Battery modules and electrical equipment

Abstract

This application relates to a battery module and an electrical device. The battery module includes: a battery cell group comprising a plurality of battery cells arranged sequentially along a first direction; an end cap disposed at at least one end of the battery cell group in the first direction; a fastener surrounding the outer periphery of the battery cell group and the end cap; and a protective gasket disposed between the battery cell closest to the end cap and the fastener in the first direction. During the fastener breakage process, since the expansion force on the fastener is mainly applied to it by the end cap, the breakage point is usually close to the end cap. By using a protective gasket to protect the outer surface of the battery cell closest to the end cap, damage to the battery cell caused by fastener breakage can be effectively avoided, reducing the risk of battery cell damage and fire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery module technology, and in particular to a battery module and an electrical device. Background Technology

[0002] Battery modules, as core components of modern energy storage and supply, are widely used in various fields. A typical battery module consists of multiple battery cells and a steel strip, which secures and connects all the battery cells. However, in actual use, factors such as battery cell expansion, stress concentration, or external impact can cause the steel strip to break. A broken steel strip can puncture the battery cells, leading to cell damage, and in severe cases, even causing the battery module to catch fire. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery module and electrical device to address the problem that the broken steel strip can puncture the battery cell.

[0004] A battery module, comprising:

[0005] A battery cell pack includes a plurality of battery cells arranged sequentially along a first direction;

[0006] An end cap is disposed at at least one end of the battery cell assembly in the first direction;

[0007] Fasteners, surrounding the outer periphery of the battery cell assembly and the end cap; and,

[0008] A protective gasket is provided between the battery cell closest to the end cap and the fastener in the first direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, in the first direction, the protective pads are provided between the battery cell closest to the end cap on both sides along the second direction and the fastener;

[0010] The first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the battery module includes a plurality of the fasteners, all of which are spaced apart along a third direction intersecting the first direction;

[0012] Each of the fasteners is provided with a protective pad between itself and the battery cell closest to the end cap in the first direction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the protective pad is integrally formed on the same side in the second direction and close to the same end cap, the first direction intersecting the second direction.

[0014] In one embodiment, the battery module further includes a first gasket, which is disposed between the battery cell assembly and the end cap, and is connected to the protective gasket.

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the battery cells has an electrode at one end in a third direction intersecting the first direction;

[0016] The first gasket includes a first gasket body and a first folded portion. The first gasket body is disposed between the battery cell assembly and the end cap. The first folded portion is disposed at the end of the first gasket body near the electrode, and the first folded portion is folded towards the electrode, covering the gap between the first gasket body and the battery cell assembly in the first direction.

[0017] In one embodiment, the battery cell has an electrode at one end in a third direction intersecting the first direction;

[0018] A second gasket is provided between each two adjacent battery cells. The second gasket includes a second gasket body and a second folded portion. The second gasket body is located between the two adjacent battery cells. The second folded portion is located at the middle of the second gasket body in the first direction at the end facing the electrode, and the second folded portion covers the gap between the second gasket body and each battery cell in the first direction.

[0019] In one embodiment, the protective pad is a silicone pad, or the protective pad is a PC pad, or the protective pad is a silicone composite pad.

[0020] In one embodiment, the protective pad is adhered to the battery cell closest to the end cap in the first direction.

[0021] An electrical device comprising a battery module as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0022] In the aforementioned battery module, during the process of fastener breakage, since the expansion force on the fastener is mainly applied to the fastener by the end cap, the breakage point of the fastener is usually close to the end cap. By using protective pads to protect the outer surface of the battery cell closest to the end cap, the sharp point of the fastener breakage can be effectively prevented from damaging the battery cell, thus reducing the risk of battery cell damage and fire. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery module structure in some embodiments of this application.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of the hidden protective shell for the battery module in the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the hidden busbar structure of the battery module in the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The embodiment shows a schematic diagram of the battery module hidden in the first battery cell.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in some other embodiments of this application, showing the battery module hiding the first battery cell.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] Battery cell pack 10; Battery cell 101; End cap 11; Fastener 12; Electrode 13; Busbar 14; Protective cover 15;

[0030] Protective gasket 20; First gasket 21; First gasket body 22; First folded part 23; Second gasket 24; First strip gasket 25; Second strip gasket 26; Third strip gasket 27;

[0031] First direction X; second direction Y; third direction Z. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0034] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0037] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0038] See Figure 1 , Figure 1The diagram shows a structural schematic of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present application. The battery module provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a battery cell group 10, an end cover 11 and a fastener 12. The battery cell group 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 101. According to actual usage requirements, the battery cells 101 are connected in series to increase the voltage of the battery module, or the battery cells 101 are connected in parallel to increase the capacity of the battery module.

