Electric connection sheet and battery module

Abstract

The utility model relates to an electric connecting piece and a battery module, and the electric connecting piece comprises a first conductor which comprises a first connecting section, a second connecting section and a transition section located between the first connecting section and the second connecting section, and the transition section is provided with a current limiting structure; the second conductor is embedded in the current limiting structure of the transition section, so that the over-current area of the electric connection sheet at the transition section is not smaller than the over-current areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the melting point of the second conductor is smaller than that of the first conductor; and after the second conductor is removed from the electric connecting sheet, the overcurrent area of the electric connecting sheet at the transition section is smaller than the overcurrent areas of the first connecting section and the second connecting section. When the battery is short-circuited, the second conductor is firstly fused after being heated to the melting point, the overcurrent area of the residual transition section is obviously reduced compared with the overcurrent areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the transition section can be continuously heated and heated until the transition section is fused, so that the first connection section and the second connection section are disconnected to protect other batteries which are not short-circuited.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of secondary batteries, and particularly relates to an electrical connection piece and a battery module. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the new energy industry, the market has higher and higher requirements for the safety performance of battery modules and battery packs. For example, when designing battery modules and battery packs, it is necessary to consider the external short-circuit situation caused by collisions.

[0003] In the existing battery module solutions, generally, the risk of further harm caused by external short circuits is reduced by reducing the local cross-sectional area of the electrical connection piece; when an external short circuit occurs, a large short-circuit current may cause local high temperature melting of the electrical connection piece, acting as a fuse.

[0004] However, on the one hand, the melting point of the commonly used electrical connection piece is relatively high, and the time required to melt the electrical connection piece is relatively long, and the battery may undergo thermal runaway before melting; on the other hand, reducing the cross-sectional area of the electrical connection piece may cause excessive local heating of the electrical connection piece during normal use, affecting battery performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this application provide an electrical connection piece and a battery module to solve the problem in the related art that the melting point of the electrical connection piece connecting the battery is relatively high and the melting time is slow, resulting in thermal runaway of the battery.

[0006] The first aspect of the embodiments of this application provides an electrical connection piece, including:

[0007] A first conductor, the first conductor includes a first connection section and a second connection section, and a transition section located between the first connection section and the second connection section, and a current-limiting structure is provided on the transition section;

[0008] A second conductor, the second conductor is embedded in the current-limiting structure of the transition section, so that the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece at the transition section is not less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the melting point of the second conductor is less than that of the first conductor;

[0009] And after removing the second conductor from the electrical connection piece, the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece at the transition section is less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section.

[0010] In some embodiments: the first connection section and the second connection section are mirror-symmetrically arranged with the transition section as the central axis, and the first connection section, the second connection section, and the transition section are of the same material and integrally formed structure.

[0011] In some embodiments: the current-limiting structure is a groove opened on the surface of the transition section, and the second conductor is embedded in the groove and the surfaces are flush with each other.

[0012] In some embodiments, the groove is a structure with a closed perimeter and an open top, and a through-hole penetrating the transition section is provided at the bottom of the groove.

[0013] In some embodiments, the groove is a strip-shaped structure, and both ends of the groove penetrate through both sides of the transition section.

[0014] In some embodiments, the current-limiting structure is one or more through-holes formed in the transition section, and the second conductor is embedded in one or more of the through-holes and is flush with the surface.

[0015] In some embodiments, there are one row or multiple rows of the through-holes, and the through-holes in each row are spaced along the width direction of the first conductor.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first conductor is made of copper or aluminum, and the second conductor is a melt material.

[0017] In some embodiments, the electrical connection piece has a "ji"-shaped structure, and the connections between the first connection section and the second connection section and the transition section are smoothly transitioned through rounded corners.

[0018] In the second aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a battery pack is provided, including at least two groups of batteries arranged side by side, and adjacent two groups of batteries are connected by the electrical connection piece described in any of the above embodiments.

[0019] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the present application include:

[0020] The embodiments of the present application provide an electrical connection piece and a battery module. Since the electrical connection piece of the present application is provided with a first conductor, the first conductor includes a first connection section, a second connection section, and a transition section located between the first connection section and the second connection section, and a current-limiting structure is provided on the transition section; a second conductor, the second conductor is embedded in the current-limiting structure of the transition section, so that the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece at the transition section is not less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the melting point of the second conductor is less than that of the first conductor; after the second conductor is removed from the electrical connection piece, the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece at the transition section is less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section.

