Sealing connecting piece and high-capacity battery

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, and particularly relates to a sealing connecting piece and a high-capacity battery. The sealing problem of the gap between the polarity terminal and the shell avoiding hole is solved. The orthographic projection of the open end of the bottom of the sealing connecting piece on the single battery upper cover plate covers a weak area on the periphery of the polar terminal of the single battery upper cover plate; the bottom of the hollow component is used for being welded and sealed with the peripheral area of the weak area, and the top of the hollow component is used for being welded and sealed with the shell top plate area corresponding to the receding hole. The high-capacity battery comprises a shell and a plurality of single batteries arranged in the shell along the same direction; the top plate of the shell is provided with avoiding holes corresponding to the polar terminals of the single batteries; the polar terminal of each single battery extends out of the avoiding hole; and the shell top plate area at the periphery of the avoiding hole is connected with the upper cover plate of the corresponding single battery by using the sealing connecting piece, so that the avoiding hole part is sealed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, in particular to a sealing connector and a large-capacity battery. Background Art

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

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, CN220797038U discloses a large-capacity battery, such as Figure 1 As shown, the large-capacity battery includes a shell 2 and a plurality of single cells 3; the plurality of single cells 3 are placed in the shell 2 along the same direction, the shell bottom plate 24 is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and the inner cavity of each single cell 3 and the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 are connected; the shell top plate 23 is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single cell 3 for the polarity terminals of the single cell 3 to extend out of the shell 2.

[0004] In order to avoid that the electrolyte shared chamber is completely isolated from the external environment, the sealing of the shell is particularly important. Therefore, how to seal the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole of the shell is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a sealing connector and a large-capacity battery, which solve the problem of sealing the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole of the shell.

[0006] The utility model provides a sealing connector in a first aspect, which is special in that: it is used for a large-capacity battery, the large-capacity battery comprises a shell and a plurality of single cells arranged in the shell in the same direction; a avoidance hole is provided on the top plate of the shell corresponding to the polarity terminal of each single cell; and each single cell polarity terminal extends out of the avoidance hole;

[0007] The sealing connector includes a hollow component used to be sleeved on the outside of the polarity terminal of the single cell, and the orthographic projection of the open end of the bottom of the hollow component on the upper cover of the single cell covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell;

[0008] The bottom of the hollow component is used for welding and sealing with the peripheral area of ​​the weak area, and the top of the hollow component is used for welding and sealing with the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole.

[0009] The utility model optimizes the size and shape of the bottom open end of the sealing connector so that the bottom open end of the hollow component covers the weak area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell in the orthographic projection of the upper cover plate of the single cell; thereby ensuring that when welding the bottom of the hollow component and the surrounding area of ​​the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell, the weak area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell can be avoided, thereby avoiding damage to the weak area during the welding process, thereby avoiding a series of problems such as the scrapping of the single cell and the diffusion of thermal runaway smoke.

[0010] Furthermore, the sealing connector also includes a bottom plate fixed to the open end of the bottom of the hollow component; a through hole is opened on the bottom plate; the orthographic projection of the through hole on the upper cover plate of the single cell covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover plate of the single cell; the bottom plate is used for welding and sealing with the peripheral area of ​​the weak area. Based on the bottom plate, the upper cover plate and the sealing connector can be reliably welded, and at the same time, the orthographic projection of the through hole on the upper cover plate of the single cell covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover plate of the single cell; in this way, when the bottom plate and the upper cover plate of the single cell are welded, the welding part must be located outside the weak area.

[0011] Furthermore, for some single cells, the through hole may be a waist-shaped through hole.

[0012] Furthermore, the hollow member and the bottom plate are an integrated part. Compared with separate parts, the integrated part has lower processing cost and higher structural stability.

[0013] Furthermore, the bottom of the hollow component can be welded and sealed with the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole in the following two ways:

[0014] Method 1: The outer peripheral surface of the hollow component is tightly matched with the wall of the avoidance hole, and the hollow component and the avoidance hole are welded and sealed by laser welding; the welding area between the hollow component and the avoidance hole is between the outer edge of the top of the hollow component and the inner edge of the avoidance hole. The top of the hollow component and the avoidance hole are tightly fitted in a transition or interference fit manner, and the outer edge of the top of the hollow component and the inner edge of the avoidance hole are welded and sealed by a simple and reliable laser welding method. The sealing connector has a simple structure, the welding method is easy to operate, and the sealing of the avoidance hole is stable and reliable after welding.

