Shell, battery cell and battery

Abstract

The utility model provides a shell, a battery cell and a battery, the shell comprises a first side plate and a second side plate, the first side plate and the second side plate are adjacently arranged along the circumferential direction of an opening of the shell, and the maximum thickness of the first side plate is smaller than the maximum thickness of the second side plate; the connecting angle plate is used for connecting the first side plate and the second side plate, the connecting angle plate is sequentially provided with a first angle plate section, a second angle plate section and a third angle plate section in the height direction of the shell, and the thickness of the second angle plate section is larger than that of the first angle plate section; the maximum thickness of the third angle plate section is smaller than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second angle plate section. According to the utility model, the two sections of the angle plate are thickest, so that the two sections of the angle plate are enough to bear the pressure effect of the cover plate assembly on the shell, the deformation or cracking phenomenon caused by the supporting effect on the cover plate assembly is avoided, and the use reliability of the battery cell is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a casing, a cell, and a battery. Background Technology

[0002] Existing battery cell casings are prone to deformation or cracking during use, necessitating structural improvements. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a casing, a battery cell, and a battery to solve some or all of the aforementioned technical problems.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a housing having an opening along its height direction, the housing comprising:

[0005] The first side plate and the second side plate are arranged adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction of the shell opening, and the maximum thickness of the first side plate is less than the maximum thickness of the second side plate.

[0006] A connecting corner plate is used to connect the first side plate and the second side plate. The connecting corner plate is provided with a first corner plate section, a second corner plate section, and a third corner plate section in sequence along the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the second corner plate section is greater than the thickness of the first corner plate section. The maximum thickness of the third corner plate section is less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second corner plate section.

[0007] Wherein, the height direction of the shell is the height direction of the shell.

[0008] Furthermore, from the side closest to the first side plate towards the side closest to the second side plate, the thickness of the two sections of the corner plate gradually increases; and / or,

[0009] The thickness of the two sections of the corner plate gradually increases from the side closest to the opening of the housing towards the side furthest from the opening of the housing.

[0010] Furthermore, the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the two segments of the corner plate is less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0011] Furthermore, the thickness of the three segments of the corner plate gradually increases from the side closest to the first side plate to the side closest to the second side plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the three segments of the corner plate include a first segment and a second segment connected sequentially in the height direction of the shell. The first segment is located near the opening of the shell and in the direction from the side near the first side plate to the side near the second side plate, the thickness of the first segment is greater than that of the second segment.

[0013] Furthermore, the first segment includes a corner plate upper section and a corner plate transition section connected to each other, and the corner plate transition section is located between the corner plate upper section and the second segment;

[0014] The thickness of the transition section of the corner plate gradually decreases from the upper section of the corner plate to the second section.

[0015] Furthermore, the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the upper segment of the corner plate is less than or equal to 0.4 mm; the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the second segment is less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0016] Furthermore, the first side plate is provided with a first plate section and a second plate section connected in the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the first plate section is greater than the thickness of the second plate section, and the first plate section is located close to the opening of the shell.

[0017] Furthermore, the first section of the plate includes a connected upper section of the plate and a transition section of the plate, wherein the transition section of the plate is connected between the upper section of the plate and the second section of the plate;

[0018] The thickness of the transition section of the first plate gradually decreases from the upper section of the first plate to the second section of the first plate.

[0019] Furthermore, the upper section of the first plate is connected to both the first and second sections of the corner plate; the second section of the first plate is connected to the third section of the corner plate, and the thickness of the second section of the first plate is less than the maximum thickness of the third section of the corner plate.

[0020] Furthermore, the thickness difference between the upper section and the second section of the first plate is less than or equal to 0.3 mm; the length of the first section of the first plate in the height direction of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm; and the length of the transition section of the first plate in the height direction of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0021] Furthermore, the second side plate is provided with a first section of the second plate and a second section of the second plate in the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the first section of the second plate is less than the thickness of the second section of the second plate. The first section of the second plate is located close to the opening of the shell.

[0022] Furthermore, the two plates and two sections are provided with a first sub-section and a second sub-section connected in the height direction of the shell. The first sub-section is located close to the opening of the shell, and the thickness of the first sub-section is greater than the thickness of the second sub-section. The first sub-section is connected to the second corner plate section and a part of the third corner plate section, and the second sub-section is connected to another part of the third corner plate section.

[0023] Furthermore, the first sub-segment includes a second-board upper segment and a second-board transition segment;

[0024] The thickness of the transition section between the two plates gradually decreases from the upper section of the two plates to the second sub-section.

[0025] Furthermore, the first section of the second plate is connected to the first section of the corner plate, and the second section of the second plate is connected to both the second section of the corner plate and the third section of the corner plate; the thickness of the second section of the second plate is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the third section of the corner plate, and less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second section of the corner plate.

[0026] Furthermore, the thickness difference between the upper section of the second plate and the second sub-section is less than or equal to 0.3 mm; the length of the transition section of the second plate in the height direction of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0027] Furthermore, the area of ​​the first side plate is larger than the area of ​​the second side plate.

[0028] Based on the same inventive concept, this utility model also provides a battery cell, comprising:

[0029] The housing as described in any of the above descriptions;

[0030] A cover assembly that covers the opening of the housing and forms a receiving space with the housing;

[0031] The bare battery cell is located within the accommodating space;

[0032] Wherein, the edge of the second segment of the corner plate away from the opening of the casing is located above the bare battery cell, and at least part of the third segment of the corner plate is arranged opposite to the bare battery cell.

