A large-capacity battery

Abstract

The present invention discloses a sealing connector and a high-capacity battery. The sealing connector is used to seal the outer shell of a high-capacity battery with the upper cover of any single cell. The sealing connector includes a hollow member that is sleeved over the outer side of the cell pole. The bottom of the hollow member is sealed to the first area of ​​the cell, and the top of the hollow member is sealed to the second area of ​​the outer shell. This sealing connector solves the problem of gaps between the upper cover and the outer shell of a single cell in existing high-capacity batteries, which can lead to cold welds between the outer shell and the upper cover during laser welding, or even prevent welding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of batteries, and in particular relates to a large-capacity battery. Background Art

[0002] There are differences among the individual cells in existing battery modules, resulting in poor uniformity of the individual cells in the battery module, which in turn directly leads to limited cycle life of the battery module. Therefore, how to improve the uniformity of the individual cells in the battery module has become the focus and difficulty of research in this field.

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, the related art proposes a large-capacity battery, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 The large-capacity battery comprises a housing 1 and a plurality of single cells 2; the multiple single cells are placed in parallel in the housing 1, and a first through hole 3 is provided on the top plate of the housing 1 corresponding to the pole of each single cell 2, for allowing the pole of the single cell to extend out of the housing 1; the housing 1 is provided with at least one shared chamber 4 communicating with the inner cavity of each single cell 2;

[0004] like Figure 1 As shown, if there is only one shared chamber 4, when it is used to communicate with the electrolyte area in the inner cavity of each single battery 2, the electrolyte of each single battery can be shared; Figure 2 As shown, when it is used to communicate with the gas area in the inner cavity of each single cell, it can be used to achieve gas balance in each single cell.

[0005] like Figure 3 As shown, if there are two shared chambers 4, one of them is used to realize electrolyte sharing among the single cells, and the other is used to realize gas balance among the single cells.

[0006] The shared chamber 4 allows each single cell to be in at least one of a unified electrolyte environment and a gas balance environment, thereby ensuring the uniformity of each single cell and improving the performance and cycle life of the large-capacity battery.

[0007] In order to prevent the shared chamber from being completely isolated from the external environment, the sealing performance of the housing 1 is particularly important.

[0008] After the multiple cells 2 are grouped, each first through hole 3 on the housing 1 and the corresponding upper cover assembly of the cell 2 need to be sealed and welded to ensure the sealing at that location. The current method is to weld the housing and the upper cover assembly of the cell by laser welding in the surrounding area corresponding to each first through hole 3 ( Figure 1 The circle at A is the welding track).

[0009] However, when mass-producing large-capacity batteries, due to the existence of processing errors and assembly errors, if it is necessary to ensure that the bottoms of each single cell are at the same level, the tops of each single cell (i.e., the upper cover assembly) will have uneven heights, resulting in gaps between the upper cover assembly and the outer shell of individual single cells in some large-capacity batteries. As a result, there may be cold welds between the outer shell and the upper cover assembly during laser welding, or even problems with welding being impossible, which affects the yield of large-capacity batteries. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In order to solve the problem of gaps between the upper cover plate and the outer shell of a single cell of an existing large-capacity battery, which may result in a cold weld between the outer shell and the upper cover plate, or even a welding failure, the present invention provides a sealing connector for sealingly connecting the outer shell of a large-capacity battery to the upper cover plate of any single cell. The outer shell is provided with a plurality of first through holes for extending the poles of each single cell in the large-capacity battery. The sealing connector includes a hollow member for being sleeved on the outer side of the pole of the single cell. The bottom of the hollow member is sealedly connected to the first area of ​​the single cell, and the top of the hollow member is sealedly connected to the second area of ​​the outer shell.

[0011] The first area is an area located around any pole in the upper cover plate of any single battery;

[0012] The second area is an area corresponding to any first through hole on the housing.

[0013] When the hollow component is used in the present invention, it is sleeved on the outside of the pole of the single cell. The bottom is used to be sealed and connected to the upper cover of the single cell, and the top is used to be sealed and connected to the surrounding area of ​​the first through hole corresponding to the pole on the shell. Regardless of whether there is a gap between the shell and the upper cover of each single cell, or whether the gap sizes are different, the hollow component can seal and fix the shell and the upper cover of the single cell, thereby ensuring the sealing of the large-capacity battery shell, and solving the problem of cold welding or even failure to weld that may occur when directly laser welding the shell and the upper cover of the single cell.