[0015] Method 2: The sealing connector may further include a first annular plate, which is sleeved on the outer side of the top of the hollow component and is used for welding and sealing with the top plate area of ​​the housing corresponding to the avoidance hole. Although the structure of the sealing connector is more complicated than that of the method 1, the sealing performance of the avoidance hole after welding is also more stable and reliable.

[0016] The second aspect of the utility model provides a large-capacity battery, which is special in that it includes a housing, n single cells and 2n of the above-mentioned sealing connectors; wherein n is an integer greater than 1;

[0017] n single cells are arranged in the housing in the same direction;

[0018] The bottom plate of the shell is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber, and the inner cavity of the electrolyte sharing chamber is connected with the inner cavities of all the single batteries;

[0019] The top plate of the housing is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single battery; the polarity terminals of each single battery extend out of the avoidance holes;

[0020] The sealing connector corresponds to the polarity terminal of each single cell one by one, is sleeved on the outside of the corresponding polarity terminal, and insulation is maintained between the polarity terminal of the single cell and the sealing connector; the bottom of the hollow component of each sealing connector and the peripheral area of ​​the corresponding single cell weak area are welded and sealed, and the top of the hollow component and the top plate area of ​​the outer shell corresponding to the corresponding avoidance hole are welded and sealed.

[0021] Furthermore, a gas chamber is provided on the top plate of the housing, and the gas chamber covers the gas ports of each single battery.

[0022] Furthermore, the above-mentioned large-capacity battery further includes a heat transfer tube; a heat transfer tube clamping portion is provided at the location where the polarity terminal of each single battery extends out of the avoidance hole;

[0023] The heat transfer tube includes a heat transfer tube body and a heat transfer tube liquid inlet and liquid outlet. The heat transfer tube body is fixed to the heat transfer tube clamping part. When the temperature of the large-capacity battery is higher than the set threshold, the large-capacity battery is cooled by passing a heat transfer medium with a lower temperature into the heat transfer tube; when the temperature of the large-capacity battery is lower than the set threshold, the large-capacity battery is heated by passing a heat transfer medium with a higher temperature into the heat transfer tube; by controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium, it can be ensured that the large-capacity battery always operates at a normal operating temperature.

[0024] Furthermore, an insulating sealant layer is laid on the top plate of the shell; the electrical connection parts of the polarity terminals of each single battery extend out of the insulating sealant layer, and the liquid inlet and liquid outlet ends of the heat transfer tube extend out of the insulating sealant layer. By laying an insulating sealant layer on the top plate of the shell (the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole also has an insulating sealant layer), when condensation is generated on the surface of the heat transfer tube fixed on the polarity terminal, the condensation cannot penetrate into the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole under the obstruction of the insulating sealant layer, thereby preventing the battery from short-circuiting. In addition, after laying the insulating sealant layer, the top of the entire large-capacity battery can also be made relatively flat.

[0025] Furthermore, the above-mentioned large-capacity battery also includes an insulating protective cover, which is arranged on the top of the shell of the large-capacity battery, and the polarity terminals of each single battery are located in the insulating protective cover;

[0026] Define the shell length direction as x direction, width direction as y direction, and height direction as z direction;

[0027] The side wall of the insulating protective cover is provided with a channel for the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer tube to extend out;

[0028] Slits are provided on two side walls of the insulating protective cover which are parallel to the xz plane, and the electrical connection parts of the polarity terminals of each single battery are connected to the electrical connector through the slits.