[0033] Furthermore, the cover plate assembly includes a cover plate body and an insulating member connected to the cover plate body on the side near the receiving space;

[0034] In the height direction of the housing, the distance from the edge of the two-section plate near the first section to the opening of the housing is the first distance, and the distance from the surface of the insulating member away from the cover plate body to the opening of the housing is the second distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0035] Based on the same inventive concept, this utility model also provides a battery, including the battery cell as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0036] As can be seen from the above, the housing, battery cell, and battery provided by this utility model have the connecting corner plates configured as a first corner plate, a second corner plate, and a third corner plate connected in sequence. Since the first corner plate is used to connect with the cover plate assembly, and the second corner plate is the area adjacent to the first corner plate, the pressure generated by the gravity of the cover plate assembly on the housing is mainly concentrated in the second corner plate. Therefore, the thickness of the second corner plate is set to be greater than that of the first corner plate and greater than or equal to that of the third corner plate, that is, the second corner plate is set to be the thickest, so that the second corner plate is sufficient to bear the pressure of the cover plate assembly on the housing, and will not deform or crack due to the support provided to the cover plate assembly, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell.

[0037] In addition, by setting the thickness of the third segment of the corner plate to be less than or equal to the thickness of the second segment of the corner plate, the distance between the third segment of the corner plate and the bare battery cell is greater than or equal to the distance between the second segment of the corner plate and the bare battery cell. As a result, the risk of deformation or cracking of the connecting corner plate caused by factors such as the expansion stress of the bare battery cell will be reduced. Correspondingly, the problem of compression damage to the expanded bare battery cell by the third segment of the corner plate can also be effectively avoided. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of the battery according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0040] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross section AA;

[0041] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Enlarged illustration of part A Figure 1 ;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a top view of the housing in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-section BB in the middle;

[0044] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged schematic diagram of part B in the middle;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the shell in the embodiment of this utility model. Figure 1 ;

[0046] Figure 8 for Figure 7 An enlarged schematic diagram of section C;

[0047] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the shell in the embodiment of this utility model. Figure 2 ;

[0048] Figure 10 for Figure 9 An enlarged schematic diagram of section D in the middle;

[0049] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0050] 100. Shell;

[0051] 110. First side panel; 111. Section 1 of panel; 111a. Upper section of panel; 111b. Transition section of panel; 112. Second section of panel;

[0052] 120. Second side panel; 121. First section of second panel; 122. Second section of second panel; 122a. First sub-segment; 122a'. Upper section of second panel; 122a''. Transition section of second panel; 122b. Second sub-segment; 122c. Transition section of second panel; 123. Shoulder of second panel;

[0053] 130. Connecting corner plate; 131. Corner plate section 1; 132. Corner plate section 2; 133. Corner plate section 3; 133a'. Upper corner plate section; 133a''. Corner plate transition section; 133b. Second section; 134. Corner plate shoulder;

[0054] 140. Base plate;

[0055] 200. Cover plate assembly;

[0056] 210. Cover plate body;

[0057] 220. Insulating components;

[0058] 230. Pole column;

[0059] 300. Accommodation space;

[0060] 400. Bare battery cell. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0062] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this utility model should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this utility model do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0063] Battery cells in related technologies, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a housing 100, a cover plate assembly 200, and a bare battery cell 400, wherein the housing 100 has a housing opening 140 along the height direction of the housing 100, and the height direction of the housing is the [missing information - likely a specific direction or feature]. Figure 2 In the Z-direction, the cover plate assembly 200 covers the housing opening 140 and forms a receiving space 300 with the housing 100; the bare battery cell 400 is located within the receiving space 300. The cover plate assembly 200 includes a cover plate body 210 and an insulating member 220 connected to the cover plate body 210 on the side near the receiving space 300. For ease of description, the side of the housing 100 near the bare battery cell 400 is defined as the inner side, and the side of the housing 100 away from the bare battery cell 400 is defined as the outer side.

[0064] During use, the battery cell housing 100 bears the weight of the cover assembly 200. Specifically, since the cover body 210 of the cover assembly 200 is usually welded to the housing opening 140, its weight exerts downward pressure on the housing 100. This pressure is mainly concentrated on the area of ​​the housing 100 opposite to the cover assembly 200, i.e., the top area of ​​the housing 100. Long-term action of this pressure may cause deformation or cracking in the top area of ​​the housing 100.

[0065] Furthermore, the casing 100 of the battery cell must withstand the expansion of the bare battery cell 400. Specifically, during the charging and discharging process, a chemical reaction occurs inside the battery cell, causing the bare battery cell 400 to expand in volume. This expansion stress mainly acts on the area of ​​the casing 100 opposite to the bare battery cell 400, that is, the area below the top of the casing 100. This expansion stress will cause the casing 100 to be subjected to an outward thrust. If the strength of the casing 100 is insufficient to resist this expansion stress, it is prone to deformation or cracking, thereby affecting the normal operation of the battery cell.

[0066] Based on the above description, during the use of the battery cell, the casing 100 is prone to deformation or cracking. The inventor has found that it is necessary to improve the structure of the connecting corner plate 130 and / or side plate that make up the casing 100 in order to solve the above problems.

[0067] The technical solution of this case will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figures 7-10 As shown, the housing 100 has a housing opening 140 along the height direction of the housing, and the housing 100 includes:

[0069] The first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120 are arranged adjacent to each other around the shell opening 140, and the maximum thickness of the first side plate 110 is less than the maximum thickness of the second side plate 120.

