Battery module and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery module and a battery pack, and relates to the technical field of batteries. The battery module in the embodiment of the utility model comprises a shell, a connecting plate and a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells are arranged in the shell and are stacked in the length direction of the shell, and tabs of the plurality of battery cells are arranged on the same side; the connecting plate and the tabs are arranged on the same side, and the connecting plate is used for electrically connecting two adjacent battery cells. According to the battery module, the two adjacent battery cells are electrically connected through the connecting plate, so that the assembly efficiency and stability of the battery module are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a battery module and a battery pack. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of the global new energy market and the continuous enhancement of environmental awareness, lithium batteries, as a kind of efficient and environmentally friendly new energy, have gradually become a hot topic. Lithium battery systems have been widely used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems, smart homes, unmanned aerial vehicles and other fields. The lithium battery module is one of the important components of the lithium battery system.

[0003] The lithium battery module has a serious heating problem during operation. In the related art, a cold pipe system (such as a cooling water circulation pipeline) is additionally provided to cool the battery, so that the battery has a relatively low working temperature. However, the structure is complex, the assembly efficiency is low, the volume expansion is large, and the weight is large. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present application provides a battery module and a battery pack, aiming to improve at least one of the above technical problems.

[0005] In one aspect, the present application provides a battery module, which comprises a shell, a connecting plate and a plurality of battery cells.

[0006] The plurality of battery cells are arranged in the shell and stacked along the length direction of the shell, and the tabs of the plurality of battery cells are arranged on the same side.

[0007] The connecting plate is arranged on the side of the battery cell close to the tab, and the connecting plate is used for electrically connecting the tabs of the two adjacent battery cells.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting plate has a first opening and a second opening arranged at intervals, the two adjacent battery cells include a first battery cell and a second battery cell, the first tab of the first battery cell is located in the first opening, the second tab of the second battery cell is located in the second opening, and the first tab and the second tab are electrically connected through the connecting plate; and / or

[0009] The battery cell includes a square battery cell or a soft package battery cell.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the first tab includes a first positive tab and a first negative tab, the second tab includes a second positive tab and a second negative tab, the first positive tab and the second negative tab are arranged adjacently and oppositely, and the first positive tab and the second negative tab are electrically connected to the connecting plate respectively; and / or the connecting plate includes an insulating body and a conductive layer, the first opening and the second opening are arranged on the insulating body, and the conductive layer covers the part of the insulating body between the first opening and the second opening, and the first tab and the second tab are electrically connected through the conductive layer.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the conductive layer extends to the first opening and / or the second opening.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the shell includes a first plate body, a first sealed cavity is arranged in the first plate body, and the first sealed cavity is used for accommodating a phase change material; a plurality of grooves are arranged on the side of the first plate body facing the battery cell; the grooves cooperate with one end of the battery cell in the width direction to limit the battery cell; and / or

[0013] The battery module further includes a heat dissipation plate, the heat dissipation plate is arranged between two adjacent battery cells or between the battery cell and the shell; and / or

[0014] The battery module further includes a buffer plate, the buffer plate is arranged between two adjacent battery cells or between the battery cell and the shell.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the shape of one end of the battery cell in the width direction is matched with the shape of the groove; and / or

[0016] The first sealed cavity is provided with a phase change material, and the melting point of the phase change material is 30-80℃; and / or

[0017] The height of one end of the battery cell close to the groove is L1, the height of the groove is L2, all of one end of the battery cell in the width direction is located in the groove, and L2 / L1 is not less than 0.8; and / or

[0018] The first plate body is an aluminum alloy plate.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of grooves are arranged along the length direction of the shell, and a plurality of grooves and a plurality of battery cells are arranged one by one; and / or

[0020] The shell comprises two first plate bodies, the two first plate bodies are oppositely arranged along a width direction of the shell, a plurality of the battery cells are arranged between the two first plate bodies, and two ends of the battery cells in the width direction are matched with the grooves on the two first plate bodies, respectively; and / or

[0021] A heat conduction layer is arranged between the battery cell and the first plate body; and / or

[0022] The first sealing cavity comprises a plurality of first sub-cavities, the plurality of first sub-cavities are distributed along a length direction of the shell, and each first sub-cavity extends along a height direction of the shell; and / or

