Battery device, connector and electric equipment
By using a connector with a metal graphene alloy substrate and a multi-layer transition layer structure, the problem of insufficient conductivity of existing connectors has been solved, achieving high conductivity and wear resistance, thereby improving the economic efficiency and reliability of the battery device.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422555197.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-10-22
AI Technical Summary
The conductivity of existing connectors, especially high-current connectors, is insufficient to meet the performance requirements of battery systems under high load and high temperature environments, thus hindering the improvement of battery performance.
Metal graphene alloy is used as the base material of the connector, and a transition layer is set between the base material and the contact layer, including a nickel plating layer and a copper plating layer, combined with a silver graphene alloy contact layer to form a multi-layer structure to improve conductivity and wear resistance.
It significantly improves the conductivity and current carrying capacity of the connector, reduces the insertion and extraction force, and enhances the economic efficiency and service life of the battery device.
Smart Images
Figure CN223487247U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to battery devices, connectors, and electrical equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Connectors are used in fields such as power batteries, energy storage batteries, electronic appliances, and mechanical devices to achieve electrical connections between wires and between wires and electrical devices. Batteries are typically connected to other devices via connectors, enabling them to power other devices or be charged by other devices. The conductivity of connectors, especially high-current connectors, has a significant impact on the economic efficiency of batteries. Therefore, how to effectively improve the conductivity of connectors is a pressing issue in battery technology. Utility Model Content
[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery device, connector, and electrical equipment to improve the conductivity of the connector, thereby enhancing the performance of the battery device.
[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a battery device, including a housing, a battery cell, and a connector. The battery cell is disposed within the housing, and the connector is disposed on the housing. The connector includes a base and terminals disposed on the base. The terminals are used to contact an external device for electrical connection. The terminals include:
[0005] The substrate is constructed as a metal graphene alloy substrate;
[0006] A transition layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate;
[0007] The contact layer is disposed on the side of the transition layer opposite to the substrate and is used for direct contact to make electrical connections.
[0008] In this embodiment, by using a metal-graphene alloy as the substrate, the conductivity of the connector is greatly improved, which promotes the economic efficiency of battery devices. Furthermore, a transition layer is provided between the substrate and the contact layer to give the terminals better wear resistance and higher current carrying capacity.
[0009] In one embodiment, the connector carries a current of 800A-1500A.
[0010] By constructing the substrate as a metal-graphene alloy, the conductivity of the connector is improved. When the substrate is made of copper, the conductivity is around 40%, while the conductivity can reach 110% with the metal-graphene alloy substrate. This improvement in conductivity is particularly significant for high-current connectors.
[0011] In one embodiment, the metal graphene alloy includes a copper graphene alloy.
[0012] In this embodiment, copper has good electrical conductivity, and when combined with graphene, it can achieve a high conductivity. Of course, in other embodiments, alloys of metals such as silver, copper, aluminum, nickel, or tin with graphene can also be used. When graphene is added to these metals to form alloys, the conductivity is higher than that of the metals themselves.
[0013] In one embodiment, the transition layer has at least two layers, and each transition layer is stacked sequentially along the thickness direction.
[0014] In this embodiment, the conductivity of the connector is further improved by setting at least two transition layers.
[0015] In one embodiment, the transition layer comprises two layers: a nickel plating layer and a copper plating layer. The nickel plating layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate, and the copper plating layer is disposed between the nickel plating layer and the contact layer.
[0016] In this embodiment, the substrate surface is not smooth. A nickel plating layer is applied to fill the pits and depressions on the substrate surface, making the substrate surface smooth. Then, a copper plating layer is plated on top of the nickel plating layer. Since nickel is cheaper than copper, applying a nickel plating layer as a base layer on the substrate surface helps to reduce costs.
[0017] In one embodiment, the thicknesses of the nickel plating layer and the copper plating layer range from 1 μm to 3.5 μm, respectively.
[0018] In one embodiment, the contact layer is configured as a silver-graphene alloy layer.