[0070] A connecting corner plate 130 is used to connect the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120. The connecting corner plate 130 is provided with a first corner plate section 131, a second corner plate section 132 and a third corner plate section 133 in sequence along the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the second corner plate section 132 is greater than the thickness of the first corner plate section 131. The maximum thickness of the third corner plate section 133 is less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second corner plate section 132.

[0071] Wherein, the height direction of the housing is the height direction of the housing 100.

[0072] The outer contour of the shell 100 can take various forms. Optionally, the shell 100 can be cylindrical or cuboid, etc. Correspondingly, the shell opening 140 can be circular or rectangular. In this embodiment of the utility model, the shell is a cuboid structure and the shell opening 140 is rectangular for illustrative purposes. That is, a shell 100 includes two oppositely arranged first side plates 110 and two other oppositely arranged second side plates 120. Adjacent first side plates 110 and second side plates 120 are connected by connecting corner plates 130, that is, a shell 100 also includes four connecting corner plates 130. The connection between the first side plates 110, the second side plates 120 and the connecting corner plates 130 can be one of splicing, welding or integral connection.

[0073] The area of ​​the first side plate 110 is larger than that of the second side plate 120. That is, the first side plate 110 is the large side and the second side plate 120 is the small side. In other words, the area of ​​the first side plate 110 relative to the second side plate 120 and the cover plate assembly 200 and the bare cell 400 will be larger.

[0074] In this embodiment, the maximum thickness of the first side plate 110 is set to be less than the maximum thickness of the second side plate 120. That is, the distance between the first side plate 110 and the bare battery cell 400 is greater than the distance between the second side plate 120 and the bare battery cell 400. As a result, the risk of deformation or cracking of the first side plate 120 caused by factors such as the expansion stress of the bare battery cell 400 is reduced. Correspondingly, the problem of compression damage to the expanded bare battery cell 400 by the first side plate 110 can also be avoided. The first side plate 120 is the main side plate with a larger area of ​​the housing 100, which improves the reliability of the entire housing 100.

[0075] The average thickness of the first side plate 110 is less than the average thickness of the second side plate 120, and the area of ​​the first side plate 110 is greater than the area of ​​the second side plate 120. This effectively reduces the weight of the shell to meet the requirements for lightweight shell design.

[0076] In addition, such as Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, in the height direction of the shell, corner plate segment 131 corresponds to the area within the four points ABCD, corner plate segment 132 corresponds to the area within the four points CDEF, and corner plate segment 133 corresponds to the area within the four points EFMN.

[0077] Among them, the first corner plate 131 corresponds to the welding area between the cover plate body 210 and the connecting corner plate 130, the second corner plate 132 is the area mainly opposite to the cover plate assembly 200, and the third corner plate 133 is the area mainly opposite to the bare battery cell 400.

[0078] In this embodiment, the connecting corner plate 130 is configured as a first corner plate 131, a second corner plate 132, and a third corner plate 133 connected in sequence. Since the first corner plate 131 is used to connect with the cover plate assembly 200, and the second corner plate 132 is the area adjacent to the first corner plate 131, the pressure generated by the gravity of the cover plate assembly 200 on the housing 100 is mainly concentrated in the second corner plate 132. Therefore, the thickness of the second corner plate 132 is set to be greater than that of the first corner plate 131 and greater than or equal to that of the third corner plate 133, that is, the second corner plate 132 is set to be the thickest, so that the second corner plate 132 is sufficient to bear the pressure of the cover plate assembly 200 on the housing 100, and will not deform or crack due to the support provided to the cover plate assembly 200, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell.

[0079] In addition, by setting the thickness of the third segment 133 of the corner plate to be less than or equal to the thickness of the second segment 132 of the corner plate, the distance between the third segment 133 of the corner plate and the bare battery cell 400 is greater than or equal to the distance between the second segment 132 of the corner plate and the bare battery cell 400. As a result, the risk of deformation or cracking of the connecting corner plate caused by factors such as the expansion stress of the bare battery cell 400 will be reduced. Correspondingly, the problem of compression damage to the expanded bare battery cell 400 by the third segment 133 of the corner plate can also be effectively avoided.

[0080] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the thickness of the two corner plate segments 132 gradually increases from the side closest to the first side plate 110 towards the side closest to the second side plate 120; and / or,

[0081] The thickness of the second segment 132 of the corner plate gradually increases from the side closest to the opening 140 of the housing to the side furthest from the opening 140 of the housing.

[0082] The difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the two segments 132 of the corner plate is less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0083] The direction from the side closest to the first side plate 110 to the side closest to the second side plate 120 is... Figure 8 The X direction in the diagram can also be referred to as the horizontal direction of the connecting angle plate 130; the direction from the side near the housing opening 140 to the side away from the housing opening 140 is... Figure 8 The opposite direction of the Z-direction can also be referred to as the vertical direction of the connecting corner plate 130. That is, in this embodiment, the two segments 132 of the corner plate can gradually thicken in the horizontal direction, gradually thicken in the vertical direction, or gradually thicken in both the horizontal and vertical directions (i.e., the two segments 132 of the corner plate gradually thicken in their diagonal direction).

[0084] Taking the example of corner plate segment 132 gradually thickening along its diagonal direction, when the outer surfaces of corner plate segment 132 and corner plate segment 131 are flat, because the thickness of corner plate segment 132 is greater than that of corner plate segment 131, and corner plate segment 132 gradually thickens along its diagonal direction, it will form as follows. Figure 8 The corner plate shoulder 134 shown can support the cover plate body 210. That is, the cover plate body 210 not only undertakes the welding and fixing function of the corner plate section 131 at the opening 140 of the housing, but also undertakes the supporting function of the corner plate shoulder 134, thereby improving the connection stability of the cover plate assembly 200 on the connecting corner plate 130.