[0023] Along the length direction of the shell, at least part of the first sub-cavities are arranged corresponding to the two adjacent grooves.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present application, the shell further comprises two second plate bodies, the two second plate bodies are oppositely arranged along a length direction of the shell, a plurality of the battery cells are arranged between the two second plate bodies, the first plate body is arranged between the two second plate bodies, and two ends of the first plate body in the width direction are connected with the two second plate bodies, respectively.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present application, a second sealing cavity is arranged in the second plate body, and the second sealing cavity is used for accommodating phase change material; and / or

[0026] A second sealing cavity is arranged in the second plate body, the second sealing cavity comprises a plurality of second sub-cavities, at least part of the second sub-cavities are used for accommodating phase change material, the plurality of second sub-cavities are distributed along a height direction of the shell, and each second sub-cavity extends along a width direction of the shell.

[0027] The second aspect of the present application provides a battery pack, which comprises the battery module.

[0028] Advantages:

[0029] The battery module in the embodiments of the present application comprises a shell, a connecting plate and a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells are arranged in the shell and stacked along a length direction of the battery module, and the tabs of the plurality of battery cells are arranged on the same side; the connecting plate is arranged on a side of the battery cell close to the tab, and the connecting plate is used for electrically connecting two adjacent battery cells. The present application electrically connects two adjacent battery cells through the connecting plate, which is beneficial to improving the assembly efficiency and stability of the battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

[0031] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the battery module provided by the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 is a top view of the battery module provided in Figure 1

[0033] Figure 3 is a partial exploded structural schematic diagram of the battery module provided in Figure 1

[0034] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the first plate provided by the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 is a top view of the first plate provided in Figure 1

[0036] Figure 6 is a partial exploded structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the battery module provided by the present application;

[0037] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of still another embodiment of the battery module provided by the present application;

[0038] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the connecting plate provided by the present application;

[0039] Figure 9 is a top view of the connecting plate shown in Figure 8

[0040] Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the connecting plate provided by the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in the following with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the protection scope of the present application.

[0042] ​​​​In the description of the present application, it needs to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0043] In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0044] In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the application. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not elaborated in order not to obscure the description of the present application with unnecessary details. Thus, the present application is not intended to be limited by the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

[0045] With the rapid development of the global new energy market and the continuous enhancement of environmental awareness, lithium batteries, as a new type of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly energy, have gradually become a hot topic. Lithium battery systems have been widely used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems, smart homes, drones and other fields. Lithium battery modules are one of the important components of lithium battery systems. Lithium battery modules have a serious heating problem during operation. In related technologies, an additional cooling pipe system (such as a cooling water circulation pipe) is generally provided to cool the battery, so that the battery has a relatively low working temperature, but it has the problems of complex structure, low assembly efficiency, large volume expansion and large weight.

[0046] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a battery module, which has the advantages of simple structure, high assembly efficiency, light weight, stable working temperature, and small volume expansion.

[0047] Please refer toFigures 1 to 10 The battery module 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises a shell 10 and a plurality of battery cells 20, and the plurality of battery cells 20 are arranged in the shell 10. The plurality of battery cells 20 in the embodiments of the present application are used to store or release electric energy. The shell 10 is used to provide a mounting space and protect the plurality of battery cells 20 arranged therein.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiments of the present application, the plurality of battery cells 20 are stacked along the length direction F1 of the shell 10 (i.e. the length direction of the battery module 100). The battery cell 20 can be a square battery cell or a soft package battery cell, which is not limited herein. If not otherwise specified, the length direction F1 of the shell 10 is also the length direction of the battery module 100. The width direction F2 of the shell 10 is also the length direction of the battery module 100.

[0049] In order to facilitate processing and improve space utilization, each battery cell 20 is generally square in structure, and the shape and size of each battery cell 20 are the same or similar. The mounting space in the shell 10 is adapted to the size and shape of the plurality of battery cells 20. The thickness direction of each battery cell 20 (i.e. the length direction F1 of the shell 10 or the battery module 100) is parallel to the horizontal direction. The largest surface of each battery cell 20 is perpendicular to the length direction of the battery module 100, and the plurality of battery cells 20 are stacked along the length direction of the battery module 100, which can also be understood as that the plurality of battery cells 20 are stacked along the thickness direction thereof.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 3 to 5 The shell 10 comprises a first plate body 11, and the first plate body 11 is provided with a first sealed cavity 111 for accommodating a phase change material. The side of the first plate body 11 facing the battery cell 20 is provided with a plurality of grooves 112. The groove 112 is arranged opposite to at least one battery cell 20. The groove 112 cooperates with the width direction one end 23 of the opposite battery cell 20 to limit the battery cell 20, i.e. the width direction one end 23 of the battery cell 20 extends into the groove 112 arranged opposite thereto, and the groove 112 can limit the battery cell 20 with the one end 23 located therein. The groove cooperates with the width direction one end 23 of the opposite battery cell to limit the battery cell.