[0029] An insulating protective cover is used to provide insulation protection for the polarity terminals, avoiding the potential safety hazards of the polarity terminals being exposed during the operation of large-capacity batteries, and also avoiding the problem of some foreign objects in the external environment falling into the polarity terminal position causing a short circuit in the large-capacity battery, thereby improving the safety of large-capacity batteries. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a large-capacity battery in the background technology;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a sealing connector in Example 1;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of another sealing connector in Example 1;

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another sealing connector in Example 1 (with Figure 3 different perspectives);

[0034] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second annular plate sealing connector;

[0035] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sealing connector having a third annular plate;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 2;

[0037] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the local explosion of a large-capacity battery in Example 2 Figure 1 ;

[0038] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the local explosion of a large-capacity battery in Example 2 Figure 2 ;

[0039] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0040] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 4;

[0041] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 6;

[0042] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of a partial explosion of a large-capacity battery in Example 6;

[0043] The accompanying drawings in the figure are marked as follows:

[0044] 1. Sealing connector; 11. Hollow member; 111. Bottom open end; 112. Top open end; 113. Bottom plate; 114. Through hole; 12. Second annular plate; 13. First annular plate; 2. Shell; 21. Cylinder; 22. End plate; 23. Shell top plate; 24. Shell bottom plate; 3. Single cell; 31. Pole; 32. Pole adapter; 4. Avoidance hole; 5. Electrolyte sharing chamber; 6. Gas chamber; 7. Heat transfer tube clamping part; 8. Heat transfer tube; 81. First tube; 82. Second tube; 83. Connecting tube; 9. Insulating protective cover; 91. Slit; 92. Insulating frame; 93. Insulating cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings of the specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the utility model, but not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary persons in the field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0046] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "top, bottom" etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first, second, third, fourth, etc." are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0048] The utility model provides a sealing connector, which is mainly used for a large-capacity battery with the following structure. Such a large-capacity battery comprises a shell and a plurality of single cells arranged in the shell along the same direction; the inner cavity of each single cell comprises an electrolyte area and a gas area.

[0049] Mainly taking a rectangular shell as an example, for the convenience of description, the length direction of the shell is defined as the x direction, the width direction of the shell is defined as the y direction, and the height direction of the shell is defined as the z direction.

[0050] The bottom plate of the housing is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber extending along the x direction, and the electrolyte sharing chamber is communicated with the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery.

[0051] It should be noted here that:

[0052] 1. The electrolyte sharing chamber is an electrolyte containing chamber. After it is connected with the electrolyte area of ​​each single battery cavity, it is necessary to ensure that the electrolyte in the entire large-capacity battery does not contact the external environment.

[0053] 2. The electrolyte sharing chamber described here is a liquid channel extending along the x direction between the bottom plate of the shell and each single cell. The liquid channel can be integrally formed with the bottom plate of the shell, or formed by arranging a pipe section outside the bottom plate of the shell, or by arranging a support between the lower cover plate of the single cell and the bottom plate of the shell.

[0054] The top plate of the shell is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single battery; and the polarity terminals of each single battery extend out of the avoidance holes.

[0055] It should be noted that the single cell polarity terminal described here can be a single cell pole. In order to avoid the single cell pole being unable to smoothly extend out of the avoidance hole as a polarity terminal or the height of the extended avoidance hole does not meet the set requirements, a pole adapter can also be connected to the single cell pole, and the overall structure of the single cell pole and the pole adapter can be used as the single cell polarity terminal.

[0056] In order to ensure that the electrolyte does not come into contact with the external environment in the entire large-capacity battery, it is necessary to ensure the sealing of the avoidance hole, that is, the gap between the avoidance hole and the polarity terminal of the single battery needs to be sealed.

[0057] When the sizes of the individual cells in the z direction are similar, the avoidance hole can be sealed by directly welding the top plate area of ​​the housing around the avoidance hole to the upper cover plate of the corresponding individual cell;

[0058] When the dimensions of each single cell in the z direction have large deviations, if it is necessary to ensure that the lower cover plates of each single cell are in the same horizontal plane, the upper cover plates of each single cell will have uneven heights, resulting in gaps between the upper cover plates and the outer shell of some individual single cells, which may lead to cold welds between the outer shell and the upper cover plate during welding, or even the problem of being unable to weld. In order to solve this problem, it is possible to consider using sealing connectors to achieve sealing of the avoidance hole.

[0059] The specific sealing connector may include a hollow member (similar to a hollow tube), which is sleeved on the outside of the polarity terminal of the single cell; the bottom of the hollow member is sealed to the area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell, and the top of the hollow member is sealed to the area of ​​the top plate of the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole. The sealing connection can be achieved by riveting or welding (in order to ensure the sealing performance of the connection part, welding is preferred). The area of ​​the top plate of the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole is the outer surface area of ​​the top plate of the shell around the avoidance hole; or it is the wall of the avoidance hole.

