Battery monomer, battery pack and electric equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery monomer, a battery pack and electric equipment, the battery monomer comprises a shell, an electrode assembly and a liquid guide structure, the shell is provided with a containing cavity, the containing cavity is provided with a first end and a second end which are opposite along a first direction, the electrode assembly is arranged in the containing cavity, and the electrode assembly comprises a tab, the tab is arranged at one end, close to the first end, of the electrode assembly, the liquid guide structure comprises a movable part and a liquid guide part, the movable part is arranged between the electrode assembly and the first inner wall, located at the first end, of the containing cavity and can move in the first direction, and one end of the liquid guide part is connected to the movable part; one end of the liquid guide part is arranged in the accommodating cavity and is communicated with a cavity defined between the movable part and the first inner wall, and the other end of the liquid guide part extends to the second end of the accommodating cavity so as to convey the electrolyte at the first end to the second end. The liquid guide structure can realize circulation of the electrolyte, so that the utilization rate and the liquid retention capacity of the electrolyte of the battery monomer can be improved, and the cycle life of the battery monomer can be prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of batteries, and more particularly, to a battery cell, a battery pack, and an electrical device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of new energy vehicle technology, battery inversion has gradually become an important direction of technological innovation. By arranging the electrode assembly in an inverted manner, this technology optimizes the space utilization rate and heat dissipation performance of the battery pack, and also shows significant advantages in terms of safety.

[0003] However, after the battery cell is inverted, affected by gravity, the electrolyte in the battery cell will gather at the lower end of the battery cell. For example, it will gather on the side where the tab of the battery cell is located, that is, the pole column area, and there are a series of problems, such as low utilization rate of the electrolyte, or it is easy to cause corrosion of some components in the battery cell. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a battery cell, a battery pack, and an electrical device to at least partially overcome the problems existing in the related art.

[0005] To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery cell, comprising: A housing provided with a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity having a first end and a second end opposite to each other in a first direction; An electrode assembly disposed in the receiving cavity, the electrode assembly including a tab, the tab being disposed at one end of the electrode assembly close to the first end; and A liquid guiding structure including a movable member and a liquid guiding member, the movable member being disposed between the electrode assembly and a first inner wall of the receiving cavity at the first end, and the movable member being configured to be movable in the first direction; One end of the liquid guiding member is connected to the movable member and communicates with a cavity defined between the movable member and the first inner wall, and the other end of the liquid guiding member extends to the second end of the receiving cavity to convey the electrolyte located at the first end to the second end.

[0006] Optionally, the first direction is the direction of gravity, the first end is the lower end of the receiving cavity in the direction of gravity, and the second end is the upper end of the receiving cavity in the direction of gravity.

[0007] Optionally, the movable member is configured to be movable in the first direction along a direction close to the first inner wall under the action of the expansion force of the electrode assembly.

[0008] Optionally, the liquid guiding structure further includes an elastic member; The elastic member is disposed within the cavity, and the elastic member is located between the movable member and the first inner wall.

[0009] Optionally, the number of the elastic members is plural, and the plural elastic members at least include a first elastic member and a second elastic member. The first elastic member and the second elastic member are respectively disposed at two ends of the movable member along the length direction of the movable member.

[0010] Optionally, holes are formed on the surface of the elastic member, and the holes are configured as liquid storage channels; alternatively, the holes communicate with liquid storage channels located inside the elastic member.

[0011] Optionally, the elastic member includes a sponge member.

[0012] Optionally, an arc angle is provided on the outer side of the electrode assembly, and the liquid guiding member is located at the arc angle.

[0013] Optionally, the number of the electrode assemblies is plural, and the plural electrode assemblies are arranged along a second direction of the housing, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; The liquid guiding member is located in a space formed between arc angles of two adjacent electrode assemblies.

[0014] Optionally, a first liquid guiding hole is provided on the movable member, the liquid guiding member is a liquid guiding tube, a flow channel is provided inside the liquid guiding tube, one end of the liquid guiding tube communicates with the first liquid guiding hole, and the other end of the liquid guiding tube extends to the second end of the accommodating cavity.

[0015] Optionally, the sum of cross-sectional areas of flow channels of the plural liquid guiding tubes is A, the cross-sectional area of the electrode assembly is B, and A and B satisfy: A ≥ 0.02B.