[0085] Furthermore, compared to the case where the second segment 132 of the corner plate gradually thickens along the diagonal direction, the case where the second segment 132 of the corner plate gradually thickens along the horizontal direction results in a thinner and weaker section on the side connecting the second segment 132 of the corner plate to the first side plate 110, making it prone to deformation and cracking. Similarly, if the second segment 132 of the corner plate gradually thickens along the vertical direction, the case where the second segment 132 of the corner plate to the first segment 131 of the corner plate is also thinner and weaker, making it prone to deformation and cracking. The diagonal thickening of the second segment 132 of the corner plate solves these problems, compensating for the weaker strength of the second segment 132 of the corner plate near the first side plate 110 and near the first segment 131, thus improving the overall strength of the connecting corner plate 130.

[0086] In this embodiment, the corner plate section 132 is further described in three thickening forms: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. The diagonal thickening form can simultaneously improve the strength of the side where the corner plate section 132 connects to the first side plate 110 and the side where it connects to the corner plate section 131. This allows the corner plate shoulder 134 formed by the corner plate section 132 and the corner plate section 131 to effectively bear the weight of the cover plate assembly 200, thereby preventing the corner plate 130 from deforming and cracking in the corner plate section 132.

[0087] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 , Figure 10 As shown, the thickness of the three segments 133 of the corner plate gradually increases from the side closest to the first side plate 110 to the side closest to the second side plate 120.

[0088] like Figure 10As shown, the three segments of the corner plate are the area within the four points EFMN, which is also the main area of ​​the connecting corner plate 133. Since the connecting corner plate 133 connects the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120, and as mentioned above, the maximum thickness of the first side plate 110 is less than the maximum thickness of the second side plate 120, that is, there is a wall thickness difference between the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120, and the first side plate 110 is generally thinner than the second side plate 120, the connecting corner plate 130 plays the role of uniformly transitioning from the first side plate 110 to the second side plate 120. Therefore, the three segments of the corner plate 130 gradually thicken in the X direction to realize the connecting transition function of the connecting corner plate 130 to the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120.

[0089] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the three segments 133 of the corner plate include a first segment 133a and a second segment 133b connected sequentially in the height direction Z of the shell. The first segment 133a is located near the shell opening 140. In the direction from the side near the first side plate 110 to the side near the second side plate 120, the thickness of the first segment 133a is greater than that of the second segment 133b.

[0090] like Figure 10 As shown, the first segment corresponds to the area within the four points EFJK, and the second segment corresponds to the area within the four points JKMN. The second side plate 120 is for weight reduction, and its thickness in the area corresponding to the first segment 133a is greater than the thickness in the area corresponding to the second segment 133b. Therefore, the thickness of the first segment 133a and the second segment 133b on the side connected to the first side plate 110 is the same, but the thickness on the side connected to the second side plate 120 is different. Moreover, the thickness of the area corresponding to the second side plate 120 connected to the first segment 133a will be greater. Therefore, the thickness increase of the first segment 133a needs to be greater than the thickness increase of the second segment 133b.

[0091] Specifically, the thickness variation can be the amount of thickness change per unit length, reflecting the degree of change in thickness of the first segment 133a and the second segment 133b in the thickness direction. For example, the unit length can be 0.1mm, 0.5mm, 1mm, etc. The thickness variation of the first segment 133a is greater than that of the second segment 133b. That is to say, from the side closer to the first side plate 110 to the side closer to the second side plate 120, the thickness variation of the first segment 133a in each unit length is greater than that of the second segment 133b in the corresponding unit length. In other words, within the corresponding unit length, the thickness of the first segment 133a is greater than that of the second segment 133b. The first segment 133a is positioned close to the second segment 132 of the corner plate. If the second segment 132 of the corner plate directly supports the cover plate assembly, then the first segment 133a indirectly supports the cover plate assembly 200. The fact that the thickness of the first segment 133a is greater than that of the second segment 133b helps to compensate for the weakness of the first segment 133a on the side closer to the first side plate 110, thereby improving the overall strength of the connecting corner plate 130.

[0092] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the first segment 133a includes a corner plate upper section 133a' and a corner plate transition section 133a'' connected to each other. The corner plate transition section 133a'' is located between the corner plate upper section 133a' and the second segment 133b. The thickness of the corner plate transition section 133a'' gradually decreases from the corner plate upper section 133a' to the second segment 133b.

[0093] The thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the upper segment 133a' on the corner plate is a first thickness difference x1; the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the second segment 133b is a second thickness difference x2, where x2 < x1. For example, x1 is less than or equal to 0.4 mm, specifically 0.4 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.15 mm, or 0.1 mm; x2 is less than or equal to 0.3 mm, specifically 0.3 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.05 mm. The thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of both the upper segment 133a' and the second segment 133b is mainly determined by the thickness of the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120 to which they are connected. For example, the minimum thickness is the thickness of the area connected to the first side plate 110, and the maximum thickness is the thickness of the area connected to the second side plate 120. To ensure the stability of the entire housing 100, the thickness difference between the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120 at the same horizontal height should generally not exceed 0.4 mm. Therefore, the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the upper section 133a' of the corner plate is less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Since the area of ​​the second side plate 120 connected by the second section 133b is thinner than the area of ​​the second side plate 120 connected by the first section 133a, the thickness difference of the second section 133b is smaller than the thickness difference of the upper section 133a' of the corner plate. Therefore, the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the second section 133b is set to be less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0094] The inner side of the corner plate transition section 133a'' is an inclined surface that connects the inner side of the upper section 133a' of the corner plate with the inner side of the second section 12. The inner side is the side of the housing 100 near the bare cell 400.

