Case structure and battery

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of shell structure and battery.The shell structure of the utility model includes shell and insulating piece, shell includes the first side plate and the second side plate oppositely arranged along its thickness direction, the first side plate and the second side plate between define the accommodation cavity for accommodating battery cell, accommodation cavity includes the first area for accommodating the main body of battery cell, and the second area for accommodating the tab of battery cell;First side plate includes the first wall surface towards accommodation cavity, and the first wall surface of at least first area is provided with insulating piece.When battery cell is placed in accommodation cavity, the bending section of tab is close to the first side plate setting of second area, and the insulating piece on first side plate can effectively isolate tab and shell, ensure that even in the case of vibration or shaking, positive pole tab also cannot contact with shell, to prevent internal short circuit, improve the overall safety and reliability of battery cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of new energy technology, and in particular to a shell structure and a battery. Background Technology

[0002] Steel-cased battery cells are widely used in power batteries and energy storage batteries due to their high structural strength and good sealing performance. During manufacturing and use, the entire casing of the steel-cased battery cell carries a negative charge, and the cell's tabs are bent after being installed into the casing to save space.

[0003] However, the distance between the bend of the positive electrode tab and the casing is small. If the positive electrode tab comes into contact with the casing due to vibration, shaking or other reasons during manufacturing and use, it will cause an internal short circuit, which will seriously affect the safety and reliability of the battery cell. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a housing structure that can isolate the electrode tabs from the housing and prevent internal short circuits.

[0005] This utility model also proposes a battery having the above-mentioned casing structure.

[0006] The housing structure according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0007] The housing includes a first side plate and a second side plate disposed opposite to each other along its thickness direction, and a receiving cavity for accommodating a battery cell is defined between the first side plate and the second side plate. The receiving cavity includes a first region for accommodating a battery cell body and a second region for accommodating a battery cell tab.

[0008] The housing structure further includes an insulating element, and the first side plate includes a first wall surface facing the accommodating cavity, with the insulating element provided on at least the first wall surface of the first region.

[0009] The shell structure according to the embodiment of this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0010] When the cell is placed in the housing cavity, the bent section of the tab is located close to the first side plate of the second region. The insulating part on the first side plate can effectively isolate the tab from the housing, ensuring that even under vibration or shaking, the positive tab will not come into contact with the housing, thereby preventing internal short circuit and improving the overall safety and reliability of the cell.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first wall surface of the first region is provided with a mounting groove, the mounting groove extends along the width direction of the housing, and the insulating member includes a first main body portion filled in the mounting groove.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first side plate further includes a second wall surface facing away from the accommodating cavity, the second wall surface is provided with a pressure relief hole communicating with the mounting groove, and the insulating member further includes a second main body portion filled in the pressure relief hole, the second main body portion and the first main body portion being connected.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing is further provided with a transition channel located between the first wall surface and the second wall surface, the transition channel being connected to the pressure relief hole and the mounting groove respectively, and the insulating member further includes a third main body portion filled in the transition channel, the second main body portion being connected to the first main body portion through the third main body portion.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the transfer channel includes a limiting section, which is arranged parallel to or inclined relative to the first wall surface.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the insulating element is attached to the first wall surface.

[0016] According to some embodiments of this utility model, the melting point of the insulating component is A, where 105℃≤A≤160℃.

[0017] The battery according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the housing structure described in any of the above embodiments.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the battery further includes a battery cell, which is disposed in the accommodating cavity of the housing structure. The battery cell includes a battery cell body and a tab. The tab is bent and disposed in a second region of the housing structure. The tab includes a bent section, which is disposed near the first side plate of the housing structure.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing further includes a third side plate and a fourth side plate arranged along its length direction. The dimension L of the insulating member along the length direction, the distance M between the battery cell body and the inner surface of the top cover, and the distance N between the inner surface of the third side plate and the inner surface of the fourth side plate have the following relationship: M≤L≤N-1.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the battery structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of region A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of region B in the middle;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the first wall surface of the first side plate in the middle;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the second wall surface of the first side panel;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the insulating component;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of region C in the middle;

[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the second wall surface of the first side panel.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] Housing 100; First region 101; Second region 102; First side plate 110; First wall surface 111; Mounting groove 1111; Second wall surface 112; Pressure relief hole 1121; Adapter channel 113; Limiting section 1131; Connecting section 1132; Second side plate 120; Third side plate 130; Fourth side plate 140;

[0032] Insulating component 200; First main body 210; Second main body 220; Third main body 230;

[0033] Battery cell 300; Battery cell body 310; Electrode 320; Bending section 330;

[0034] Connecting piece 400; Detailed Implementation

[0035] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0036] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the directional or positional relationship based on the directional or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model.