[0016] Optionally, the liquid guiding structure further includes a liquid distributing member, and the liquid distributing member is disposed between the electrode assembly and a second inner wall of the accommodating cavity near the second end; A plurality of liquid outlet holes are formed on the liquid distributing member, and all the liquid outlet holes communicate with the liquid guiding member. The liquid outlet holes are used for delivering electrolyte to one end of the electrode assembly near the second end.

[0017] Optionally, a second liquid guiding hole is further formed on the liquid distributing member. The second liquid guiding hole is used for communicating with the liquid guiding member, and all the liquid outlet holes are connected to the second liquid guiding hole.

[0018] Optionally, the housing includes a housing body and an end cover. The battery cell further includes a pole post and an adapter. An opening is provided at one end of the housing body, and the end cover is used for closing the opening; The pole post is electrically connected to the tab through the adapter; A first convex portion is provided on the inner surface of the end cap close to the electrode assembly, and the pole post passes through the first convex portion.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including at least one battery cell as described above.

[0020] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical device including the battery cell as described above; or including the battery pack as described above.

[0021] Through the above technical solution, since the movable member is configured to be movable in the first direction, it is allowed that the movable member is configured to be movable in the first direction along the direction close to the first inner wall of the accommodation cavity. When the movable member moves towards the first inner wall, the distance between the movable member and the first inner wall gradually decreases, thereby causing the volume of the cavity to gradually decrease. The electrolyte accumulated in the cavity is pressurized and can flow through the liquid guiding member to the second end of the accommodation cavity under the action of the pressure, so that the liquid guiding structure can realize the circulation of the electrolyte in the battery cell, thereby increasing the effective contact between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly, and further improving the utilization rate and liquid retention capacity of the electrolyte in the battery cell, which is beneficial to improving the cycle life of the battery cell and effectively avoiding the situation that the electrolyte always accumulates at one end of the battery cell, resulting in the ineffective contact between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly and the short cycle life of the battery cell.

[0022] In addition, when the first end of the above battery cell is arranged downward, that is, an inverted arrangement manner is adopted. At this time, the tab of the electrode assembly is arranged downward along the gravity direction at the lower end of the electrode assembly. The electrolyte accumulated at the first end in the accommodation cavity under the action of gravity can be transported to the second end above the first end under the action of the liquid guiding structure and will not accumulate at the first end. In this way, it can also avoid the situation that the electrolyte always contacts the tab of the electrode assembly and / or other components located at the first end, resulting in the easy corrosion of the tab and / or other components located at the first end.

[0023] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings here are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of this specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of a battery cell provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the three-dimensional structure of a battery cell provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a schematic perspective view of the liquid distribution member of the battery cell provided by the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic perspective view of the liquid distribution member of the battery cell provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the end cap of the battery cell provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the terminal post is shown.

[0030] Description of Reference Numerals 100 - battery cell; 10 - housing; 11 - accommodating cavity; 111 - first end; 1111 - first inner wall; 112 - second end; 1121 - second inner wall; 12 - housing body; 121 - opening; 13 - end cap; 131 - first convex portion; 14 - terminal post; 20 - electrode assembly; 21 - arc angle; 40 - liquid guiding structure; 41 - movable member; 42 - liquid guiding member; 421 - flow channel; 422 - first liquid guiding member; 423 - second liquid guiding member; 43 - elastic member; 431 - first elastic member; 432 - second elastic member; 44 - first liquid guiding hole; 45 - liquid distribution member; 451 - liquid outlet hole; 452 - liquid guiding groove; 453 - second liquid guiding hole; 50 - space. Detailed Embodiments

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Although some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to more thoroughly and completely understand the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for exemplary purposes and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] The term "including" and its variations used herein are open-ended, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is "at least partially based on". The term "an embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the following description.

[0033] It should be noted that the concepts such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence relationship of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0034] It should be noted that the modifiers "one" and "multiple" mentioned in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art should understand that unless otherwise clearly specified in the context, it should be understood as "one or more".

[0035] In this disclosure, it should be understood that the orientation terms such as "upper, lower, gravity direction, length direction, and width direction" are defined based on the drawing direction of the accompanying drawings. This is only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, as well as a specific orientation structure and operation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to this disclosure. The above first direction may be the gravity direction, and the above second direction may be the length direction of the battery cell, or may also be the width direction of the battery cell. Specifically, reference may be made to Figures 1 to 5 as shown. In Figure 2 the embodiment shown, the second direction is the width direction (which can also be referred to as the thickness direction) of the battery cell.