[0060] However, in actual processing and application, the following problems were found:

[0061] 1. When the bottom of the hollow component and the area around the polarity terminals of the upper cover of the single cell are sealed and connected by welding, part of the upper cover of the single cell is very likely to be damaged, resulting in the scrapping of the single cell.

[0062] 2. The area around the polarity terminals of some single-cell upper cover plates may not be welded due to the presence of other structures;

[0063] 3. Even if there is no visible damage during the processing, in actual application, when individual single cells in the large-capacity battery with the above-mentioned sealing connector have thermal runaway, the thermal runaway smoke will leak from the connection area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell. Therefore, if the above-mentioned multiple large-capacity batteries are assembled as energy storage equipment, when thermal runaway occurs, the thermal runaway smoke may leak from the welding parts around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell and diffuse, which poses certain safety hazards. Based on this problem, the large-capacity battery after thermal runaway was disassembled, and it was found that cracks appeared in the connection area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell where thermal runaway occurred (the connection area with the bottom of the sealing connector). After analysis, the reason for this phenomenon is that there is a certain weak area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell. If the connection area falls into the weak area, it will cause the above-mentioned problem. The reason is that the welding process has a certain damage to the weak area, which makes the area unable to withstand the thermal runaway pressure. When thermal runaway occurs, cracks are generated, resulting in thermal runaway smoke leaking from the area.

[0064] Based on this, the utility model considers optimizing the sealing connector structure, mainly adjusting the size and shape of the bottom open end of the hollow component, so that the bottom open end of the hollow component covers the weak area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell in the orthographic projection of the upper cover plate of the single cell; thereby ensuring that when welding the bottom of the hollow component and the surrounding area of ​​the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell, the weak area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single cell can be avoided, thereby avoiding damage to the weak area during the welding process.

[0065] It should be noted that:

[0066] 1. The size, position and shape of the weak area of ​​the single cells produced by different manufacturers are also different. Therefore, when processing the sealing connector, the utility model first needs to determine the size, position and shape of the weak area of ​​the single cell, and adjust the size and shape of the bottom open end of the hollow component according to the single cells produced by different manufacturers.

[0067] 2. In the present invention, areas that are easily damaged by welding, areas that cannot be welded, or areas where the pressure bearing capacity is reduced due to welding are all referred to as weak areas.

[0068] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings.

[0069] Example 1

[0070] like Figure 2 , which is a schematic structural diagram of the sealing connector 1 of this embodiment. It can be seen from the figure that the sealing connector 1 of this embodiment includes a hollow component 11, which can also be called a hollow pipe.

[0071] Both ends of the hollow member 11 are open ends. For the convenience of description, one of the open ends is defined as a bottom open end 111 and the other open end is defined as a top open end 112.

[0072] The bottom of the hollow member 11 is used to be sealed and connected with the first area of ​​the single cell 3, and the first area mentioned here is the peripheral area of ​​the weak area of ​​the upper cover of the single cell 3; in order to seal and connect the bottom of the hollow member 11 with the first area of ​​the single cell 3, the orthographic projection (orthographic projection area) of the bottom open end 111 of the hollow member 11 on the upper cover of the single cell 3 in this embodiment covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell 3. It should be noted that, in this case, the orthographic projection (orthographic projection area) of the bottom open end 111 of the hollow member 11 on the upper cover of the single cell 3 must cover the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell 3.

[0073] During welding, the hollow member 11 can be positioned on the upper cover of the single cell 3, and the position of the hollow member 11 can be adjusted so that the orthographic projection of the open end 111 of the bottom of the hollow member 11 on the upper cover of the single cell 3 covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell 3; then, the bottom of the hollow member 11 and the upper cover of the single cell 3 are welded. Since the two welded surfaces are perpendicular to each other, the reliability and sealing of the welded part may be relatively weak.

[0074] To solve this problem, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a bottom plate 113 can be fixed at the open end 111 at the bottom of the hollow component 11, and a through hole 114 can be opened on the bottom plate 113. The size of the through hole 114 needs to ensure that the polarity terminal of the single battery 3 can pass through, and the bottom plate 113 is welded to the peripheral area of ​​the weak area around the polarity terminal of the upper cover plate of the single battery 3.