[0051] It should be noted that the groove 112 is arranged opposite to at least one battery cell 20, which means that one groove 112 can be arranged opposite to one battery cell 20, i.e. the groove 112 is arranged opposite to the battery cell 20 one by one. Of course, one groove 112 can also be arranged opposite to a plurality of battery cells 20 (e.g. two or three, etc.), which is not limited herein.

[0052] AsFigure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1, the width direction of the battery cell is also the width direction F2 of the shell 10. One end 23 of the width direction of the battery cell can also be understood as the end of the battery cell facing the first plate body 11. In the present application, the number of the first plate body 11 can be one or multiple (for example, two), which is not limited herein.

[0053] It can be understood that in the present application, the first sealed cavity 111 is arranged on the shell 10 of the battery module 100, and the first sealed cavity 111 is used to accommodate the phase change material. The phase change material is arranged in the first sealed cavity 111. Compared with the prior art scheme of arranging a cooling water pipeline on the shell 10, the weight of the shell 10 is reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the battery module 100 in the present application. At the same time, the phase change material in the present application can absorb a large amount of heat to reduce the temperature of the battery when the temperature of the battery cell 20 is relatively high, and release a large amount of heat to increase the temperature of the battery cell 20 when the temperature of the battery cell 20 is relatively low, so that the battery cell 20 in the shell 10 in the present application has a relatively stable working temperature.

[0054] At the same time, the present application further arranges a plurality of grooves 112 on the side of the first plate body 11 facing the battery cell 20, which can increase the strength of the first plate body 11 and further reduce the weight of the first plate body 11. The groove 112 cooperates with one end of the width direction of the battery cell 20, and the battery cell 20 is limited by the groove 112, which is beneficial to improve the assembly efficiency and accuracy of the battery cell 20.

[0055] In addition, it should be noted that in the related art, a predetermined pressure is generally applied to the front surface of the battery cell 20 (i.e., the largest surface of the battery cell 20) to avoid expansion and deformation of the battery cell 20, and the position close to the side surface of the battery cell 20 (for example, the end in the width direction of the battery cell 20) is almost not subjected to the pre-pressure, which leads to the problem of easy deformation. Compared with the related art, the present application arranges the first sealed cavity 111 in the first plate body 11, the first sealed cavity 111 is used to accommodate the phase change material, and the groove 112 is arranged on the side of the first plate body 11 facing the battery cell 20, so that the end of the battery cell 20 located in the groove 112 (i.e., one end of the battery cell 20 in the width direction) is closer to the first sealed cavity 111 than other regions of the battery cell 20, and has better temperature stability during the working process of the battery cell 20. And through the limiting of the groove 112, the deformation amount of the end of the battery cell 20 in the width direction cooperating with the groove 112 is reduced, thereby improving the structural stability of the battery module 100 during working.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present application, the shape of one end of the battery cell 20 in the width direction is adapted to the shape of the groove 112, which is advantageous for further improving the assembly accuracy of the battery cell 20, improving the contact area between the battery cell 20 and the body, further reducing the swelling deformation of the battery cell 20 in the working process, and making the structure of the battery cell 20 module more stable. For example, the structure of the battery cell 20 is square (i.e., the battery cell 20 is a square battery cell 20), and correspondingly, the groove 112 is a square groove. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the shape of one end of the battery cell 20 in the width direction can also be other shapes, which are not limited here.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, the height of the end of the battery cell 20 close to the groove 112 is L1, the height of the groove 112 is L2, and the entire end of the battery cell 20 in the width direction is located in the groove 112, and L2 / L1 is not less than 0.8. In this way, it is advantageous to further improve the contact area between the battery cell 20 and the first plate body 11, further reduce the swelling deformation of the battery cell 20 in the working process, and make the structure of the battery module 100 more stable.

