Flexible battery based on shape memory material and electronic product

Abstract

The invention provides a flexible battery based on a shape memory material and an electronic product, and relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, the flexible battery comprises a shape memory support and a battery body, and the material of the shape memory support comprises a shape memory polymer and / or a shape memory alloy. The shape memory support comprises two deformation plates and a supporting assembly, the two deformation plates are arranged in parallel at an interval, the supporting assembly is arranged between the two deformation plates, the two deformation plates are connected through the supporting assembly, the battery body is arranged between the two deformation plates in parallel, and the supporting assembly is distributed along the side of the battery body. According to the invention, the problem that the flexible battery in the prior art does not maintain the deformation shape can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, and in particular to a flexible battery and electronic product based on shape memory material. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid progress of electronic technology, more and more electronic devices are developing towards being thinner, more flexible and wearable. Among them, flexible electronic devices are an important research direction, and flexible batteries that can change shape and maintain shape are a focus of research on flexible electronic devices. Lithium-ion batteries have high energy density, good cycle performance and good stability, making them the most ideal candidates for the development of flexible energy storage devices.

[0003] However, although some flexible batteries have appeared on the market, they usually do not have the ability to maintain their shape, which means that users still need to apply additional external force when carrying them, reducing their portability. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the problem in the prior art that flexible batteries cannot maintain their deformed shapes.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a flexible battery and an electronic product based on shape memory materials. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a flexible battery based on shape memory materials, comprising a shape memory bracket and a battery body;

[0006] The material of the shape memory bracket includes shape memory polymer and / or shape memory alloy;

[0007] The battery body is a flexible and deformable structure;

[0008] The shape memory bracket includes two deformation plates arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other and a support assembly arranged between the two deformation plates, the two deformation plates are connected by the support assembly, the battery body is arranged parallel to the two deformation plates, and the support assembly is distributed along the side of the battery body.

[0009] Optionally, the support assembly includes a support bar, the top and the bottom of the support bar are respectively connected to the two deformable plates, and the support bar is distributed along the length and / or width direction of the battery body.

[0010] Optionally, the support baffle includes a plurality of mutually connected V-shaped support portions; or, the support baffle is wavy; or, the support baffle is mesh-shaped.

[0011] Optionally, the support assembly further includes at least two elastic support members, both ends of each of the elastic support members are respectively connected to two deformable plates, and at least two of the elastic support members are symmetrically distributed at corners of the deformable plates.

[0012] Optionally, the material of the deformable plate and the supporting bar includes shape memory polymer, and the material of the elastic supporting member includes shape memory alloy.

[0013] Optionally, the flexible battery also includes a temperature regulating device, which includes a heating element and a control switch. The heating element is arranged on the shape memory bracket, the heating element is electrically connected to the battery body, and the control switch is used to control the on and off of the electrical connection between the heating element and the battery body.

[0014] Optionally, the material of the deformable plate and the support bar further includes a conductive filler, and the deformable plate and / or the support bar are electrically connected to the battery body.

[0015] Optionally, the flexible battery further comprises a flexible shell, wherein the flexible shell is sleeved outside the shape memory bracket.

[0016] Optionally, the battery body includes a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab, and the flexible shell is provided with an opening for the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet to extend out.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an electronic product, comprising the above-mentioned flexible battery based on shape memory material.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared to the prior art are:

[0019] The embodiment of the present invention utilizes the shape memory function of the shape memory bracket to drive the battery body to deform. Specifically, the upper and lower layers of the shape memory bracket are deformable plates made of shape memory material, the middle layer is the battery body, and the upper and lower layers of the deformable plates are connected by a support assembly. Then the shape memory bracket is heated to the transition temperature. When the temperature reaches the transition temperature value, the material softens and the stiffness of the overall structure is significantly reduced. At this time, the shape memory bracket and the battery body inside it can be bent by manual operation so that they fit tightly to the surface of the target object. Subsequently, the heating is stopped, and when the temperature of the shape memory bracket drops below the transition temperature value, the stiffness of the overall structure is restored and locked in the shape, thereby maintaining its fitting state, solving the problem that the flexible battery in the prior art does not have the ability to maintain a deformed shape. After that, no matter what shape the user sets the flexible battery to, the structure can spontaneously return to its initial shape by simply heating the shape memory bracket again to above the transition temperature value, so as to improve the flexibility and adaptability of the battery. In addition, the present invention clamps the battery body between the upper and lower deformation plates, which can make the battery structure more compact without affecting the overall deformation function. The supporting assembly can provide stronger shape recovery performance and can fix and protect the battery body, thereby further improving the stability of the battery body in the shape memory bracket. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the external structure of a flexible battery in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of a flexible battery in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the external structure of the battery body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a battery body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible battery when it is bent in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 It is a side view of the flexible battery when it is bent in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Description of reference numerals:

[0027] 1. Shape memory bracket; 11. Deformation plate; 12. Support assembly; 121. Support bar; 1211. V-shaped support portion; 122. Elastic support member; 2. Battery body; 21. External insulating sealing layer; 22. Positive electrode sheet; 23. Internal insulating layer; 24. Negative electrode sheet; 25. Positive electrode ear; 26. Negative electrode ear; 3. Temperature regulating device; 31. Heating element; 32. Control switch; 4. Flexible shell; 41. Opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present invention. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present invention are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] The Z axis in the drawings represents the vertical direction, that is, the up and down position, and the positive direction of the Z axis represents the top, and the reverse direction of the Z axis represents the bottom; the X axis in the drawings represents the horizontal direction, and is designated as the front and back position, and the positive direction of the X axis represents the front side, and the reverse direction of the X axis represents the back side; the Y axis in the drawings represents the left and right position, and the positive direction of the Y axis represents the left side, and the reverse direction of the Y axis represents the right side. It should also be noted that the aforementioned Z axis, Y axis, and X axis are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0030] The term "including" and its variations used in this document are open inclusions, that is, "including but not limited to"; the term "based on" means "based at least in part on"; the term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments"; the term "optionally" means "optional embodiments". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the following description. It should be noted that the concepts of "first", "second", etc. mentioned in the present invention are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0031] It should be noted that the modifications of "one" and "plurality" mentioned in the present invention are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, it should be understood as "one or more".

[0032] Shape memory materials refer to products with an initial shape. After changing and fixing the initial conditions under certain conditions, the materials can restore their original shape through external conditions (such as heat, electricity, light, chemical induction, etc.). Among them, materials with shape memory function include shape memory polymers, such as epoxy resin, polyurethane, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl alcohol. Thermo-induced shape memory polymers are the most common type of shape memory polymers, which can achieve shape memory process under heat drive. By heating above the transition temperature, applying external force to change the shape, then lowering the temperature to fix the temporary shape, and finally heating above the transition temperature again, it can be restored to the initial shape. In addition, materials with shape memory function also include shape memory alloys. Shape memory alloys are materials composed of two or more metal elements that have shape memory effect through thermoelasticity and martensitic phase transformation and its inversion, such as nickel-titanium-based shape memory alloys, copper-based shape memory alloys and iron-based shape memory alloys.

[0033] Based on the above-mentioned related technologies, in order to solve the problem that the flexible battery in the prior art cannot maintain its deformed shape, the embodiments of the present invention provide a flexible battery and electronic product based on shape memory material. The flexible battery utilizes the thermotropic properties of the shape memory material, that is, it exhibits a hard rigid state at room temperature, but rapidly softens when the temperature reaches a certain temperature, exhibiting a plastic flexibility. This property enables it to drive the flexible battery and its corresponding electronic products to bend and fit to the surface of the human body or other electronic products after heating. At the same time, after cooling, the flexible battery can maintain the given shape, thereby achieving a combination of flexibility, portability and structural stability. The following combination Figure 1 - Figure explains the present invention in detail.

[0034] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible battery based on shape memory material, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the flexible battery includes a shape memory bracket 1 and a battery body 2. The material of the shape memory bracket 1 includes a shape memory polymer and / or a shape memory alloy. The battery body 2 is a flexible deformable structure. The shape memory bracket 1 includes two deformation plates 11 arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart and a support assembly 12 arranged between the two deformation plates 11. The two deformation plates 11 are connected by the support assembly 12. The battery body 2 is arranged parallel to the two deformation plates 11. The support assembly 12 is distributed along the side of the battery body 2.

[0035] The embodiment of the present invention utilizes the shape memory function of the shape memory bracket 1 to drive the battery body 2 to deform. Specifically, the upper and lower layers of the shape memory bracket 1 are made of a deformable plate 11 made of a shape memory material, and the middle layer is the battery body 2. The upper and lower layers of the deformable plate 11 are connected by a support assembly 12. Then the shape memory bracket 1 is heated to a transition temperature. When the temperature reaches the transition temperature value, the material softens and the rigidity of the overall structure is significantly reduced. At this time, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the shape memory bracket 1 and the battery body 2 inside it can be bent by manual operation so that they fit closely to the surface of the target object. Subsequently, the heating is stopped, and the temperature of the shape memory bracket 1 drops below the transition temperature value, and the overall structural stiffness is restored and locked in this shape, thereby maintaining its fitting state. After that, no matter what shape the user sets the flexible battery to, the structure can spontaneously recover to its initial shape by simply heating the shape memory bracket 1 again to above the transition temperature value, so as to improve the flexibility and adaptability of electronic products. In addition, the present invention sandwiches the battery body 2 between the upper and lower layers of deformation plates 11, which can make the battery structure more compact without affecting the overall deformation function, and the support assembly 12 can provide stronger shape recovery performance, and can fix and protect the battery body 2, thereby further improving the stability of the battery body 2 in the shape memory bracket 1.