[0036] In the description of this disclosure, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "arrange", "connect", "be connected", and "install" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0037] As mentioned above, in the related art, in order to improve the space utilization rate of new energy vehicles and improve the safety of the vehicles, in the related art, the battery cells in the battery pack are usually arranged upside down, that is, the pole posts of the battery cells are arranged downward in the gravity direction. However, due to the influence of gravity, the electrolyte in the battery cell will also gather on the side where the tabs of the battery cell are located. Thus, on the one hand, the electrolyte gathered on the tab side of the battery cell is not easily in contact with the electrode assembly, the utilization rate of the electrolyte is low, and the service life is short; on the other hand, the electrolyte gathered on the tab side of the battery cell is likely to chemically react with some components such as the electrode plates, pole posts, and connecting pieces in the battery cell, resulting in easy corrosion of these components of the battery cell and affecting the normal and safe use of the battery cell.

[0038] In view of this, as Figures 1 to 5As shown, according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a battery cell 100 is provided, including a housing 10, an electrode assembly 20, and a liquid guiding structure 40. Among them, the housing 10 is provided with a receiving cavity 11, and the receiving cavity 11 has a first end 111 and a second end 112 that are opposite to each other along a first direction (such as the gravity direction). The electrode assembly 20 is disposed in the receiving cavity 11. The electrode assembly 20 includes tab ears, and the tab ears are disposed at one end of the electrode assembly 20 close to the first end 111. The liquid guiding structure 40 includes a movable member 41 and a liquid guiding member 42. The movable member 41 is disposed between the electrode assembly 20 and the first inner wall 1111 of the receiving cavity 11 at the first end 111. Moreover, the movable member 41 is configured to be able to move along the first direction. One end of the liquid guiding member 42 is connected to the movable member 41 and communicates with the cavity defined between the movable member 41 and the first inner wall 1111. The other end of the liquid guiding member 42 extends to the second end 112 of the receiving cavity 11 to convey the electrolyte located at the first end 111 to the second end 112.

[0039] The above-mentioned electrode assembly 20 refers to the core part of the electrochemical reaction in the battery cell 100, and generally may include tab ears, a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, etc.

[0040] In the above-mentioned battery cell 100, the electrolyte disposed in the receiving cavity 11 can chemically react with the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate in the electrode assembly 20, so as to store or release electrical energy. The tab ears can be used to connect the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the terminal post 14 inside the battery cell 100, so as to realize the charge and discharge of the battery cell 100.

[0041] Through the above technical solution, since the movable member 41 is configured to be able to move along the first direction, it is allowed that the movable member 41 is configured to be able to move along the direction close to the first inner wall 1111 of the receiving cavity 11 in the first direction. When the movable member 41 moves towards the first inner wall 1111, the distance between the movable member 41 and the first inner wall 1111 gradually decreases, resulting in a gradual decrease in the volume of the cavity. The electrolyte gathered in the cavity is pressurized and can flow through the liquid guiding member 42 to the second end 112 of the receiving cavity 11 under the action of the pressure, so as to realize the circulation of the electrolyte in the battery cell 100.

[0042] In other words, the liquid guiding structure 40 can realize the circulation of the electrolyte in the battery cell 100, so as to increase the effective contact between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly 20, and further improve the utilization rate and liquid retention capacity of the electrolyte in the battery cell 100, which is beneficial to improving the cycle life of the battery cell 100, and effectively avoids the situation that the electrolyte always gathers at one end of the battery cell 100, resulting in the electrolyte being unable to effectively contact the electrode assembly 20 and the cycle life of the battery cell 100 being short.

[0043] In addition, when the first end of the battery cell 100 is arranged downward, that is, in an inverted arrangement manner, for example, at this time, the tab of the electrode assembly 20 is arranged downward along the direction of gravity at the lower end of the electrode assembly 20. Under the action of gravity, the electrolyte gathered in the first end 111 of the accommodation cavity 11 can be transported to the second end 112 above the first end 111 under the action of the liquid guiding structure 40, rather than gathering at the first end 111. In this way, it can also avoid the situation that the electrolyte always contacts the tab of the electrode assembly 20 and / or other components (such as safety valves and adapter plates, etc.) located on the first end 111, resulting in easy corrosion of the tab and / or other components located on the first end 111.

