Adapter piece and battery module
By using a layered adapter plate and reverse core bonding technology, the problems of high cost of pure copper materials and redundant tabs are solved, achieving a high-efficiency, stable, and compact design of the battery module, and improving the battery's conductivity and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520078070.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-27
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-01-14
AI Technical Summary
In traditional battery production, pure copper materials are expensive and perform poorly in high-temperature, low-temperature, or high-current-density environments. Redundant tabs lead to poor contact and short-circuit risks, affecting battery performance and safety.
The adapter uses a layered structure, with the first metal layer being a high-conductivity material (such as copper) and the second metal layer being a low-cost, high-hardness material (such as aluminum). Combined with reverse core bonding and ultrasonic welding, it ensures effective connection of the tabs and reduces redundancy.
It reduces production costs, improves battery conductivity and safety, extends service life, reduces the risk of poor contact and short circuits, and enhances the stability and reliability of battery modules.
Smart Images
Figure CN223956759U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, in particular to a transition piece and a battery module. BACKGROUND
[0002] In the traditional battery production process, the tab and the connecting piece of the battery are usually welded with pure copper material. Pure copper, due to its excellent electrical conductivity and good welding performance, has always been one of the commonly used materials in battery manufacturing, especially in energy storage devices such as lithium batteries. However, the cost of pure copper material is relatively high, and in some specific application scenarios, its performance is not the best choice. For example, in high-temperature, low-temperature or high-current density working environment, pure copper may not have the best durability and electrical conductivity, which may lead to a decrease in battery performance or a reduction in service life.
[0003] In addition, in the battery assembly process, when using the traditional forward core technology, the welding of the tab and the connecting piece is often prone to the phenomenon of redundant tabs. If the redundant tab part cannot be completely and effectively connected with other parts of the battery electrode, it may cause poor contact, increased internal resistance and other problems, further affecting the overall performance of the battery. In addition, if the redundant tab part enters the separator, it may cause the risk of short circuit, thereby seriously affecting the safety of the battery, and even may cause the battery to catch fire or explode and other dangers.
[0004] Therefore, how to reduce production costs while selecting appropriate materials to improve the performance and safety of the battery, especially to avoid the short circuit problem caused by redundant tabs in the welding process, has become a problem to be solved in current battery manufacturing technology. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In order to improve the performance of the battery, reduce the cost, and avoid the potential risks caused by redundant tabs, the present application provides a transition piece and a battery module.
[0006] The transition piece and the battery module provided by the present application adopt the following technical solutions:
[0007] A transition piece for connecting a battery tab, the transition piece comprising a first metal layer and a second metal layer stacked, the first metal layer being used to connect with the tab, the electrical conductivity of the first metal layer being greater than that of the second metal layer, and the thickness of the first metal layer accounting for ≥ 10% in the overall thickness of the transition piece.
[0008] By adopting the technical scheme, in the design of the adapter sheet, the first metal layer can select a material with good electrical conductivity, and the second metal layer can select a material with lower performance but lower cost, which not only ensures good electrical conductivity, but also avoids the high cost of pure copper material, further improves the performance-price ratio, and through reasonable design of the structure of the adapter sheet, the redundancy of the tab in the welding process can be reduced, the effective connection of the tab is ensured, the safety is improved, and the service life is prolonged.
[0009] In one specific implementation, the hardness of the second metal layer is greater than the hardness of the first metal layer, and the hardness of the second metal layer is 20-40HV.
[0010] By adopting the technical scheme, the second metal layer with higher hardness is designed, which can better withstand the large heat and mechanical stress in the welding process, avoid poor contact caused by material softening or deformation, and improve the welding strength and stability.
[0011] In one specific implementation, the material of the first metal layer is the same as the material of the tab.
[0012] By adopting the technical scheme, the material of the first metal layer is designed to be the same as the material of the tab, and the physical properties of the materials are the same or similar in the welding process, which can avoid welding problems caused by material differences, and the heat input and cooling speed in the welding process will be more uniform, thereby improving the overall quality of the welded joint.
[0013] In one specific implementation, the first metal layer is a copper layer, and the second metal layer is an aluminum layer.
