Electrical connectors, circuit boards and batteries

Abstract

This application relates to the field of battery technology, and discloses an electrical connector, a circuit board, and a battery, including: a connecting assembly and a fuse assembly. The connecting assembly has a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion connected to each other. The first connecting portion is adapted to connect with a cell electrode tab, and the second connecting portion is adapted to connect with a battery protection board. The fuse assembly is disposed between the second connecting portion and the battery protection board, and the fuse assembly has a first power terminal and a second power terminal. The first power terminal is adapted to connect with the battery protection board, and the second power terminal is connected with the second connecting portion. The electrical connector, circuit board, and battery disclosed in this application solve or improve the problem that a separate fuse is placed in a certain area of ​​the battery protection board, occupying space of the battery protection board and preventing further reduction in the size of the battery protection board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to electrical connectors, circuit boards, and batteries. Background Technology

[0002] In the course of development, electronic devices have gradually become smaller in size in order to improve their portability. The size of batteries and battery protection boards has also decreased accordingly. If the size of the battery is reduced, the battery capacity will be reduced, shortening the battery life of the electronic device. Therefore, it is necessary to design the battery protection board.

[0003] The battery protection board is connected to the battery cell's tabs via connectors. If the current is too high during use or charging / discharging, it can damage the battery protection board. Therefore, the battery protection board needs to be protected in case of overcharging, over-discharging, overcurrent, or short circuit.

[0004] In related technologies, a fuse is installed on the battery protection board. When overcharging, over-discharging, overcurrent, or short circuit occurs, the fuse melts and disconnects the connection to protect the battery protection board. However, installing a separate fuse in a certain area of ​​the battery protection board occupies space on the battery protection board, which is not conducive to further reducing the size of the battery protection board. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, this application provides electrical connectors, circuit boards and batteries to solve or improve the problem that fuses occupy space on the battery protection board, making it impossible to further reduce the size of the battery protection board.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an electrical connector for connecting a battery cell tab to a battery protection board, the electrical connector comprising:

[0007] A connecting component is provided with a first connecting part and a second connecting part connected to each other. The first connecting part is adapted to connect with a cell tab, and the second connecting part is adapted to connect with a battery protection board.

[0008] A fuse assembly is disposed between the second connecting portion and the battery protection board. The fuse assembly has a first power connection terminal and a second power connection terminal. The first power connection terminal is adapted to be connected to the battery protection board, and the second power connection terminal is connected to the second connecting portion.

[0009] In this embodiment, the fuse assembly is located between the second connecting portion and the battery protection board. The second connecting portion, the fuse assembly, and the battery protection board are stacked along a first direction, which is perpendicular to the battery protection board. The second connecting portion and the fuse assembly are designed and laid out vertically to the height of the battery protection board, achieving a three-dimensional layout. This saves layout space on the battery protection board, thereby reducing the design complexity of the battery protection board, lowering costs, and creating conditions for making the battery protection board and battery smaller.

[0010] In one alternative implementation, the fuse assembly includes:

[0011] A fuse is disposed on the second connecting portion, and the two ends of the fuse are the first power-connecting terminal and the second power-connecting terminal, respectively.

[0012] The first connecting pad is disposed on the second connecting part and is electrically connected to the first power terminal and the battery protection board respectively.

[0013] The second connection pad is disposed on the second connection portion and is electrically connected to the second power terminal and the second connection portion, respectively.

[0014] In one alternative embodiment, the fuse, the first connecting pad, and the second connecting pad are disposed in the same layer along the first direction;

[0015] The first direction is perpendicular to the battery protection board.

[0016] In one alternative embodiment, the component further includes a first pad, which is disposed on the side of the fuse away from the second connection portion, and a portion of the first pad is connected to the first connection pad.

[0017] In one optional embodiment, the connecting assembly has a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate arranged in a bent manner, the first connecting portion being one side of the first connecting plate and the second connecting portion being one side of the second connecting plate; notches are provided at corresponding positions on the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate.