[0019] In this embodiment, the contact layer uses a silver-graphene alloy to achieve high conductivity; moreover, it makes the surface of the contact layer smoother, which helps to reduce the force required for plugging and unplugging the male connector and the female connector, thus making plugging and unplugging easier.
[0020] In one embodiment, the thickness of the contact layer ranges from 1 μm to 5 μm. Within this range, the contact layer can be guaranteed to have good structural stability and is not easily damaged to expose the copper plating layer.
[0021] In one embodiment, the connector includes a male connector and a female connector, wherein the terminals of the male connector are mated with the terminals of the female connector.
[0022] Secondly, this application also provides a connector, which includes a base and terminals disposed on the base. The terminals are used to contact an external device for electrical connection, and the terminals include:
[0023] The substrate is constructed as a metal graphene alloy substrate;
[0024] A transition layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate;
[0025] The contact layer is disposed on the side of the transition layer opposite to the substrate and is used for direct contact to make electrical connections.
[0026] The connector provided in this application embodiment significantly improves conductivity by using a metal-graphene alloy as the substrate. Furthermore, a transition layer is provided between the substrate and the contact layer to give the terminals better wear resistance and higher current carrying capacity.
[0027] Thirdly, this application also provides an electrical device, including the battery device described above.
[0028] The electrical equipment provided in this application achieves good economic efficiency by using the battery device described above. Attached Figure Description
[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without creative effort.
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the mating structure of a connector provided in one embodiment of this application.
[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the separate structure of the connector provided in one embodiment of this application.
[0032] Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 Sectional view at point BB.
[0033] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a terminal provided in one embodiment of this application.
[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0035] 100. Connector; 110. Male connector; 120. Female connector;
[0036] 11. Male end base; 12. Female end base; 121. Sleeve;
[0037] 21. Male terminal; 211. Socket; 22. Female terminal;
[0038] 201, Substrate; 202, Transition layer; 2021, Nickel plating layer; 2022, Copper plating layer; 203, Contact layer. Detailed Implementation
[0039] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0040] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0041] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0042] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0043] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0044] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0045] Currently, judging from market trends, battery applications are becoming increasingly widespread. Batteries are not only used in energy storage systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also extensively used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in other fields. With the continuous expansion of battery applications, market demand is also constantly increasing.
[0046] In battery systems across various fields, connectors are crucial components, responsible for ensuring the reliability and efficiency of electrical connections between batteries. The conductivity of connectors significantly impacts the economics of batteries, especially for high-current connectors, which have even higher conductivity requirements. Therefore, effectively improving connector conductivity is a pressing issue in battery technology.
[0047] Most connectors use traditional metal materials, such as brass or phosphor bronze alloys, which are widely used due to their good electrical conductivity and machinability. However, these traditional materials often have limitations in durability and mechanical stability under high load and high temperature environments, which is particularly prominent in applications for new energy vehicles, as these environments demand higher performance and longer service life. Related technologies use traditional metal materials as the substrate, plating them with silver or gold to improve wear resistance, conductivity, and current carrying capacity.
[0048] Currently, research on connector conductivity mainly focuses on improving the plating. Copper is still the most commonly used substrate. However, despite various improvements to the plating material and thickness, breakthroughs in connector conductivity, especially for high-current connectors, have not been achieved. Connector conductivity remains a bottleneck restricting improvements in battery performance.
[0049] Therefore, this application focuses on improving the substrate material to enhance the connector's conductivity. Research has revealed a novel metal-graphene alloy, which, by incorporating graphene into metals such as copper, nickel, or silver, more than doubles the conductivity compared to traditional metal materials. Replacing the connector's substrate with ordinary copper results in a significant increase in conductivity. Using this improved connector in batteries greatly enhances their economic efficiency.
[0050] This application provides a connector 100. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the mating structure of a connector provided in one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the separate structure of a connector provided in one embodiment of this application is shown. Specifically, connector 100 includes a male connector 110 and a female connector 120, with the terminals of the male connector 110 and the terminals of the female connector 120 being inserted into each other. The male connector 110 includes a male base 11 and a male terminal 21, with the male terminal 21 disposed on the male base 11. The female connector 120 includes a female base 12 and a female terminal 22, with the female terminal 22 disposed on the female base 12. The male terminal 21 and the female terminal 22 are in contact for electrical connection. Specifically, the male terminal 21 can be inserted into the female terminal 22 to achieve electrical connection.
