Balance valve, battery and electric equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a balance valve, a battery and electric equipment, and belongs to the technical field of batteries. The utility model provides a balance valve. The balance valve comprises a valve body, a piston and an elastic piece. The valve body is provided with a first air vent and a second air vent, one of the first air vent and the second air vent is communicated with the interior of the battery, and the other is communicated with the exterior of the battery. The piston is movably arranged in the valve body in the first direction, and the piston is provided with a balance position, an air inlet position and an air exhaust position. The elastic piece tends to keep the piston in the balance position. At the balance position, the piston blocks the first air vent; and at the air inlet position and the air outlet position, the first air vent is communicated with the second air vent. Switching of the piston among the balance position, the air inlet position and the air exhaust position can be achieved through the single elastic piece and the piston matched with the valve body, the structure is simple, cost is low, and the production cost of the battery can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a balancing valve, a battery and an electrical device. Background Art

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are the key to the sustainable development of the automobile industry. Electric vehicles have become an important part of the sustainable development of the automobile industry due to their advantages in energy conservation and environmental protection. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor in their development.

[0003] How to reduce the production cost of batteries is an urgent problem to be solved in battery technology. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a balancing valve, a battery and an electrical device, which can reduce the production cost of the battery.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a balancing valve, which includes a valve body, a piston and an elastic member. The valve body has a first air vent and a second air vent, one of which is connected to the interior of the battery, and the other is connected to the outside of the battery. The piston is movably arranged in the valve body along a first direction, and the piston has a balanced position, an intake position and an exhaust position. The elastic member tends to keep the piston in a balanced position. Wherein, in the balanced position, the piston blocks the first air vent; in the intake position and the exhaust position, the first air vent and the second air vent are connected.

[0006] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the switching of the piston between the equilibrium position, the air intake position and the exhaust position can be achieved through a single elastic member and a piston cooperating with the valve body. It has a simple structure and low cost, which is conducive to reducing the production cost of the battery.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, in the first direction, the equilibrium position is between the intake position and the exhaust position, and the stroke of the piston from the equilibrium position to the intake position is greater than the stroke of the piston from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position.

[0008] In the above scheme, by controlling the stroke of the piston from the equilibrium position to the intake position to be greater than the stroke of the piston from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position, the intake valve opening pressure of the balancing valve can be made higher than the exhaust valve opening pressure of the balancing valve without increasing the structure. This reduces the risk of water vapor outside the battery entering the battery and makes the balancing valve have a lower cost.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the valve body includes a first side wall, the first side wall is arranged around the piston, the outer circumference of the piston is slidably matched with the inner circumference of the first side wall, and the first vent is arranged on the first side wall.

[0010] In the above solution, the switching of the three positions of the piston is achieved by sliding the piston along the inner circumferential surface of the first side wall, the risk of piston sticking is low, and the assembly and maintenance costs of the balancing valve are low.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the piston is provided with a first channel, one end of the first channel is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston. In the exhaust position, the first vent and the second vent are connected through the first channel.

[0012] In the above scheme, when the piston slides along the inner circumference of the first side wall to the exhaust position, the first air vent can be connected to the second air vent through the first channel, and the three positions of the piston can be switched during the sliding process of the piston, which is beneficial to reducing the assembly and manufacturing costs of the balancing valve.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, in the air intake position, the first vent and the second vent are in direct communication.

[0014] In the above solution, the first vent and the second vent are directly connected, which means that when the battery is inhaling air, the first vent and the second vent are not directly connected through the first channel, which is beneficial to improving the air intake efficiency of the battery.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, in the intake position, along the first direction, the outer peripheral surface of the piston is located on a side of the first vent far away from the second vent.

[0016] In the above solution, in the air intake position, the piston is away from the air intake path between the first air vent and the second air vent, which is beneficial to further improve the air intake efficiency of the battery.

[0017] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the piston is further provided with a second channel, one end of the second channel is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston. In the air intake position, the first air vent and the second air vent are connected through the second channel.

[0018] In the above solution, when air is taken into the battery, the first vent and the second vent are connected through the second channel, which means that the air intake position can be determined by controlling the position of the second channel, which is beneficial to improving the control accuracy of the balancing valve.

[0019] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the piston includes a bottom wall and a second side wall, the second side wall is disposed around the bottom wall, and the outer circumference of the second side wall is slidably matched with the inner circumference of the first side wall. The first channel includes a first through hole disposed on the second side wall, and along the first direction, the first through hole is located on a side of the bottom wall close to the second vent.

[0020] In the above solution, the first through hole is arranged on the bottom wall near the second through hole, which is beneficial to reducing the size of the piston in the first direction, thereby reducing the volume of the balancing valve and improving the energy density of the battery.

[0021] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the first through hole is a strip-shaped hole extending along the first direction.

[0022] In the above scheme, the first through hole is set as a strip hole extending along the first direction, which is conducive to making the balancing valve adapt to a wider range of pressure differences between the inside and outside of the battery. On the one hand, it can make the balancing valve adapt to different working conditions, on the other hand, it can simplify the control process of the balancing valve, and on the other hand, it is conducive to reducing the assembly cost of the balancing valve.