[0018] In one alternative embodiment, the fuse element is provided with a connecting surface, which is connected to the second connecting plate and is adapted to one side of the second connecting plate.

[0019] In one alternative embodiment, the second connecting plate, the fuse, the first solder pad, and the battery protection plate are stacked along the first direction.

[0020] In one alternative embodiment, along the first direction, the total thickness of the second connecting plate, the fuse, and the first pad is 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0021] Secondly, this application also provides a circuit board, including: a board body, on which electrical connectors are connected.

[0022] Thirdly, this application also provides a battery, including: a battery cell and a circuit board, wherein the tabs of the battery cell are connected to the circuit board via the electrical connector. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a side view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is an application circuit diagram of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 1. Connecting component; 101. First connecting part; 102. Second connecting part; 2. Fuse assembly; 201. Fuse element; 202. First connecting pad; 203. Second connecting pad; 3. First pad; 4. Notch; X, second direction; Y, third direction; Z, first direction. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] In the course of development, electronic devices have gradually become smaller in size in order to improve their portability. The size of batteries and battery protection boards has also decreased accordingly. If the size of the battery is reduced, the battery capacity will be reduced, shortening the battery life of the electronic device. Therefore, it is necessary to design the battery protection board.

[0035] The battery protection board is connected to the battery cell's tabs via connectors. If the current is too high during use or charging / discharging, it can damage the battery protection board. Therefore, the battery protection board needs to be protected in case of overcharging, over-discharging, overcurrent, or short circuit.

[0036] In related technologies, a fuse is installed on the battery protection board. When overcharging, over-discharging, overcurrent, or short circuit occurs, the fuse melts, disconnecting the connection and protecting the battery protection board. However, installing a separate fuse in a specific area of ​​the battery protection board occupies space, which is not conducive to further reducing the size of the battery protection board. To address this, this application provides electrical connectors, a circuit board, and a battery to solve or improve the problem of fuses occupying space on the battery protection board, thus hindering further reduction in the size of the battery protection board.

[0037] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 5 This describes an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] According to an embodiment of this application, in one aspect, an electrical connector is provided for connecting the cell tabs to the battery protection board. The electrical connector includes a connection component 1 and a fuse component 2.

[0039] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the connecting component 1 is provided with a first connecting part 101 and a second connecting part 102 connected to each other. The first connecting part 101 is adapted to be connected to the battery cell tab, and the second connecting part 102 is adapted to be connected to the battery protection board.

[0040] The fuse assembly 2 is disposed between the second connecting part 102 and the battery protection board. The fuse assembly 2 is provided with a first power connection terminal and a second power connection terminal. The first power connection terminal is adapted to be connected to the battery protection board, and the second power connection terminal is connected to the second connecting part 102.

[0041] In this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the fuse assembly 2 is located between the second connecting part 102 and the battery protection board. The second connecting part 102, the fuse assembly 2, and the battery protection board are stacked along the first direction Z, which is perpendicular to the battery protection board. The second connecting part 102 and the fuse assembly 2 are designed and laid out vertically to the height of the battery protection board, achieving a three-dimensional layout. This saves layout space on the battery protection board, thereby reducing the design complexity of the battery protection board, lowering costs, and creating conditions for making the battery protection board and battery smaller.

[0042] In some embodiments, the connecting component 1 is made of nickel.

[0043] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the fuse assembly 2 includes: a fuse element 201, a first connecting pad 202 and a second connecting pad 203. Specifically, the first connecting pad 202 and the second connecting pad 203 are both soldered together.

[0044] Specifically, the fuse 201 is disposed on the second connecting part 102, and the two ends of the fuse 201 are the first power-on terminal and the second power-on terminal, respectively; the first connecting pad 202 is disposed on the second connecting part 102 and is electrically connected to the first power-on terminal and the battery protection board, respectively; the second connecting pad 203 is disposed on the second connecting part 102 and is electrically connected to the second power-on terminal and the second connecting part 102, respectively.