[0037] In the description of this utility model, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0038] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0039] In the description of this utility model, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0040] Steel-cased battery cells are widely used in power batteries and energy storage batteries due to their high structural strength and good sealing performance. During manufacturing and use, the entire casing of the steel-cased battery cell carries a negative charge, and the cell's tabs are bent after being installed into the casing to save space.

[0041] However, the distance between the bend of the positive electrode tab and the casing is small. If the positive electrode tab comes into contact with the casing due to vibration, shaking or other reasons during manufacturing and use, it will cause an internal short circuit, which will seriously affect the safety and reliability of the battery cell.

[0042] To address the aforementioned problems, the first aspect of this application proposes a shell structure, such as... Figures 1 to 8As shown, the housing structure includes a housing 100 and an insulating member 200 connected to the housing 100. The insulating member 200 is made of insulating material and can separate the housing 100 from the electrode tab 320, preventing direct contact between the housing 100 and the positive electrode tab 320, which could lead to an internal short circuit. Specifically, as shown... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the housing 100 includes a first side plate 110 and a second side plate 120 disposed opposite to each other along its thickness direction, the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120 defining a receiving cavity for accommodating the battery cell 300.

[0043] It should be noted that the battery cell 300 includes a cell body 310 and tabs 320. The battery cell 300 can be a laminated cell 300 or a wound cell 300. The cell body 310 is the part formed by stacking or winding the electrode sheets and is the main area where the electrochemical reaction occurs. The tabs 320 are led out from the cell body 310 and are used to concentrate and conduct the current after integration.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the housing structure includes a first region 101 for accommodating the battery cell body 310 and a second region 102 for accommodating the electrode tab 320, with the first region 101 and the second region 102 communicating with each other. It is understood that the first side plate 110 includes a first wall surface 111 facing the housing cavity and a second wall surface 112 facing away from the housing cavity; the first wall surface 111 is the inner wall surface, and the second wall surface 112 is the outer wall surface. At least the first wall surface 111 of the second region 102 is provided with an insulating member 200.

[0045] It should be noted that, as Figure 2 As shown, when the battery cell 300 is placed in the accommodating cavity, the bent section 330 of the tab 320 is located close to the first side plate 110 of the second region 102. The insulating member 200 on the first side plate 110 can effectively isolate the tab 320 from the housing 100, ensuring that even under vibration or shaking, the positive tab 320 will not contact the housing 100, thereby preventing internal short circuit and improving the overall safety and reliability of the battery cell 300.

[0046] It is understood that in some embodiments (not shown in the figures), the insulating element 200 may be a thin sheet material similar to adhesive tape or plastic sheet, which is fixed to the first wall surface 111 by bonding or other means, thereby serving a separating and protective function. Alternatively, in... Figure 3 and Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the first wall surface 111 of the second region 102 is provided with a mounting groove 1111, which extends along the width direction of the housing 100. The insulating member 200 includes a first main body portion 210, which is filled in the mounting groove 1111. Thus, the first main body portion 210 is accommodated in the mounting groove 1111 without occupying additional accommodating cavity space or protruding from the first wall surface 111, and the insertion of the battery cell 300 into the housing is not affected. The first main body portion 210 can be adhered to the mounting groove 1111 by adhesive, or it can be filled in the mounting groove 1111 by coating, or it can be formed in the mounting groove 1111 by a secondary injection molding process.

[0047] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the insulating component 200, in addition to providing insulation and protection, can also release pressure in advance during thermal abuse. It should be noted that thermal abuse refers to a phenomenon where the battery temperature rises rapidly, eventually leading to thermal runaway. Thermal abuse is generally triggered by overheating caused by improper temperature management of the lithium battery.

[0048] Specifically, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the second wall surface 112 of the first side plate 110 is provided with a pressure relief hole 1121. The pressure relief hole 1121 extends along the thickness direction of the housing 100 and communicates with the mounting groove 1111. The insulating member 200 also includes a second main body portion 220, which fills the pressure relief hole 1121 to seal the pressure relief hole 1121 and prevent moisture from seeping into the battery cell 300 through the pressure relief hole 1121. The second main body portion 220 is connected to the first main body portion 210. It can be understood that the second main body portion 220 and the first main body portion 210 can be formed by the coating method described above, or by secondary injection molding, or by other processes. The first main body portion 210 and the second main body portion 220 are made of the same insulating material, and this insulating material has heat-fusible properties. Under normal operating conditions, the insulating component 200 can seal the pressure relief hole 1121. When encountering thermal abuse, the insulating component 200 melts due to heat, the pressure relief hole 1121 opens, and the internal pressure is released, effectively preventing the shell 100 from cracking and further ensuring the safety of the battery cell 300.

