1 only needs to carry a portion of the current rather than the entire current. Therefore, the current carrying capacity requirements for a single terminal 1 are relatively low, and the size of the terminal 1 can be set smaller, occupying less internal battery space, thereby increasing the battery capacity. Due to the use of multiple terminals 1, the current confluence point is generated outside the battery, and the number of parallel-connected tabs inside the battery is greatly reduced or eliminated. This effectively controls the temperature rise inside the battery and improves battery safety. Since the current confluence point is generated outside the battery, a temperature collector can be conveniently set at the confluence point to effectively monitor the battery temperature during high-current charging and discharging.

[0042] In some other embodiments, each terminal assembly for current diversion may include two or four or more terminals 1, and the number of terminals 1 is determined according to the number of tabs in the battery core pack.

[0043] Preferably, one terminal 1 is connected to one tab, so that current convergence does not occur inside the battery, thereby minimizing the heat generated inside the battery and improving the safety of the battery.

[0044] Optionally, one terminal 1 is connected to two tabs, that is, the two tabs are connected in parallel, which can reduce the heat generated inside the battery.

[0045] like Figures 5 to 15 As shown, preferably, the terminal assembly for current diversion further includes a plurality of connectors 3, which are spaced apart and insulated from each other, one end of the connector 3 being connected to the terminal 1, and the other end of the connector 3 being connected to the tab. Under normal circumstances, there is a certain distance between the terminal 1 and the tab, and the two cannot be directly connected. The connector 3 is required to achieve an effective electrical connection between the tab and the terminal 1.

[0046] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, the terminal 1 includes a main body 11 and a connecting post 12. The main body 11 is provided on the cover plate 5 of the battery. The connecting post 12 is protruded from the main body 11 and faces the interior of the battery. Figures 5 to 9 As shown, the connector 3 is provided with a positioning hole 311, through which the connecting post 12 passes. The connectors 3 are numerous and relatively small in size, and isolation between each other is essential. When the connectors 3 and the terminals 1 are welded together, the connectors 3 must be precisely positioned. Because the main body 11 is disposed on the insulating member 2, the welding location is limited. The connecting post 12 protrudes from the surface of the insulating member 2, providing both a positioning point and a welding point for the connector 3, thereby facilitating welding between the connector 3 and the terminal 1.

[0047] The materials of the terminal 1 and the connector 3 can be metal materials, conductive organic materials (such as conductive plastics), conductive inorganic materials (such as conductive ceramics, conductive glass, carbon conductive materials), and the insulating member 2 can be insulating inorganic materials (ceramics, glass), insulating organic materials (fluororubber, PP, PET, PI).

[0048] Specifically, the material selected for the connector 3 can be pure copper, pure aluminum, nickel sheet, or a composite metal material formed by any combination of copper, aluminum, and nickel.

[0049] Preferably, the main body 11 and the connecting post 12 are made by cold heading process. When the terminal 1 is made of metal, the cold heading process is used to make the main body 11 and the connecting post 12 have higher precision. The terminal 1 can also be made of non-metallic materials.

[0050] Furthermore, the connection between the main body 11 and the connecting column 12 can be achieved by riveting, laser welding, friction welding, brazing, etc.

[0051] Preferably, when the insulating part 2 is made of plastic material, such as PP or PPS, the insulating part 2 is injection molded. For the terminal 1 with an irregular shape, injection molding can produce an insulating part 2 with a complex shape, thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency of the insulating part 2 and reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0052] Optionally, the insulating member 2 may also be made of non-plastic materials and may be manufactured using other processing methods, such as mechanical CNC processing, ceramic sintering, and vacuum forming.

[0053] like Figures 6 and 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the connector 3 includes a first segment 31 and a second segment 32 that are arranged at an angle, and a positioning hole 311 is opened at one end of the first segment 31 away from the second segment 32. The first segment 31 is connected to the terminal 1, and the second segment 32 is connected to the tab. Since the tab in the core package is usually separated from the terminal 1 by a distance, and the location and number of tabs in different types of core packages may be different, the second segment 32 can be set to a corresponding length according to the specific location of the tab, and adapt to the location of the tab and better connect with the tab by forming a specific angle with the first segment 31. The angle between the first segment 31 and the second segment 32 is between 0 and 180 degrees. When the angle is 180 degrees, the first segment 31 and the second segment 32 are integrated. The connector 3 is straight without any bends. It is suitable for situations where the relative position of the terminal 1 and the tab is good and a straight line connection is convenient, such as Figure 13 and Figure 15 The embodiment shown.

[0054] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 9As shown, further, several terminals 1 are arranged side by side on the insulating member 2, a first gap 100 is formed between two adjacent terminals 1 and is filled by the insulating member 2, several first segments 31 are arranged side by side, a second gap 200 is formed between two adjacent first segments 31, and the first gap 100 and the second gap 200 are arranged in parallel or at an angle. Figure 10 and Figure 14 As shown, the arrangement directions of the multiple terminals 1 on the cover plate 5 can be different. In combination with the location of the tabs, one connector 3 may be located only under one terminal 1, or one connector 3 may be located under multiple terminals 1. When one connector 3 is located under multiple terminals 1, the first gap 100 and the second gap 200 form an angle, and the insulating member 2 isolates the connector 3 from the main bodies 11 of the multiple terminals 1, so that one connector 3 is connected to the connecting post 12 of only one terminal 1, thus realizing independent current channels corresponding to one tab and one connector 3, and one connector 3 corresponding to one terminal 1.