[0045] In this embodiment, such as Figure 1As shown, the first connecting pad 202 and the second connecting pad 203 fix the fuse 201 to the battery protection board, improving the stability of the fuse 201 connection. The fuse 201 is connected to the battery protection board and the connection assembly 1 through the first connecting pad 202 and the second connecting pad 203 respectively, improving the stability of current flow through the fuse 201. The fuse 201 is directly integrated into the second connecting part 102 of the connection assembly 1, which saves space on the battery protection board compared to the traditional solution where it is connected to the battery protection board through a fuse.

[0046] The first connecting pad 202 and the second connecting pad 203 are directly coupled to both ends of the fuse 201 to eliminate wire transmission loss.

[0047] Specifically, the first connecting pad 202, the second connecting pad 203, and the fuse 201 are arranged sequentially along the second direction X, where the second direction X is the length direction of the second connecting plate.

[0048] Specifically, the fuse 201 includes various types, such as plug-in fuse 201, which is commonly used in low-voltage circuits; fillerless fuse tube, which can be disassembled and replaced; filler fuse tube, which has high breaking capacity; and knife-type contact fuse 201, which is used in high-voltage or high-current applications.

[0049] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, along the first direction Z, the fuse 201, the first connecting pad 202, and the second connecting pad 203 are arranged in the same layer;

[0050] Among them, the first direction Z is perpendicular to the battery protection board.

[0051] In this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the fuse 201, the first connecting pad 202 and the second connecting pad 203 are arranged on the same layer, which can save layout space along the first direction Z, and facilitates the connection of the fuse 201 with the battery protection board and the second connecting part 102 during processing to form a closed loop.

[0052] In one embodiment, it further includes: a first pad 3, which is disposed on the side of the fuse 201 away from the second connection portion 102, and a portion of the first pad 3 is connected to the first connection pad 202.

[0053] In this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the first pad 3 has a large area and supports the fuse 201. The first pad 3 enables the fuse 201 to be connected to multiple components on the battery protection board.

[0054] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, the connecting assembly 1 has a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate arranged in a bent manner. The first connecting part 101 is one side of the first connecting plate, and the second connecting part 102 is one side of the second connecting plate. Notches 4 are provided at corresponding positions of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate.

[0055] In some embodiments, the connecting component 1 is an L-shaped plate with a 90° angle between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. The fuse 201 is laid flat on the second connecting plate, which can improve the heat dissipation effect of the fuse 201.

[0056] In some embodiments, the included angle between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate is greater than 90°, and the connecting component 1 is a U-shaped plate.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, notches 4 are provided on both the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate. During the processing of the connecting assembly 1, it is convenient to bend the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate to prevent cracks from appearing when the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are bent.

[0058] In some embodiments, the connecting component 1 may also be a contact piece or a shaped conductive sheet. The contact piece is a plate-shaped conductive structure and its material may be nickel. The shaped conductive sheet has at least one plane for mounting the fuse 201 and its material may be nickel.

[0059] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the fuse 201 is provided with a connecting surface, which is connected to the second connecting plate and is adapted to one side of the second connecting plate.

[0060] In this embodiment, the connecting surface of the fuse 201 is in contact with one side of the second connecting plate, which can improve the heat dissipation effect of the fuse 201 and reduce the total thickness of the fuse 201 and the second connecting plate along the first direction Z, thereby reducing the spatial layout along the first direction Z.

[0061] In some embodiments, the connecting surface of the fuse 201 has the same area as one side of the second connecting plate.

[0062] In some embodiments, the projection of the connecting surface of the fuse 201 toward the second connecting portion 102 does not extend beyond the second connecting portion 102.