[0014] By adopting the technical scheme, the copper layer and the aluminum layer are combined in the design, the copper layer mainly undertakes the current conduction function to ensure efficient current flow, and the aluminum layer is used to reduce weight, improve structural strength, or for connection. The design of copper and aluminum combination can optimize the performance and life of the battery, effectively balance the electrical conductivity and structural stability of the battery, and also reduce the use cost.
[0015] In one specific implementation, the purity of the first metal layer is ≥99.9%, and the purity of the second metal layer is ≥99.6%.
[0016] By adopting the technical scheme, by combining the first metal layer (such as copper) with purity ≥99.9% and the second metal layer (such as aluminum) with purity ≥99.6%, the electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties can be improved while ensuring low contact resistance and better welding performance, which not only improves the reliability and stability of the overall structure, but also helps to meet the needs of high-precision applications.
[0017] In one specific implementation, the first metal layer is flush with the outer edge of the second metal layer.
[0018] By using the above technical solution, the mechanical stability of the multi-layer structure can be enhanced by making the outer peripheral edges of the two metal layers flush; and keeping the peripheral sides of the metal layers flush can prevent faults caused by asymmetric thermal expansion or external force.
[0019] A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells and tabs disposed on the battery cells; and a tab connector as described above, the tabs between two adjacent battery cells are connected by the tab connector, and the tab connector is located on the side of the tabs close to the battery cells.
[0020] By using the above technical solution, the tab connector directly connects the tabs between adjacent battery cells, which can ensure that the current conduction path is more stable, reduce the contact resistance, and improve the electrical performance of the battery module; the arrangement of the tab connector makes the current path more direct, avoids unnecessary redundant connection of the tabs, reduces potential short-circuit points, and improves the overall safety of the battery module; by introducing the tab connector between adjacent battery cells and placing it on the side close to the battery cells, this design not only improves the electrical performance, heat dissipation effect and safety of the battery module, but also simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process, reduces the cost, and enables the battery module to have stronger competitiveness while running efficiently and safely for a long time.
[0021] In one specific implementation, the tab includes a deformation portion and a connection portion, the tab is connected to the battery cell through the deformation portion, and the first metal layer is connected to the connection portion; the deformation portion is used to bend when the two adjacent battery cells are combined, so that the tab connector is located between the tab and the battery cell.
[0022] By using the above technical solution, reverse combining is used during installation, that is, the tab is welded to the tab connector and then combined, and the shape of the tab is more in line with the design requirements, which can effectively reduce the structural instability or poor contact phenomenon caused by excessive redundant materials.
[0023] In one specific implementation, the sum of the widths of the two connected tabs after combining is less than or equal to the sum of the widths of the two adjacent battery cells after combining.
[0024] By using the above technical solution, by limiting the sum of the widths of the tabs to be less than or equal to the sum of the widths of the adjacent battery cells, the tabs can be designed to be not too wide, thereby reducing unnecessary material waste and optimizing the space utilization of the battery module, avoiding the occupation of too much space by the tabs, and making the battery module design more compact.
[0025] In one specific implementation, the connection between the connection part and the first metal layer is an ultrasonic welding connection.
[0026] By using the above technical solution, the ultrasonic welding has a shorter welding time, which can effectively improve the production efficiency, and the welding process does not need to use solder, avoiding the material waste or corrosion problem caused by the solder; and high-strength metal connection can be realized at a lower temperature, avoiding the influence of the performance of the battery or the connecting piece caused by the too high temperature, thereby ensuring the firmness and stability of the welding point, and improving the electrical contact reliability of the battery module.
[0027] In summary, the beneficial technical effects of the present application are:
[0028] 1. The adapter plate of the present application selects a material with good electrical conductivity for the first metal layer, and a material with lower performance but lower cost for the second metal layer, which not only ensures good electrical conductivity, but also avoids the high cost of pure copper material, further improving the performance-price ratio; and by reasonably designing the structure of the adapter plate, the redundancy of the tab in the welding process can be reduced, ensuring effective connection of the tab, thereby improving safety and prolonging service life;
[0029] 2. The battery module of the present application applies the adapter plate structure, combines the reverse core and the ultrasonic welding process, realizes the efficient, stable and compact design of the battery module, can ensure that the tab maintains the correct shape during the battery assembly process, avoids the appearance of redundant materials or unstable structures; and ensures the stability, durability and safety of the battery module during long-term use, reduces the risk of battery failure, and improves the overall reliability of the battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0030] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the adapter plate for display.