[0014] Furthermore, a first annular plate is provided on the outer side of the bottom of the hollow member for welding to the upper cover of the single cell. During use, after the hollow member is sleeved onto the terminal post, the first annular plate is welded to the upper cover of the single cell. Thereafter, the top of the hollow member is directly welded to the wall of the first through hole, or the top of the hollow member is bent and welded to the area of ​​the housing surrounding the first through hole.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to facilitate processing and reduce the number of parts, the hollow component and the first annular plate are integrally formed.

[0016] Furthermore, a second annular plate for welding to the second area is provided on the outer side of the top of the hollow component, and a third annular plate for welding to the first area is provided on the inner side of the bottom of the hollow component; the inner diameter of the third annular plate is larger than the outer diameter of the insulating sealing gasket provided at the single cell pole.

[0017] During use, the single cell can be placed into the shell first, ensuring that the single cell extends out of the first through hole, and then the hollow component can be placed through the first through hole, ensuring that the third annular plate contacts the upper cover plate of the single cell, and after the second annular plate contacts the outer surface of the shell, the third annular plate and the first area, as well as the second annular plate and the second area can be welded respectively.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to facilitate processing and reduce the number of parts, the hollow member, the second annular plate and the third annular plate are integrally formed.

[0019] Furthermore, a buffer deformation groove is provided on the side wall of the hollow member. This buffer deformation groove not only provides a certain deformation margin for sealing and fixing, which can be used to compensate for the problem of welding problems caused by excessive gaps between the shell and the single battery, but also compensates for the coaxial deviation between the single battery terminal and the corresponding first through hole. At the same time, when the large-capacity battery is subjected to external forces or self-vibration, the buffer deformation groove itself has a certain buffering effect, ensuring the reliability of sealing and fixing.

[0020] A second aspect of the present invention provides a large-capacity battery comprising a housing and N single cells, where N is greater than or equal to 2; the N single cells are arranged in parallel and integrally disposed within the housing; the housing is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber that communicates with the electrolyte regions of the single cells; the improvements are:

[0021] Also included are 2N sealing connectors provided in the first aspect above; the sealing connectors include hollow components;

[0022] The bottom of the hollow member is sealed to the first area of ​​any single cell, and the top of the hollow member is sealed to the second area of ​​the shell; the pole of the single cell extends out of the hollow member, and insulation is maintained between the pole of the single cell and the hollow member.

[0023] The large-capacity battery can achieve at least one uniform state of gas balance and electrolyte sharing for each single cell by sharing the chamber, thereby making the large-capacity battery have a longer cycle life. In addition, the large-capacity battery uses a hollow component to seal the shell and the single cell, which not only has good sealing performance but also is easy to assemble.

[0024] The present invention provides the following five types of large-capacity batteries:

[0025] 1. There is one shared chamber, which is integrally formed at the bottom of the shell and communicates with the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell, thereby enabling the large-capacity battery to have the function of sharing electrolyte and ensuring the consistency of the electrolyte of each single cell.

[0026] Second, there is one shared chamber, which is integrally formed on the top of the shell and communicates with the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell, thereby enabling the large-capacity battery to have a gas balance function and ensuring the consistency of the gas of each single cell.

[0027] 3. There is one shared chamber, which is integrally formed on the top of the shell and covers the explosion vents of each single battery, to ensure that the smoke from thermal runaway of the single battery breaks through the explosion vent and is discharged through the shared chamber.

[0028] Fourth, there are two shared chambers, one of which is integrally formed at the bottom of the shell and communicates with the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell, and the other shared chamber is integrally formed at the top of the shell and communicates with the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell. This enables the large-capacity battery to have the functions of electrolyte sharing and gas balancing at the same time, greatly improving the consistency of the gas of each single cell.