[0058] For example, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the battery cell is a square battery cell, the height of the battery cell is L1, which refers to the height direction of the shell, the height direction of the shell, the length direction of the shell, and the width direction of the shell are two mutually perpendicular directions. For example, the first sealing cavity of the first plate body contains a phase change material, and the melting point of the phase change material is 30-80°C. In this way, it is advantageous to stabilize the temperature of the battery cell 20 or the battery module 100 in the present application at 30-80°C.

[0059] Specifically, the phase change material includes one or more of paraffin and high-grade fatty acids.

[0060] Specifically, the shell 10 includes two first plate bodies 11 (i.e., the shell 10 includes two first plate bodies 11), and the two first plate bodies 11 are oppositely arranged along the width direction F2 of the battery module 100, and the two ends of the battery cell 20 in the width direction are respectively matched with the grooves 112 on the two first plate bodies 11. In this way, it is advantageous to further improve the stability of the battery module 100 of the present application. For example, the two first plate bodies 11 are generally symmetrically arranged, and the two ends of the battery cell 20 in the width direction are respectively matched with the corresponding grooves 112 on the two first plate bodies 11.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present application, a heat-conducting layer is arranged between the battery cell 20 and the first plate body 11. For example, a heat-conducting adhesive is arranged on the side of the battery cell 20 (i.e. the side of the battery cell 20 facing the groove 112), and the battery cell 20 is fixed in the groove 112 by the heat-conducting adhesive. In this way, the heat-conducting adhesive facilitates faster heat conduction from the battery cell 20 to the first plate body 11, and further improves the temperature stability and structural stability of the battery cell 20 in the shell 10.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, the first plate body 11 is an aluminum alloy plate. In this way, the first plate body 10 has a smaller volume and a lighter weight while ensuring the strength of the shell 10.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of grooves 112 are arranged along the length direction of the battery module 100, and the plurality of grooves 112 and the plurality of battery cells 20 are arranged one-to-one. In this way, the assembly precision of the battery cell 20 is further improved.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figures 3 to 5 , the first sealed cavity 111 includes a plurality of first sub-cavities 111a, the plurality of first sub-cavities 111a are distributed along the length direction of the battery module 100, and each of the first sub-cavities 111a extends along the height direction of the battery module 100. In this way, the battery cell 20 can be subjected to differential temperature control. For example, if the battery cell 20 arranged near the middle position has a higher temperature than the battery cell 20 arranged at the edge position, a first sub-cavity 111a corresponding to the battery cell 20 arranged near the middle position can be provided with a better cooling effect or more phase change material, so that the battery cell 20 arranged near the middle position can be cooled faster, thereby realizing differential temperature adjustment of the battery cell 20 arranged at different positions and meeting more use scenarios.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 , along the length direction F1 of the battery module 100, at least part of the first sub-cavities 111a are arranged corresponding to the two adjacent grooves 112, i.e. at least part of the first sub-cavities 111a are arranged corresponding to the two side surfaces (i.e. the two end surfaces of the battery cell in the F2 direction) of the two adjacent battery cells 20. In this way, the temperature difference between the two adjacent battery cells 20 is reduced, and the stability of the battery cell 20 in operation is further improved. Figure 1

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figures 1 to 3 ​The shell 10 further comprises two second plate bodies 12 (i.e. two second plate bodies), the two second plate bodies 12 are oppositely arranged along the length direction F1 of the battery module 100, the first plate body 11 is arranged between the two second plate bodies 12, and the two ends of the first plate body 11 in the width direction are connected with the two second plate bodies 12 respectively, that is, the two first plate bodies 11 and the two second plate bodies 12 form a square shell 10. In this way, the structure of the shell 10 is simplified, and the structural compactness of the battery module 100 is improved.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, a second sealed cavity is arranged in the second plate body 12, and the second sealed cavity is used to accommodate phase change material. In this way, the weight of the battery module 100 and the deformation amount during operation are further reduced, and the stability of the battery module 100 during operation is improved.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, a second sealed cavity is arranged in the second plate body 12, and the second sealed cavity comprises a plurality of second sub-cavities 121a, at least part of the second sub-cavities 121a are used to accommodate phase change material, and the plurality of second sub-cavities 121a are distributed along the height direction of the battery module 100, and each second sub-cavity 121a extends along the width direction of the battery module 100. In this way, differential temperature control can be achieved for different regions of the battery cell 20.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of battery cells 20 are clamped between the two second plate bodies 12. In this way, the plurality of battery cells 20 in the shell 10 are subjected to a pressing force by the battery cells 20 abutting against the second side plate, which further limits the deformation of the battery cell 20 along its thickness direction (i.e. the length direction of the battery module 100).