[0023] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, a plurality of first vents are provided, the plurality of first vents are spaced apart along the circumference of the first side wall, and a plurality of first through holes are provided, the first through holes correspond to the first vents one by one.

[0024] In the above solution, by providing a plurality of first vents and a plurality of first through holes, it is helpful to improve the air intake efficiency and exhaust efficiency of the balancing valve.

[0025] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the valve body also includes a first end wall, which is arranged at one end of the first side wall in the first direction, and the first end wall is provided with an opening, which passes through both sides of the first end wall along its thickness direction, one end of the elastic member is connected to the piston, and the other end of the elastic member is connected to the first end wall.

[0026] In the above solution, the first end wall can be used as an assembly base of the elastic member, which is helpful to simplify the assembly process of the elastic member and reduce the difficulty of assembling the elastic member.

[0027] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the valve body further includes a second end wall, the second end wall is arranged at the other end of the first side wall in the first direction, and the second vent is arranged on the second end wall.

[0028] In the above solution, the provision of the second end wall is conducive to reducing the risk of foreign matter entering the interior of the valve body and causing the movement of the valve core to be blocked, and is conducive to increasing the service life of the balancing valve.

[0029] In one or more embodiments of the first aspect, the balancing valve further comprises a gas permeable membrane disposed between the second end wall and the piston, the gas permeable membrane being configured to allow gas to flow into or out of the interior of the battery and to restrict liquid from flowing into the interior of the battery.

[0030] In the above solution, the provision of the breathable membrane can reduce the risk of liquid entering the interior of the battery, causing corrosion and short circuit of components inside the battery, which is beneficial to improving the cycle life of the battery. At the same time, the provision of the second end wall can reduce the risk of foreign matter entering the interior of the valve body, causing damage to the breathable membrane, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the balancing valve.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present application provides a battery, which includes a box and a balancing valve in one or more embodiments of the first aspect, wherein the balancing valve is installed on the wall of the box, and the balancing valve is used to balance the air pressure inside and outside the box.

[0032] In the above scheme, since the balancing valve in one or more embodiments of the first aspect has a lower cost, the battery including the balancing valve in one or more embodiments of the first aspect also has a lower cost.

[0033] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electrical device, which includes the battery in one or more embodiments of the second aspect, and the battery is used to provide electrical energy.

[0034] In the above scheme, since the battery in one or more embodiments of the second aspect has a lower cost, the electrical equipment including the battery in one or more embodiments of the second aspect also has a lower cost.

[0035] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, which can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0038] Figure 2 An exploded view of a battery according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0039] Figure 3 An isometric view of a battery according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0040] Figure 4 An exploded view of a balancing valve according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0041] Figure 5An axonometric diagram of a balancing valve according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0042] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of a balancing valve according to some embodiments of the present application, showing a balanced position;

[0043] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of a balancing valve according to some embodiments of the present application, showing an air intake position;

[0044] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a balancing valve according to some embodiments of the present application, showing the exhaust position;

[0045] Fig. 9 It is a cross-sectional view of a balancing valve according to some other embodiments of the present application, showing a balanced position;

[0046] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of a balancing valve according to some other embodiments of the present application, showing an air intake position;

[0047] Fig.11 The cross-sectional views of the balancing valves according to some other embodiments of the present application show the exhaust position.

[0048] The reference numerals in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0049] 1000-vehicle; 200-controller; 300-motor; 100-battery; 11-housing; 111-first part; 112-second part; 12-battery cell; 13-balancing valve; 131-valve body; 1311-first vent; 1312-second vent; 1313-first side wall; 1314-first end wall; 13141-opening; 1315-second end wall; 132-piston; 1321-first channel; 1322-second channel; 1323-bottom wall; 1324-second side wall; 13241-first through hole; 133-elastic member; 134-breathable membrane; X-first direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, and are therefore only used as examples, and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0052] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0053] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0054] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0056] In the present application, battery cells may include but are not limited to lithium-ion secondary batteries, lithium-ion primary batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries or magnesium-ion batteries, etc. The shape of the battery cell may include but is not limited to a cylinder, a flat body, a rectangular parallelepiped or other shapes, etc. The battery cell may include but is not limited to a cylindrical battery cell, a square battery cell, a soft-pack battery cell and a blade battery cell according to the packaging method.

[0057] In some high-power applications such as electric vehicles, the application of batteries includes three levels: battery cells, battery modules and batteries. The battery module is formed by electrically connecting a certain number of battery cells together and placing them in a frame in order to protect the battery cells from external impact, heat, vibration, etc. The battery refers to the final state of the battery system installed in the electric vehicle. The battery mentioned in the embodiments of the present application refers to a single physical module that includes one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. The battery generally includes a casing for encapsulating one or more battery cells. The casing can reduce the risk of liquid or other foreign matter affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

[0058] The development of battery technology must take into account many design factors at the same time, such as reliability, cycle life, discharge capacity, energy density, charge and discharge rate and other performance parameters. In addition, the production cost of the battery must also be considered.