[0021] Therefore, the electrical connection piece of the present application is composed of two parts, namely a first conductor and a second conductor. The first conductor is used to connect two groups of batteries, and the second conductor is used to cooperate with the first conductor to achieve rapid fusing. In order to achieve rapid fusing when the battery is short-circuited, a current-limiting structure is provided on the transition section of the first conductor, and the second conductor is embedded in the current-limiting structure of the transition section, which satisfies the normal current-carrying and over-current during the normal operation of the electrical connection piece, and at the same time can ensure better structural strength and electrical conductivity of the transition section of the electrical connection piece.

[0022] When the battery is short-circuited, the second conductor heats up to its melting point and first fuses. The current-carrying area of the remaining transition section is significantly reduced compared to the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section. The transition section can continue to heat up and fuse until it breaks, playing a role in disconnecting the first connection section and the second connection section to protect other non-shorted batteries. The electrical connection piece of the present application significantly improves the safety performance of the battery module. When the battery module is in normal use, it does not affect the battery performance, and can quickly fuse in the event of an external short circuit, reducing the risk of harm caused by the external short circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the electrical connection piece of the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the structure of the electrical connection piece of the embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the battery module of the embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Reference numerals:

[0028] 1. Battery; 2. Electrical connection piece; 21. First conductor; 22. Current-limiting structure; 23. Through hole; 24. Second conductor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0029] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0030] The embodiments of the present application provide an electrical connection piece and a battery module, which can solve the problem that the melting point of the electrical connection piece connecting the battery in the related art is relatively high and the fusing time is slow, resulting in thermal runaway of the battery.

[0031] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application, an electrical connection piece is provided, and the electrical connection piece 2 includes:

[0032] A first conductor 21, the first conductor 21 includes a first connection section and a second connection section, as well as a transition section located between the first connection section and the second connection section, and a current-limiting structure 22 is provided on the transition section, and the current-limiting structure 22 is used to make the current-carrying area of the transition section smaller than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section.

[0033] A second conductor 24, the second conductor 24 is embedded in the current-limiting structure 22 of the transition section, so that the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece 2 at the transition section is not less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the melting point of the second conductor 24 is lower than that of the first conductor 21; after the second conductor 24 is removed from the electrical connection piece 2, the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece 2 at the transition section is smaller than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section. The second conductor 24 is embedded in the current-limiting structure 22 of the transition section, so that the second conductor 24 and the first conductor 21 are connected into one body for jointly transmitting current.

[0034] The electrical connection piece 2 in the embodiment of the present application is composed of two parts, namely a first conductor 21 and a second conductor 24, wherein the first conductor 21 is used to connect two groups of batteries 1, and the second conductor 24 is used to cooperate with the first conductor 21 to achieve rapid fusing. In order to achieve rapid fusing of the electrical connection piece 2 when the battery 1 is short-circuited, a current-limiting structure 22 is provided on the transition section of the first conductor 21, and the second conductor 24 is embedded in the current-limiting structure 22 of the transition section, which satisfies the normal current-carrying of the electrical connection piece 2 during normal operation, and at the same time can ensure that the transition section of the electrical connection piece 2 has better structural strength and electrical conductivity.

[0035] When the battery 1 is short-circuited, the second conductor 24 first melts after rising to the melting point, and the current-carrying area of the remaining transition section is significantly reduced compared with the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section. The transition section can continue to heat up until it melts, playing a role in disconnecting the first connection section and the second connection section to protect other non-short-circuited batteries 1. The electrical connection piece 2 of the present application significantly improves the safety performance of the battery module. When the battery module is in normal use, it does not affect the battery performance, and can quickly fuse in the event of an external short circuit, reducing the risk of harm caused by the external short circuit.

[0036] In some alternative embodiments: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an electrical connection piece, and the first connection section and the second connection section of the electrical connection piece 2 are mirror-symmetrically arranged with the transition section as the central axis, and the first connection section, the second connection section and the transition section are integrally formed structures of the same material.