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 6 The battery module 100 further comprises a heat dissipation plate 30 arranged between adjacent two battery cells 20. Further, the heat dissipation plate 30 is also arranged between the second plate body 12 and the battery cell. In this way, by arranging the heat dissipation plate 30 between adjacent two battery cells 20 and between the battery cell 20 and the second plate body 12, the heat transfer between adjacent battery cells 20 is increased, the temperature stability of the plurality of battery cells 20 in the shell 10 is improved, the volume expansion of the battery cell 20 during operation is reduced, and the stability of the battery module 100 is improved. For example, the heat dissipation plate 30 can be a fiber heat dissipation plate 30 (such as a heat-conducting carbon fiber heat dissipation plate 30), or a rubber heat dissipation plate 30 (such as a silica gel heat dissipation plate 30), which is not limited herein.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 6The battery module 100 further comprises a buffer plate 40 arranged between the battery cell 20 and the second plate body 12, that is, the first plate body 11 and / or the second plate body 12 abuts against the corresponding battery cell 20 through the buffer plate 40. Exemplarily, the buffer plate 40 is an insulating buffer plate, so as to avoid the leakage of the shell 10 and improve the buffering performance and safety performance of the battery module 100.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery module 100 further comprises a buffer plate 40 arranged between two adjacent battery cells 20. In this embodiment, the buffer plate 40 arranged between two adjacent battery cells 20 can avoid the rigid contact between the two adjacent battery cells 20, so as to improve the buffering performance of the battery module 100.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present application, the first plate body 11 and / or the second plate body 12 is a metal plate or an alloy plate. In this way, the mechanical strength of the shell 10 can be improved, and the mass of the shell 10 can be reduced.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figures 7 to 10 The battery module 100 further comprises a connecting plate 50 arranged on the same side of the tabs of the plurality of battery cells 20. The connecting plate 50 is arranged on the same side of the tabs of the battery cells 20, and the connecting plate 50 electrically connects two adjacent battery cells 20 through the tabs. Exemplarily, the connecting plate 50 is connected with the tabs of two adjacent battery cells 20, and the two adjacent battery cells 20 are connected in series through the connecting plate 50.

[0075] Further, the connecting plate 50 has a first opening 50a and a second opening 50b arranged at intervals thereon. Two adjacent battery cells 20 include a first battery cell and a second battery cell. The first tab 21 of the first battery cell is located in the first opening 50a, and the second tab 22 of the second battery cell is located in the second opening 50b. The first tab 21 and the second tab 22 are electrically connected through the connecting plate 50. Specifically, the first tab 21 includes a first positive tab 21a and a first negative tab 21b, and the second tab 22 includes a second positive tab 22a and a second negative tab 22b. The first positive tab 21a and the second negative tab 22b are adjacent and oppositely arranged, and the first positive tab 21a and the second negative tab 22b are electrically connected through the connecting plate 50.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, each of the battery cells 20 includes a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab, and the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab of each of the battery cells are arranged in a spaced manner along the width direction of the battery cell 20. In the two adjacent battery cells 20, the positive electrode tab of one of the battery cells 20 is arranged opposite to the negative electrode tab of the other of the battery cells 20 (i.e., arranged on the same side). The battery module 100 includes a plurality of connecting plates 50, and along the width direction of the battery cells 20, the plurality of connecting plates 50 includes a first connecting plate group and a second connecting plate group, the first connecting plate group includes a plurality of first connecting plates 51c arranged in a spaced manner along the length direction of the battery module, and the second connecting plate group includes a plurality of second connecting plates 51d arranged in a spaced manner along the length direction of the battery module, and the first connecting plate 51c or the second connecting plate 51d connects the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab arranged opposite to each other on the two adjacent battery cells 20.