[0029] 5. There are two shared chambers, one of which is integrally formed at the bottom of the shell and is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery. The other shared chamber is integrally formed at the top of the shell and covers the explosion vent of each single battery to ensure that the smoke from thermal runaway of the single battery breaks through the explosion vent and is discharged through the shared chamber. Then, the large-capacity battery has the electrolyte sharing function and the liquid has the explosion venting function of a single battery, ensuring the consistency of the electrolyte of each single battery while also improving safety to a certain extent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first structural form of a large-capacity battery proposed in the related art of the background technology;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the second structural form of a large-capacity battery proposed in the related art of the background technology;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the third structural form of a large-capacity battery proposed in the related art of the background technology;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of the sealing connector provided in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sealed connector and the single battery after connection in Example 1;

[0035] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the sealing connector and the large-capacity battery in Example 1;

[0036] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of the sealing connector provided in Example 2;

[0037] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a sealing connector with an additional buffer deformation groove;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the outer shell of the large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first cover plate in Example 3;

[0040] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of the U-shaped shell in Example 3;

[0041] Figure 12 is a three-dimensional diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 5;

[0042] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the outer shell of the large-capacity battery in Example 5;

[0043] Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the structure of the U-shaped shell in Example 5;

[0044] Figure 15 This is a schematic structural diagram of the second cover plate in Example 5;

[0045] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the large-capacity battery structure in Example 6;

[0046] Figure 17 Schematic diagram of the structure of the large-capacity battery housing in Example 6.

[0047] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0048] 1-shell, 11-cylinder, 12-first cover, 13-second cover, 14-U-shaped shell, 15-third cover, 16-fourth cover, 2-single battery, 21-pole adapter, 3-first through hole, 4-shared chamber, 5-sealing connector, 51-hollow member, 52-first annular plate, 53-second annular plate, 54-third annular plate, 55-buffer deformation groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments, not all embodiments. Based on the following embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0050] At the same time, it should be noted that the terms "top, bottom, inner, and outer" used herein to indicate orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the technical solution. Furthermore, the terms "first, second, or third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0051] Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted, connected, and connected" in this disclosure should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, removable, or integral connections. They may also refer to mechanical, electrical, or direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this disclosure.

[0052] The basic design idea of ​​the sealing connector in the present invention is:

[0053] To address the problem of poor welds or failure to weld during laser welding due to excessive gaps between the large-capacity battery housing and the upper cover of each individual battery cell caused by machining and assembly errors, the present invention employs a sealing connector to address this issue. The sealing connector comprises a hollow member; the bottom of the hollow member is sealed to a first region of the individual battery cell, and the top of the hollow member is sealed to a second region of the housing; the first region is the area surrounding any terminal in the upper cover of any individual battery cell; the second region is the area corresponding to any first through-hole in the housing.

[0054] The area corresponding to the first through hole is the peripheral area on the outer surface of the housing corresponding to any one of the first through holes; or the area corresponding to the first through hole is the wall of the first through hole.

[0055] The area around the pole is the area around the insulating gasket on the pole. The insulating gasket is a component on the single battery used to insulate the pole from the upper cover.

[0056] The hollow member is generally a thin-walled, tubular structure that can be sealed to the upper cover of the single cell and the outer casing of the large-capacity battery by bonding, riveting, or welding. The horizontal cross-section of the hollow member can be rectangular or circular. To better match the shape of the first through-hole and the terminal, the hollow member cross-section is typically circular.

[0057] Since bonding has poor reliability compared to welding and riveting is inconvenient for assembly, welding is usually used to seal the hollow component to the outer shell and the upper cover of the single battery.

[0058] It should be noted that in this embodiment, in order to ensure the operability and reliability of welding between the shell of the large-capacity battery, the upper cover assembly of the single cell and the hollow component, since the shell of the single cell is made of aluminum, the hollow component and the shell of the large-capacity battery are also made of aluminum.

[0059] The sealing connector and the large-capacity battery using the sealing connector are described in detail below with reference to several embodiments.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the sealing connector 5 includes a hollow member 51 and a first annular plate 52 arranged at the bottom of the hollow member 51; the first annular plate 52 can be fixed to the outer side of the bottom of the hollow member 51 by welding, or the first annular plate 52 can be integrally formed on the bottom of the hollow member 51 by bending. For ease of processing, it is usually preferred to integrally form the first annular plate 52 on the hollow member 51 by bending.

[0062] Combine Figures 4 to 6 When using the sealing connector 5 of this embodiment, the sealing connector 5 is first placed outside the terminal of the single cell 2. The sealing connector 5 is then welded to the upper cover of the single cell 2 using the first annular plate 52. To ensure the reliability and sealing of the weld between the hollow member 51 and the upper cover of the single cell 2, this embodiment uses laser welding. The welded single cell 2 is then placed into the outer shell 1. The top of the sealing connector 5 on the single cell 2 is then bent so that the bent portion contacts the upper surface of the outer shell 1. Finally, the bent portion and the outer shell are welded together. To ensure the reliability and sealing of the weld between the sealing connector 5 and the outer shell 1, this embodiment also uses laser welding.