[0031] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the adapter plate and the tab after core combination for display.
[0032] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the cell, tab and adapter plate before core combination for display.
[0033] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the battery module for display.
[0034] Marked: 1, adapter plate; 2, first metal layer; 3, second metal layer; 4, battery module; 5, cell; 6, tab; 7, connection part; 8, deformation part; 9, shell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] The following will be combined with the drawings Figures 1-4Further details of the application are provided below.
[0036] Embodiment one
[0037] Please refer to Figure 1 The embodiment of the application discloses a tab, including but not limited to the connection of the tab in the battery; the tab 1 includes a first metal layer 2 and a second metal layer 3 arranged in layers, the first metal layer 2 is used to connect with the tab 6, the electrical conductivity of the first metal layer 2 is greater than that of the second metal layer 3;
[0038] The thickness of the first metal layer 2 accounts for ≥ 10% in the overall thickness of the tab 1, in the embodiment, preferably, the thickness of the first metal layer 2 accounts for 10%-40% in the overall thickness of the tab 1, the main role of the first metal layer 2 is to ensure the efficient conduction of the current, the combination design of the first metal layer 2 and the second metal layer 3 needs to consider the structural strength and cost control on the basis of ensuring good electrical conductivity, the thickness ratio of the first metal layer 2 is 10%-40%, which can effectively improve the electrical conductivity of the tab 1, while avoiding the negative impact of the over-thick metal layer on the overall structural strength and cost, through reasonable thickness design, the performance ratio and performance stability can be further improved on the basis of meeting the current transmission demand;
[0039] The first metal layer 2 can select materials with good electrical conductivity, while the second metal layer 3 can select materials with lower performance but lower cost, which not only ensures good electrical conductivity, but also avoids the high cost of pure copper materials, further improving the performance ratio; and through reasonable design of the structure of the tab 1, the redundancy of the tab 6 that may occur in the welding process can be reduced, the effective connection of the tab 6 is ensured, thereby improving the safety and prolonging the service life.
[0040] The material of the first metal layer 2 is the same as that of the tab 6, in the embodiment, the tab 6 includes but is not limited to copper or copper alloy material, the material of the first metal layer 2 of the tab 1 is the same as that of the tab 6, which can avoid welding problems caused by the welding difference between different materials, such as cold cracks, hot cracks or welding stress concentration; due to the same material, the heat input and cooling speed in the welding process can be uniformly controlled, thereby improving the overall quality of the welding joint.
[0041] In the embodiment, the first metal layer 2 is a copper layer, the material of the first metal layer 2 is preferably copper T2, which has excellent electrical conductivity and low contact resistance, and when connected with the tab 6, the consistency of electrical contact can be ensured, the electrical conductivity of the battery module is improved, the energy loss is reduced, and the long-term stable operation of the battery module is ensured.
[0042] The hardness of the second metal layer 3 is greater than that of the first metal layer 2, and the hardness of the second metal layer 3 is 20-40 HV; this design enables the second metal layer 3 to provide stronger compressive strength during welding, ensuring that the adapter piece 1 can withstand greater heat and mechanical stress during welding. Due to the higher hardness, the second metal layer 3 can effectively avoid poor contact caused by material softening or deformation, ensuring the stability of the welding point. In addition, the hardness design of the second metal layer 3 can also improve the overall structural stability of the adapter piece 1, ensuring the reliability and safety of the battery module during long-term use.
[0043] In this embodiment, the second metal layer 3 is an aluminum layer, and the material of the second metal layer 3 is preferably aluminum 1060. Although the electrical conductivity of aluminum is lower than that of copper, it is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and relatively low in price, which can effectively reduce the overall cost. Aluminum material has good thermal conductivity and high compressive strength, and can withstand greater heat and mechanical stress during welding, avoiding deformation or poor contact caused by high temperature or stress.
