Upper cover assembly for single battery, single battery and battery module

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, and particularly relates to an upper cover assembly for a single battery, the single battery and a battery module. The problem that the battery module cannot work continuously due to thermal runaway of part of single batteries is solved. The upper cover assembly comprises an upper cover plate, a polarity terminal, an annular insulating member and a conductive connecting piece; the upper cover plate is an electric conductor; a mounting hole is formed in the upper cover plate; the polarity terminal penetrates through the mounting hole; the annular insulating member is sealed and fixed between the polarity terminal and the upper cover plate; a channel is formed in the annular insulating component in the thickness direction of the annular insulating component; the conductive connecting piece is fixed on the polar terminal and located above the annular insulating component, and when the temperature reaches a set threshold temperature, the conductive connecting piece deforms and partially fills a channel of the annular insulating component, so that the upper cover plate and the polar terminal are electrically conducted; and at least one part of the discharge current of the single batteries without thermal runaway in the whole battery module flows through the upper cover plate of the single batteries to continuously supply power to the load.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of batteries, specifically a cover assembly for a single battery, a single battery, and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the market often uses multiple individual cells connected in parallel, series, or series-parallel to form battery modules (also known as battery packs).

[0003] During use, one or more individual cells in the battery module may experience thermal runaway, which may cause the entire battery module to cease operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cover assembly for a single battery cell, a single battery cell, and a battery module, overcoming the problem that the battery module cannot continue to work due to thermal runaway of some single batteries cell.

[0005] The first aspect of this utility model provides a top cover assembly for a single battery, which is characterized by including a top cover plate, polar terminals, an annular insulating member, and conductive connectors.

[0006] The top cover is an electrical conductor; mounting holes are provided on the top cover; polarity terminals pass through the mounting holes;

[0007] An annular insulating member is sealed and fixed between the polarity terminal and the upper cover plate; a channel is opened on the annular insulating member along its thickness direction;

[0008] The conductive connector is fixed on the polar terminal and located above the annular insulating member. When the temperature reaches the set threshold temperature, the conductive connector deforms and partially fills the channel of the annular insulating member, thereby achieving electrical conductivity between the upper cover plate and the polar terminal.

[0009] In the battery module, when a single cell experiences thermal runaway, the temperature of the conductive connector of that single cell rises to or exceeds a set threshold temperature, causing the conductive connector to deform due to heat. Part of it fills the channel of the annular insulating member and connects between the top cover and the polar terminal, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the top cover and the polar terminal. This makes the single cell a resistor in the circuit of the entire battery module. At least a portion of the discharge current of the single cells in the entire battery module that have not experienced thermal runaway flows through the top cover of the single cell to continue supplying power to the load.

[0010] Therefore, it can be seen that even if a single cell in the battery module experiences thermal runaway, the entire battery module can still continue to operate normally and supply power to the load.

[0011] Furthermore, the channel is at least one through hole formed on the annular insulating member.

[0012] Furthermore, the conductive connector is a metal component, which is readily available and relatively inexpensive compared to other conductive materials.

[0013] Furthermore, the melting point of the metal component is less than or equal to a set threshold temperature. When the single cell experiences thermal runaway, the temperature of the metal component rises to the melting point, becomes molten, flows into the through hole or notch, and connects between the upper cover plate and the polar terminal.

[0014] Furthermore, the metal component is an annular metal plate sleeved and fixed on the polarity terminal; compared with other structural forms, the annular metal plate is easier to fix to the polarity terminal. At the same time, when it becomes molten, as long as part of it keeps in contact with any part of the side wall of the polarity terminal, and part of it fills the channel and contacts any part of the upper cover plate, the electrical connection between the polarity terminal and the upper cover plate can be realized, which has high connection reliability.

[0015] Furthermore, the upper cover plate is provided with a first opening component. Under the action of external force or electrolyte, the first opening component forms an opening in the upper cover plate.

[0016] The second aspect of this utility model also provides a single battery, including an outer cylinder, an upper cover assembly, a lower cover assembly, and an electrode assembly; the outer cylinder, the upper cover assembly, and the lower cover assembly enclose a single battery housing, and the electrode assembly is located inside the housing; the special feature is that the upper cover assembly adopts the above-mentioned upper cover assembly for single batteries, and the polarity terminal is electrically connected to the electrode tab of the electrode assembly.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower cover assembly includes a lower cover plate and a second opening component disposed on the lower cover plate. The second opening component forms an opening in the lower cover plate under the action of external force or electrolyte; its structure may be the same as or different from the first opening component.