[0077] Specifically, along the width direction of the battery module 100, the first connecting plate 51c and the second connecting plate 51d arranged adjacent to each other are arranged in an interleaved manner, and along the height direction of the battery module 100 (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the F1 and the F2, respectively), the first connecting plate 51c and the second connecting plate 51d are located on the same plane. In this way, it is beneficial to improve the smoothness of the electrical connection between the two adjacent battery cells 20 and the connecting plate 50, and further improve the structural compactness of the battery module 100. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the structures of the first connecting plate 51c and the second connecting plate 51d can be the same or different, which is not limited herein. For example, the structures of the first connecting plate 51c and the second connecting plate 51d are the same.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting plate 50 comprises an insulating body 51 and a conductive layer 52 on the insulating body 51. The first opening 50a and the second opening 50b are provided on the insulating body 51, and the conductive layer 52 covers the portion of the insulating body 51 between the first opening 50a and the second opening 50b, and the first tab 21 and the second tab 22 are electrically connected through the conductive layer 52. The first opening 50a and the second opening 50b are arranged in the width direction of the insulating body 51 (i.e. the length direction of the battery module 100). The first opening 50a and the second opening 50b respectively extend in the length direction of the insulating body 51 (i.e. the width direction of the battery module 100), and in the length direction of the insulating body 51, the size of the first opening 50a is greater than the size of the first tab 21, the size of the second opening 50b is greater than the size of the second tab 22, and the area of the first opening 50a is greater than the cross-sectional area of the first tab 21, and the area of the second opening 50b is greater than the cross-sectional area of the second tab 22. In this way, the first tab 21 can smoothly pass through the first opening 50a, the second tab 22 can smoothly pass through the second opening 50b, then the end of the first tab 21 (i.e. the free end of the first tab 21 or the end away from the shell 10) passing through the first opening 50a is bent towards the conductive layer 52 to make it electrically connected with the conductive layer 52, and the end of the second tab 22 (i.e. the free end of the second tab 22 or the end away from the shell 10) passing through the second opening 50b is bent towards the conductive layer 52 to make it electrically connected with the conductive layer 52, which is conducive to improving the stability of the electrical connection between the two adjacent battery cells 20 and improving the assembly efficiency.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, in the width direction of the insulating body 51, please refer to Figure 10 , the conductive layer 52 has a first conductive end 52a and a second conductive end 52b, the first conductive end 52a extends into the first opening 50a, and the second conductive end 52b extends into the second opening 50b. In this way, it is conducive to increasing the contact area of the conductive layer 52 with the first tab 21 and the second tab 22, and further improving the convenience and stability of the electrical connection of the first tab 21 and the second tab 22.

[0080] The embodiments of the present application also provide a battery pack comprising at least one battery module 100. Since the battery pack in the embodiments of the present application comprises the above battery module 100, it has the beneficial effects of the battery module 100 described in the present application. For example, the battery pack comprises a box body and a plurality of battery modules 100, and the plurality of battery modules 100 are fixed in the box body.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery pack further comprises an electrical system, a thermal management system, a bms (battery management system), etc. It should be noted that the electrical system, the thermal management system and the bms are not the main improvement points of the present application, and will not be described here.

[0082] In the above-described embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus, and the parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to the detailed description of other embodiments above, which will not be repeated here.

[0083] The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the application. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the application and are thus within its spirit and scope. It will be understood that the application is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes all embodiments which would normally occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the above description and appended claims.

[0084] Also, the use of "a" or "an" to describe embodiments is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Similarly, the use of "another" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Also, the use of "another" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Additionally, the use of "some" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Also, the use of "at least" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Further, the use of "either" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Further, the use of "the first" or "the second" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more. Further, the use of "one" is intended to be a non-limiting term, meaning one or more.

[0085] Similarly, it is to be noticed that the term "comprising", used in the description, is not intended to exclude other elements or steps. It is to be understood that the description and the drawings are not restrictive and that several modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the application.

[0086] Some embodiments use numerical ranges to describe quantities of components, attributes, etc. It should be understood that such numerical ranges described in the embodiments are, in some examples, modified by the word "about". Unless otherwise indicated, "about" indicates ±20% of the indicated value. Accordingly, numerical parameters such as those for quantities of components, attributes, and / or other parameters are approximations. Although the exact numerical parameters are not critical, approximations are used not to unnecessarily complicate the disclosure. In some embodiments, numerical parameters are approximations. Numerical parameters are provided herein as approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters are approximations and can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the embodiments. At the very least, it should be understood that the numerical parameters set forth herein are approximations that can vary as desired. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be understood, and, where appropriate, the numerical parameters are approximations and will vary from the stated values. In some embodiments, and where appropriate, the numerical parameters are approximations and will vary from the stated values.