[0075] The size and shape of the through hole 114 can be determined according to the size and shape of the weak area of ​​the single cell 3. As can be seen from the figure, the through hole 114 in this embodiment is a waist-shaped through hole, and the weak area of ​​the corresponding single cell 3 is also a waist-shaped area; preferably, the orthographic projection of the through hole 114 on the upper cover of the single cell 3 covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell 3; in this way, when the bottom plate 113 is welded to the upper cover of the single cell 3, the welding part must be located outside the weak area.

[0076] The bottom plate 113 can be fixed to the bottom open end 111 of the hollow component 11 by welding, or the bottom plate 113 and the hollow component 11 can be processed into an integral part by an integrated processing method. Compared with separate parts, the processing cost of the integral part is lower, and it also has higher structural stability.

[0077] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, a second annular plate 12 can also be fixedly sleeved on the outer side of the bottom of the hollow component 11, and the second annular plate 12 is welded to the peripheral area of ​​the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single battery 3. Because the orthographic projection of the open end 111 at the bottom of the hollow component 11 on the upper cover of the single battery 3 covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single battery 3, the second annular plate 12 is located on the outer side of the bottom of the hollow component, and its inner diameter must be larger than the diameter of the open end 111 at the bottom of the hollow component 11. In this way, when the second annular plate 12 is welded to the upper cover of the single battery 3, the welding part must be located in the peripheral area of ​​the weak area. The second annular plate 12 can be fixed to the open end 111 at the bottom of the hollow component 11 by welding, or the second annular plate 12 and the hollow component 11 can be processed into an integral part by an integrated processing method. Compared with the split part, the processing cost of the integral part is lower, and it also has higher structural stability.

[0078] The top of the hollow member is used to seal and connect with the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole; in this embodiment, the size and shape of the open end 112 at the top of the hollow member 11 are mainly related to the shape of the avoidance hole 4. For example, the avoidance hole 4 of the large-capacity battery adapted by the hollow member 11 in this embodiment is a round hole, so the open end 112 at the top of the hollow member 11 is round, and the diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the avoidance hole 4. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the hollow member 11 is used to fit tightly with the hole wall of the avoidance hole 4, and the hollow member 11 and the avoidance hole 4 are welded and sealed by laser welding; the welding area between the hollow member 11 and the avoidance hole 4 is between the outer edge of the top of the hollow member 11 and the inner edge of the hole wall of the avoidance hole 4.

[0079] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown (different from Figure 4 The through hole 114 on the bottom plate 113 of the sealing connector 1 is a circular hole), and a first annular plate 13 can be fixedly sleeved on the outer side of the top of the hollow component 11, and the first annular plate 13 is welded and sealed with the second area of ​​the shell 2; the second area is the area of ​​the top plate 23 of the shell around the avoidance hole 4. The first annular plate 13 can be fixed to the open end 112 of the top of the hollow component 11 by welding.

[0080] Example 2

[0081] This embodiment is a large-capacity battery, and its structure is as follows Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, it includes a housing 2 and single cells 3 arranged in the housing 2 .

[0082] The housing 2 includes a cylinder 21 and end plates 22 covering the left and right open ends of the cylinder 21;

[0083] The single cells 3 in this embodiment are square-shell cells, and the number is 13. In other embodiments, the number and shape of the single cells 3 can be adjusted according to actual needs. The inner cavity of each single cell 3 includes an electrolyte area and a gas area.

[0084] Each single battery 3 is arranged in the inner cavity of the cylinder 21 along the x direction, and the polarity terminal of each single battery 3 extends out of the corresponding avoidance hole 4 as a large-capacity battery polarity terminal. The outer shell top plate 23 (the outer shell top plate 23 in this embodiment is the top plate of the cylinder 21) area corresponding to the avoidance hole 4 is fixedly sealed with the upper cover plate of the single battery 3 by the sealing connector 1 described in Example 1. Fig. 9 As shown, in order to clearly illustrate the connection position between the sealing connector 1 and the upper cover plate of the single battery 3 and the housing top plate 23 area corresponding to the avoidance hole 4, Fig. 9In the figure, three states are shown, where at position a, the bottom plate 113 of the sealing connector 1 is welded and sealed with the outer area of ​​the weak area of ​​the upper cover plate; at position b, the pole 31 of the single cell 3 is located in the avoidance hole 4, and the welding of the sealing connector 1 is not completed; at position c, the single cell 3 is not installed in the corresponding part of the avoidance hole 4, and the structure of the avoidance hole 4 can be clearly displayed.