[0018] The third aspect of this utility model also provides a battery module, which is characterized in that it includes n individual batteries arranged in the same direction; wherein the individual batteries are the aforementioned individual batteries; and n is an integer greater than 1.

[0019] Furthermore, the aforementioned battery module also includes a housing; n individual batteries are arranged in the same direction in the inner cavity of the housing, and the housing has at least one shared chamber, the inner cavity of which is connected to the inner cavities of all individual batteries; a clearance hole is provided on the top plate of the housing corresponding to the polarity terminal of each individual battery; the polarity terminal of each individual battery extends out of the clearance hole, and the area of ​​the top plate of the housing corresponding to the clearance hole is fixedly sealed to the housing body of the individual battery.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0021] In the battery module, when a single cell experiences thermal runaway, the temperature of the conductive connector of that single cell rises to or exceeds a set threshold temperature, causing the conductive connector to deform due to heat. Part of it fills the channel of the annular insulating member and connects between the top cover and the polar terminal, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the top cover and the polar terminal. This makes the single cell a resistor in the circuit of the entire battery module. At least a portion of the discharge current of the single cells in the entire battery module that have not experienced thermal runaway flows through the top cover of the single cell to continue supplying power to the load.

[0022] Therefore, it can be seen that even if a single cell in the battery module experiences thermal runaway, the entire battery module can still continue to operate normally and supply power to the load. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the top cover assembly for a single battery cell in Example 1;

[0024] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the top cover assembly for a single battery cell in Example 1;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the top cover assembly for a single battery cell in Example 1;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another type of top cover assembly for a single battery in Example 1;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the top cover assembly for a single cell that experienced thermal runaway in Example 1;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single cell in Example 2;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of a single cell in Example 2;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the battery module structure in Example 3;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the battery module structure in Example 4;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the battery module in Example 4;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the battery module in Example 4;

[0034] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of the battery module after thermal runaway occurred in Example 4;

[0035] The reference numerals in the figure are as follows: 1. Top cover plate; 2. Polar terminal; 21. Limiting part; 22. Electrical connection part; 3. Conductive connector; 4. Annular insulating member; 41. Notch; 5. Through hole; 6. Bottom cover plate; 61. Second opening part; 7. Single cell; 8. Outer shell; 81. Top plate of outer shell; 82. Bottom plate of outer shell; 9. Electrolyte sharing chamber; 10. Gas sharing chamber; 11. Sealing connector; 12. Clearance hole; 13. Support member. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0037] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0038] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "top," "bottom," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] A battery module consists of multiple individual cells. During use, one or more individual cells in the battery module may experience thermal runaway, which may cause the entire battery module to stop working.

[0040] In order to enable the entire battery module to continue to operate normally and supply power to the load in the event of thermal runaway of a single cell in the battery module, this utility model proposes a cover assembly for a single cell, a single cell, and a battery module.

[0041] Specifically, the top cover assembly for a single battery provided by this utility model includes a top cover plate, polar terminals, annular insulating components, and conductive connectors;

[0042] The top cover is an electrical conductor; mounting holes are provided on the top cover; polarity terminals pass through the mounting holes;

[0043] The annular insulating member is an electrical insulator and is sealed and fixed between the polarity terminal and the upper cover plate; a channel is opened on the annular insulating member along its thickness direction;

[0044] The conductive connector is fixed on the polar terminal and located above the annular insulating member. When the temperature reaches the set threshold temperature, the conductive connector deforms and partially fills the channel of the annular insulating member, thereby achieving electrical conductivity between the upper cover plate and the polar terminal.

[0045] The single battery provided by this utility model includes an outer cylinder, an upper cover assembly, a lower cover assembly, and an electrode assembly; the outer cylinder, the upper cover assembly, and the lower cover assembly are arranged to form a single battery shell, and the electrode assembly is located inside the shell; the upper cover assembly adopts the above-mentioned upper cover assembly, and the electrode tabs of the electrode assembly are electrically connected to the polarity terminals.