[0059] The wall of the box is generally provided with a balancing valve to balance the pressure inside and outside the battery. The setting of the balancing valve reduces the risk of excessive or low pressure inside the battery, which is conducive to improving the reliability of the battery.

[0060] In order to realize the air intake and exhaust of the battery, a common balancing valve is generally provided with two springs and two pistons corresponding to the springs one by one. The two pistons respectively control the air intake channel and the air outlet channel of the balancing valve, which has a complex structure and high cost.

[0061] In view of this, the present application provides a balancing valve, which includes a valve body, a piston and an elastic member. The valve body has a first air vent and a second air vent, one of which is connected to the inside of the battery, and the other is connected to the outside of the battery. The piston is movably arranged in the valve body along a first direction, and the piston has a balanced position, an air intake position and an exhaust position. The elastic member tends to keep the piston in a balanced position. Among them, in the balanced position, the piston blocks the first air vent; in the air intake position and the exhaust position, the first air vent and the second air vent are connected. The switching of the piston between the balanced position, the air intake position and the exhaust position can be achieved by a single elastic member and a piston cooperating with the valve body. The structure is simple and the cost is low, which is conducive to reducing the production cost of the battery.

[0062] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are applicable to batteries and electrical equipment using batteries.

[0063] Electrical equipment includes, but is not limited to: battery vehicles, electric vehicles, ships, and spacecraft, etc. For example, spacecraft include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft, etc.

[0064] For the convenience of description, the following embodiments are described by taking a vehicle as an example of an electrical device in an embodiment of the present application.

[0065] For example, Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle 1000 of some embodiments of the present application, the vehicle 1000 can be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle, etc. The motor 300, the controller 200 and the battery 100 can be arranged inside the vehicle 1000, and the controller 200 is used to control the battery 100 to power the motor 300. For example, the battery 100 can be arranged at the bottom or the front or the rear of the vehicle 1000. The battery 100 can be used for powering the vehicle 1000, for example, the battery 100 can be used as the operating power supply of the vehicle 1000, for the circuit system of the vehicle 1000, for example, for the working power demand of the vehicle 1000 during startup, navigation and operation. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery 100 can not only be used as the operating power supply of the vehicle 1000, but also as the driving power supply of the vehicle 1000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1000.

[0066] In order to meet different power requirements, the battery 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 12, wherein the plurality of battery cells 12 may be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection, wherein the hybrid connection refers to a mixture of series and parallel connections. The battery 100 may also be referred to as a battery pack. Optionally, a plurality of battery cells 12 may first be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form a battery module, and a plurality of battery modules may then be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form the battery 100. In other words, a plurality of battery cells 12 may directly form the battery 100, or they may first form a battery module, and then the battery module may form the battery 100.

[0067] For example, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 1 is an exploded view of a battery 100 in some embodiments of the present application. The battery 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 12. The battery 100 may also include a housing 11. The interior of the housing 11 is a hollow structure. The plurality of battery cells 12 are accommodated in the housing 11. Figure 2 As shown, they are respectively referred to as the first part 111 and the second part 112, and the first part 111 and the second part 112 are buckled together. The shapes of the first part 111 and the second part 112 can be determined according to the shapes of the combination of multiple battery cells 12, and the first part 111 and the second part 112 can both have an opening 13141. For example, the first part 111 and the second part 112 can both be hollow cuboids and each has only one face as the opening 13141 face, the opening 13141 of the first part 111 and the opening 13141 of the second part 112 are arranged opposite to each other, and the first part 111 and the second part 112 are buckled together to form a box body 11 with a closed chamber. After the multiple battery cells 12 are connected in parallel, in series, or in a mixed combination, they are placed in the box body 11 formed by the buckling of the first part 111 and the second part 112.

[0068] Optionally, the battery 100 may also include other structures, which are not described one by one here. For example, the battery 100 may also include a busbar component, which is used to realize electrical connection between multiple battery cells 12, such as parallel connection, series connection, or mixed connection. Specifically, the busbar component can realize electrical connection between the battery cells 12 by connecting the electrode terminals of the battery cells 12. Furthermore, the busbar component can be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells 12 by welding. The electrical energy of the multiple battery cells 12 can be further led out through the box body 11 through the conductive mechanism. For example, please refer to Figure 3 The battery 100 may further include a balancing valve 13 , which may be disposed on any wall of the box body 11 to balance the air pressure inside and outside the box body 11 .

[0069] According to different power requirements, the number of battery cells 12 can be set to any value. Multiple battery cells 12 can be connected in series, parallel or hybrid to achieve a larger capacity or power. Since the number of battery cells 12 included in each battery 100 may be large, for ease of installation, the battery cells 12 can be grouped, and each group of battery cells 12 constitutes a battery module. The number of battery cells 12 included in the battery module is not limited and can be set according to demand. The battery 100 may include multiple battery modules, which can be connected in series, parallel or hybrid.