[0037] For the first conductor 21 in the embodiment of the present application, the first connection section, the second connection section and the transition section are integrally formed structures of the same material, and the structures of the first connection section and the second connection section are completely the same and symmetrically arranged.

[0038] The first connecting section, the second connecting section and the transition section are integrally formed from the same material, which results in good processing consistency and good electrical conductivity. The first connecting section is used for welding and connecting the pole of one of the batteries 1, and the second connecting section is used for welding and connecting the pole of the other battery 1. The transition section is used for connecting the first connecting section and the second connecting section.

[0039] In some alternative embodiments: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an electrical connection piece. The current-limiting structure 22 of the electrical connection piece 2 is a groove formed on the surface of the transition section. The second conductor 24 is embedded in the groove and their surfaces are flush with each other. The groove formed on the surface of the transition section is used to locally thin the transition section, reduce its current-carrying area, and facilitate the embedding of the second conductor 24 in the groove.

[0040] The groove in the embodiment of the present application has a top-opening and four-sided-closed structure, and a through-hole 23 penetrating the transition section is formed at the bottom of the groove. The through-hole 23 is used for when the temperature of the electrical connection piece 2 is too high, after the low-melting-point second conductor 24 melts first, the melted second conductor 24 can quickly flow out from the through-hole 23 formed at the bottom of the groove and break away from the first conductor 21, significantly reducing the current-carrying area of the transition section of the first conductor 21. In this case, the second conductor 24 can be provided in the through-hole 23 or not.

[0041] In some alternative embodiments: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an electrical connection piece. The current-limiting structure 22 of the electrical connection piece 2 is a groove, which is a strip-shaped structure, and both ends of the groove penetrate through both sides of the transition section. The groove formed on the surface of the transition section with both ends penetrating through both sides of the transition section is used to locally thin the transition section, reduce its current-carrying area, and facilitate the embedding of the second conductor 24.

[0042] The groove in the embodiment of the present application is a strip-shaped structure, and both ends of the groove penetrate through both sides of the transition section. When the temperature of the electrical connection piece 2 is too high, after the low-melting-point second conductor 24 melts first, the melted second conductor 24 can quickly flow out from both ends of the groove and break away from the first conductor 21, significantly reducing the current-carrying area of the transition section of the first conductor 21, and playing a role in quickly fusing the transition section.

[0043] In some alternative embodiments: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an electrical connection piece. The current-limiting structure 22 of the electrical connection piece 2 is one or more through-holes formed on the transition section, and the through-holes penetrate through the upper and lower ends of the transition section. The second conductor 24 is embedded in one or more through-holes and their surfaces are flush with each other. The multiple through-holes are arranged in one row or multiple rows, and the through-holes in each row are spaced along the width direction of the first conductor 21.

[0044] One or more through holes are formed in the transition section of the embodiment of the present application, and the second conductor 24 is embedded in the through holes. The through holes are not only used to reduce the local current-carrying area of the transition section, but also locally, when the temperature of the electrical connection piece 2 is too high, the second conductor 24 with a low melting point melts first, and the melted second conductor 24 can quickly flow out of the through holes and separate from the first conductor 21, so that the current-carrying area of the transition section of the first conductor 21 is significantly reduced.

[0045] In some alternative embodiments: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an electrical connection piece. The first conductor 21 of the electrical connection piece 2 is made of copper or aluminum, and the second conductor 24 is a melt material, and the melt material can be a lead-tin alloy or a lead-antimony alloy. The surface of the transition section is lower than the surfaces of the first connection section and the second connection section (i.e., the electrical connection piece 2 has a "V" shape structure), and the joints between the first connection section and the second connection section and the transition section are smoothly transitioned through rounded corners.

[0046] Refer to Figure 3 As shown, the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a battery pack, including: at least two groups of batteries 1 arranged side by side, and adjacent two groups of batteries 1 are connected by the electrical connection piece 2 described in any of the above embodiments. The first connection section of the electrical connection piece 2 is welded to the pole post of one of the batteries 1, and the second connection section of the electrical connection piece 2 is welded to the pole post of the other battery 1.