[0044] In the present disclosure, the battery cell 100 can have any appropriate arrangement manner in the battery pack. For example, the battery cell 100 can be arranged upright, that is, the tab of the electrode assembly 20 can be arranged at the upper end of the electrode assembly 20 along the direction of gravity. Or, the battery cell 100 can also be arranged horizontally (such as horizontally arranged) or at a certain angle with the horizontal direction. The present disclosure does not limit this.

[0045] As an implementation manner of the present disclosure, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the above-mentioned first direction is the direction of gravity (i.e., the vertical direction). The first end 111 of the accommodation cavity 11 is the lower end of the accommodation cavity 11 in the direction of gravity, and the second end 112 is the upper end of the accommodation cavity 11 in the direction of gravity. In other words, the tab of the electrode assembly 20 is located at the lower end of the electrode assembly 20. At this time, the battery cell 100 adopts an inverted arrangement manner.

[0046] Since the liquid guiding structure 40 can realize the circulation of the electrolyte in the battery cell 100, in this way, the electrolyte will not gather on one side of the terminal 14 of the battery cell 100 under the action of gravity. In this way, it can effectively avoid the situation that the electrolyte contacts the tab of the electrode assembly 20 and / or other components (such as safety valves and adapter plates, etc.) located on the first end 111, causing corrosion, and effectively improves the safety of the battery cell 100 and is not easily damaged.

[0047] Optionally, the above-mentioned movable member 41 is configured to be able to move along the direction close to the first inner wall 1111 under the action of the expansion force of the electrode assembly 20. In this way, when the battery cell 100 is charged, the expanded electrode assembly 20 can push the movable member 41 to move towards the first inner wall 1111, that is, towards the first end 111 of the accommodation cavity 11, so that the movable member 41 can squeeze the electrolyte gathered at the first end 111 of the accommodation cavity 11 and transport the electrolyte to the second end of the accommodation cavity 11 through the liquid guiding structure 40, thereby realizing the circulation of the electrolyte.

[0048] For example, for the embodiment in which the battery cell 100 is arranged in an inverted manner, the movable member 41 can move downward along the direction of gravity towards the battery cell 100, that is, it can move towards the end close to the tab, so as to squeeze the electrolyte gathered at the lower end of the accommodation cavity 11, and convey the electrolyte to the upper end of the battery cell 100 through the liquid guiding structure 40, realizing the circulation of the electrolyte.

[0049] Here, it should be noted that in the battery cell 100 provided in the present disclosure, the movable member 41 is not limited to moving towards the first inner wall 1111 of the accommodation cavity 11 due to the expansion of the electrode assembly 20. The movable member 41 can also move towards the first inner wall 1111 under the external force received during the use of the battery cell 100. For example, the movable member 41 can move towards the first inner wall 1111 under the vibration of the battery cell 100.

[0050] In order to enable the movable member 41 to move reciprocally, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the above-mentioned liquid guiding structure 40 further includes an elastic member 43. The elastic member 43 is arranged in the cavity. The elastic member 43 is located between the movable member 41 and the first inner wall 1111. For example, both ends of the elastic member 43 are respectively connected to the movable member 41 and the first inner wall 1111. The elastic member 43 can be used to provide a force for moving the movable member 41 in a direction away from the first inner wall 1111.

[0051] Since the elastic member 43 is arranged between the movable member 41 and the first inner wall 1111, in this way, when the battery cell 100 is charged, the expanded electrode assembly 20 can overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 43, making the movable member 41 move towards the first inner wall 1111 (i.e., the first end 111), so as to convey the electrolyte in the cavity to the second end 112 of the accommodation cavity 11. When the battery cell 100 is discharged, the volume of the electrode assembly 20 becomes smaller, and the elastic member 43 can push the movable member 41 to move in a direction away from the first inner wall 1111. Thus, through the elastic member 43, the electrode assembly 20, and the charging and discharging of the battery cell 100, the reciprocating movement of the movable member 41 in the accommodation cavity 11 can be realized, so that the electrolyte gathered at the first end 111 of the battery cell 100 can be continuously conveyed to the second end 112, further improving the liquid retention capacity of the battery cell 100 and the cycle life of the battery cell 100.

[0052] It can be understood that for the embodiment in which the movable member 41 moves toward the first inner wall 1111 under the external force during the use of the battery cell 100, the movable member 41 can overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 43 under the vibration of the battery cell 100, so that the movable member 41 moves in the direction of the first inner wall 1111. The elastic member 43 can also push the movable member 41 to move away from the first inner wall 1111 when the vibration of the battery cell 100 becomes smaller, realizing the circulation of the electrolyte.