[0063] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the second connecting plate, the fuse 201, the first solder pad 3 and the battery protection plate are stacked in the first direction Z.

[0064] In this embodiment, the stacked arrangement can make full use of the space in the direction perpendicular to the battery protection board, reduce the space occupied on the surface of the battery protection board, and thus reduce the volume of the battery protection board; the stacked arrangement formed by fixing the first pad 3 at multiple points can improve the vibration resistance.

[0065] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, along the first direction Z, the total thickness of the second connecting plate, the fuse 201 and the first pad 3 is 0.1mm to 0.4mm.

[0066] In some embodiments, the total thickness of the second connecting plate, the fuse 201 and the first pad 3 can be set to 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm or 0.4mm, which can ensure that the fuse 201 has sufficient installation space and save space in the vertical direction of the battery protection board.

[0067] It should be noted that the thickness of the second connecting plate, the fuse 201 and the first pad 3 can be adjusted, as long as the total thickness condition is met.

[0068] In one embodiment, the first connecting plate, the second connecting plate, and the notch 4 are integrally formed;

[0069] Alternatively, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are connected by a flexible conductive element.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are integrally formed, which is simple in process, has high production efficiency, and the connection strength between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate is high. When the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are connected by a flexible conductive component, the angle between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate is easy to adjust, which facilitates subsequent assembly processes.

[0071] In some embodiments, the flexible conductive element may be made of copper or zinc.

[0072] On the other hand, this application provides a circuit board, including: a board body, on which electrical connectors are connected.

[0073] It should be noted that the circuit board includes the electrical connectors provided in the embodiments of this application, and therefore includes all the advantages of the electrical connectors mentioned above, so it will not be described again.

[0074] On the other hand, this application provides a battery, including: a battery cell and a circuit board, wherein the tabs of the battery cell are connected to the circuit board via electrical connectors.

[0075] It should be noted that the battery includes the electrical connectors provided in the embodiments of this application, and therefore includes all the advantages of the electrical connectors mentioned above, so it will not be described again.

[0076] The following is an example, combined with Figures 1 to 5 A comprehensive explanation of all the above-mentioned plans is provided.

[0077] Taking an L-shaped plate as an example, the connecting assembly 1 has a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate arranged vertically. One side of the first connecting plate is a first connecting part 101, which is connected to the electrode tab of the battery cell. One side of the second connecting plate is a second connecting part 102, which is connected to the fuse 201.

[0078] The fuse 201 is located below the second connecting plate and above the battery protection plate. The first and second electrical terminals of the fuse 201 are respectively welded with the first connecting pad 202 and the second connecting pad 203. The fuse 201, the first connecting pad 202, and the second connecting pad 203 are located on the same layer along the first direction Z. The first pad 3 is connected to the battery protection plate.

[0079] Along the first direction Z, the first pad 3 is arranged on the first layer, the fuse 201, the first connecting pad 202, and the second connecting pad 203 are arranged on the second layer, and the second connecting plate is arranged on the third layer.

[0080] Taking a mobile phone battery as an example, the dimensions of the electrical connectors in existing mobile phone batteries are as follows: the height G of the first connecting plate is 2.5mm, the width W of the second connecting plate is 2.5mm, the length C of the second connecting plate is 7.5mm, and the thickness H is 0.4mm. The width direction of the second connecting plate is the third direction Y.

[0081] Specifically, the cross-sectional dimensions of the fuse element 201 are the same as the dimensions of the second connecting plate.

[0082] The connecting component 1 adopts an L-shaped plate, which can improve the heat dissipation capacity of the fuse 201 and reduce the layout area of ​​the battery protection board in the direction parallel to its surface, thus realizing a low-cost and miniaturized battery protection board design.

[0083] All connection components 1 used to connect the battery cell and the battery protection board can be combined with the fuse component 2 using this scheme.