[0044] To ensure the electrical performance and stability of the adapter piece 1, the purity of the first metal layer 2 (such as copper) is preferably ≥99.9%, and the purity of the second metal layer 3 (such as aluminum) is preferably ≥99.6%. This material purity selection not only improves electrical conductivity, but also enhances corrosion resistance and mechanical strength. High-purity copper material helps to reduce contact resistance, ensuring good electrical performance and longer service life. The aluminum material of the second metal layer 3 also has good mechanical strength and good adaptability to temperature changes during welding.
[0045] In this embodiment, the outer edges of the first metal layer 2 and the second metal layer 3 are flush, i.e. the outer edges of the two metal layers form a consistent boundary. This design helps to improve the mechanical stability of the multi-layer metal structure and avoid material deformation or instability caused by asymmetric thermal expansion or external forces during welding.
[0046] The adapter piece 1 of the present application optimizes the material selection, layer structure design and thickness ratio, so that the adapter piece 1 can meet the requirement of high electrical conductivity while avoiding excessive use of expensive materials (such as copper), thereby improving the cost performance. The first metal layer 2 uses high-purity copper material to ensure efficient electrical connection. The second metal layer 3 uses aluminum material to ensure a certain electrical conductivity while controlling the overall cost.
[0047] This design not only improves the electrical performance of the adapter piece 1, but also enhances its structural strength and compressive strength. In particular, during welding and long-term use, it can effectively avoid deformation or failure caused by thermal or mechanical stress. Furthermore, by rationally designing the structure of the adapter piece 1, it can reduce the redundancy of the tab 6 that may occur during welding, ensuring effective connection of the tab 6, thereby improving safety and extending service life.
[0048] Example 2
[0049] Please refer to Figures 2-4 As shown, this application provides a battery module, including an adapter 1 as described in Embodiment 1 (please refer to the specific structural diagram of the adapter 1). Figure 1 As shown), the battery module 4 includes multiple battery cells 5 and tabs 6 disposed on the battery cells 5. The adapter piece 1 is located on the side of the tabs 6 closer to the battery cells 5. In this embodiment, positive and negative tabs are respectively disposed on the battery cells 5. The tabs 6 between two adjacent battery cells 5 are connected by the adapter piece 1. In this embodiment, in order to meet the needs of different battery configurations, the tabs 6 between two adjacent battery cells 5 can be connected by positive-positive connection or positive-negative connection, and are effectively connected by the adapter piece 1.
[0050] The tab 6 includes a deformable part 8 and a connecting part 7. The deformable part 8 is connected to the battery cell 5 by bending, and the connecting part 7 is connected to the first metal layer 2 of the adapter piece 1. The design of the deformable part 8 allows bending to occur when the battery cell 5 is closed, so as to ensure that the adapter piece 1 is located between the tab 6 and the battery cell 5, thereby forming a stable electrical connection.
[0051] The connecting part 7 is ultrasonically welded to the first metal layer 2. Ultrasonic welding uses high-frequency vibration to generate frictional heat to melt the connecting part 7, quickly forming a strong metal connection. This welding method has a shorter welding time and lower welding temperature, which can effectively avoid the influence of high temperature on the battery or other connecting parts 7, and does not require the use of solder, thus avoiding solder contamination and corrosion problems.
[0052] To optimize the space utilization of the battery module, the sum of the widths of the two connected tabs 6 after the cells are combined is less than or equal to the sum of the widths of the two adjacent cells 5 after the cells are combined. This design can avoid the tabs 6 being too wide, thereby reducing unnecessary material waste and optimizing the space utilization of the battery module, preventing the tabs 6 from occupying too much space, thus making the battery module design more compact.