[0053] To improve the delivery effect of the electrolyte in the accommodation chamber 11, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the number of the above-mentioned elastic members 43 is plural. The plural elastic members 43 at least include a first elastic member 431 and a second elastic member 432. The first elastic member 431 and the second elastic member 432 are respectively arranged at both ends of the movable member 41 along the length direction of the housing 10. The two elastic members 43 (i.e., the first elastic member 431 and the second elastic member 432) respectively arranged at both ends of the movable member 41 along the length direction of the housing 10 can jointly apply an elastic force to the movable member 41, so that the movable member 41 can move horizontally in the direction of approaching or departing from the first inner wall 1111. The delivery effect of the electrolyte in the accommodation chamber 11 is better, effectively avoiding the inclination of the movable member 41 during the movement, less electrolyte is delivered from the first end 111 to the second end 112, and even the movable member 41 gets stuck and cannot deliver the electrolyte.

[0054] To further avoid the electrolyte from accumulating at the first end 111 of the accommodation chamber 11, optionally, holes are provided on the surface of the elastic member 43, and the holes are configured as liquid storage channels, or the holes communicate with the liquid storage channels located inside the elastic member 43. That is, the elastic member 43 itself can also store or deliver the electrolyte. In this way, the amount of the electrolyte accumulating at the first end 111 can be further reduced. Thus, for the battery cell 100 arranged in an inverted manner, since the elastic member 43 can reduce the amount of the electrolyte accumulating at the first end 111 of the accommodation chamber 11, the amount of the electrolyte accumulating on the pole ear of the battery cell 100 and / or other components located at the first end 111 can be reduced, thereby further avoiding the corrosion of the pole ear and / or other components located at the first end 111.

[0055] It should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the specific type of the above-mentioned elastic member 43, and the above-mentioned elastic member 43 can be any elastic member 43 suitable for being arranged in the accommodation chamber 11 of the battery cell 100.

[0056] As an implementation manner of the present disclosure, the elastic member 43 may include a sponge member. On the one hand, the sponge member has elasticity and can push the movable member 41 to move; on the other hand, the sponge member can also store the electrolyte, thereby reducing the amount of electrolyte accumulated at the first end 111; on the other hand, the sponge member also has good chemical stability and insulation, and will not affect the normal use of the battery cell 100.

[0057] As other implementation manners of the present disclosure, the elastic member 43 may also be a WCS member (Wire Coil Spring, that is, a coil spring), etc. The present disclosure does not limit this.

[0058] In order to enable the battery cell 100 provided by the present disclosure to have a higher energy density, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, an arc angle 21 is provided on the outer side of the electrode assembly 20, and the liquid guiding member 42 is arranged at the arc angle 21, that is, the liquid guiding member 42 is arranged at a position adjacent to the arc angle 21 where the electrode assembly 20 is located. For example, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , arc angles 21 are provided on the outer sides of both ends of the electrode assembly 20 in the length direction of the battery cell. By arranging the liquid guiding member 42 at the arc angle 21, the space 50 existing between the arc angle 21 of the electrode assembly 20 and the housing 10 can be used to accommodate the liquid guiding member 42, without occupying extra positions inside the housing 10, and the layout of each component inside the battery cell 100 in the housing 10 can be optimized. In this way, the circulation of the electrolyte in the battery cell 100 can be realized without increasing the overall size of the battery cell 100, and the battery cell 100 has a high compactness, and at the same time is beneficial to improving the energy density of the battery cell.

[0059] In order to improve the delivery ability of the electrolyte from the first end 111 to the second end 112, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the number of the liquid guiding members 42 is multiple. The multiple liquid guiding members 42 at least include a first liquid guiding member 422 and a second liquid guiding member 423, and the first liquid guiding member 422 and the second liquid guiding member are respectively arranged at both ends of the movable member 41 in the length direction, that is, both ends of the housing 10 in the length direction. Each of the multiple liquid guiding members 42 can deliver the electrolyte at the first end 111 of the accommodating cavity 11 to the second end 112. In this way, on the one hand, the amount of electrolyte delivered from the first end 111 to the second end 112 can be increased, so as to further improve the liquid retention ability of the battery cell 100, and further improve the cycle life of the battery cell 100; on the other hand, for the implementation manner in which the battery cell 100 is inverted, it can also further avoid the situation that the electrolyte accumulates near the pole ear, resulting in corrosion of the pole ear of the battery cell 100 and / or other components located on the first end 111.