[0046] The battery module provided by this utility model includes n individual batteries arranged in the same direction; the n individual batteries are electrically connected based on polarity terminals; wherein the individual batteries are the aforementioned individual batteries; and n is an integer greater than 1. The electrical connections include parallel connection, series connection, and mixed connection.

[0047] As can be seen from the above description, in this utility model, the conductive connector has the following two states:

[0048] First state: When the single cell is in normal working condition, its temperature can be assumed to be T1. The conductive connector is fixed on the polarity terminal and is not connected to the top cover.

[0049] Second state: When the temperature of a single cell is T2, where T2 > T1; the temperature of the conductive connector reaches a set threshold temperature. At this temperature, the conductive connector deforms and partially fills the channel of the insulating ring component, connecting the upper cover plate and the polar terminal to achieve electrical conduction between the upper cover plate and the polar terminal.

[0050] T2 is close to the thermal runaway temperature of a single cell. The set threshold temperature can be adjusted according to the specific implementation situation, and a thermosensitive material adapted to the required set threshold temperature can be selected to achieve deformation at the corresponding set threshold temperature and achieve the expected effect.

[0051] In the battery module, when a single cell experiences thermal runaway, the temperature of the conductive connector of that single cell rises to or exceeds a set threshold temperature, causing the conductive connector to deform due to heat and connect between the top cover and the polar terminal. This achieves an electrical connection between the top cover and the polar terminal, making the single cell a resistor in the circuit of the entire battery module. At least a portion of the discharge current of the single cells that have not experienced thermal runaway flows through the top cover of the single cell to continue supplying power to the load.

[0052] Therefore, it can be seen that even if a single cell in the battery module experiences thermal runaway, the entire battery module can still continue to operate normally and supply power to the load.

[0053] It should be noted that:

[0054] 1. The above polarity terminal can be a single battery terminal. In order to avoid the single battery terminal height not meeting the set requirements, a terminal adapter can be connected to the single battery terminal, and the overall structure of the single battery terminal and the terminal adapter can be used as the single battery polarity terminal.

[0055] 2. Typically, for conventional square-shell batteries, the top cover plate has two polarity terminals with different polarities. In this utility model, the main example is to fix conductive connectors on both polarity terminals with different polarities.

[0056] 3. The aforementioned thermal deformation of the conductive connector can be understood as thermal expansion of the conductive connector, or as a change in state of the conductive connector after heating, such as changing from a solid state to a molten state. In this invention, materials with such properties are referred to as temperature-sensitive materials, typically temperature-sensitive metal materials, or temperature-sensitive conductive polymer materials, etc.

[0057] 4. The aforementioned channel can be a through hole opened on the annular insulating member, or a notch opened on the annular insulating member, as long as it can be ensured that the electrical connection between the upper cover plate and the polarity terminal is achieved through the channel after the conductive connector is deformed by heat.

[0058] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0059] Example 1

[0060] This embodiment is a top cover assembly for a single battery cell, and its structure is as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, it includes an upper cover plate 1, polar terminals 2, an annular insulating member 4, and conductive connectors 3.

[0061] The upper cover plate 1 is used to enclose the lower cover assembly of the single battery cell and the outer cylinder to form the outer casing of the single battery cell. In this embodiment, the upper cover plate 1 is a rectangular plate made of a conductive metallic material, typically aluminum.

[0062] from Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen from the image, the polar terminal 2 in this embodiment is a single-cell battery terminal, which is taller than a conventional single-cell battery terminal.

[0063] In some other embodiments, when the height of the single battery terminal does not meet the set requirements, a terminal adapter can be connected to the single battery terminal, and the overall structure of the single battery terminal and the terminal adapter can be used as the polarity terminal 2 of the single battery.

[0064] In addition, this embodiment includes two polarity terminals 2, both of which are fixed on the upper cover plate 1. For ease of description, in this embodiment, the two polarity terminals 2 are defined as the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal, respectively, and the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal serve as the positive and negative polarity terminals of a single cell.

[0065] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, in this embodiment, mounting holes are formed on the upper cover plate 1 corresponding to the positions of the polarity terminal 2; the polarity terminal 2 has a limiting part 21 and an electrical connection part 22. The electrical connection part 22 of the polarity terminal 2 passes through the mounting holes in sequence and is fixed to the upper cover plate 1 on one side by an annular insulating member 4. The limiting part of the polarity terminal 2 is limited to the other side of the upper cover plate 1.