[0085] from Figures 7 to 9 It can be seen from the figure that the polarity terminal of the single cell 3 in this embodiment is an integral structure in which the pole 31 of the single cell 3 and the pole adapter 32 cooperate with each other.

[0086] from Figure 8 and Fig. 9 It can be seen from the figure that in this embodiment, the housing bottom plate 24 is integrally formed with a liquid channel extending along the x direction, which serves as the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0087] During the assembly process, all the single cells 3 can be pushed into the cylinder 21 first, and then the end plates 22 at both ends are welded, and then the area of ​​the housing top plate 23 corresponding to the avoidance hole 4 is sealed with the upper cover plate of the single cell 3 using the sealing connector 1. The sealing of the corresponding part of each avoidance hole 4 can be performed in the following manner:

[0088] The sealing connector 1 is pre-positioned on the upper cover of the single cell 3 from the avoidance hole 4, so that the orthographic projection of the through hole 114 on the upper cover of the single cell 3 covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell 3; then the bottom plate 113 is welded to the upper cover of the single cell 3 by laser welding; finally, the top of the hollow component 11 and the area of ​​the top plate 23 of the outer shell corresponding to the avoidance hole 4 are welded and sealed by laser welding.

[0089] Example 3

[0090] Different from Example 2, Fig.10 As shown, in this embodiment, a gas chamber 6 is further provided on the top plate 23 of the housing. The gas chamber 6 extends along the x direction and covers the gas openings on the tops of the individual cells 3 in the large-capacity battery.

[0091] It should be noted that the gas port here includes the following two meanings:

[0092] 1) The gas port is a through hole 114 directly opened on the upper cover plate of the single cell 3 and penetrating the inner cavity of the single cell 3;

[0093] At this time, the inner cavity of the gas chamber 6 is connected with the inner gas area of ​​each single cell 3 through the gas port. The gas chamber 6 serves as a gas sharing chamber for each single cell 3. Based on the gas chamber 6, the gas areas of each single cell 3 can be connected to achieve gas balance, so that the gas of each single cell 3 is shared to ensure the consistency of each single cell 3, which improves the cycle life of the large-capacity battery to a certain extent; when any single cell 3 has thermal runaway, the smoke in the inner cavity of the single cell 3 enters the gas chamber 6 and is discharged through the gas chamber 6, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0094] 2) The gas port is an explosion vent or explosion-proof port provided on the upper cover plate of the single cell 3, and an explosion vent membrane is provided at the explosion vent or explosion-proof port;

[0095] At this time, the gas chamber 6 is used as an explosion relief channel. When the explosion relief membrane at the gas port of any single battery 3 is broken by the internal smoke, the smoke in the internal cavity of the single battery 3 is discharged through the gas chamber 6, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0096] Example 4

[0097] Different from Example 2 and Example 3, Fig.11 As shown, it can be seen that in this embodiment, a through groove is provided at the position where the polarity terminal of the single battery 3 extends out of the avoidance hole 4, which serves as a heat transfer tube clamping portion 7 (see Fig.10 ).

[0098] The heat transfer tube 8 is fixed in the through groove (the heat transfer tube 8 is insulated from the single battery 3). When the temperature of the large-capacity battery is higher than the set threshold, a heat transfer medium with a lower temperature is introduced into the heat transfer tube 8 to cool the large-capacity battery; when the temperature of the large-capacity battery is lower than the set threshold, a heat transfer medium with a higher temperature is introduced into the heat transfer tube 8 to heat the large-capacity battery; by controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium, it can be ensured that the large-capacity battery always operates at a normal operating temperature.

[0099] In this embodiment, the heat transfer tube 8 can be a U-shaped tube section. In order to facilitate installation, the U-shaped tube section is divided into three parts, which can be defined as a first tube 81, a second tube 82 and a connecting tube 83 respectively.