[0060] In the battery cell 100 provided by the present disclosure, any number of electrode assemblies 20 can be provided in the battery cell 100. For example, one battery cell 100 can be provided with one electrode assembly 20, or multiple electrode assemblies 20 can also be provided in one battery cell 100. The present disclosure does not limit this. As an implementation manner of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 shown, the number of the above-mentioned electrode assemblies 20 is multiple, and the multiple electrode assemblies 20 are arranged along the second direction of the housing 10 (for example, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the width direction of the housing 10, which can also be referred to as the thickness direction of the housing 10), that is, arranged at intervals. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the liquid guide member 42 is located in the space 50 formed between the arc corners 21 of two electrode assemblies 20. For example, the liquid guide member 42 can be provided at both ends of each electrode assembly 20 in the length direction of the housing 10. The multiple electrode assemblies 20 cooperate with other components in the battery cell 100 to jointly realize the charging and discharging of the battery cell 100.

[0061] In addition, when multiple electrode assemblies 20 are provided in the second direction (the width direction of the housing 10), such as Figure 2 the two electrode assemblies 20 shown, since there is a space 50 between the arc corners 21 of each adjacent two electrode assemblies 20 and the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 11, and the liquid guide member 42 is provided in the space 50, thus, on the one hand, the number of the liquid guide members 42 provided in the battery cell 100 is relatively large, and the relatively large number of liquid guide members 42 can improve the ability to transport the electrolyte from the first end 111 to the second end 112, thereby improving the liquid retention capacity and service life of the battery cell 100; on the other hand, since the multiple liquid guide members 42 are all provided in the space 50 between the adjacent two electrode assemblies 20 and the cavity wall (the inner wall of the housing 10) of the accommodating cavity 11, thus, without increasing the volume of the battery cell 100, the circulation of the electrolyte in the battery cell 100 can be realized, and the compactness of the battery cell 100 is relatively high. In addition, as mentioned above, setting the liquid guide member 42 in the space 50 does not occupy the extra space in the housing 10, which is beneficial to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0062] In other implementation manners of the present disclosure, in the length direction of the housing 10, multiple electrode assemblies 20 can be provided, for example, two electrode assemblies 20 can be provided. In this embodiment, the liquid guide member 42 can be provided between each adjacent two electrode assemblies 20 in the length direction of the housing 10, and the liquid guide member 42 can be provided in the space 50 between the two outermost electrode assemblies 20 in the length direction of the housing 10 and the housing 10.

[0063] In order to enable the electrolyte at the first end 111 of the accommodating chamber 11 to be transported to the second end 112 of the accommodating chamber 11 through the liquid guide 42, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the movable part 41 is provided with a first liquid guide hole 44, the liquid guide part 42 is a liquid guide tube, a flow channel 421 is provided in the liquid guide tube, one end of the liquid guide tube is in communication with the first liquid guide hole 44, and the other end of the liquid guide tube extends to the second end 112 of the accommodating cavity 11. In this way, the electrolyte in the cavity between the first inner wall 1111 of the accommodating cavity 11 and the movable part 41 can flow into the liquid guide tube through the first liquid guide hole 44 under the pressure of the movable part 41, and flow to the second end 112 of the accommodating cavity 11 through the liquid guide tube, and the structures of the movable part 41 and the liquid guide part 42 are relatively simple, and the cost is relatively low.

[0064] In order to make the battery cell 100 have a better liquid retention effect, optionally, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the flow channels 421 of the above-mentioned multiple liquid guide tubes is A, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the electrode assembly 20 is B, and A and B satisfy: A≥0.02B. Since the ratio of the sum of the areas A of the flow channels 421 of the multiple liquid guide tubes to the cross-sectional area B of the electrode assembly 20 satisfies A≥0.02B, the liquid guide tube can have a larger flow area, and the liquid guide tube with a larger flow area has a stronger ability to transport the electrolyte, which can increase the effective contact between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly 20, thereby improving the liquid retention ability of the battery cell 100, and further improving the cycle life of the battery cell 100.