[0051] In one embodiment, combining Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view at point BB. A protruding sleeve 121 is provided on the female base 12. The female terminal 22 is disposed within the sleeve 121, maintaining a gap between it and the inner wall of the sleeve 121. A socket 211 is provided on the male terminal 21. When the male terminal 21 and the female terminal 22 are inserted, the female terminal 22 is inserted into the socket 211, and the male terminal 21 is inserted into the gap between the female terminal 22 and the sleeve 121. The contact area between the female terminal 22 and the inner wall of the socket 211 is the electrical connection area. Therefore, the plating of the male connector 110 is disposed on the inner wall of the socket 211 of the male terminal 21, and the plating of the female connector 120 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal 22.
[0052] This application mainly relates to improvements to the male terminal 21 and the female terminal 22. In the following description, the male terminal 21 and the female terminal 22 are collectively referred to as terminals. Terminals are used to contact external devices for electrical connection. In this application embodiment, the male terminal 21 and the female terminal 22 can be plugged into each other for electrical connection.
[0053] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a terminal provided in one embodiment of this application is shown. The terminal includes a substrate 201, a transition layer 202, and a contact layer 203. The substrate 201 is constructed as a metal-graphene alloy substrate, made of a metal-graphene alloy. The transition layer 202 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 201, and the contact layer 203 is disposed on the side of the transition layer 202 facing away from the substrate 201, for direct contact to perform electrical connection. For the male terminal 21, the inner wall surface facing the socket 211 from the outside consists of the substrate 201, the transition layer 202, and the contact layer 203 in sequence; for the female terminal 22, its central layer is the substrate 201, and the outer side of the substrate 201 consists of the transition layer 202 and the contact layer 203 in sequence. Metal-graphene alloy is a novel composite material, formed by combining graphene and metal through a specific process. By combining graphene with metals (such as copper), the conductivity of the metal under room temperature conditions can be improved.
[0054] In this embodiment, by using a metal-graphene alloy as the substrate 201, the conductivity of the connector 100 is greatly improved, which promotes the improvement of the economic efficiency of the battery device. Furthermore, a transition layer is provided between the substrate and the contact layer to give the terminals better wear resistance and higher current carrying capacity.
[0055] In one embodiment, connector 100 is a high-current connector, carrying a current of 800A-1500A. High-current connectors are electrical connectors specifically designed for transmitting high currents. They possess high current carrying capacity and reliability, and are widely used in various fields requiring high current transmission. By constructing the substrate 201 as a metal-graphene alloy substrate, the conductivity of connector 100 is improved. When the substrate 201 is made of copper, the conductivity is around 40%, while using a metal-graphene alloy substrate can achieve a conductivity of 110%. This improvement in conductivity is particularly significant for high-current connectors.
[0056] In one embodiment, the metal-graphene alloy is a copper-graphene alloy. Copper has good electrical conductivity, and when combined with graphene, it achieves a high conductivity. Of course, in other embodiments, alloys of graphene with metals such as silver, copper, aluminum, nickel, or tin can also be used. When graphene is added to these metals to form an alloy, the conductivity is higher than that of the metal itself.
[0057] Optionally, the transition layer 202 is provided with at least two layers, and each transition layer 202 is stacked sequentially along the thickness direction. By providing at least two transition layers 202, the conductivity of the connector 100 is further improved.
[0058] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, the transition layer 202 has two layers: a nickel plating layer 2021 and a copper plating layer 2022. The nickel plating layer 2021 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 201, and the copper plating layer 2022 is disposed between the nickel plating layer 2021 and the contact layer 203. Since the surface of the substrate 201 is not smooth, the nickel plating layer 2021 is used to fill the pits and depressions on the surface of the substrate 201, making the surface smooth. Then, a copper plating layer 2022 is plated on top of the nickel plating layer 2021. Because nickel is relatively cheaper than copper, using a nickel plating layer 2021 to fill and prime the surface of the substrate 201 helps reduce costs.