[0070] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The present application provides a balancing valve 13, which includes a valve body 131, a piston 132 and an elastic member 133. The valve body 131 has a first vent 1311 and a second vent 1312, one of which is connected to the inside of the battery 100, and the other is connected to the outside of the battery 100. The piston 132 is movably arranged in the valve body 131 along the first direction X, and the piston 132 has a balanced position, an intake position and an exhaust position. The elastic member 133 tends to keep the piston 132 in a balanced position. In the balanced position, the piston 132 blocks the first vent 1311; in the intake position and the exhaust position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected.

[0071] The following description will be made by taking the example that the first vent 1311 is connected to the inside of the battery 100 and the second vent 1312 is connected to the outside of the battery 100 .

[0072] The first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 may be disposed on any wall portion of the valve body 131. In some embodiments, after the balancing valve 13 is installed on the box body 11, the wall portion of the valve body 131 on which the first vent 1311 is disposed is located inside the box body 11 so that the first vent 1311 is communicated with the inside of the battery 100, and the wall portion of the valve body 131 on which the second vent 1312 is disposed is located outside the box body 11 so that the second vent 1312 is communicated with the outside of the battery 100.

[0073] The piston 132 is movably disposed in the valve body 131 along the first direction X, which means that the piston 132 can reciprocate along the first direction X to change the position of the piston 132 relative to the valve body 131 .

[0074] The piston 132 being in the equilibrium position means that the pressure outside the battery 100 is the same as the pressure inside the battery 100. In other words, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the battery 100 is substantially zero. The piston 132 being in the intake position means that the pressure outside the battery 100 is greater than the pressure inside the battery 100, and the gas can flow from the inside of the battery 100 to the inside of the battery 100 through the balance valve 13. The piston 132 being in the exhaust position means that the pressure outside the battery 100 is less than the pressure inside the battery 100, and the gas can flow from the inside of the battery 100 to the outside of the battery 100 through the balance valve 13.

[0075] The elastic member 133 may include but is not limited to a spring, an elastic telescopic rod, etc.

[0076] The elastic member 133 tends to keep the piston 132 in a balanced position, which means that when the elastic member 133 is not acted upon by the force generated by the internal and external pressure difference of the battery 100 , the elastic member 133 is in a free state and the piston 132 is in a balanced position.

[0077] In the equilibrium position, the piston 132 blocks the first vent 1311, which means that, please refer to Figure 6 The piston 132 blocks the gas path between the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312, that is, there is no gas flow between the inside and outside of the battery 100. In the intake position and the exhaust position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected, which means that please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the gas path between the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 is unobstructed, and gas flows inside and outside the battery 100. In other words, the single piston 132 moves to different positions in the first direction X to switch the three states of intake, exhaust and balance of the balancing valve 13.

[0078] The first vent 1311 may refer to a through hole provided on the wall of the valve body 131, or may refer to one end of a pipeline provided on the valve body 131, or may refer to a channel provided on the wall of the valve body 131. The shape of the through hole may include but is not limited to polygonal, circular, elliptical, teardrop-shaped, etc., and the shape of the channel may include but is not limited to linear, arc-shaped, broken line-shaped, etc. In some embodiments, a plurality of first vents 1311 may be provided, and the plurality of first vents 1311 may be provided at intervals.

[0079] The second vent 1312 may refer to a through hole provided on the wall of the valve body 131, or may refer to one of the ends of the pipeline provided on the valve body 131, or may refer to a channel provided on the wall of the valve body 131. The shape of the through hole may include but is not limited to polygonal, circular, elliptical, teardrop-shaped, etc., and the shape of the channel may include but is not limited to straight line, arc, broken line, etc. In some embodiments, a plurality of second vents 1312 may be provided, and the plurality of second vents 1312 may be provided at intervals. In some other embodiments, the plurality of second vents 1312 are distributed in a plum blossom shape.

[0080] The first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are in communication, which means that the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 can be directly in communication, or the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 can be indirectly in communication through a channel provided in the valve body 131 .

[0081] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the piston 132 can be switched between the equilibrium position, the air intake position and the exhaust position through a single elastic member 133 and a piston 132 cooperating with the valve body 131. The structure is simple and the cost is low, which is conducive to reducing the production cost of the battery 100.

[0082] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 In the first direction X, the equilibrium position is located between the intake position and the exhaust position, and the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the intake position is greater than the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position.

[0083] The stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the intake position is greater than the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position, which means that the intake valve opening pressure of the balancing valve 13 is higher than the exhaust valve opening pressure of the balancing valve 13. In other words, compared with when the balancing valve 13 is exhausting, the balancing valve 13 needs to overcome a greater reaction force of the elastic member 133 when it is intake.

[0084] Some embodiments of the present application are used as examples for illustration. In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7, the stroke of the piston 132 moving from the equilibrium position to the intake position is the stroke of the piston 132 moving from the position of blocking the first vent 1311 to the position where the upper surface of the piston 132 is lower than the first vent 1311 and close to the second vent 1312. In other embodiments, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the intake position is the stroke when the piston 132 moves from the position of blocking the first vent 1311 to the second channel 1322 on the piston 132 away from the second vent 1312 and lower than the first vent 1311 and close to the second vent 1312; in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 8 The stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position is the stroke of the piston 132 from the position of blocking the first vent 1311 to the side of the first channel 1321 close to the second vent 1312 higher than the side of the first vent 1311 away from the second vent 1312. In other embodiments, please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.11 The stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position is the stroke when the piston 132 moves from the position blocking the first vent 1311 to the side of the first channel 1321 close to the second vent 1312 higher than the side of the first vent 1311 away from the second vent 1312.