[0066] Insulation between the polarity terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1 can be achieved by an annular insulating member 4 disposed between the upper cover plate 1 and the polarity terminal 2. The annular insulating member 4 can be a ring-shaped insulating layer formed by pouring insulating adhesive between the polarity terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1, or an insulating sleeve disposed between the polarity terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1, etc. The material of the annular insulating member 4 can be the insulating material used between the polarity terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1 in the prior art. Furthermore, the connection method between the annular insulating member 4 and the polarity terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1 can also adopt relevant existing technologies; this embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0067] from Figure 3 As can be seen, in this embodiment, at least one through hole 5 is opened in the annular insulating member 4. The through hole 5 penetrates the annular insulating member 4 in the thickness direction. The size of the through hole 5 needs to be guaranteed. At a set threshold temperature, the conductive connector 3 deforms and part of the structure can be filled in the through hole 5 to realize the electrical conduction between the upper cover plate 1 and the polar terminal 2.

[0068] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, a notch 41 can also be opened at the edge of the annular insulating member 4; at a set threshold temperature, the conductive connector 3 deforms, and part of the structure can also be filled in the notch 41 to achieve electrical conduction between the upper cover plate 1 and the polar terminal 2.

[0069] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen from the above, there are two conductive connectors 3 in this embodiment, both of which are annular plates. They are respectively sleeved and fixed on the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal, and there is a certain distance between them and the upper cover plate 1. This distance needs to ensure that the conductive connectors 3 and the upper cover plate 1 remain insulated when the single cell 7 is in normal working condition.

[0070] In order to improve the installation stability of the conductive connector 3, the conductive connector 3 is sleeved on the polar terminal 2, and its bottom surface is pressed against the annular insulating member 4. In addition, a stepped structure can be provided on the polar terminal 2, with the stepped surface flush with the upper end surface of the annular insulating member 4, and the bottom surface of the conductive connector 3 is pressed against both the upper end surface of the annular insulating member 4 and the stepped surface.

[0071] In some other embodiments, other shapes may be used, such as a semi-circular metal plate, which is fixed on the polar terminal 2, but its stability is weaker than that of this embodiment.

[0072] In addition, this embodiment uses an annular plate, which is easier to fix to the polar terminal 2 compared to other structural forms. At the same time, when it becomes molten, as long as part of it keeps in contact with any part of the side wall of the polar terminal 2 and part of it fills any through hole and contacts the upper cover plate 1, the electrical connection between the polar terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1 can be achieved, which has high connection reliability.

[0073] In this embodiment, the conductive connector 3 is made of metal with a melting point less than or equal to a set threshold temperature. At this threshold temperature, the metal melts, with part of its structure still in contact with the polar terminal 2, while the rest flows into the through-hole 5 of the annular insulating member 4 under gravity, connecting to the upper cover plate 1. This achieves electrical conductivity between the polar terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1. (See also...) Figure 5 .

[0074] In this embodiment, the temperature threshold corresponds to the temperature that the polar terminal 2 will reach when a single cell experiences thermal runaway. The corresponding conductive connector 3 can be made of a metal or alloy with a melting point between 200 and 300 degrees Celsius. For example, metals such as tin and bismuth can be used.

[0075] In other embodiments, the temperature threshold is not limited to a specific temperature value, but can be a temperature value that is adjusted according to the specific operating conditions of the individual battery cell (e.g., battery voltage, load size, resistance of components in the circuit), and ambient environmental parameters (e.g., ambient temperature, humidity). The threshold temperature can be adjusted according to the specific implementation, and a temperature-sensitive material adapted to the required threshold temperature can be selected to achieve the expected thermal runaway response measures.

[0076] In some other embodiments, other temperature-sensitive conductors may be selected. These conductors expand when heated to a set threshold temperature, and part of the structure penetrates through the through hole to contact the upper cover plate 1, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the polarity terminal 2 and the upper cover plate 1.

[0077] In this embodiment, a first opening component can also be provided on the upper cover plate 1, which is located between the two polarity terminals 2. Under the action of external force or electrolyte, the first opening component can detach from the upper cover plate 1 of the single cell and form a through hole in the upper cover plate 1 that penetrates the inner cavity of the outer casing. The first opening component adopts an existing structure, such as the first opening component disclosed in Chinese Patent CN221327991U, the sealing device disclosed in Chinese Patent CN117476997A, and the opening device disclosed in CN117477117A.