[0063] In some other embodiments, if the first annular plate 52 is not provided on the top of the hollow component 51, laser welding cannot be used when welding the hollow component 51 to the upper cover plate, which may result in relatively weak reliability and sealing of the welding part.

[0064] In some other embodiments, if the bottom of the hollow component 51 is not bent, laser welding cannot be used when welding the hollow component 51 to the housing 1, which may result in relatively weak reliability and sealing of the welding part.

[0065] In some other embodiments, to allow the battery cell pole to extend, a pole adapter 21 can be added to the existing pole of the battery cell by screw connection or welding to ensure that the pole can extend out of the housing. The horizontal cross-section of the pole adapter 21 can be cylindrical or square.

[0066] Example 2

[0067] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the sealing connector 5 includes a hollow member 51, a second annular plate 53 disposed on the outer side of the top of the hollow member, and a third annular plate 54 disposed on the inner side of the bottom of the hollow member. The inner diameter of the third annular plate is larger than the outer diameter of the insulating sealing gasket provided at the single cell pole. The outer diameter of the sidewall of the hollow member 51 located between the second annular plate 53 and the third annular plate 54 is smaller than the diameter of the first through hole 3 in the housing 1. The second annular plate 53 and the third annular plate 54 can be fixed to the top and bottom of the hollow member 51 by welding (the top can be the top of the hollow member or a portion near the top, preferably the top; the bottom is the bottom of the hollow member), respectively. Alternatively, the second annular plate 53 and the third annular plate 54 can be integrally formed at the top and bottom of the hollow member 51 by bending. For ease of processing, it is generally preferred to integrally form the second and third annular plates on the hollow member by bending.

[0068] See also Figure 6 When using the sealing connector of this embodiment, the single cell can be placed into the housing 1 first. After ensuring that the single cell 2 extends out of the first through-hole 3, the sealing connector 5 is then inserted through the first through-hole 3. After ensuring that the third annular plate 54 contacts the upper cover of the single cell and the second annular plate 53 contacts the outer surface of the housing, the third annular plate 54 and the upper cover of the single cell, and the second annular plate 53 and the outer surface of the housing 1 are welded separately. To ensure the reliability and sealing of the welds between the third annular plate 54 and the upper cover of the single cell, and between the second annular plate 53 and the outer surface of the housing 1, this embodiment uses laser welding.

[0069] Compared with the structure of Example 1, this hollow component structure does not require additional bending operations, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0070] In addition, if Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, a buffer deformation groove 55 is further provided on the side wall of the hollow member 51. This buffer deformation groove 55 not only provides a certain deformation margin for sealing and fixing, which can be used to compensate for the problem of welding problems caused by excessive gaps between the housing and the single battery, but also compensates for the coaxial deviation between the single battery terminal and the corresponding first through hole. At the same time, when the large-capacity battery is subjected to external forces or self-vibration, the buffer deformation groove itself has a certain buffering effect, ensuring the reliability of sealing and fixing.

[0071] Of course, the structure of the buffer deformation groove 55 can also be applied to the sealing connector of Example 1.

[0072] Example 3

[0073] This embodiment provides a large capacity battery, such as Figure 6 As shown, the large-capacity battery includes a housing 1, N single cells 2, and 2N sealing connectors 5, where N is greater than or equal to 2; the N single cells 2 are arranged in parallel and are entirely arranged inside the housing 1; a shared chamber 4 is provided on the top of the housing 1 and is connected to the gas area of ​​each single cell 2;

[0074] The bottom of the sealing connector 5 is sealed to the first area of ​​any single battery 2, and the top of the sealing connector 5 is sealed to the second area of ​​the housing 1; the pole of the single battery 2 extends out of the sealing connector 5, and insulation is maintained between the pole and the sealing connector 5; the insulation method can be casting insulating glue or insulating rubber sleeve.

[0075] The sealing connector 5 adopts the structural form of embodiment 2, and of course the structure of embodiment 1 is also applicable.

[0076] The housing can take the following three forms:

[0077] 1. See Figure 9 and Figure 10 The housing 1 includes a cylinder 11, a first cover plate 12, and a second cover plate 13; the top and bottom of the cylinder 11 are both open, the first cover plate 12 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the top of the cylinder 11, and the second cover plate 13 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the bottom of the cylinder 11;

[0078] A shared cavity and 2N first through holes 3 are integrally formed on the first cover plate 12 , and the 2N first through holes 3 are arranged on both sides of the shared cavity.