[0049] It is understandable that the pressure relief hole 1121 can be as follows: Figure 5The elongated hole shown has its length aligned with the length of the mounting groove 1111, and its width can be smaller or larger than the width of the mounting groove 1111. Alternatively, the pressure relief hole 1121 can be multiple holes spaced apart, thus having less impact on the structural strength of the housing 100. Each pressure relief hole 1121 is spaced apart along the length of the mounting groove 1111, and the shape and number of pressure relief holes 1121 can be flexibly designed according to actual needs to ensure timely pressure relief during thermal abuse.

[0050] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the housing 100 also defines a transition channel 113, which is located inside the first side plate 110. That is, the transition channel 113 is formed in the housing 100 between the first wall surface 111 and the second wall surface 112. The transition channel 113 connects to the pressure relief hole 1121 and the mounting groove 1111. The insulating member 200 also includes a third main body portion 230, which fills the transition channel 113. The second main body portion 220 is connected to the first main body portion 210 through the third main body portion 230. The material of the third main body portion 230 is consistent with the materials of the first main body portion 210 and the second main body portion 220. It can be understood that the arrangement of the third main body portion 230 and the transition channel 113 increases the contact area between the insulating member 200 and the housing 100, thereby enhancing the stability of the connection between the insulating member 200 and the housing 100 and reducing the probability of external moisture seeping into the accommodating cavity through the connection gap between the insulating member 200 and the housing 100.

[0051] In such Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the transition channel 113 includes a limiting section 1131 disposed parallel to the first wall surface 111. After the third main body portion 230 of the insulating member 200 is disposed in the limiting section 1131, the displacement of the insulating member 200 along the thickness direction of the housing 100 is effectively limited, avoiding the risk of the insulating member 200 becoming loose. It is understood that the transition channel 113 can also be disposed at an angle relative to the first wall surface 111 (not shown in the figure), that is, the angle between the transition channel 113 and the first wall surface 111 is between 0 and 90 degrees (excluding 0 and 90 degrees), which can also serve to limit the insulating member 200.

[0052] In such Figure 7In the illustrated embodiment, the transition channel 113 further includes a connecting section 1132 extending along the thickness direction of the housing 100. The connecting section 1132 communicates with the mounting groove 1111, allowing high-pressure gas in the accommodating cavity to be rapidly discharged sequentially through the mounting groove 1111, the connecting section 1132 of the transition channel 113, the limiting section 1131 of the transition channel 113, and the pressure relief hole 1121 under thermal abuse conditions, ensuring a smooth and efficient pressure relief process. It is understood that during the discharge of high-pressure gas, the flow direction of the high-pressure gas changes multiple times, effectively slowing down the gas flow rate and reducing the impact force during pressure relief. Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, a plurality of pressure relief holes 1121 are provided on the second wall surface 112 to realize the diversion and discharge of high pressure gas.

[0053] Based on the foregoing, the melting point A of the insulating component 200 is between 105°C and 160°C, ensuring that the insulating component 200 can maintain structural stability under normal operating conditions and melt in the early stage of thermal abuse, so as to promptly activate the pressure relief mechanism.

[0054] It should be noted that in some other embodiments, in addition to the first side plate 110, the inner surface of the second side plate 120 is also provided with an insulating member 200, which is suitable for situations where the tab 320 has been bent multiple times, so that each bent section 330 of the tab 320 can be protected.

[0055] In some other embodiments, in addition to the first side plate 110 of the second region 102 being provided with an insulating member 200, the first side plate 110 of the first region 101 is also provided with an insulating member 200. The insulating member 200 can be used to separate the tab 320 from the housing 100, or to separate the electrode from the housing 100, thereby preventing the positive electrode from being connected to the housing 100.

[0056] The second aspect of this application provides a battery that includes the housing structure mentioned in any of the above embodiments. The battery can be a power battery or a 3C battery. Since the battery includes the housing structure mentioned above, it should also have the beneficial effects mentioned in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0057] In some embodiments, the battery includes a cell 300, which includes a cell body 310 and tabs 320. The cell 300 is disposed in an accommodating cavity of a housing structure. The tabs 320 of the cell 300 are bent and disposed in a second region 102 of the housing structure, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, the tab 320 includes a bent section 330, which is disposed near the first side plate 110 of the housing structure. Thus, the insulating member 200 can prevent the bent section 330 from contacting and conducting with the housing 100.