[0078] Example 2

[0079] This embodiment is a single-cell battery, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, it includes an outer casing and an electrode assembly and electrolyte located within the outer casing; wherein the outer casing is formed by an outer cylinder, a lower cover assembly, and an upper cover assembly as in Embodiment 1. The first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal on the upper cover assembly are electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals of the electrode assembly, respectively. Figure 7 (Connection structure not shown).

[0080] In this embodiment, the lower cover assembly includes a lower cover plate 6, and a second opening member 61 may be provided on the lower cover plate 6. This second opening member 61 can detach from the lower cover plate 6 of the individual battery 7 under external force or electrolyte action, and form a through hole 5 in the lower cover plate 6 that penetrates the inner cavity of the outer casing. The second opening member 61 can also be an existing structure, for example, it can adopt the opening member disclosed in Chinese Patent CN221327991U, the sealing device disclosed in Chinese Patent CN117476997A, and the opening device disclosed in CN117477117A, etc. The structure of the second opening member 61 can be the same as or different from the first opening member.

[0081] Example 3

[0082] like Figure 8As shown, this embodiment is a battery module, including 12 individual battery cells 7 arranged in the same direction as in Embodiment 2. In some other embodiments, the number of individual battery cells 7 can be adjusted according to actual needs. The 12 individual battery cells 7 are electrically connected based on polarity terminals 2, and this electrical connection can be parallel, series, or a combination of both.

[0083] When each individual battery cell 7 has a second opening piece 61 on its lower cover plate 6, the second opening piece 61 of each individual battery cell 7 can be opened, and a hollow component can be used to connect the inner cavities of all individual battery cells 7 to achieve electrolyte sharing, reduce the differences between individual battery cells 7, and optimize the cycle performance of the battery module. It should be noted that when each individual battery cell 7 achieves electrolyte sharing, the individual battery cells 7 are preferably connected in parallel.

[0084] When each individual battery cell 7 has a first opening component on its top cover 1, the first opening component of each individual battery cell 7 can be opened, and another hollow component can be used to connect the inner cavities of all individual batteries cell 7 to achieve gas sharing, gas balance, and further optimize the cycle performance of the battery module.

[0085] Combination Figure 5 In the battery module, if any single cell 7 experiences thermal runaway, the temperature of the conductive connector 3 of that single cell 7 rises to or exceeds a set threshold temperature, causing the conductive connector 3 to be heated and become molten. Part of the molten material flows into the through hole 5 of the annular insulating member 4 and connects between the upper cover plate 1 and the polar terminal 2, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the upper cover plate 1 and the polar terminal 2. This makes the single cell 7 a resistor in the circuit of the entire battery module. At least a portion of the discharge current of the single cell 7 that has not experienced thermal runaway flows through the upper cover plate 1 of the single cell 7 to continue to supply power to the load.

[0086] Example 4

[0087] This embodiment presents another type of battery module, differing from embodiment 3 in that it also includes a housing 8, the specific structure of which is as follows: Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown.

[0088] from Figures 9 to 11 As can be seen from this, in this embodiment... Figure 8An outer casing 8 is added to the battery module shown, and individual battery cells 7 are arranged inside the outer casing 8. A clearance hole 12 is provided on the top plate 81 of the outer casing to allow the polarity terminals 2 of each individual battery cell 7 to extend. The polarity terminals 2 of each individual battery cell 7 extend out of the corresponding clearance hole 12, and the area of ​​the top plate 81 corresponding to the clearance hole 12 is fixedly sealed to the upper cover plate 1 of the individual battery cell 7. In this embodiment, a sealing connector 11 is used to achieve the fixed seal between the area of ​​the top plate 81 corresponding to the clearance hole 12 and the upper cover plate 1 of the individual battery cell 7; specifically as follows... Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, the sealing connector 11 is a hollow tube with an annular plate on the inner side of the bottom end; the annular plate and the area of ​​the cover plate 1 of the single cell 7 around the annular insulating member 4 are fixed, the hollow tube extends into the clearance hole 12, and the outer wall and the hole wall of the clearance hole 12 are sealed together.