[0100] The first tube 81 is fixed in the positive terminal slot of each single cell 3 in the large-capacity battery; the second tube 82 is fixed in the negative terminal slot of each single cell 3 in the large-capacity battery; the two ends of the connecting tube 83 are respectively connected to the ports of the first tube 81 and the second tube 82 on the same side. The remaining two ports of the first section and the second tube 82 serve as the liquid inlet and outlet of the heat transfer tube 8.

[0101] In some other embodiments, two heat transfer tubes 8 may be used, and the two heat transfer tubes 8 are respectively clamped in the heat transfer tube clamping parts 7 of the positive polarity terminal and the negative polarity terminal of each single battery 3 in the large-capacity battery.

[0102] Example 5

[0103] During long-term use, condensation will be generated on the surface due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the heat transfer tube 8. When the condensation accumulates to a certain amount, it will penetrate into the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole 4, causing the polarity terminal to be electrically conductive with the shell 2, which may cause a short circuit in the same single battery 3.

[0104] This embodiment overcomes the above problem by optimizing the top structure of the large-capacity battery and laying an insulating sealant layer on the top plate 23 of the housing. The electrical connection parts of the polarity terminals of each single battery 3 extend out of the insulating sealant layer for connection with the electrical connector; the liquid inlet and outlet ends of the heat transfer tube 8 extend out of the insulating sealant layer for connection with the liquid cooling device. The electrical connector is a connector for connecting each single battery 3 in parallel and a connector for connecting two large-capacity batteries in series, and can also be a connector for connecting the large-capacity battery with an external load.

[0105] In some other embodiments, the size of the insulating sealant layer in the z direction can be smaller, lower than the main part of the heat transfer tube 8, or cover a part of the main part of the heat transfer tube 8; as long as condensation cannot enter the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole 4.

[0106] The insulating sealant used in this embodiment is generally a battery potting glue commonly used in batteries, such as a silicone thermal conductive potting glue, which has good sealing, insulation, vibration resistance, heat dissipation and waterproofing functions.

[0107] In order to prevent the insulating sealant from overflowing, in the present embodiment, during the glue injection process, a glue injection mold can be further provided around the periphery of the housing top plate 23 to ensure that the insulating sealant can be smoothly injected. After the glue injection is completed, demoulding is performed.

[0108] Example 6

[0109] In the above embodiment, at least part of the structure of the polarity terminal is directly exposed to the external environment. During use, there is a great safety hazard because the polarity terminal is charged. Fig.12 and Fig.13 As shown, based on the above embodiment, this embodiment sets an insulating protective cover 9 on the top of the large-capacity battery to provide insulation protection for the polarity terminals, avoiding the potential safety hazards of the polarity terminals being exposed during the operation of the large-capacity battery, and also avoiding the problem of some foreign matter in the external environment falling into the polarity terminal position causing a short circuit in the large-capacity battery, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0110] It should be noted that if the insulating protective cover 9 completely wraps the polarity terminals, it will make the electrical connection of such large-capacity batteries more difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, a slit 91 is opened on the side wall of the insulating protective cover 9 parallel to the xz plane, and the electrical connector can be connected to the polarity terminals through the slit 91, thereby achieving electrical connection.

[0111] It should also be noted that the side wall of the insulating protective cover 9 needs to be provided with channels for the liquid inlet and liquid outlet ends of the heat transfer tube 8 to extend out.

[0112] In order to facilitate the electrical connection process, the insulating protective cover 9 is designed as a split structure in this embodiment. Fig.13 As shown, it includes an insulating frame 92 and an insulating cover plate 93 covering the insulating frame 92; the lower end of the insulating frame 92 is used to cooperate with the top of the large-capacity battery, and is fixed to the top of the large-capacity battery by screw connection or bonding, and the upper end of the insulating frame 92 is buckled and installed with the insulating cover plate 93. A notch is opened at the upper end of the side wall of the insulating frame 92 parallel to the xz plane, and the notch cooperates with the insulating cover plate 93 to form the above-mentioned slit 91.

[0113] During assembly, the insulating frame 92 can be first fixed on the top of the large-capacity battery, and then the electrical connector is connected to the polarity terminal through the slit 91. After glue injection, the insulating cover plate 93 can be fixed on the upper end of the insulating frame 92.

[0114] In addition, in Example 5, during the injection process, in order to prevent the insulating sealant liquid from overflowing, an injection mold is required. However, after the injection, demolding is required, and the process is relatively complicated. In addition, during the demolding process, the structure of the insulating sealant layer may be damaged, resulting in reduced sealing reliability.