[0055] Specifically, in some embodiments, the first gap 100 and the second gap 200 are perpendicular to each other, and the connection member 3 is arranged as follows: Figure 8 and Figure 9 In the case shown, since the distances between the connecting column 12 of each terminal 1 and the second segment 32 on the connecting member 3 connected thereto are different, the lengths of the first segments 31 are also different, so that the position of the positioning hole 311 matches the position of the connecting column 12.

[0056] In other embodiments, the first gap 100 and the second gap 200 are parallel to each other, and one connector 3 is located only below one terminal 1. Since the distance between the connecting column 12 of each terminal 1 and the second segment 32 on the connector 3 connected thereto is equal, the lengths of each first segment 31 are equal. Figure 13 The embodiment shown adopts this structure.

[0057] Preferably, the core pack is wound or laminated, and the number of core packs is at least one. Depending on the size of the battery housing 6, different numbers and types of core packs can be provided to obtain batteries of different capacities.

[0058] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, preferably, a conductive sheet 4 is provided on the terminal 1, and the conductive sheet 4 is used to gather the current of each terminal 1. Since it is provided outside the battery, a temperature collector can be conveniently provided on the conductive sheet 4 to effectively monitor the maximum temperature of the battery during high current charging and discharging.

[0059] Furthermore, the conductive sheet 4 includes three branch contacts 41 arranged at intervals, and one branch contact 41 is connected to one terminal 1. On the one hand, this can reduce the overall volume and weight of the conductive sheet 4, and on the other hand, it can move the current confluence point away from each terminal 1, so that the high temperature at the confluence point has less impact on the battery.

[0060] The terminal assembly for current shunting according to any of the above-described embodiments can be applied to a battery, which includes at least one cover plate 5, on which the terminal assembly for current shunting according to any of the above-described embodiments is disposed. While ensuring the flow capacity, the cover plate 5 occupies less space within the battery, thereby enabling the battery to have a larger capacity. In addition, because the largest heat source, i.e., the current confluence point, is located outside the battery, the temperature rise of the battery during the charging and discharging process can be effectively reduced, thereby enhancing the safety of the battery. Furthermore, the structure of this battery differs little from that of a conventional battery, eliminating the need for excessive additional manufacturing equipment, and effectively controlling costs.

[0061] Furthermore, the terminal assembly for current shunting includes a positive terminal assembly and a negative terminal assembly, and the cover plate 5 is one, and the positive terminal assembly and the negative terminal assembly are both arranged on the cover plate 5. Figure 10 and Figure 14 The embodiments of the present invention all adopt batteries of this structure. Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, in other embodiments, there are two cover plates 5, which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the housing 6, and the positive terminal assembly and the negative terminal assembly are respectively arranged on one of the cover plates 5. Depending on the distribution of the tabs inside the battery, a battery housing with any of the above structures can be adopted.

[0062] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "preferably," "further," etc., as preferred embodiments of the present invention, indicate that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0063] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the detailed embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the detailed embodiments described above, nor does it necessarily rely on the detailed embodiments to be implemented. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any improvements to the present invention, equivalent replacements of raw materials for the products of the present invention, addition of auxiliary ingredients, and selection of specific methods, etc., fall within the scope of protection and disclosure of the present invention.

Claims

1. A terminal assembly for current diversion, characterized in that: The battery comprises an insulating member and at least two terminals, wherein the terminals are arranged on the insulating member and isolated from each other by the insulating member, and the terminals are connected to a plurality of tabs arranged on a core pack inside the battery; The invention also includes a plurality of connectors, which are spaced apart and insulated from each other, and the connectors include a first segment and a second segment connected at an angle, the first segment is connected to the terminal, and the second segment is connected to the tab; The terminal includes a main body and a connecting post, wherein the main body is arranged on the cover of the battery, the connecting post is protruded from the main body and faces the interior of the battery, and a positioning hole is opened on the connector, and the connecting post passes through the positioning hole; Several terminals are arranged side by side on the insulating member, and a first gap is formed between two adjacent terminals and filled by the insulating member. Several first segments are arranged side by side, and a second gap is formed between two adjacent first segments. When one connecting member is located below multiple terminals, the first gap and the second gap form an angle. The insulating member isolates the connecting member from the main bodies of multiple terminals, so that one first segment of one connecting member is only connected to the connecting column of one terminal. One tab corresponds to one connecting member, and one connecting member corresponds to the current channel of multiple terminals.

2. The terminal assembly for current diversion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle is 0 to 180 degrees.

3. The terminal assembly for current diversion according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning hole is provided at one end of the first segment away from the second segment, the first gap is vertically arranged to the second gap, and the lengths of the first segments are different.

4. The terminal assembly for current diversion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core package is of a winding type or a laminated type, and the number of the core package is at least one.

5. The terminal assembly for current diversion according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a conductive sheet, which is arranged on a side of the terminal away from the core package and connected to a plurality of the terminals.

6. The terminal assembly for current diversion according to claim 5, characterized in that: The conductive sheet includes a plurality of branch contacts arranged at intervals, and the plurality of branch contacts are connected to the plurality of terminals in a one-to-one correspondence.

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