[0095] In this embodiment, the first segment 133a is divided into a corner plate upper section 133a' and a corner plate transition section 133a''. That is, a corner plate transition section 133a'' is provided between the corner plate upper section 133a' and the second segment 133b. The corner plate transition section 133a'' realizes the thickness transition between the corner plate upper section 133a' and the second segment 133b. The corner plate transition section 133a'' strengthens the connection strength between the corner plate upper section 133a' and the second segment 133b, avoids the impact of the abrupt thickness change between the corner plate upper section 133a' and the second segment 12 of the housing 100 on the mechanical strength of the housing 100, and improves the safety of the battery cell.

[0096] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, the first side plate 110 is provided with a first plate section 111 and a second plate section 112 connected in the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the first plate section 111 is greater than the thickness of the second plate section 112. The first plate section 111 is located close to the shell opening 140.

[0097] Among them, the first plate section 111 is mainly arranged opposite to the cover plate assembly 200, the second plate section 112 is mainly arranged opposite to the bare battery cell 400, and the top of the first plate section 111 can be welded and positioned to the cover plate body 210.

[0098] In this embodiment, the first side plate 110 includes a first plate section 111 and a second plate section 112 connected vertically. Since the first plate section 111 needs to be welded to the cover plate body 210, its thickness is set to be relatively thick to avoid wavy edges during processing if it is too thin, which would affect the fit and welding between the housing 100 and the cover plate body 210, thus ensuring the connection strength between the first side plate 110 and the cover plate body 210. The second plate section 112 is thinned compared to the first plate section 111. This thinning design increases the distance between the bare battery cell 400 and the first side plate 110, preventing the housing 100 from compressing and damaging the bare battery cell 400, and also meeting the requirement for lightweight housing 100.

[0099] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first plate segment 111 includes a first plate upper segment 111a and a first plate transition segment 111b connected to each other. The first plate transition segment 111b is connected between the first plate upper segment 111a and the first plate second segment 112. The thickness of the first plate transition segment 111b gradually decreases from the first plate upper segment 111a to the first plate second segment 112.

[0100] The inner side of the transition section 111b is an inclined surface that connects the inner side of the first section 111 of the plate with the inner side of the transition section 111b of the plate. The inner side is the side of the housing 100 near the bare cell 400.

[0101] Among them, such as Figure 3As shown, the thickness of the upper section 111a of the first plate is d1, and the thickness of the second section 112 of the first plate is d2. To balance the strength and lightweight requirements of the first side plate 110, the difference between d1 and d2 is, for example, less than or equal to 0.3 mm and greater than or equal to 0.05 mm, specifically 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, or 0.3 mm. Furthermore, since the first section 111 needs to be welded and fixed to the cover plate body 210, meaning the first section 111 directly bears the weight of the cover plate assembly 200, the length L3 of the first section 111 in the height direction of the shell needs to be sufficiently long. However, if it is too long, the lightweight requirement of the first side plate 110 will be difficult to meet. Therefore, a suitable length range needs to be set for the first section 111, for example, 0.5 mm ≤ L3. The length L4 of the transition section 111b should not be too long or too short. If it is too long, it will reduce the size of the second section 112 of the first plate, making it difficult to meet the lightweight requirements of the first side plate 110. If it is too short, it will easily form a convex edge on the outer side of the shell 100, affecting the flatness of the outer side of the shell 100. Therefore, it is necessary to set a suitable length range for the transition section 111b of the first plate. For example, 0.3mm≤L4≤1.0mm, specifically 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1.0mm.

[0102] In this embodiment, the first plate segment 111 is divided into a first plate upper section 111a and a first plate transition section 111b. That is, a first plate transition section 111b is provided between the first plate upper section 111a and the first plate second section 112. The first plate transition section 111b realizes the thickness transition between the first plate upper section 111a and the first plate second section 112. The first plate transition section 111b strengthens the connection strength between the first plate upper section 111a and the first plate second section 112, avoids the impact of the sudden thickness change of the first plate upper section 111a and the first plate second section 112 of the housing 100 on the mechanical strength of the housing 100, and improves the safety of the battery cell.

[0103] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first section 111 of the first plate is connected to the first section 131 of the corner plate and the second section 132 of the corner plate; the second section 112 of the first plate is connected to the third section 133 of the corner plate, and the thickness of the second section 112 of the first plate is less than the maximum thickness of the third section 133 of the corner plate.

[0104] For example, the height of section 111 of the first board is equal to the sum of section 131 of the first corner board and section 132 of the second corner board, and section 112 of the first board is the same height as section 3 of the third corner board.

[0105] The maximum thickness of the corner plate segment 3 is the thickness of the side where the corner plate segment 3 connects to the second side plate 120. The thickness of the first plate segment 2 112 is the thickness of the side where the corner plate segment 3 133 connects to the first plate segment 2 112. The thickness of the first plate segment 2 112 is less than the maximum thickness of the corner plate segment 3 133. This means that at the same horizontal height, the thickness of the first plate segment 2 112 is less than the thickness of the second side plate 120 in the corresponding area. This satisfies the lightweight requirement of the housing 100 without affecting the supporting function of the housing 100 on the cover plate assembly 200.