[0047] Working principle

[0048] The embodiment of the present application provides an electrical connection piece and a battery module. Since the electrical connection piece 2 of the present application is provided with a first conductor 21, the first conductor 21 includes a first connection section and a second connection section, and a transition section located between the first connection section and the second connection section, and a current-limiting structure 22 is provided on the transition section; a second conductor 24, the second conductor 24 is embedded in the current-limiting structure 22 of the transition section, so that the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece 2 at the transition section is not less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the melting point of the second conductor is less than that of the first conductor; after the second conductor 24 is removed from the electrical connection piece 2, the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece 2 at the transition section is less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section.

[0049] Therefore, the electrical connection piece 2 of the present application consists of two parts, namely a first conductor 21 and a second conductor 24. The first conductor 21 is used to connect two groups of batteries 1, and the second conductor 24 is used to cooperate with the first conductor 21 to achieve quick fusing. In order to achieve quick fusing when the battery 1 is short-circuited, a current-limiting structure 22 is provided on the transition section of the first conductor 21, and the second conductor 24 is embedded in the current-limiting structure 22 of the transition section, which can satisfy the normal current passing during the normal operation of the electrical connection piece 2, and at the same time can ensure that the transition section of the electrical connection piece 2 has better structural strength and electrical conductivity.

[0050] When the battery 1 is short-circuited, the second conductor 24 first fuses after heating up to the melting point. The current-carrying area of the remaining transition section is significantly reduced compared with that of the first connection section and the second connection section. The transition section can continue to heat up until it fuses, playing a role in disconnecting the first connection section and the second connection section to protect other non-short-circuited batteries 1. The electrical connection piece 2 of the present application significantly improves the safety performance of the battery module. When the battery module is in normal use, it does not affect the battery performance, and can quickly fuse in the case of an external short circuit, reducing the risk of harm caused by the external short circuit.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper" and "lower" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. Unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0052] It should be noted that in the present application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, the element defined by the statement "including a..." does not exclude the existence of another identical element in the process, method, article or device including the said element.

[0053] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to these embodiments shown herein, but rather will be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. An electrical connection piece, characterized in that, The electrical connection piece (2) includes: A first conductor (21), the first conductor (21) includes a first connection section and a second connection section, and a transition section located between the first connection section and the second connection section, and a current limiting structure (22) is provided on the transition section; A second conductor (24), the second conductor (24) is embedded in the current limiting structure (22) of the transition section, so that the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece (2) at the transition section is not less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section, and the melting point of the second conductor (24) is less than that of the first conductor (21); After the second conductor (24) is removed from the electrical connection piece (2), the current-carrying area of the electrical connection piece (2) at the transition section is less than the current-carrying areas of the first connection section and the second connection section.

2. An electrical connection piece according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connection section and the second connection section are arranged in a mirror image with the transition section as the central axis, and the first connection section, the second connection section and the transition section are integrally formed structures of the same material.

3. An electrical connection piece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The current limiting structure (22) is a groove opened on the surface of the transition section, and the second conductor (24) is embedded in the groove and the surfaces are flush with each other.

4. An electrical connection piece according to claim 3, characterized in that: The groove is a structure with an open top and a closed perimeter, and a through hole (23) penetrating the transition section is opened at the bottom of the groove.

5. An electrical connection piece according to claim 3, characterized in that: The groove is a strip-shaped structure, and both ends of the groove penetrate through both sides of the transition section.

6. An electrical connection piece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The current limiting structure (22) is one or more through holes opened on the transition section, and the second conductor (24) is embedded in one or more of the through holes and the surfaces are flush with each other.

7. An electrical connection piece according to claim 6, characterized in that: The plurality of through holes are arranged in one row or multiple rows, and each row of through holes is arranged at intervals along the width direction of the first conductor (21).

8. An electrical connection piece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first conductor (21) is made of copper or aluminum, and the second conductor (24) is a melt material.

9. An electrical connection piece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The electrical connection piece (2) has a "C" - shaped structure, and the joints of the first connection section and the second connection section with the transition section are smoothly transitioned through rounded corners.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that, Including: At least two groups of batteries (1) arranged side by side, and adjacent two groups of batteries (1) are connected by the electrical connection piece (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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