[0085] In the above scheme, by controlling the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the intake position to be greater than the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position, the intake valve opening pressure of the balancing valve 13 can be made higher than the exhaust valve opening pressure of the balancing valve 13 without increasing the structure. This reduces the risk of water vapor outside the battery 100 entering the battery 100 and makes the balancing valve 13 have a lower cost.

[0086] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The valve body 131 includes a first side wall 1313 , which is disposed around the piston 132 , the outer circumference of the piston 132 is slidably matched with the inner circumference of the first side wall 1313 , and the first vent 1311 is disposed on the first side wall 1313 .

[0087] The outer circumferential surface of the piston 132 slides with the inner circumferential surface of the first side wall 1313, which means that the first side wall 1313 serves as a limiting structure for the movement of the piston 132. There is no need to add additional guide structures such as slide rails in the valve body 131, which simplifies the structure of the balancing valve 13 and reduces the cost of the balancing valve 13.

[0088] The first vent 1311 is disposed on the first side wall 1313, which means that the first vent 1311 can be blocked or connected with the second vent 1312 when the piston 132 slides along the inner circumference of the first side wall 1313. There is no need to provide a limiting boss or other structures on the first side wall 1313, which reduces the probability of the piston 132 getting stuck.

[0089] In the above solution, the piston 132 is switched between three positions by sliding along the inner circumferential surface of the first side wall 1313 , so the risk of the piston 132 getting stuck is low, and the assembly and maintenance costs of the balancing valve 13 are low.

[0090] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The piston 132 is provided with a first channel 1321, and one end of the first channel 1321 is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston 132. In the exhaust position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are communicated through the first channel 1321.

[0091] The shape of the first channel 1321 may include but is not limited to a straight line, a broken line, an arc, a wave, etc. One end of the first channel 1321 is located on the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132, which means that the end of the first channel 1321 through which gas can flow into or out of the first channel 1321 extends to the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132.

[0092] In the exhaust position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected through the first channel 1321, which means that the internal gas of the battery 100 can flow into the first channel 1321 from the first vent 1311, flow out of the first channel 1321 after flowing through part of the first channel 1321, and be discharged to the outside of the battery 100 through the second vent 1312.

[0093] In some embodiments, the piston 132 can be a plate-like structure, and the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132 is slidably matched with the inner circumferential surface of the valve body 131. The first channel 1321 is a groove arranged inside the piston 132, one end of the groove extends to the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132, and the other end of the groove extends to the end surface of the piston 132 near the second air vent 1312.

[0094] In the above scheme, when the piston 132 slides along the inner circumference of the first side wall 1313 to the exhaust position, the first air vent 1311 can be connected to the second air vent 1312 through the first channel 1321. The three positions of the piston 132 can be switched during the sliding of the piston 132, which is beneficial to reducing the assembly and manufacturing costs of the balancing valve 13.

[0095] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 , at the air intake position, the first air vent 1311 and the second air vent 1312 are directly connected.

[0096] The first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are directly connected, which means that please refer to Figure 7 When the battery 100 is ventilated, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are not directly connected through the first channel 1321. In other words, the air flow path between the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 will not be blocked by the piston 132 or other structures.

[0097] In the above solution, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are directly connected, which is beneficial to improving the air intake efficiency of the battery 100 .

[0098] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 In the intake position, along the first direction X, the outer peripheral surface of the piston 132 is located on the side of the first vent 1311 away from the second vent 1312 .

[0099] Please refer to Figure 7 Along the first direction X, the outer peripheral surface of the piston 132 is located on the side of the first air vent 1311 away from the second air vent 1312, which means that the piston 132 is away from the intake path between the first air vent 1311 and the second air vent 1312, and most of the gas can flow directly to the second air vent 1312 without passing through the piston 132.

[0100] In the above solution, in the air intake position, the piston 132 is away from the air intake path between the first air vent 1311 and the second air vent 1312 , which is beneficial to further improve the air intake efficiency of the battery 100 .

[0101] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 8-Figure 11 The piston 132 is further provided with a second channel 1322, one end of which is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston 132. In the intake position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are communicated through the second channel 1322.

[0102] In the air intake position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected through the second channel 1322, which means that please refer to Fig.10 When the battery 100 is ventilated, the gas will flow into the interior of the battery 100 through the second vent 1312 , the second channel 1322 , and the first vent 1311 in sequence.

[0103] The shape of the second channel 1322 may include but is not limited to a straight line, a broken line, an arc, a wave, etc. One end of the second channel 1322 is located on the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132, which means that the end of the second channel 1322 through which gas can flow into or out of the second channel 1322 extends to the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132.