[0039] In the battery cell group 10, the battery cells 101 are arranged sequentially along the first direction X. In actual use, the shape of each battery cell 101 can be a cube, so that when all the battery cells 101 are arranged sequentially, the large surfaces of two adjacent battery cells 101 can be close to each other, thereby improving the fixing effect of the battery cells 101.

[0040] Furthermore, end caps 11 are disposed at at least one end of the battery cell assembly 10 in the first direction X to protect the battery cells 101 and prevent damage to the battery cells 101 caused by external impact. Preferably, there are two end caps 11, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the battery cell assembly 10 in the first direction X, that is, all the battery cells 101 are disposed between the two end caps 11, so that all the battery cells 101 are protected by the two end caps 11.

[0041] Fasteners 12 are disposed around the outer periphery of the battery cell assembly 10 and the end cap 11, thereby clamping the end cap 11 and all the battery cells 101 within the battery cell 10 together, thus securing all the battery cells 101 and the end cap 11. Preferably, the fastener 12 is a steel strip, which secures the two end caps 11 and all the battery cells 101 together, forming a battery module, which facilitates the handling of the entire battery module. In other embodiments, the fastener 12 can also be a high-strength, high-heat-resistant, and high-corrosion-resistant plastic part.

[0042] During the charging and discharging process of the battery module, gas may be generated inside the battery cell 101, or the electrode material 13 may expand due to lithium ion insertion and deintercalation. These changes will generate internal pressure on the outer shell of the battery cell 101, causing the battery cell 101 to expand.

[0043] The end cap 11 is usually made of corrosion-resistant and high-strength materials. When the battery cell 101 expands, it will squeeze the end cap 11. Due to the high hardness of the end cap 11, the expansion force generated by the battery cell 101 will be applied to the fastener 12 through the end cap 11. Finally, when the expansion force exceeds the bearing limit of the fastener 12, the fastener 12 may break.

[0044] Furthermore, the broken part of the fastener 12 often has a relatively sharp corner, and the outer shell of the battery cell 101 is usually made of a relatively soft material such as aluminum. The sharp corner on the broken fastener 12 can easily penetrate into the battery cell 101, causing damage to the battery cell 101. In severe cases, it can lead to leakage, fire, or other problems with the battery cell 101.

[0045] To this end, the battery module also includes a protective gasket 20, which is provided between the battery cell 101 closest to the end cover 11 in the first direction X and the fastener 12. During the breakage of the fastener 12, since the expansion force on the fastener 12 is mainly applied to it by the end cover 11, the breakage point of the fastener 12 is usually close to the end cover 11. By protecting the outer surface of the battery cell 101 closest to the end cover 11 with the protective gasket 20, damage to the battery cell 101 caused by the breakage of the fastener 12 can be effectively avoided, reducing the risk of fire caused by damage to the battery cell 101.

[0046] In some embodiments of this application, two end caps 11 are included, and the two end caps 11 are disposed at both ends of the battery cell 101 in the first direction X. Therefore, the battery cells 101 closest to the end caps 11 include two, namely, the two battery cells 101 located at the beginning and end in the first direction X of all battery cells 101. Specifically, Figure 1 In one embodiment, the battery cell 101 includes four cells, and protective pads 20 are provided between the battery cells 101 at both ends and the fasteners 12.

[0047] Furthermore, in the first direction X, the battery cells 101 closest to the end cap 11, namely the two battery cells 101 located at the beginning and the end, each battery cell 101 has a protective gasket 20 between its opposite sides in the second direction Y, which intersects the first direction X, and the fastener 12. Since the fastener 12 surrounds the outer periphery of the battery cell 101, the breakage point of the fastener 12 may be located on either side of the battery cell 101 in the second direction Y. Therefore, protective gaskets 20 are provided on both the beginning and end battery cells 101 in the second direction Y. Figure 4 As shown, fastener 12 can be prevented from breaking and damaging battery cell 101 on either side.

[0048] Specifically Figure 1 In the embodiments described below, the first direction X is the left-right direction, the second direction Y is the front-back direction, and the third direction Z is the up-down direction.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the battery module includes a plurality of fasteners 12. All fasteners 12 are arranged at intervals along a third direction Z that intersects both the first direction X and the second direction Y. That is, a plurality of fasteners 12 are provided along the height direction of the battery cell 101, thereby fixing the battery cell 101 and the end cap 11 by the plurality of fasteners 12, so as to improve the fixing effect of the battery cell 101 and the end cap 11.