[0036] Optionally, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the support assembly 12 includes a support bar 121, the top and bottom of the support bar 121 are respectively connected to the two deformable plates 11, and the support bar 121 is distributed along the length and / or width direction of the battery body 2. In some optional embodiments, the support bar 121 can be distributed only along the length direction of the battery body 2, and in other embodiments, the support bar 121 can be distributed along the four sides of the battery body 2 and disconnected at the position where the electrode sheet extends, so that the flexible battery can have better structural stability when bent in different directions.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the support bar 121 includes a plurality of interconnected V-shaped support portions 1211. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the support bar 121 may be wavy or mesh-shaped.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present invention, the support bars 121 are arranged in a V-shape, a wave shape or a mesh shape. Compared with the linear support, the angled support is more conducive to the bending of the overall structure, thereby improving the structural stability during deformation and shape recovery.

[0039] In some optional embodiments, the material of the deformable plate 11 includes a matrix and a reinforcing material, wherein the matrix can be made of a shape memory epoxy resin, a shape memory cyanate resin or a polyurethane that is resistant to corrosion by electrolyte solvents, and the reinforcing material can be made of carbon fiber or glass fiber cloth. Similarly, the material of the support bar 121 can also be made of an epoxy resin, a shape memory cyanate resin or a polyurethane. At the connection portion between the support bar 121 and the deformable plate 11, the same shape memory polymer as that of the deformable plate 11 and the support bar 121 can be used for curing to improve the stability of the connection and the stability of the shape recovery process.

[0040] In some optional embodiments, the material of the matrix phase in the deformable plate 11 and the support bar 121 may also include a conductive filler, and the deformable plate 11 and / or the support bar 121 are electrically connected to the battery body 2. Specifically, this can be achieved by adding conductive fillers such as graphene, carbon nanotubes and metal particles to a polymer matrix such as epoxy resin. The deformable plate 11 and / or the support bar 121 with conductive properties are electrically connected to the battery body 2, and corresponding switches are set. These conductive fillers form a conductive path in the polymer matrix. When current passes through, heat is generated to increase the temperature of the material, thereby softening the material, thereby realizing the shape recovery process. Therefore, the shape memory bracket 1 can be powered by the battery body 2 to generate heat to deform it without additionally setting up a heating device.

[0041] Optionally, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the support assembly 12 also includes at least two elastic support members 122, and the two ends of each elastic support member 122 are respectively connected to the two deformation plates 11, and at least two elastic support members 122 are symmetrically distributed at the corners of the deformation plate 11. In some specific embodiments, the number of elastic support members 122 can be two, and the two elastic support members 122 are symmetrically distributed at the diagonally opposite corners of the deformation plate 11. Of course, the number of elastic support members 122 can also be four, and the four elastic support members 122 are distributed at the four corners of the deformation plate 11. The elastic support member 122 can be a spring, and the material of the elastic support member 122 can be a shape memory alloy. The elastic support member 122 can provide stronger shape recovery performance.

[0042] Optionally, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the flexible battery also includes a temperature regulating device 3, which includes a heating element 31 and a control switch 32. The heating element 31 is arranged on the shape memory bracket 1, and the heating element 31 is electrically connected to the battery body 2, specifically connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery body 2 through the lead-out wires. The control switch 32 is used to control the on and off of the electrical connection between the heating element 31 and the battery body 2. Specifically, the heating element 31 can be a heating film pasted on the surface of the deformable plate 11, or a heating wire cured on the deformable surface. Among them, the heating film and the shape memory polymer composite material are bonded by a high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant high-temperature epoxy resin or a fluorinated polymer glue, and the outermost layer is bonded again by a high-temperature resistant polyimide tape to prevent the heating film from detaching.