[0087] The above has carried out the detailed introduction to the battery module and the battery pack provided by the embodiment of the application, the principle and the implementation mode of the application are described in the text by applying specific examples, the above embodiment description is only for helping understanding the method of the application and its core idea; meanwhile, for the person skilled in the art, according to the idea of the application, the specific implementation mode and the application range will have the change, and the above is described, and the content of the specification should not be understood as the limitation of the application.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized by, The battery module comprises a shell, a connecting plate and a plurality of battery cells; The plurality of battery cells are arranged in the shell and stacked along the length direction of the shell, and the tabs of the plurality of battery cells are arranged on the same side; The connecting plate is arranged on the side of the battery cell close to the tab, and the connecting plate is used for electrically connecting the tabs of two adjacent battery cells.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The connecting plate has a first opening and a second opening arranged at intervals, two adjacent battery cells comprise a first battery cell and a second battery cell, a first tab of the first battery cell is located in the first opening, a second tab of the second battery cell is located in the second opening, and the first tab and the second tab are electrically connected through the connecting plate; and / or The battery cell comprises a square battery cell or a soft package battery cell.

3. The battery module of claim 2, wherein, The first tab comprises a first positive tab and a first negative tab, the second tab comprises a second positive tab and a second negative tab, the first positive tab and the second negative tab are arranged adjacent to and opposite to each other, and the first positive tab and the second negative tab are respectively electrically connected with the connecting plate; and / or The connecting plate comprises an insulating body and a conductive layer, the first opening and the second opening are arranged on the insulating body, and the conductive layer covers the part of the insulating body between the first opening and the second opening, and the first tab and the second tab are electrically connected through the conductive layer.

4. The battery module of claim 3, wherein, The conductive layer extends to the first opening and / or the second opening.

5. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The shell comprises a first plate body, a first sealed cavity is arranged in the first plate body, and the first sealed cavity is used for containing phase change material; and / or A side of the first plate body facing the battery cell is provided with a plurality of grooves; the grooves cooperate with one end of the battery cell in the width direction to limit the battery cell; and / or The battery module further comprises a heat dissipation plate, the heat dissipation plate is arranged between two adjacent battery cells or the heat dissipation plate is arranged between the battery cell and the shell; and / or The battery module further comprises a buffer plate, the buffer plate is arranged between two adjacent battery cells or the buffer plate is arranged between the battery cell and the shell.

6. The battery module of claim 5, wherein, The shape of one end of the battery cell in the width direction is matched with the shape of the groove; and / or The first sealed cavity is provided with phase change material, and the melting point of the phase change material is 30-80℃; and / or The height of the end of the battery cell close to the groove is L1, the height of the groove is L2, all the one end of the battery cell in the width direction is located in the groove, and L2 / L1 is not less than 0.8; and / or The first plate body is an aluminum alloy plate.

7. The battery module of claim 5, wherein, A plurality of grooves are arranged along the length direction of the shell, and a plurality of grooves and a plurality of battery cells are arranged one by one; and / or The shell comprises two first plate bodies, the two first plate bodies are arranged opposite to each other along the width direction of the shell, a plurality of battery cells are arranged between the two first plate bodies, and the two ends of the battery cell in the width direction cooperate with the grooves on the two first plate bodies, respectively; and / or A heat conductive layer is arranged between the battery cell and the first plate body; and / or The first sealing cavity comprises a plurality of first sub-cavities, the plurality of first sub-cavities are distributed along the length direction of the shell, and each first sub-cavity extends along the height direction of the shell; and / or At least part of the first sub-cavities are arranged corresponding to two adjacent grooves along the length direction of the shell.

8. The battery module of claim 5, wherein, The shell further comprises two second plate bodies, the two second plate bodies are oppositely arranged along the length direction of the shell, the plurality of battery cells are arranged between the two second plate bodies, the first plate body is arranged between the two second plate bodies, and the two ends of the first plate body in the width direction are connected with the two second plate bodies respectively.

9. The battery module of claim 8, wherein, The second plate body is provided with a second sealing cavity, and the second sealing cavity is used for accommodating phase change material; and / or The second plate body is provided with a second sealing cavity, the second sealing cavity comprises a plurality of second sub-cavities, at least part of the second sub-cavities are used for accommodating phase change material, the plurality of second sub-cavities are distributed along the height direction of the shell, and each second sub-cavity extends along the width direction of the shell.

10. A battery pack, characterized by, The battery pack comprises at least one battery module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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