[0104] During the debugging of the balancing valve 13 , setting the second channel 1322 can more accurately control the pressure difference range of the balancing valve 13 when it takes in air according to the size of the second channel 1322 in the first direction X, which is beneficial to improving the control accuracy of the balancing valve 13 .

[0105] In the above scheme, when air is taken in inside the battery 100 , the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected through the second channel 1322 , which means that the air intake position can be determined by controlling the position of the second channel 1322 , which is beneficial to improving the control accuracy of the balancing valve 13 .

[0106] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The piston 132 includes a bottom wall 1323 and a second side wall 1324. The second side wall 1324 is disposed around the bottom wall 1323. The outer circumference of the second side wall 1324 is slidably matched with the inner circumference of the first side wall 1313. The first channel 1321 includes a first through hole 13241 disposed on the second side wall 1324. Along the first direction X, the first through hole 13241 is located on a side of the bottom wall 1323 close to the second vent 1312.

[0107] The second side wall 1324 can serve as a base for setting the first through hole 13241 of the piston 132 and can also serve as a guide component for the movement of the piston 132 .

[0108] Along the first direction X, the first through hole 13241 is located on the side of the bottom wall 1323 close to the second air vent 1312, which means that in the first direction X, the size of the piston 132 can be designed to be relatively small, which is beneficial to reducing the volume of the balancing valve 13 while keeping the other structures of the balancing valve 13 unchanged.

[0109] In the above solution, the first through hole 13241 is arranged on the side of the bottom wall 1323 close to the second through hole, which is beneficial to reducing the size of the piston 132 in the first direction X, thereby reducing the volume of the balancing valve 13 and improving the energy density of the battery 100.

[0110] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The first through hole 13241 is a strip-shaped hole extending along the first direction X.

[0111] The first through hole 13241 is a strip hole extending along the first direction X, which means that the battery 100 can take in air within a larger pressure difference range. At the same time, when the balancing valve 13 is debugged, the air intake position of the piston 132 can be placed in a wider range, and there is no need to adjust the piston 132 to a specific position each time, thereby simplifying the control process of the balancing valve 13.

[0112] In the above scheme, the first through hole 13241 is set as a strip hole extending along the first direction X, which is conducive to making the balancing valve 13 adapt to a wider range of internal and external pressure differences of the battery 100. On the one hand, it can make the balancing valve 13 adapt to different working conditions, on the other hand, it can simplify the control process of the balancing valve 13, and on the other hand, it is conducive to reducing the assembly cost of the balancing valve 13.

[0113] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 A plurality of first vents 1311 are provided, and the plurality of first vents 1311 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the first side wall 1313 . A plurality of first through holes 13241 are provided, and the first through holes 13241 correspond to the first vents 1311 one by one.

[0114] There are multiple first vents 1311 and multiple first through holes 13241, which means that when exhausting and inhaling, the gas can flow into or out of the battery 100 more quickly. The multiple first vents 1311 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the first side wall 1313, which is conducive to making the air flow more uniform and improving the reliability of the balancing valve 13.

[0115] In the above solution, by providing a plurality of first vents 1311 and a plurality of first through holes 13241 , it is helpful to improve the air intake efficiency and the exhaust efficiency of the balancing valve 13 .

[0116] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The valve body 131 also includes a first end wall 1314, which is arranged at one end of the first side wall 1313 in the first direction X. The first end wall 1314 is provided with an opening 13141, and the opening 13141 runs through both sides of the first end wall 1314 along the thickness direction thereof. One end of the elastic member 133 is connected to the piston 132, and the other end of the elastic member 133 is connected to the first end wall 1314.

[0117] The first end wall 1314 and the first side wall 1313 may be formed integrally or separately.

[0118] The first end wall 1314 is provided with an opening 13141 , which runs through both sides of the first end wall 1314 along its thickness direction, which means that airflow can act on the first end wall 1314 through the opening 13141 so that the piston 132 can be driven to move when there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the battery 100 .

[0119] The elastic member 133 may be bonded to the piston 132 or connected to the piston 132 by a fastener. The elastic member 133 may be bonded to the first end wall 1314 or connected to the first end wall 1314 by a fastener. In some embodiments, the elastic member 133 is a spring, a first protrusion is provided on the surface of the piston 132 facing the first end wall 1314, the first protrusion is provided with a first hanging hole, a second protrusion is provided on the surface of the first end wall 1314 facing the piston 132, the second protrusion is provided with a second hanging hole, and both ends of the spring are respectively hung on the first hanging hole and the second hanging hole.

[0120] In the above solution, the first end wall 1314 can be used as an assembly base of the elastic member 133 , which is helpful to simplify the assembly process of the elastic member 133 and reduce the difficulty of assembling the elastic member 133 .

[0121] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The valve body 131 further includes a second end wall 1315 , which is disposed at the other end of the first side wall 1313 in the first direction X, and the second vent 1312 is disposed at the second end wall 1315 .