[0050] Since each fastener 12 is at risk of breakage, a protective gasket 20 is provided between each fastener 12 and the battery cell 101 closest to the end cover 11 in the first direction X. Specifically... Figure 1 In this embodiment, the fastener 12 includes two fasteners, each fastener 12 having protective pads 20 on both sides of the two battery cells 101 located at the beginning and the end, respectively. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the protective pad 20 comprises eight.

[0051] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 The protective gasket 20, located on the same side in the first direction X and the second direction Y, and close to the same end cap 11, is an integrally formed strip gasket that extends along the third direction Z. Figure 5 In one embodiment, the protective pad 20 includes four strip pads: a first strip pad 25 located on the front side of the left end, a second strip pad 26 located on the rear side of the left end, a third strip pad 27 located on the front side of the right end, and a fourth strip pad (not shown) located on the rear side of the right end.

[0052] In this way, by integrating the protective pads 20 located at the same end and on the same side into a single strip pad, more of the surface area of ​​the battery cell 101 can be covered by this strip pad, thereby increasing the protective area of ​​the battery cell 101 surface and further reducing the risk of tip damage to the battery cell 101 caused by the breakage of the fastener 12. Furthermore, while the two-protective-pad solution is mainly suitable for scenarios with two fasteners 12, the strip pad structure offers good scalability and can flexibly adapt to situations where the number of fasteners 12 increases.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, see [reference] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The battery module also includes a first gasket 21, which is disposed between the battery cell assembly 10 and the end cover 11. The first gasket 21 provides insulation between the end cover 11 and the battery cell assembly 10, and can also absorb shock and vibration, reduce the vibration transmitted from the end cover 11 to the battery cell assembly 10, and improve the service life of the battery module.

[0054] The first gasket 21 is connected to the protective gasket 20. In actual use, before installing the end cover 11, the first gasket 21 is installed first. Then, the end cover 11 and the battery cell assembly 10 are tightened by the fastener 12. At this time, the first gasket 21 is fixed between the end cover 11 and the battery cell assembly 10. The protective gasket 20 can also be fixed between the fastener 12 and the battery cell assembly 10 along with the fixing of the first gasket 21. That is, there is no need to fix the protective gasket 20 separately, saving the assembly steps of the battery module.

[0055] In some other embodiments, the protective gasket 20 may be fixed directly without connecting it to the first gasket 21. Optionally, the protective gasket 20 may be bonded to the battery cell 101 closest to the end cap 11 in the first direction X, i.e., the battery cells 101 at the first and last ends. This bonding method ensures the fixation of the protective gasket 20 and avoids damaging the integrity of the battery cell 101 because no drilling is required.

[0056] In some embodiments of this application, each battery cell 101 has an electrode 13 on one end in the third direction Z, and the electrodes 13 of all battery cells 101 are located at the same end in the third direction Z. The battery module also includes a bus 14, which is located at the end of all battery cells 101 that has the electrode 13 in the third direction Z, so as to connect the electrodes 13 of each battery cell 101 through the bus 14, thereby realizing the series or parallel connection of the battery cells 101.

[0057] Furthermore, the battery module also includes a protective cover 15, which is located at the end of all battery cells 101 that has the electrode 13 and covers the busbar 14 and one end of all battery cells, thereby providing insulation protection for the busbar 14 and the electrode 13 through the protective cover 15.

[0058] In actual use, the busbar 14 is usually connected to the electrode 13 by welding. During the welding process, some of the molten metal flows into the gap between the first gasket 21 and the battery cell assembly 10. After this metal cools and solidifies, it can puncture the battery cell 101 and cause damage and fire if subjected to external forces such as battery expansion.

[0059] Therefore, the first gasket 21 includes a first gasket body 22 and a first folding portion 23. The first gasket body 22 is disposed between the battery cell assembly 10 and the end cap 11. The first folding portion 23 is disposed at the end of the first gasket body 22 facing the electrode 13. The first folding portion 23 folds towards the electrode 13 and covers the gap between the first gasket body 22 and the battery cell assembly 10 in the first direction X. That is, the first gasket 21 has an overall L-shaped shape, and the second folding portion can prevent molten metal from entering between the first gasket body 22 and the battery cell assembly 10 during the welding of the busbar 14 and the electrode 13, further improving the safety of the battery module.