[0043] Optionally, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the battery body 2 includes an external insulating sealing layer 21, a positive electrode sheet 22, an internal insulating layer 23, a negative electrode sheet 24, a positive electrode ear 25 and a negative electrode ear 26. The positive electrode sheets 22 and the negative electrode sheets 24 are alternately stacked and arranged inside the battery body 2. Each two adjacent positive electrode sheets 22 and negative electrode sheets 24 are isolated by the internal insulating layer 23. The external insulating sealing layer 21 is used to form a sealed cavity to accommodate the positive electrode sheet 22, the internal insulating layer 23, the negative electrode sheet 24 and the electrolyte, and to isolate the inside and outside of the battery body to prevent leakage of the electrolyte inside the battery. . . The positive electrode ear 25 extends out of the battery body 2 and is electrically connected to the positive electrode sheet 22 stacked inside the battery body 2 (specifically, it can be connected through an adapter sheet). Correspondingly, the negative electrode ear 26 also extends out of the battery body 2 and is electrically connected to the negative electrode sheet 24 stacked inside the battery body 2 (specifically, it can be connected through an adapter sheet). In addition, the external insulating sealing layer 21 also has two outlets for extending the positive electrode ear 25 and the negative electrode ear 26, and the outlets are sealed with high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant materials such as high-temperature resistant epoxy or fluorinated polymer glue. Specifically, the battery body 2 can use graphene as the material of the positive electrode sheet 22 and the negative electrode sheet 24, and the materials of the internal insulating layer 23 and the external insulating sealing layer 21 can be polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene or other plastics with high insulation, high temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance and the like. The battery body 2 in the embodiment of the present invention is used to provide electrical energy, which can not only provide power for the operation of the external system, but also provide energy for the shape memory bracket 1 or the temperature regulating device 3.

[0044] Optionally, refer to Figure 1As shown, the flexible battery also includes a flexible shell 4, which is sleeved outside the shape memory bracket 1 and is used to fix the components inside the flexible battery. The flexible shell 4 is made of an elastic material, specifically silicone or thermoplastic polyurethane, etc., to ensure that it has good flexibility and buffering performance when fixing the internal components of the battery. In addition, the flexible shell 4 is also provided with an opening 41 for the positive electrode sheet 22 and the negative electrode sheet 24 to extend out, and a control switch 32 for controlling the electrical connection between the heating element 31 and the battery body 2 can be provided on the flexible shell 4 for easy control. Furthermore, in order to improve the structural stability of the flexible battery after deformation, fixing holes and mounting protrusions can be respectively provided at both ends of the flexible shell 4 so that the flexible battery can be better fixed after bending and deformation.

[0045] In a second aspect, based on the above-mentioned flexible battery, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an electronic product, which includes the above-mentioned flexible battery based on shape memory material. Specifically, the electronic product can be a rollable display screen, a foldable mobile phone, or an electronic belt, an electronic bracelet, or other smart wearable device. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in actual use, the flexible battery can be installed in the above-mentioned electronic product to achieve bending deformation of the electronic product.

[0046] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these changes and modifications will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible battery based on shape memory material, characterized in that: It comprises a shape memory bracket (1) and a battery body (2); The material of the shape memory bracket (1) includes shape memory polymer and / or shape memory alloy; The battery body (2) is a flexible and deformable structure; The shape memory support (1) comprises two deformation plates (11) arranged in parallel and spaced relation to each other and a support assembly (12) arranged between the two deformation plates (11); the two deformation plates (11) are connected via the support assembly (12); the battery body (2) is arranged in parallel between the two deformation plates (11); and the support assembly (12) is distributed along the side of the battery body (2).

2. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support assembly (12) comprises a support bar (121), the top and bottom of the support bar (121) are respectively connected to the two deformable plates (11), and the support bar (121) is distributed along the length and / or width direction of the battery body (2).

3. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support baffle (121) comprises a plurality of mutually connected V-shaped support portions (1211); or, the support baffle (121) is wavy; or, the support baffle (121) is mesh-shaped.

4. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support assembly (12) further comprises at least two elastic support members (122), the two ends of each of the elastic support members (122) being respectively connected to the two deformable plates (11), and the at least two elastic support members (122) being symmetrically distributed at the corner positions of the deformable plates (11).

5. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 4, characterized in that: The material of the deformable plate (11) and the supporting bar (121) comprises a shape memory polymer, and the material of the elastic supporting member (122) comprises a shape memory alloy.

6. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 5, characterized in that: The materials of the deformable plate (11) and the supporting baffle (121) also include conductive fillers, and the deformable plate (11) and / or the supporting baffle (121) are electrically connected to the battery body (2).

7. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a temperature regulating device (3), wherein the temperature regulating device (3) comprises a heating element (31) and a control switch (32), wherein the heating element (31) is arranged on the shape memory support (1), the heating element (31) is electrically connected to the battery body (2), and the control switch (32) is used to control the on / off of the electrical connection between the heating element (31) and the battery body (2).

8. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a flexible shell (4), wherein the flexible shell (4) is sleeved outside the shape memory support (1).

9. The flexible battery based on shape memory material according to claim 8, characterized in that: The battery body (2) comprises a positive electrode lug (25) and a negative electrode lug (26), and the flexible shell (4) is provided with an opening (41) for the positive electrode lug (25) and the negative electrode lug (26) to extend out.

10. An electronic product, characterized in that: A flexible battery based on a shape memory material as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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