[0084] Specifically, the maximum thickness H of the electrical connector is 0.4mm, and its length and width can be determined according to actual connection requirements or are the same as the length and width of the second connecting plate. The electrical connector can meet the requirements of continuous current carrying capacity of 20A and fuse failure at a current of 40A.

[0085] The second connecting plate is connected to the battery protection plate via the first solder pad 3. The pull-out force between the second connecting plate and the battery protection plate is greater than or equal to 20N. The first connecting plate and the second connecting plate will not break after 20 180° bends.

[0086] Specifically, the electrical connector mainly consists of three layers. The first layer includes a first pad 3 attached to the battery protection board; the second layer includes a first connecting pad 202, a second connecting pad 203, and a fuse 201, and is located above the first layer along the first direction Z; the third layer includes a second connecting plate, and is located above the second layer along the first direction Z. The three layers are interconnected as follows: the first pad 3 is connected to the first connecting pad 202 of the second layer, and the second connecting pad 203 is connected to the second connecting plate of the third layer.

[0087] like Figure 5 As shown, when the electrical connector is installed in the circuit, one end is connected to the positive electrode tab of the battery cell and the other end is connected to the PCB pad. When a large current flows from B+ to P+ or from P+ to B+, when the accumulated temperature reaches the condition that the fuse 201 on the connector 1 melts, an open circuit is formed inside the connector 1, thereby cutting off the large current from B+ to P+ or from P+ to B+ and realizing the overcurrent protection function.

[0088] Although embodiments of this application have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended application.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for connecting a battery cell tab to a battery protection board, characterized in that, The electrical connector includes: A connecting component (1) is provided with a first connecting part (101) and a second connecting part (102) connected to each other. The first connecting part (101) is adapted to be connected to the battery cell tab, and the second connecting part (102) is adapted to be connected to the battery protection board. A fuse assembly (2) is disposed between the second connecting part (102) and the battery protection board. The fuse assembly (2) is provided with a first power connection terminal and a second power connection terminal. The first power connection terminal is adapted to be connected to the battery protection board, and the second power connection terminal is connected to the second connecting part (102).

2. The electrical connection of claim 1, wherein, The fuse assembly (2) includes: A fuse (201) is disposed on the second connecting part (102), and the two ends of the fuse (201) are the first power-connecting end and the second power-connecting end, respectively; The first connecting pad (202) is disposed on the second connecting part (102) and is electrically connected to the first power terminal and the battery protection board respectively; The second connection pad (203) is disposed on the second connection part (102) and is electrically connected to the second power terminal and the second connection part (102) respectively.

3. The electrical connection of claim 2, wherein, Along the first direction (Z), the fuse (201), the first connecting pad (202), and the second connecting pad (203) are disposed in the same layer; The first direction (Z) is perpendicular to the battery protection plate.

4. An electrical connection as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that Also includes: The first pad (3) is disposed on the side of the fuse (201) away from the second connecting portion (102), and a portion of the first pad (3) is connected to the first connecting pad (202).

5. An electrical connection as claimed in claim 4, wherein The connecting component (1) has a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate arranged in a bent manner. The first connecting part (101) is one side of the first connecting plate, and the second connecting part (102) is one side of the second connecting plate. Notches (4) are provided at corresponding positions of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate.

6. An electrical connection as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that The fuse (201) is provided with a connecting surface, which is connected to the second connecting plate and is adapted to one side of the second connecting plate.

7. The electrical connection of claim 5, wherein, The second connecting plate, the fuse (201), the first solder pad (3) and the battery protection plate are stacked along the first direction (Z).

8. The electrical connection of claim 4, wherein, Along the first direction (Z), the total thickness of the second connecting plate, the fuse (201) and the first pad (3) is 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

9. A circuit board, characterized by include: A plate body, wherein an electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is connected to the plate body.

10. A battery, characterized by include: The battery cell and the circuit board as described in claim 9, wherein the tabs of the battery cell are connected to the circuit board via the electrical connector.

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