[0060] In some specific embodiments, a second gasket 24 is provided between each two adjacent battery cells 101. The second gasket 24 serves to buffer the impact between the two adjacent battery cells 101 and also to insulate the two adjacent battery cells 101.

[0061] For the same reasons mentioned above, to prevent molten metal from entering between the second gasket 24 and the battery cell 101 during the welding of the busbar 14 and the electrode 13, the second gasket 24 includes a second gasket body and a second folded portion. The second gasket body is disposed between two adjacent battery cells 101, and the second folded portion is disposed at the middle of the second gasket body facing the electrode 13 in the first direction X, and the second folded portion covers the gap between the second gasket body and each battery cell 101 in the first direction X.

[0062] In other words, the second gasket 24 is T-shaped. The T-shaped gasket prevents molten metal from entering between the second gasket body and the battery cell 101 during the welding of the busbar 14 and the electrode 13, thus further improving the safety of the battery module.

[0063] In some embodiments of this application, the protective gasket 20, the first gasket 21, and the second gasket 24 can be made of silicone, PC, or a silicone-PC composite gasket. Silicone and PC gaskets not only have good insulation properties, effectively preventing electrical short circuits inside the battery module and improving battery safety, but also possess good elasticity and flexibility, absorbing and dispersing mechanical shocks and vibrations, reducing physical damage to the battery module during transportation or use, and improving the stability of the battery module.

[0064] This application also provides an electrical device that includes the battery module as described in any of the above embodiments. Since the electrical device includes all the technical features of the battery module, it possesses all the technical effects of the battery module, which will not be repeated here.

[0065] The above-mentioned battery module has at least the following advantages:

[0066] During the process of fastener 12 breaking, since the expansion force on fastener 12 is mainly applied to fastener 12 by end cap 11, the part of fastener 12 that breaks is usually close to end cap 11. By using protective pad 20 to protect the outer surface of battery cell 101 that is closest to end cap 11, the sharp part of fastener 12 that breaks can be effectively prevented from damaging battery cell 101, thus reducing the risk of battery cell 101 being damaged and catching fire.

[0067] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0068] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that, The battery module includes: A battery cell group (10) includes a plurality of battery cells (101) arranged sequentially along a first direction (X). An end cap (11) is provided at at least one end of the battery cell assembly (10) in the first direction (X); Fasteners (12) are disposed around the outer periphery of the battery cell assembly (10) and the end cap (11); and, A protective pad (20) is provided between the battery cell (101) closest to the end cap (11) in the first direction (X) and the fastener (12).

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the first direction (X), the protective pads (20) are provided between the battery cell (101) closest to the end cap (11) and the fastener (12) on both sides along the second direction (Y). The first direction (X) intersects with the second direction (Y).

3. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery module includes a plurality of fasteners (12), all of which are spaced apart along a third direction (Z) that intersects the first direction (X); Each of the fasteners (12) is provided with a protective pad (20) between it and the battery cell (101) that is closest to the end cap (11) in the first direction (X).

4. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protective pad (20) is integrally formed on the same side in the second direction (Y) and close to the same end cap (11), the first direction (X) intersecting the second direction (Y).

5. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery module also includes a first gasket (21), which is disposed between the battery cell assembly (10) and the end cap (11) and is connected to the protective gasket (20).

6. The battery module according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the battery cells (101) has an electrode (13) at one end of a third direction (Z) that intersects the first direction (X). The first gasket (21) includes a first gasket body (22) and a first folding portion (23). The first gasket body (22) is disposed between the battery cell assembly (10) and the end cap (11). The first folding portion (23) is disposed at one end of the first gasket body (22) near the electrode (13), and the first folding portion (23) is folded toward the electrode (13) and covers the gap between the first gasket body (22) and the battery cell assembly (10) in the first direction (X).

7. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell (101) has an electrode (13) at one end of a third direction (Z) that intersects the first direction (X). A second gasket (24) is provided between each two adjacent battery cells (101). The second gasket (24) includes a second gasket body and a second folded portion. The second gasket body is provided between the two adjacent battery cells (101). The second folded portion is provided at the middle of the second gasket body in the first direction (X) at one end of the second gasket body facing the electrode (13). The second folded portion covers the gap between the second gasket body and each battery cell (101) in the first direction (X).

8. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective pad (20) is a silicone pad, or the protective pad (20) is a PC pad, or the protective pad (20) is a silicone composite pad.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective pad (20) is bonded to the battery cell (101) that is closest to the end cap (11) in the first direction (X).

10. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, Includes the battery module as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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