[0106] In some embodiments, the second side plate 120 is provided with a first section of two plates 121 and a second section of two plates 122 in sequence in the height direction of the housing. The thickness of the first section of two plates 121 is less than the thickness of the second section of two plates 122. The first section of two plates 121 is disposed close to the opening 140 of the housing.

[0107] Among them, the second plate section 121 is welded and positioned to the cover plate body 210, and the second plate section 122 is mainly set opposite to the cover plate assembly 200 and the bare battery cell 400, excluding the cover plate body 210.

[0108] The thickness of the second plate section 121 is less than that of the second plate section 122. However, since it is also welded and fixed to the cover plate body 210, its thickness can be the same as that of the first plate section 111. This is to avoid the second plate section 121 being too thin and developing wavy edges during processing, which would affect the fit and welding between the housing 100 and the cover plate body 210, thus ensuring the connection strength between the second side plate 120 and the cover plate body 210. For example, the thickness of the second plate section 121 and the first plate section 111 is both 0.8 mm, and the thickness of the second plate section 122 is 1.0 mm.

[0109] In this embodiment, the second side plate 120 includes a first section 121 and a second section 122 of the second plate connected vertically. The thickness of the first section 121 is less than the thickness of the second section 122. That is, when the outer surfaces of the first section 121 and the second section 122 are on the same plane, a shoulder 123 is formed between the first section 121 and the second section 122. The shoulder 123 and the corner plate shoulder 134 are on the same plane and can jointly support the cover plate body 210 to ensure the connection stability of the cover plate assembly 200 relative to the housing 100.

[0110] In some embodiments, such as Figures 4-6As shown, the two plates and two sections 122 are provided with a first sub-segment 122a and a second sub-segment 122b connected in the height direction of the shell. The first sub-segment 122a is located near the shell opening 140. The thickness of the first sub-segment 122a is greater than the thickness of the second sub-segment 122b. The first sub-segment 122a is connected to the corner plate section 132 and a part of the corner plate section 133. The second sub-segment 122b is connected to another part of the corner plate section 133.

[0111] The first sub-segment 122a is connected to the second segment 132 and the first segment 133a of the third segment 133 of the corner plate, and the second sub-segment 122b is connected to the second segment 133b of the third segment 133 of the corner plate. Since the first sub-segment 122a is the area on the second side plate 120 that directly supports the cover plate assembly 200, it needs to be sufficiently high and thick. However, excessive height and thickness would not meet the lightweight requirements of the second side plate 120. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the first sub-segment 122a and the second sub-segment 122b. The sub-segment 122b is set with a suitable height and thickness. For example, the height of the first sub-segment 122a is 5 to 15 times the height of the second sub-segment 121, and the height of the second sub-segment 122a is 3 to 15 times the height of the first sub-segment. For example, the thickness of the first sub-segment 122a is 1.0 mm, the thickness of the second sub-segment 122b is 0.8 mm, the height of the first sub-segment 122a is 10 times the height of the second sub-segment 121, and the height of the second sub-segment 122b is 10 times the height of the first sub-segment 122a.

[0112] In this embodiment, the two plates and two segments 122 include a first sub-segment 122a and a second sub-segment 122b connected vertically. That is, the second sub-segment 122b is thinned relative to the first sub-segment 122a to meet the lightweight requirements of the housing 100.

[0113] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the first sub-segment 122a includes a second-plate upper section 122a' and a second-plate transition section 122a''; the thickness of the second-plate transition section 122a'' gradually decreases from the second-plate upper section 122a' to the second sub-segment 122b.

[0114] The inner side of the transition section 122a'' of the second board is an inclined surface that connects the inner side of the upper section 122a' of the second board with the inner side of the second sub-section 122b. The inner side is the side of the housing 100 near the bare cell 400.

[0115] Among them, the second plate transition section 122a'' can be connected to the corner plate transition section 133a''.

[0116] The thickness difference between the upper section 122a' and the second sub-section 122b of the second plate is x3. To balance the strength and lightweight requirements of the second side plate 120, x3 is less than or equal to 0.3mm and greater than or equal to 0.05mm, specifically 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.15mm, 0.2mm, 0.25mm, or 0.3mm. Furthermore, the length of the transition section 122b of the second plate in the height direction of the shell should not be too long or too short; if it is too long, it will reduce the thickness of the second sub-section 122a'. The size of b makes it difficult to meet the lightweight requirement of the second side plate 120. If it is too short, it is easy to form a convex edge on the outer side of the shell 100, affecting the flatness of the outer side of the shell 100. Therefore, it is necessary to set a suitable length range for the transition section 111b of the first plate. For example, the length range of the transition section 122a'' of the second plate is 0.3mm-1.0mm, specifically 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, and 1.0mm.

[0117] In this embodiment, the first sub-segment 122a is divided into a second-board upper section 122a' and a second-board transition section 122a''. That is, a second-board transition section 122a'' is provided between the second-board upper section 122a' and the second sub-segment 122b. The second-board transition section 122a'' realizes the thickness transition between the second-board upper section 122a' and the second-board transition section 122a''. The second-board transition section 122a'' strengthens the connection strength between the second-board upper section 122a' and the second sub-segment 122b, avoids the impact of the sudden thickness change between the second-board upper section 122a' and the second sub-segment 122b of the housing 100 on the mechanical strength of the housing 100, and improves the safety of the battery cell.

[0118] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the first section 121 of the second plate is connected to the first section 131 of the corner plate, and the second section 122 of the second plate is connected to both the second section 132 and the third section 133 of the corner plate; the thickness of the second section 122 of the second plate is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the third section 133 of the corner plate, and less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second section 132 of the corner plate.