[0058] Furthermore, in such Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the first side plate 110 serves as a separable structure within the housing 100. When the first side plate 110 is separated from the other side plates, the housing 100 forms an opening for assembling the power cell 300 into the receiving cavity. After the power cell 300 is inserted into the housing, the first side plate 110 covers the opening and is welded and fixed to the surrounding housing plates to form a sealed space within the receiving cavity. One end of the electrode tab 320 extends from the power cell body 310, and the other end is connected and fixed to the connecting piece 400. To save space, after both ends of the electrode tab 320 are fixed, they are bent and positioned within the second region 102 of the housing structure. Thus, the electrode tab 320 forms a bent section 330. It should be noted that the bent section 330 is positioned close to the first side plate 110 of the housing structure, thereby being separated from the housing 100 by the insulating member 200.

[0059] The housing 100 also includes a third side plate 130 and a fourth side plate 140 disposed along its length, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the tab 320 is located at the end of the cell body 310 near the fourth side plate 140. Thus, the end of the cell body 310 is spaced apart from the fourth side plate 140, forming a second region 102 for accommodating the tab 320. For ease of description, the dimension of the insulating member 200 along the length of the housing 100 is defined as L, the distance between the end face of the cell body 310 near the fourth side plate 140 and the inner surface of the fourth side plate 140 is defined as M, and the distance between the inner surface of the third side plate 130 and the inner surface of the fourth side plate 140 is defined as N, where M ≤ L ≤ N-1, and the units of L, M, and N are all millimeters.

[0060] When L is less than M, the size of the insulating component 200 along the length of the housing 100 is too small to cover the entire second region 102, which may cause the bent section 330 of the positive electrode tab 320 to come into contact with the housing 100, resulting in an internal short circuit. When L is greater than N-1mm, the insulating component 200 will affect the welding between the first side plate 110 and the fourth side plate 140, causing poor welding between the first side plate 110 and the fourth side plate 140.

[0061] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A housing structure characterized by, include: The housing includes a first side plate and a second side plate disposed opposite to each other along its thickness direction, and a receiving cavity for accommodating a battery cell is defined between the first side plate and the second side plate. The receiving cavity includes a first region for accommodating a battery cell body and a second region for accommodating a battery cell tab. The housing structure further includes an insulating element, and the first side plate includes a first wall surface facing the accommodating cavity, with the insulating element provided on at least the first wall surface of the first region.

2. The housing structure of claim 1, wherein The first wall surface of the first region is provided with a mounting groove, the mounting groove extends along the width direction of the housing, and the insulating member includes a first main body portion filled in the mounting groove.

3. The shell structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first side plate also includes a second wall surface facing away from the accommodating cavity. The second wall surface is provided with a pressure relief hole communicating with the mounting groove. The insulating component also includes a second main body portion filled in the pressure relief hole. The second main body portion is connected to the first main body portion.

4. The housing structure of claim 3, wherein The housing is further provided with a transition channel located between the first wall surface and the second wall surface. The transition channel is connected to the pressure relief hole and the mounting groove respectively. The insulating component also includes a third main body portion filled in the transition channel. The second main body portion is connected to the first main body portion through the third main body portion.

5. The shell structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The transfer channel includes a limiting section, which is arranged parallel to or inclined relative to the first wall surface.

6. The housing structure of claim 1, wherein The insulating component is attached to the first wall surface.

7. The shell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The melting point of the insulating component is A, where 105℃≤A≤160℃.

8. A battery characterized by Includes the shell structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The battery of claim 8, wherein, The battery also includes a battery cell, which is disposed in the accommodating cavity of the housing structure. The battery cell includes a battery cell body and a tab. The tab is bent and disposed in a second region of the housing structure. The tab includes a bent section, which is disposed near the first side plate of the housing structure.

10. The battery of claim 9, wherein, The housing also includes a third side plate and a fourth side plate arranged along its length direction. The electrode is located at the end of the cell body near the fourth side plate. The dimension L of the insulating member along the length direction, the distance M between the cell body and the inner surface of the fourth side plate, and the distance N between the inner surface of the third side plate and the inner surface of the fourth side plate have the following relationship: M≤L≤N-1.

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