[0053] The battery module 4 design in this application adopts a reverse cell assembly method. In the actual assembly process, the two cells 5 are first laid flat (refer to...). Figure 3), the tab 6 is arranged at the end of the cell 5, at this time, the connecting part 7 of the tab 6 is arranged vertically with the deformation part 8, the connecting part 7 is arranged horizontally, and the deformation part 8 is arranged vertically, the tab 6 of the two cells 5 is connected by the adapter piece 1, the adapter piece 1 is arranged horizontally and connected with the connecting part 7 of the tab 6, after the connecting part 7 of the tab 6 and the first metal layer 2 (copper layer) of the adapter piece 1 are ultrasonic welded, the reverse cell combining operation of the cell 5 is performed;
[0054] During the reverse cell combining operation, the two cells 5 are changed from horizontal arrangement to vertical arrangement (refer to Figure 4 ), after the cell combining, the two cells 5 are arranged in close contact, at this time, the connecting part 7 of the tab 6 and the adapter piece 1 are still arranged horizontally, the deformation part 8 of the tab 6 is bent, and the included angle between the deformation part 8 and the connecting part 7 after the bending is small and is an acute angle, so that the adapter piece 1 is located below the inside of the tab 6, that is, the adapter piece 1 is located between the tab 6 and the cell 5, so as to form a stable electrical connection; in this embodiment, the battery module 4 further includes a shell 9 (refer to Figure 4 ), after the cell combining, the cell 5 is arranged in the shell 9 and the electrical connection is completed, the shell 9 encapsulates the cell 5, and the assembly is completed.
[0055] The battery module 4 of the application can effectively avoid the problems of poor contact or unstable contact caused by excessive redundant materials during assembly, by designing the adapter piece 1 into a reasonable shape and size, in combination with the reverse cell combining structure described above; the design of the deformation part 8 causes the tab 6 to bend during the cell combining, and the bending effect ensures that the connecting part 7 of the battery module 4 can stably maintain the expected structure after welding, avoiding the hidden dangers of loose structure or poor contact;
[0056] Through the reasonable structural design of the adapter piece 1, the ultrasonic welding process, the reverse cell combining operation and other factors, the stability, durability and safety of the battery module 4 during long-term use are ensured, the risk of battery failure is reduced, and the overall reliability of the battery module is improved.
[0057] The above are preferred embodiments of the application, which do not limit the protection scope of the application, therefore: any equivalent changes made on the basis of the structure, shape, principle of the application should be covered within the protection scope of the application.
Claims
1. A tab for connecting a battery tab, characterized by: The first metal layer (2) and the second metal layer (3) are arranged in a stack, the first metal layer (2) is used to connect with the tab (6), the electrical conductivity of the first metal layer (2) is greater than that of the second metal layer (3), and the thickness of the first metal layer (2) accounts for ≥10% in the overall thickness of the adapter piece (1).
2. The adapter plate of claim 1, wherein: The hardness of the second metal layer (3) is greater than that of the first metal layer (2), and the hardness of the second metal layer (3) is 20-40HV.
3. The adapter plate of claim 2, wherein: The material of the first metal layer (2) is the same as that of the tab (6).
4. The adapter plate of claim 3, wherein: The first metal layer (2) is a copper layer, and the second metal layer (3) is an aluminum layer.
5. The adapter plate of claim 4, wherein: The purity of the first metal layer (2) is ≥99.9%, and the purity of the second metal layer (3) is ≥99.6%.
6. The adapter plate of claim 1, wherein: The outer edges of the first metal layer (2) and the second metal layer (3) are flush.
7. A battery module comprising a plurality of cells (5) and tabs (6) provided on the cells (5), characterized in that: The adapter piece (1) according to any one of claims 1-6, the tabs (6) between two adjacent battery cells (5) are connected through the adapter piece (1), and the adapter piece (1) is located on the side of the tab (6) close to the battery cell (5).
8. The battery module of claim 7, wherein: The tab (6) comprises a deformation part (8) and a connecting part (7), the tab (6) is connected with the battery cell (5) through the deformation part (8), and the first metal layer (2) of the adapter piece (1) is connected with the connecting part (7); the deformation part (8) is used to bend when two adjacent battery cells (5) are combined, so that the adapter piece (1) is located between the tab (6) and the battery cell (5).
9. The battery module of claim 8, wherein: The sum of the widths of two connected tabs (6) after combination is less than or equal to the sum of the widths of two adjacent battery cells (5) after combination.
10. The battery module of claim 8, wherein: The connecting part (7) and the first metal layer (2) are ultrasonic welded.