[0079] 2. See Figure 9 and Figure 11The outer shell 1 includes a U-shaped shell 14, a first cover plate 12, a third cover plate 15 and a fourth cover plate 16; the top, front and rear of the U-shaped shell 14 are all open, the first cover plate 12 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the top of the U-shaped shell 14, and the third cover plate 15 and the fourth cover plate 16 are sealed and fixed (welded) to the front and rear of the U-shaped shell 14 respectively.

[0080] A shared cavity and 2N first through holes 3 are integrally formed on the first cover plate 12 , and the 2N first through holes 3 are arranged on both sides of the shared cavity.

[0081] 3. See Figure 9 The housing 1 includes a cylinder 11, a third cover plate 15, and a fourth cover plate 16; the front and rear of the cylinder 11 are open, the third cover plate 15 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the front of the cylinder 11, and the fourth cover plate 16 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the rear of the cylinder;

[0082] A shared cavity and 2N first through holes 3 are integrally formed on the top of the cylinder 11 , and the 2N first through holes 3 are arranged on both sides of the shared cavity.

[0083] In the above three types of housings, the cylinder 11 and the U-shaped shell 14 can be spliced ​​together by welding, or can be integrally formed by casting or stamping. In order to facilitate processing while ensuring sealing, the integral forming method is usually selected.

[0084] Example 4

[0085] See also Figure 5 The large-capacity battery structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of Example 3, with the difference being that the gas port of the single cell is the explosion vent, and the shared chamber covers the explosion vent. When thermal runaway occurs in the single cell, the thermal runaway smoke breaks through the explosion vent and can be discharged through the shared chamber.

[0086] Example 5

[0087] like Figure 12 As shown, the high-capacity battery structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of Example 3, with only one shared chamber. The difference is that the shared chamber is located at the bottom of the housing and is used to connect the electrolyte areas of the individual cells. Because the individual cells share the electrolyte, multiple cells in this embodiment need to be arranged in parallel.

[0088] When the sealing mechanism on the lower cover assembly of each single cell is opened under the action of electrolyte or external force, the electrolyte area of ​​each single cell is connected to the shared chamber, and then each single cell is placed in a common electrolyte system, thereby improving the performance and cycle life of large-capacity batteries.

[0089] The shell of a large-capacity battery can be constructed in the following three forms:

[0090] 1. See Figure 13 and Figure 15 As shown, the housing 1 includes a cylinder 11, a first cover plate 12, and a second cover plate 13; the top and bottom of the cylinder 11 are both open, the first cover plate 12 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the top of the cylinder 11, and the second cover plate 13 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the bottom of the cylinder 11;

[0091] The first cover plate 12 is provided with 2N first through holes 3 , and the second cover plate 13 is integrally formed with a shared cavity.

[0092] 2. See Figure 13 and Figure 14 The outer shell 1 includes a U-shaped shell 14, a first cover plate 12, a third cover plate 15 and a fourth cover plate 16; the top, front and rear of the U-shaped shell 14 are all open, the first cover plate 12 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the top of the U-shaped shell 14, and the third cover plate 15 and the fourth cover plate 16 are sealed and fixed (welded) to the front and rear of the U-shaped shell 14 respectively.

[0093] The first cover plate 12 is provided with 2N first through holes 3 , and a shared cavity is integrally formed on the bottom of the U-shaped shell 14 .

[0094] 3. See Figure 13 The housing 1 includes a cylinder 11, a third cover plate 15, and a fourth cover plate 16; the front and rear of the cylinder 11 are open, the third cover plate 15 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the front of the cylinder 11, and the fourth cover plate 16 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the rear of the cylinder;

[0095] 2N first through holes 3 are provided on the top of the cylinder 11 , and a shared cavity is integrally formed at the bottom of the cylinder 11 .

[0096] In the above three types of housings, the cylinder 11 and the U-shaped shell 14 can be spliced ​​together by welding, or can be integrally formed by casting or stamping. In order to facilitate processing while ensuring sealing, the integral forming method is usually selected.

[0097] Example 6

[0098] like Figure 16 As shown, this embodiment is based on the embodiment 5 (electrolyte can be shared), and a shared chamber 4 is added on the top of the shell; that is, the large-capacity battery of this embodiment has two shared chambers 4.