[0119] For example, the first section of the second board 121 is at the same height as the first section of the corner board 131, and the height of the second section of the second board 122 is equal to the sum of the second section of the corner board 132 and the third section of the corner board 133.

[0120] The maximum thickness of the corner plate segment 133 is the thickness of the side where the corner plate segment 133 connects to the second plate segment 122, and the maximum thickness of the corner plate segment 132 is the thickness of at least a portion of the side where the corner plate segment 132 connects to the second plate segment 122.

[0121] Since the thickness of the second segment 132 of the corner plate is greater than or equal to the thickness of the third segment 133 of the corner plate, and the second segment 122 of the second plate is connected to both the second segment 132 and the third segment 133 of the corner plate, the thickness of the second segment 122 of the second plate is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the third segment 133 of the corner plate, and less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second segment 132 of the corner plate, so as to satisfy the smooth transition between the second segment 122 of the second plate and the connecting corner plate 130 and improve the stability of the shell 100.

[0122] Based on the same inventive concept, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, this utility model also provides a battery cell, comprising:

[0123] Housing 100 as described above;

[0124] The cover plate assembly 200 covers the housing opening 140 and forms a receiving space 300 with the housing 100;

[0125] The bare battery cell 400 is located within the accommodating space 300;

[0126] The edge of the second segment 132 of the corner plate, away from the housing opening 140, is located above the bare cell 400, and at least part of the third segment 133 of the corner plate is arranged opposite to the bare cell 400.

[0127] For example, housing 100 can be an aluminum housing or a steel housing.

[0128] For example, the top of the housing 100 is provided with a housing opening 140.

[0129] For example, the insulating element 220 may be a plastic part.

[0130] For example, the cover plate assembly 200 also includes a terminal post 230 penetrating the cover plate body 210 and the insulator 220. The terminal post 230 may include a positive terminal post and a negative terminal post, and the terminal post 230 is insulated and sealed to the cover plate body 210.

[0131] For example, the bare cell 400 includes a plurality of positive electrode plates, a plurality of negative electrode plates, and a separator separating the positive and negative electrode plates. The positive electrode plates, negative electrode plates, and separator can form a stacked structure or a wound structure. A portion of each positive electrode plate extends out of the bare cell 400 to form a positive tab, which is electrically connected to a positive terminal. A portion of each negative electrode plate extends out of the bare cell 400 to form a negative tab, which is electrically connected to a negative terminal.

[0132] Among them, since the second section 132 of the corner plate is the thickest area of ​​the connecting corner plate 130, that is, the distance between it and the bare battery cell 400 is the closest, in order to avoid it causing squeezing damage to the expanded bare battery cell 400, it is placed above the bare battery cell 400.

[0133] Since the maximum thickness of the third segment 133 of the corner plate is less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second segment 132 of the corner plate, especially when the maximum thickness of the third segment 133 of the corner plate is less than the maximum thickness of the second segment 132 of the corner plate, it means that the third segment 133 of the corner plate is farther away from the bare cell than the second segment 132 of the corner plate. Therefore, by setting part or all of the third segment 133 of the corner plate opposite to the bare cell 400, it is not easy to cause squeezing damage to the expanded bare cell 400.

[0134] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cover plate assembly 200 includes a cover plate body 210 and an insulating member 220 connected to the cover plate body 210 on the side near the receiving space 300.

[0135] In the height direction of the housing, the distance from the edge of the first plate section 112 near the first plate section 111 to the housing opening 140 is the first distance L1, and the distance from the surface of the insulating member 220 away from the cover plate body 210 to the housing opening 140 is the second distance L2. The first distance L1 is greater than the second distance L2.

[0136] For example, the cover plate body 210 can be welded to a section 111 of the first side plate 110.

[0137] The first side plate 110 includes a first plate section 111 and a second plate section 112 connected vertically. Since the first plate section 111 is close to the housing opening 140 and needs to connect to the cover plate body 210, its thickness is made relatively thick. This avoids wavy edges during processing due to the housing 100 being too thin, thus ensuring the connection strength between the first plate section 111 and the cover plate body 210. As for the second plate section 112, which is farther from the housing opening 140, even if its thickness is made relatively thin, it will not adversely affect the connection between the housing 100 and the cover plate body 210. Therefore, in the aforementioned embodiment, making the second plate section 112 thinner not only reduces battery weight and manufacturing costs but also helps to expand the accommodating space 300, allowing the battery to have a higher energy density.

[0138] However, to achieve the aforementioned beneficial effects, the positions of section 111 and section 112 of the first plate need to be reasonably set. If L1 ≤ L2, section 112 of the first plate will extend too close to the opening 140 of the housing, resulting in section 111 of the first plate being too small in the height direction of the housing 100. During the processing of the housing 100, the opening 140 of the housing will still be at risk of deformation, which may reduce the connection strength between the housing 100 and the cover plate body 210. Therefore, in this embodiment, L1 and L2 are limited to L1 > L2, which allows section 111 of the first plate to have a larger dimension in the height direction of the housing 100, which is sufficient to ensure that the opening 140 of the housing will not deform during the processing of the housing 100.

[0139] The battery cell provided in this embodiment of the utility model limits the distance L1 from the edge of the first plate segment 112 near the first plate segment 111 to the housing opening 140, and the distance L2 from the surface of the insulating member 220 away from the cover plate body 210 to the housing opening 140 to L1>L2. This allows the first plate segment 112 to have a larger dimension along the height direction of the housing 100, further ensuring that the housing opening 140 will not deform, thereby ensuring a strong connection between the housing 100 and the cover plate body 210, which helps to improve the sealing and safety of the battery cell.