[0065] In order to increase the contact area between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly 20, optionally, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the liquid guiding structure 40 further includes a liquid separator 45, which is disposed between the electrode assembly 20 and the second inner wall 1121 (eg, Figure 2 The liquid separator 45 is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes 451, which are all connected to the liquid guide 42, and are used to transport electrolyte to the end of the electrode assembly 20 close to the second end 112. Thus, by reasonably designing the arrangement positions of the plurality of liquid outlet holes 451 on the liquid separator 45, the plurality of liquid outlet holes 451 can guide the electrolyte, so that the electrolyte can flow evenly to all parts of the electrode assembly 20, and the contact area between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly 20 is large, which is beneficial to improving the performance of the battery cell 100.

[0066] Alternatively, if Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the plurality of liquid outlet holes 451 include at least one group of liquid outlet holes 451 spaced apart along the length direction of the liquid separator 45, and the plurality of liquid outlet holes 451 in the same group are connected through the liquid guide groove 452. The plurality of liquid outlet holes 451 spaced apart along the length direction can make the electrolyte flow evenly to different positions in the length direction of the electrode assembly 20, thereby increasing the contact area between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly 20.

[0067] Alternatively, if Figure 4 As shown, the plurality of groups of liquid outlet holes 451 are arranged at intervals along the second direction of the liquid separator 45, that is, arranged at intervals along the width direction. The plurality of groups of liquid outlet holes 451 arranged at intervals along the width direction can also make the electrolyte flow evenly to different positions in the width direction of the electrode assembly 20, which can further increase the contact area between the electrolyte and the electrode assembly 20.

[0068] The present disclosure does not limit the specific connection method between the liquid separation member 45 and the liquid guide member 42. In order to transport the electrolyte in the liquid guide member 42 to the liquid separation member 45, optionally, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the liquid separator 45 is further provided with a second liquid guide hole 453, which is used to communicate with the liquid separator 42, and the plurality of liquid outlet holes 451 are all connected to the second liquid guide hole 453. The electrolyte in the liquid separator 42 can be transported to the liquid separator 45 through the second liquid guide hole 453, and the electrolyte is distributed through the liquid separator 45, so that the electrolyte can flow evenly to various parts of the electrode assembly 20.

[0069] In order to further prevent the electrolyte from gathering near the pole 14 when the battery cell 100 is inverted, optionally, as Figure 5 As shown, the shell 10 includes a shell body 12 and an end cover 13, and the battery cell also includes a pole 14 and an adapter. An opening 121 is provided at one end of the shell body 12, and the end cover 13 is used to close the opening 121. The pole 14 (for example, the inner end close to the electrode assembly 20) is electrically connected to the pole ear through the adapter. A first protrusion 131 is provided on the inner surface of the end cover 13 close to the electrode assembly 20, and the pole 14 is penetrated by the first protrusion 131. Since the pole 14 is passed through the first protrusion 131, and the first protrusion 131 protrudes from the inner surface of the end cover 13 on the side close to the electrode assembly 20, when the battery cell 100 is arranged in an inverted manner, the height of the pole 14 can also be higher than the height of the inner surface of the end cover 13. In this way, even if the electrolyte is gathered at the first end 111 of the accommodating cavity 11 due to gravity, the pole 14 with a higher height is not easy to contact with the electrolyte, thereby effectively avoiding the electrolyte contacting the pole 14 when the battery cell 100 is inverted, causing the pole 14 to be easily corroded, thereby affecting the service life of the battery cell 100.

[0070] Optionally, the above battery cell 100 further includes a safety valve. A second convex portion is provided on the inner surface, and the safety valve is inserted through the second convex portion.

[0071] Since the safety valve is inserted through the second convex portion, and the second convex portion protrudes from the inner surface of the end cap 13 close to the electrode assembly 20, thus, when the battery cell 100 is arranged in an inverted manner, the height of the safety valve can also be higher than the height of the inner surface of the end cap 13. In this way, even if the electrolyte gathers at the first end 111 of the accommodating cavity 11 under the action of gravity, the safety valve with a higher height is not easily in contact with the electrolyte. Therefore, it can effectively avoid the situation that when the battery cell 100 is inverted, the electrolyte contacts the safety valve, resulting in easy corrosion of the safety valve and shortening the service life of the battery cell 100.

[0072] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including at least one battery cell 100 as described above. For example, the battery pack may include a plurality of the above battery cells 100, and the plurality of battery cells 100 may be connected in series and / or in parallel with each other.

[0073] This battery pack has all the beneficial effects of the above battery cell 100 and will not be elaborated here.