[0089] A support member 13 extending in the x-direction is provided between the bottom plate 82 of the outer casing and each individual battery cell 7 to form a liquid channel, serving as an electrolyte sharing chamber 9. When the lower cover plate 6 of each individual battery cell 7 has a second opening piece 61, the second opening piece 61 of the lower cover plate 6 of each individual battery cell 7 can be opened, and the inner cavities of all individual battery cells 7 can be connected based on the electrolyte sharing chamber 9, realizing electrolyte sharing, reducing the differences between individual battery cells 7, and optimizing the cycle performance of the battery module. It should be noted that when the individual battery cells 7 realize electrolyte sharing, the individual battery cells 7 are preferably connected in parallel.

[0090] On the top plate 81 of the outer casing, there is a boss extending in the x direction. A gas channel is opened on the boss. The gas channel is connected to the inner cavity of the outer casing 8 and serves as a gas sharing chamber 10, which is connected to the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each individual battery cell 7. When gas is generated in the inner cavity of the individual battery cell 7, the inner cavity of the gas channel can also serve as a gas containing cavity to alleviate the problem of the outer casing 8 bulging caused by gas generation.

[0091] In some other embodiments, only an electrolyte shared chamber 9 or a gas shared chamber 10 may be provided.

[0092] like Figure 12 As shown, in the battery module, if any single cell 7 experiences thermal runaway, the temperature of the conductive connector 3 of that single cell 7 rises to or exceeds a set threshold temperature, causing the conductive connector 3 to become molten and melt through the through hole 5. Figure 11 and Figure 12 Taking the use of through hole 5 as an example, the current flows to the upper cover plate 1 and is connected between the upper cover plate 1 and the polar terminal 2, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the upper cover plate 1 and the polar terminal 2, so that the single cell 7 becomes a resistor in the circuit of the entire battery module. At least a part of the discharge current of the single cell 7 that has not experienced thermal runaway in the entire battery module flows through the upper cover plate 1 of the single cell 7 to continue to supply power to the load.

Claims

1. A top cover assembly for a single battery cell, characterized in that: Includes a top cover, polarized terminals, annular insulating components, and conductive connectors; The top cover is an electrical conductor; mounting holes are provided on the top cover; polarity terminals pass through the mounting holes; An annular insulating member is sealed and fixed between the polarity terminal and the upper cover plate; a channel is opened on the annular insulating member along its thickness direction; The conductive connector is fixed on the polar terminal and located above the annular insulating member. When the temperature reaches the set threshold temperature, the conductive connector deforms and partially fills the channel of the annular insulating member, thereby achieving electrical conductivity between the upper cover plate and the polar terminal.

2. The top cover assembly for a single battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The channel is at least one through hole formed on the annular insulating member.

3. The cover assembly for a single battery cell according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The conductive connector is a metal component.

4. The top cover assembly for a single battery cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The melting point of the metal component is less than or equal to a set threshold temperature.

5. The top cover assembly for a single battery cell according to claim 4, characterized in that: The metal component is a ring-shaped metal plate that is sleeved and fixed on the polarity terminal.

6. The top cover assembly for a single battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top cover has a first opening component.

7. A single-cell battery, comprising an outer cylinder, an upper cover assembly, a lower cover assembly, and an electrode assembly; the outer cylinder, the upper cover assembly, and the lower cover assembly enclose a single-cell battery casing, and the electrode assembly is located within the casing; characterized in that: The top cover assembly adopts the top cover assembly for a single cell as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the polarity terminal is electrically connected to the tab of the electrode assembly.

8. The single-cell battery according to claim 7, characterized in that: The lower cover assembly includes a lower cover plate and a second opening component disposed on the lower cover plate.

9. A battery module, characterized in that: It includes n individual cells arranged in the same direction; wherein the individual cells are the individual cells as described in claim 7 or 8; and n is an integer greater than 1.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a housing; n individual cells are arranged in the same direction in the inner cavity of the housing, the housing has at least one shared chamber, the inner cavity of the shared chamber is in communication with the inner cavities of all individual cells; the top plate of the housing has clearance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each individual cell; the polarity terminals of each individual cell extend out of the clearance holes, and the area of ​​the top plate of the housing corresponding to the clearance holes is fixedly sealed to the housing body of the individual cells.

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