[0115] In this embodiment, the insulating frame 92 of the insulating protective cover 9 can be used as a glue injection mold. After the glue injection is completed, there is no need to demould. At the same time, the bonding strength between the insulating frame 92 and the top of the large-capacity battery can be improved.

Claims

1. A sealing connector, characterized in that: Used for a large-capacity battery, the large-capacity battery comprises a shell and n single cells arranged in the shell in the same direction; avoidance holes are provided on the top plate of the shell corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single cell; and the polarity terminals of each single cell extend out of the avoidance holes; Wherein n is an integer greater than 1; The sealing connector includes a hollow component used to be sleeved on the outside of the polarity terminal of the single cell, and the orthographic projection of the open end of the bottom of the hollow component on the upper cover of the single cell covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover of the single cell; The bottom of the hollow component is used for welding and sealing with the peripheral area of ​​the weak area, and the top of the hollow component is used for welding and sealing with the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole.

2. The sealing connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a bottom plate fixed to the open end of the bottom of the hollow component; a through hole is opened on the bottom plate; the through hole covers the weak area around the polarity terminal on the upper cover plate of the single cell through its positive projection on the upper cover plate of the single cell; the bottom plate is used for welding and sealing with the peripheral area of ​​the weak area.

3. The sealing connection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The through hole is a waist-shaped through hole.

4. The sealing connection according to claim 3, characterized in that: The hollow member and the bottom plate are an integrated piece.

5. The sealing connection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The top outer peripheral surface of the hollow component is tightly matched with the wall of the avoidance hole, and the hollow component and the avoidance hole are welded and sealed by laser welding; the welding area between the hollow component and the avoidance hole is between the top outer edge of the hollow component and the inner edge of the wall of the avoidance hole.

6. The sealing connection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a first annular plate, which is sleeved on the outside of the top of the hollow component and is used for welding and sealing with the outer surface area of ​​the top plate of the shell around the avoidance hole.

7. A large capacity battery, characterized in that: A device comprising a housing, n single cells and 2n sealing connectors according to any one of claims 1 to 6; wherein n is an integer greater than 1; n single cells are arranged in the housing in the same direction; The bottom plate of the shell is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber, and the inner cavity of the electrolyte sharing chamber is connected with the inner cavities of all the single batteries; The top plate of the housing is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single battery; the polarity terminals of each single battery extend out of the avoidance holes; The sealing connector corresponds to the polarity terminal of each single cell one by one, is sleeved on the outside of the corresponding polarity terminal, and insulation is maintained between the polarity terminal of the single cell and the sealing connector; the bottom of the hollow component of each sealing connector and the peripheral area of ​​the corresponding single cell weak area are welded and sealed, and the top of the hollow component and the top plate area of ​​the outer shell corresponding to the corresponding avoidance hole are welded and sealed.

8. The large-capacity battery according to claim 7, characterized in that: The top plate of the housing is provided with a gas chamber, and the gas chamber covers the gas ports of each single battery.

9. The large-capacity battery according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: It also includes a heat transfer tube; a heat transfer tube clamping portion is provided at the location where the polarity terminal of each single battery extends out of the avoidance hole; The heat transfer tube comprises a heat transfer tube body and a heat transfer tube liquid inlet end and a heat transfer tube liquid outlet end. The heat transfer tube body is fixed on the heat transfer tube clamping part.

10. The large-capacity battery according to claim 9, characterized in that: An insulating sealant layer is laid on the top plate of the shell; the electrical connection parts of the polarity terminals of each single battery extend out of the insulating sealant layer, and the liquid inlet and outlet ends of the heat transfer tube extend out of the insulating sealant layer.

11. The large-capacity battery according to claim 10, characterized in that: It also includes an insulating protective cover, which is arranged on the top of the shell of the large-capacity battery, and each single battery polarity terminal is located in the insulating protective cover; Define the shell length direction as x direction, width direction as y direction, and height direction as z direction; The side wall of the insulating protective cover is provided with a channel for the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer tube to extend out; Slits are provided on two side walls of the insulating protective cover which are parallel to the xz plane, and the electrical connection parts of the polarity terminals of each single battery are connected to the electrical connector through the slits.

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