[0099] When the shared chamber 4 added on the top of the shell is connected to the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell, the large-capacity battery has the functions of electrolyte sharing and gas balance, which greatly improves the consistency of the gas in each single cell.

[0100] When the shared chamber 4 added to the top of the shell covers the explosion venting part of each single battery 2, the large-capacity battery has the electrolyte sharing function and the single battery explosion venting function, ensuring the consistency of the electrolyte of each single battery while also improving safety to a certain extent.

[0101] The housing of the large-capacity battery in this embodiment can be constructed in the following three forms:

[0102] 1. See Figure 17 The housing 1 includes a cylinder 11, a first cover plate 12, and a second cover plate 13; the top and bottom of the cylinder 11 are both open, the first cover plate 12 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the top of the cylinder 11, and the second cover plate 13 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the bottom of the cylinder 11;

[0103] See also Figure 10 , the first cover plate 12 is provided with 2N first through holes 3 and a shared cavity is integrally formed, see Figure 15 A shared cavity is also integrally formed on the second cover plate 13 .

[0104] 2. See Figure 17 The outer shell 1 includes a U-shaped shell 14, a first cover plate 12, a third cover plate 15 and a fourth cover plate 16; the top, front and rear of the U-shaped shell 14 are all open, the first cover plate 12 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the top of the U-shaped shell 14, and the third cover plate 15 and the fourth cover plate 16 are sealed and fixed (welded) to the front and rear of the U-shaped shell 14 respectively.

[0105] See also Figure 10 , the first cover plate 12 is provided with 2N first through holes 3 and a shared cavity is integrally formed, see Figure 14 The bottom of the U-shaped shell 14 is also integrally formed with a shared chamber.

[0106] 3. See Figure 17 The housing 1 includes a cylinder 11, a third cover plate 15, and a fourth cover plate 16; the front and rear of the cylinder 11 are open, the third cover plate 14 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the front of the cylinder 11, and the fourth cover plate 16 is sealed and fixed (welded) to the rear of the cylinder;

[0107] The top of the cylinder 11 is provided with 2N first through holes 3 and a shared cavity is integrally formed therewith. The bottom of the cylinder 11 is also integrally formed therewith with a shared cavity.

[0108] In the above three types of housings, the cylinder 11 and the U-shaped shell 14 can be spliced ​​together by welding, or can be integrally formed by casting or stamping. In order to facilitate processing while ensuring sealing, the integral forming method is usually selected.

Claims

1. A large-capacity battery comprising a housing and N single cells, where N is greater than or equal to 2; the N single cells are arranged in parallel and disposed entirely within the housing; the housing is provided with a shared chamber communicating with the inner cavities of the single cells; and characterized in that: Also included are 2N sealing connectors; the sealing connectors include hollow components; The bottom of the hollow member is sealed and welded to the first area of ​​any single battery, and the top of the hollow member is sealed and welded to the second area of ​​the shell; the pole of the single battery extends out of the hollow member, and insulation is maintained between the pole of the single battery and the hollow member; The first area is an area located around any pole in the upper cover plate of any single battery; The second area is an area corresponding to any first through hole on the housing.

2. The large-capacity battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first annular plate for welding to the upper cover plate of the single battery is arranged on the outer side of the bottom of the hollow component.

3. The large-capacity battery according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hollow member and the first annular plate are integrally formed.

4. The large-capacity battery according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A buffer deformation groove is provided on the side wall between the top and the bottom of the hollow component.

5. A large-capacity battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is one shared chamber, which is integrally formed at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery; Alternatively, the shared chamber is one and is integrally formed on the top of the housing and communicates with the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery; Alternatively, the shared chamber is one and is integrally formed on the top of the shell and covers the explosion vents of each single cell, to ensure that the smoke from thermal runaway of the single cell breaks through the explosion vent and is discharged through the shared chamber.

6. A large-capacity battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two shared chambers, one of which is integrally formed at the bottom of the housing and communicates with the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell, and the other is integrally formed at the top of the housing and communicates with the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell; Alternatively, there are two shared chambers, one of which is integrally formed at the bottom of the shell and is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell, and the other shared chamber is integrally formed at the top of the shell and covers the explosion vent of each single cell to ensure that the smoke from thermal runaway of the single cell breaks through the explosion vent and is discharged through the shared chamber.

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