[0140] Based on the same inventive communication, this utility model also provides a battery, specifically, the battery includes the cell as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0141] For example, when the battery has the cell described in the above embodiments, it can have all the advantages and beneficial effects of the cell described in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0142] It should be noted that the above description describes some embodiments of the present invention. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps described in the claims can be performed in a different order than that shown in the above embodiments and still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0143] In this utility model, each embodiment is described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0144] The description of this utility model is given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the utility model to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to better illustrate the principles and practical application of the utility model, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the utility model and design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for a particular purpose.

[0145] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present invention is limited to these examples; within the framework of the present invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of the present invention as described above, which are not provided in the details for the sake of brevity.

[0146] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many substitutions, modifications and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description.

[0147] The embodiments of this utility model are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A housing, characterized in that, The housing has an opening along its height direction, and the housing includes: The first side plate and the second side plate are arranged adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction of the shell opening, and the maximum thickness of the first side plate is less than the maximum thickness of the second side plate. A connecting corner plate connects the first side plate and the second side plate. The connecting corner plate is provided with a first corner plate section, a second corner plate section, and a third corner plate section in sequence along the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the second corner plate section is greater than the thickness of the first corner plate section. The maximum thickness of the third corner plate section is less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second corner plate section.

2. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, From the side closer to the first side plate towards the side closer to the second side plate, the thickness of the two sections of the corner plate gradually increases; and / or, The thickness of the two sections of the corner plate gradually increases from the side closest to the opening of the housing towards the side furthest from the opening of the housing.

3. The housing according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the two segments of the corner plate is less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

4. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the three sections of the corner plate gradually increases from the side closest to the first side plate to the side closest to the second side plate.

5. The housing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The corner plate consists of a first section and a second section connected sequentially in the height direction of the shell. The first section is located near the opening of the shell and extends from the side near the first side plate to the side near the second side plate. The thickness of the first section is greater than that of the second section.

6. The housing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first segment includes a corner plate upper section and a corner plate transition section connected to each other, wherein the corner plate transition section is located between the corner plate upper section and the second segment; The thickness of the transition section of the corner plate gradually decreases from the upper section of the corner plate to the second section.

7. The housing according to claim 6, characterized in that, The thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the upper segment of the corner plate is less than or equal to 0.4 mm; the thickness difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the second segment is less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

8. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first side plate has a first plate section and a second plate section connected in the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the first plate section is greater than the thickness of the second plate section. The first plate section is located close to the opening of the shell.

9. The housing according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first plate section includes a connected upper plate section and a transition plate section, wherein the transition plate section connects the upper plate section and the second plate section. The thickness of the transition section of the first plate gradually decreases from the upper section of the first plate to the second section of the first plate.

10. The housing according to claim 9, characterized in that, The upper section of the first plate is connected to both the first and second sections of the corner plate; the second section of the first plate is connected to the third section of the corner plate, and the thickness of the second section of the first plate is less than the maximum thickness of the third section of the corner plate.

11. The housing according to claim 10, characterized in that, The thickness difference between the upper section and the second section of the first plate is less than or equal to 0.3 mm; the length of the first section of the first plate in the height direction of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm; and the length of the transition section of the first plate in the height direction of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

12. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second side plate is provided with a first section of the second plate and a second section of the second plate in the height direction of the shell. The thickness of the first section of the second plate is less than the thickness of the second section of the second plate. The first section of the second plate is located close to the opening of the shell.

13. The housing according to claim 12, characterized in that, The two plates are provided with a first sub-segment and a second sub-segment connected in the height direction of the shell. The first sub-segment is located close to the opening of the shell. The thickness of the first sub-segment is greater than the thickness of the second sub-segment. The first sub-segment is connected to the second corner plate and a part of the third corner plate. The second sub-segment is connected to another part of the third corner plate.

14. The housing according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first sub-segment includes the upper segment of the second board and the transition segment of the second board; The thickness of the transition section between the two plates gradually decreases from the upper section of the two plates to the second sub-section.

15. The housing according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first section of the second plate is connected to the first section of the corner plate, and the second section of the second plate is connected to both the second section of the corner plate and the third section of the corner plate; the thickness of the second section of the second plate is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the third section of the corner plate, and less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the second section of the corner plate.

16. The housing according to claim 14, characterized in that, The thickness difference between the upper section of the second plate and the second sub-section is less than or equal to 0.3 mm; the length of the transition section of the second plate in the height direction of the shell is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

17. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area of ​​the first side plate is larger than the area of ​​the second side plate.

18. A battery cell, characterized in that, include: The housing as described in any one of claims 1-17; A cover assembly that covers the opening of the housing and forms a receiving space with the housing; The bare battery cell is located within the accommodating space; Wherein, the edge of the second segment of the corner plate away from the opening of the casing is located above the bare battery cell, and at least part of the third segment of the corner plate is arranged opposite to the bare battery cell.

19. The battery cell according to claim 18, characterized in that, The cover plate assembly includes a cover plate body and an insulating member connected to the cover plate body on the side near the receiving space; In the height direction of the housing, the distance from the edge of the two-section plate near the first section to the opening of the housing is the first distance, and the distance from the surface of the insulating member away from the cover plate body to the opening of the housing is the second distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

20. A battery, characterized in that, Includes the battery cell as described in any one of claims 18-19.

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