[0122] The second end wall 1315 may be integrally formed with the first side wall 1313 or may be separately formed with the first side wall 1313. In some embodiments, the first end wall 1314 is integrally formed with the first side wall 1313, and the second end wall 1315 is separately formed with the first side wall 1313. In other embodiments, the first end wall 1314 is separately formed with the first side wall 1313, and the second end wall 1315 is integrally formed with the first side wall 1313. In other embodiments, both the first end wall 1314 and the second end wall 1315 are separately formed with the first side wall 1313.

[0123] In some embodiments, the inner surface of the first side wall 1313 away from the first end wall 1314 is provided with a first step surface, and the edge of the second end wall 1315 is connected to the first step surface. The first step surface can be used as an assembly reference for the second end wall 1315, which is conducive to simplifying the assembly process of the balancing valve 13.

[0124] In the above solution, the provision of the second end wall 1315 is conducive to reducing the risk of foreign matter entering the interior of the valve body 131 and causing the movement of the valve core to be blocked, and is conducive to increasing the service life of the balancing valve 13 .

[0125] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4-Figure 7 The balancing valve 13 further includes a breathable membrane 134 , which is disposed between the second end wall 1315 and the piston 132 , and is configured to allow gas to flow into or out of the interior of the battery 100 and to restrict liquid from flowing into the interior of the battery 100 .

[0126] The breathable membrane 134 may be adhered to the first side wall 1313 or clamped to the first side wall 1313 .

[0127] In some embodiments, the inner circumferential surface of the first side wall 1313 is provided with a second step surface, and the air-permeable membrane 134 is provided on the second step surface.

[0128] In the above solution, the provision of the breathable membrane 134 can reduce the risk of liquid entering the interior of the battery 100 and causing corrosion and short circuit of components inside the battery 100, which is beneficial to improving the cycle life of the battery 100. At the same time, the provision of the second end wall 1315 can reduce the risk of foreign matter entering the interior of the valve body 131 and causing damage to the breathable membrane 134, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the balancing valve 13.

[0129] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The present application provides a battery 100, which includes a box body 11 and a balancing valve 13 in one or more of the above embodiments. The balancing valve 13 is installed on the wall of the box body 11, and the balancing valve 13 is used to balance the air pressure inside and outside the box body 11.

[0130] In some embodiments, the box body 11 includes a lower box body 11 and a box cover, the lower box body 11 has an opening 13141, and the box cover closes the opening 13141 to form a closed accommodating cavity, and the accommodating cavity is used to accommodate the battery cell 12. The lower box body 11 has a bottom wall 1323 opposite to the box cover and a peripheral wall surrounding the bottom wall 1323, and the balancing valve 13 is penetrated through the peripheral wall. One end of the second vent 1312 extends to the outside of the box body 11, and one end of the first vent 1311 extends to the inside of the box body 11.

[0131] In the above solution, since the balancing valve 13 in one or more of the above embodiments has a relatively low cost, the battery 100 including the balancing valve 13 in one or more of the above embodiments also has a relatively low cost.

[0132] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 1 The present application provides an electrical device, which includes the battery 100 in one or more embodiments of the second aspect, and the battery 100 is used to provide electrical energy.

[0133] In the above scheme, since the battery 100 in one or more embodiments of the second aspect has a lower cost, the electrical equipment including the battery 100 in one or more embodiments of the second aspect also has a lower cost.

[0134] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3-Figure 8The present application provides a balancing valve 13, which includes a valve body 131, a piston 132, an elastic member 133 and a breathable membrane 134. The valve body 131 has a first vent 1311 and a second vent 1312, the first vent 1311 is connected to the inside of the battery 100, and the second vent 1312 is connected to the outside of the battery 100. The piston 132 is movably arranged in the valve body 131 along the first direction X, and the piston 132 has a balanced position, an intake position and an exhaust position. The elastic member 133 tends to keep the piston 132 in the balanced position. In the balanced position, the piston 132 blocks the first vent 1311; in the intake position and the exhaust position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected.

[0135] The valve body 131 includes a first side wall 1313, a first end wall 1314 and a second end wall 1315. The first side wall 1313 is arranged around the piston 132. The outer peripheral surface of the piston 132 is slidably matched with the inner peripheral surface of the first side wall 1313. The first vent 1311 is arranged on the first side wall 1313. The piston 132 includes a bottom wall 1323 and a second side wall 1324. The second side wall 1324 is arranged around the bottom wall 1323. The outer peripheral surface of the second side wall 1324 is slidably matched with the inner peripheral surface of the first side wall 1313. The first channel 1321 includes a first through hole 13241 arranged on the second side wall 1324. Along the first direction X, the first through hole 13241 is located on a side of the bottom wall 1323 close to the second vent 1312. The first end wall 1314 is disposed at one end of the first side wall 1313 in the first direction X, and the first end wall 1314 is provided with an opening 13141, and the opening 13141 penetrates both sides of the first end wall 1314 along the thickness direction thereof, one end of the elastic member 133 is connected to the piston 132, and the other end of the elastic member 133 is connected to the first end wall 1314. The valve body 131 further includes a second end wall 1315, and the second end wall 1315 is disposed at the other end of the first side wall 1313 in the first direction X, and the second vent 1312 is disposed at the second end wall 1315. The air permeable membrane 134 is disposed between the second end wall 1315 and the piston 132, and the air permeable membrane 134 is configured to allow gas to flow into or out of the interior of the battery 100, and to restrict liquid from flowing into the interior of the battery 100.