[0074] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical device including the above battery cell 100, or the above battery pack.

[0075] This electrical device has all the beneficial effects of the above battery cell 100 or the electrical device and will not be elaborated here.

[0076] This electrical device may further include an electrical device main body, and the battery cell or the battery pack can be used to supply power to the electrical device main body.

[0077] Here, it should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the specific type of the electrical device either. The above electrical device may be a vehicle or other electrical devices suitable for using the above battery pack, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical device may be a vehicle. In this case, the electrical device main body may be other parts of the vehicle except the battery pack.

[0079] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0080] In addition, it should be noted that, among the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments, without conflict, they can be combined in any appropriate manner. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not separately describe various possible combination manners.

[0081] In addition, any combination can be made among various different embodiments of the present disclosure, as long as it does not violate the idea of the present disclosure, and it should equally be regarded as the content disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery cell, characterized in that: include: A housing is provided with a housing cavity, wherein the housing cavity has a first end and a second end opposite to each other along a first direction; an electrode assembly, disposed in the accommodating cavity, the electrode assembly comprising a pole ear, the pole ear being disposed at one end of the electrode assembly close to the first end; and a liquid guiding structure, comprising a movable part and a liquid guiding part, wherein the movable part is disposed between the electrode assembly and a first inner wall of the accommodating cavity at the first end, and the movable part is configured to be movable along the first direction; One end of the liquid guide is connected to the movable part and communicates with the cavity defined between the movable part and the first inner wall, and the other end of the liquid guide extends to the second end of the accommodating cavity to transport the electrolyte at the first end to the second end.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first direction is the direction of gravity, the first end is the lower end of the accommodating cavity in the direction of gravity, and the second end is the upper end of the accommodating cavity in the direction of gravity.

3. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable member is configured to be movable in the first direction in a direction close to the first inner wall under the action of the expansion force of the electrode assembly.

4. The battery cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The liquid guiding structure further includes an elastic member; The elastic member is disposed in the cavity, and the elastic member is located between the movable member and the first inner wall.

5. The battery cell according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are multiple elastic members, and the multiple elastic members at least include a first elastic member and a second elastic member. The first elastic member and the second elastic member are respectively arranged at two ends of the movable member along the length direction of the movable member.

6. The battery cell according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surface of the elastic member is provided with a hole, and the hole is configured as a liquid storage channel; or the hole is communicated with the liquid storage channel located inside the elastic member.

7. The battery cell according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic member includes a sponge member.

8. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The outer side of the electrode assembly is provided with an arc corner, and the liquid guide is located at the arc corner.

9. The battery cell according to claim 8, characterized in that: There are multiple electrode assemblies, and the multiple electrode assemblies are arranged along a second direction of the shell, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; The liquid guide is located in a space formed between the arc corners of the two electrode assemblies.

10. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The movable part is provided with a first liquid guide hole, the liquid guide part is a liquid guide tube, a flow channel is provided in the liquid guide tube, one end of the liquid guide tube is connected with the first liquid guide hole, and the other end of the liquid guide tube extends to the second end of the accommodating cavity.

11. The battery cell according to claim 10, characterized in that: The sum of the cross-sectional areas of the flow channels of the plurality of liquid guiding tubes is A, the cross-sectional area of ​​the electrode assembly is B, and A and B satisfy: A≥0.02B.

12. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The liquid guiding structure further includes a liquid separation member, and the liquid separation member is arranged between the electrode assembly and a second inner wall of the accommodating cavity close to the second end; The liquid separation member is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes, all of which are connected to the liquid guide member, and the liquid outlet holes are used to transport electrolyte to an end of the electrode assembly close to the second end.

13. The battery cell according to claim 12, characterized in that: The liquid separation member is further provided with a second liquid guiding hole, the second liquid guiding hole is used to communicate with the liquid guiding member, and the plurality of liquid outlet holes are all connected to the second liquid guiding hole.

14. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The shell comprises a shell body and an end cover, the battery cell further comprises a pole and a switching piece, one end of the shell body is provided with an opening, and the end cover is used to close the opening; The pole is electrically connected to the pole lug through the adapter; A first convex portion is arranged on the inner surface of the end cover close to the electrode assembly, and the pole is passed through the first convex portion.

15. A battery pack, characterized in that: The invention comprises at least one battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. An electrical equipment, characterized in that: comprising a battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 14; or, Comprising the battery pack according to claim 15.

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