[0059] Optionally, the thickness range of the nickel plating layer 2021 and the copper plating layer 2022 is set to 1μm-3.5μm, and specifically 2μm.
[0060] In one embodiment, the contact layer 203 is configured as a silver-graphene alloy layer, made of a silver-graphene alloy. By employing a silver-graphene alloy, the contact layer 203 achieves high conductivity; moreover, it makes the surface of the contact layer 203 smoother, which helps to reduce the force required for mating and unmating the male connector 110 and the female connector 120, thus making mating and unmating easier.
[0061] Optionally, the thickness of the contact layer 203 can be set to a range of 1μm-5μm, specifically 3μm. Within this range, the contact layer 203 can be guaranteed to have good structural stability and is not easily damaged to expose the copper plating layer 2022.
[0062] The connector 100 provided in this embodiment has a multi-layered terminal structure, comprising, from the inside out, a substrate 201, a nickel plating layer 2021, a copper plating layer 2022, and a contact layer 203. The substrate 201 is made of a copper-graphene alloy, and the contact layer 203 is made of a silver-graphene alloy. Because copper has good conductivity, combining it with graphene achieves even higher conductivity, thus greatly improving the conductivity of the connector 100. The nickel plating layer 2021 fills the pits and depressions on the surface of the substrate 201, making the surface of the substrate 201 smooth. Then, a copper plating layer 2022 is plated on the surface of the nickel plating layer 2021. Since nickel is cheaper than copper, using the nickel plating layer 2021 as a base layer on the surface of the substrate 201 helps reduce costs. The contact layer 203, using a silver-graphene alloy, achieves high conductivity; moreover, it makes the surface of the contact layer 203 smoother, which helps reduce the force required for insertion and removal of the male connector 110 and the female connector 120, thus making insertion and removal easier.
[0063] This application also provides a battery device, including a housing, battery cells, and a connector 100 as described above. The battery cells are disposed within the housing, and the connector 100 is disposed on the housing. The specific type of battery device is not limited; the battery device can be a power battery, an energy storage battery, etc.
[0064] This application also provides an electrical device that includes the battery device described above. The field of the electrical device is not limited; it can be an energy storage device such as a hydroelectric, thermal, wind, or solar power plant, or an electric vehicle such as an electric bicycle, electric motorcycle, or electric car, as well as other related fields.
[0065] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0066] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A battery device, comprising a housing, a battery cell, and a connector, wherein the battery cell is disposed within the housing, and the connector is disposed on the housing, characterized in that, The connector includes a base and terminals disposed on the base. The terminals are used to contact an external device for electrical connection. The terminals include: The substrate is configured as a metal-graphene alloy substrate; A transition layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate; A contact layer is disposed on the side of the transition layer opposite to the substrate, for direct contact to make electrical connections.
2. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connector has a current carrying capacity of 800A-1500A.
3. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal graphene alloy includes a copper graphene alloy.
4. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transition layer has at least two layers, and each transition layer is stacked sequentially along the thickness direction.
5. The battery device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The transition layer comprises two layers: a nickel plating layer and a copper plating layer. The nickel plating layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate, and the copper plating layer is disposed between the nickel plating layer and the contact layer.
6. The battery device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thicknesses of the nickel plating layer and the copper plating layer range from 1 μm to 3.5 μm, respectively.
7. The battery device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The contact layer is constructed as a silver-graphene alloy layer.
8. The battery device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thickness of the contact layer ranges from 1 μm to 5 μm.
9. The battery device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The connector includes a male connector and a female connector, wherein the terminals of the male connector are inserted into and mated with the terminals of the female connector.
10. A connector, characterized in that, The connector includes a base and terminals disposed on the base. The terminals are used to contact an external device for electrical connection. The terminals include: The substrate is configured as a metal-graphene alloy substrate; A transition layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate; A contact layer is disposed on the side of the transition layer opposite to the substrate, for direct contact to make electrical connections.
11. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, Includes the battery device as described in any one of claims 1-9.