[0136] A plurality of first vents 1311 are provided, and the plurality of first vents 1311 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first side wall 1313 . A plurality of first through holes 13241 are provided, and the first through holes 13241 correspond to the first vents 1311 one by one.

[0137] In the first direction X, the equilibrium position is located between the intake position and the exhaust position, and the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the intake position is greater than the stroke of the piston 132 from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position.

[0138] The piston 132 is provided with a first channel 1321, one end of which is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston 132. In the exhaust position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are connected through the first channel 1321. In the intake position, the first vent 1311 and the second vent 1312 are directly connected. In the intake position, along the first direction X, the outer peripheral surface of the piston 132 is located on the side of the first vent 1311 away from the second vent 1312.

[0139] Please refer to Figure 6 When the pressure outside the battery 100 is substantially consistent with the internal pressure of the battery 100 , the piston 132 is not acted upon and is in a balanced position.

[0140] Please refer to Figure 7 When the pressure outside the battery 100 is greater than the pressure inside the battery 100, the force generated by the pressure difference will drive the piston 132 to move downward to the intake position. At this time, the gas can flow into the valve body 131 from the second vent 1312 from the outside of the battery 100, and flow out of the valve body 131 from the first vent 1311 and enter the interior of the battery 100.

[0141] Please refer to Figure 8 When the pressure outside the battery 100 is lower than the pressure inside the battery 100, the force generated by the pressure difference will tend to move the piston 132 upward to the exhaust position. At this time, the gas can flow into the valve body 131 through the first vent 1311 and flow out of the valve body 131 through the first channel 1321 and the second vent 1312.

[0142] The external airflow may act on the piston 132 through the second air vent 1312 , and the internal airflow may act on the piston 132 through the opening 13141 of the first end wall 1314 .

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A balancing valve for a battery, characterized in that: include: a valve body having a first vent and a second vent, one of the first vent and the second vent being in communication with the interior of the battery and the other being in communication with the exterior of the battery; A piston is movably disposed in the valve body along a first direction, and the piston has a balance position, an intake position, and an exhaust position; a resilient member tending to maintain the piston in the equilibrium position; Wherein, in the equilibrium position, the piston blocks the first air vent; in the intake position and the exhaust position, the first air vent is connected to the second air vent.

2. The balancing valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first direction, the equilibrium position is located between the intake position and the exhaust position, and a stroke of the piston from the equilibrium position to the intake position is greater than a stroke of the piston from the equilibrium position to the exhaust position.

3. The balancing valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The valve body comprises a first side wall, the first side wall is arranged around the piston, the outer peripheral surface of the piston is slidably matched with the inner peripheral surface of the first side wall, and the first vent is arranged on the first side wall.

4. The balancing valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The piston is provided with a first channel, one end of which is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston; In the exhaust position, the first vent and the second vent are in communication through the first passage.

5. The balancing valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the air intake position, the first air vent and the second air vent are directly connected.

6. The balancing valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: At the intake position, along the first direction, the outer peripheral surface of the piston is located on a side of the first vent far away from the second vent.

7. The balancing valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The piston is also provided with a second channel, one end of which is located on the outer peripheral surface of the piston; In the air intake position, the first air vent and the second air vent are in communication with each other through the second passage.

8. The balancing valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The piston comprises a bottom wall and a second side wall, wherein the second side wall is disposed around the bottom wall, and an outer peripheral surface of the second side wall is slidably matched with an inner peripheral surface of the first side wall; The first channel includes a first through hole arranged on the second side wall. Along the first direction, the first through hole is located on a side of the bottom wall close to the second vent.

9. The balancing valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first through hole is a strip-shaped hole extending along the first direction.

10. The balancing valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: A plurality of the first vents are provided, and the plurality of the first vents are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the first side wall. A plurality of the first through holes are provided, and the first through holes correspond to the first vents one by one.

11. The balancing valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The valve body also includes a first end wall, which is arranged at one end of the first side wall in the first direction, and the first end wall is provided with an opening, which passes through both sides of the first end wall along its thickness direction, one end of the elastic member is connected to the piston, and the other end of the elastic member is connected to the first end wall.

12. The balancing valve according to claim 11, characterized in that: The valve body further includes a second end wall, the second end wall is arranged at the other end of the first side wall in the first direction, and the second vent is arranged at the second end wall.

13. The balancing valve according to claim 12, characterized in that: The balancing valve further includes a gas permeable membrane disposed between the second end wall and the piston, and the gas permeable membrane is configured to allow gas to flow into or out of the interior of the battery and to restrict liquid from flowing into the interior of the battery.

14. A battery, characterized in that: include: Box; The balancing valve according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the balancing valve is mounted on a wall of the box, and is used to balance the air pressure inside and outside the box.

15. An electrical equipment, characterized in that: The electric device comprises the battery as claimed in claim 14, and the battery is used to provide electric energy.

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