Electrical connection structure and battery module

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of electric connection structure and battery module.The electric connection structure includes: bottom layer electric connector, along the length direction of electric connection structure, bottom layer electric connector has two connection regions of interval arrangement, and connection region is configured to be connected with the pole of battery cell;Stacked electric connector, along the height direction of electric connection structure, stacked electric connector is stacked in bottom layer electric connector and is electrically connected with bottom layer electric connector, and two avoiding passages are provided on stacked electric connector, two avoiding passages are respectively arranged corresponding to two connection regions, and each avoiding passage penetrates stacked electric connector along the height direction.The electric connection structure of the technical scheme of the utility model not only can improve production efficiency, but also can reduce mass production cost and manufacturing cost, to be suitable for large-scale production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically, to an electrical connection structure and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] In a power battery module, the busbar is a core conductive component used to connect individual battery cells. Its function is to combine multiple cells in series or parallel to achieve the required voltage and capacity. The busbar's overcurrent capability directly determines the maximum charging (especially supercharging) and discharging current supported by the battery module.

[0003] Currently, the conventional solution involves stamping a flat aluminum bar with a thickness of 1.5mm to 2.0mm. However, due to limitations in the spacing between the battery cell terminals and the overall dimensions of the battery module, the width of the aluminum bar cannot be increased indefinitely. Therefore, its cross-sectional area (width × height) is limited, resulting in an upper limit to the overcurrent capacity per unit time. Furthermore, in high-rate overcharging applications, the large current can cause traditional aluminum bars to generate significant heat, posing a risk of thermal runaway.

[0004] To address the overcurrent issue, existing technologies involve directly increasing the original thickness of the aluminum bar (e.g., to 3mm-4mm), and then thinning the area where it is welded to the battery cell terminal to approximately 1.5mm using a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling machine. This thins the area to meet the material thickness requirements of laser welding (excessively thick material is difficult to penetrate and prone to incomplete welds). However, this approach has significant drawbacks: CNC thinning is a discontinuous and costly secondary processing step, leading to low production efficiency and increased mass production and manufacturing costs. Therefore, it is difficult to apply to large-scale production. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this utility model is to provide an electrical connection structure and a battery module. The electrical connection structure can not only improve production efficiency, but also reduce mass production costs and manufacturing costs, making it suitable for large-scale production.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an electrical connection structure, comprising: a bottom electrical connector having two spaced-apart connection areas along the length of the electrical connection structure, the connection areas being configured to connect with the terminals of a battery cell; and a stacked electrical connector stacked on top of the bottom electrical connector and electrically connected to it along the height of the electrical connection structure, the stacked electrical connector having two clearance channels corresponding to the two connection areas, each clearance channel penetrating the stacked electrical connector along the height direction.

[0007] Furthermore, at least one of the bottom electrical connector and the stacked electrical connector includes a first plate segment, a bent segment and a second plate segment, the first plate segment and the second plate segment are stacked along the height direction, the first plate segment and the second plate segment are fitted together, and the bent segment is used to connect the first plate segment and the second plate segment.

[0008] Furthermore, the second plate segment of the bottom electrical connector is located above the first plate segment of the bottom electrical connector. The first plate segment of the bottom electrical connector has two connection areas, and the second plate segment of the bottom electrical connector has two first through holes. The two first through holes are respectively set to correspond to the two connection areas, and the projected area of ​​the first through holes on the first plate segment is larger than the area of ​​the connection areas.

[0009] Furthermore, the first plate segment of the stacked electrical connector is located above the second plate segment of the stacked electrical connector. The first plate segment of the stacked electrical connector is provided with two second through holes, and the second plate segment of the stacked electrical connector is provided with two third through holes. The two third through holes are respectively provided with corresponding second through holes. The third through holes are connected to the corresponding second through holes and form a clearance channel. The projected area of ​​the clearance channel on the bottom electrical connector is larger than the area of ​​the connection area.

[0010] Furthermore, in the width direction of the electrical connection structure, the second plate segment protrudes relative to the first plate segment in a direction away from the bending segment to form a connection portion.

[0011] Furthermore, the bent section of the bottom electrical connector and the bent section of the adjacent stacked electrical connector are located on both sides or the same side in the width direction of the electrical connection structure, and the connecting part of the bottom electrical connector and one of the second plate segments are connected to the connecting part of the stacked electrical connector by a weld.

[0012] Furthermore, there are multiple stacked electrical connectors, which are stacked sequentially on the bottom layer electrical connector along the height direction. The bent sections of two adjacent stacked electrical connectors are located on both sides of the width direction of the electrical connection structure. The connecting part of the upper stacked electrical connector in two adjacent stacked electrical connectors is connected to the first plate segment of the lower stacked electrical connector in two adjacent stacked electrical connectors by a weld. The bent section of the bottom layer electrical connector and the bent section of the stacked electrical connector adjacent to it are located on both sides of the width direction of the electrical connection structure. The second plate segment of the bottom layer electrical connector is connected to the connecting part of the stacked electrical connector by a weld.

[0013] Furthermore, there is one stacked electrical connector, and the bent sections of the bottom electrical connector and the stacked electrical connector are located on the same side in the width direction of the electrical connection structure. The connecting part of the bottom electrical connector and the connecting part of the stacked electrical connector are connected by a weld.

[0014] Furthermore, the width of the second plate segment is 8mm to 20mm larger than the width of the first plate segment.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a battery module including the above-described electrical connection structure and a plurality of battery cells, wherein the electrical connection structure is used to connect the terminals of two adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells.

[0016] By applying the technical solution of this utility model, stacking the electrical connectors on top of and electrically connecting them to the bottom electrical connectors effectively increases the effective current conduction cross-sectional area, thereby improving the overcurrent capacity, reducing the resistance and heat generation of the electrical connection structure, and thus reducing the risk of thermal runaway. Simultaneously, two clearance channels are provided on the stacked electrical connectors, facilitating the welding of the two connection areas to the terminals of the two battery cells. Thus, compared to the prior art which increases the thickness of the aluminum core and uses CNC to thin the connection area, this application increases the thickness of the electrical connection structure simply by stacking the stacked electrical connectors and the bottom electrical connectors, without needing to thin the local thickness of the electrical connection structure, and can weld the electrical connection structure to the battery cell terminals. This not only improves production efficiency but also reduces mass production costs and manufacturing costs, making it suitable for large-scale production. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the electrical connection structure of this utility model is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exploded view of the electrical connection structure;

[0020] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the unfolded bottom electrical connector of the electrical connection structure;

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the electrical connection structure of this utility model is shown;

[0022] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 An exploded view of the electrical connection structure.

[0023] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0024] 10. Bottom electrical connector; 11. First plate segment; 12. Second plate segment; 13. Bending segment; 14. First through hole; 15. Connecting part; 16. Weld; 17. Arched area; 18. Positioning hole; 20. Stacked electrical connectors; 21. Second through hole; 22. Third through hole; 23. Clearance passage. Detailed Implementation

[0025] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of this utility model provides an electrical connection structure, including: a bottom electrical connector 10, which has two spaced-apart connection areas along the length direction X of the electrical connection structure, the connection areas being configured to connect with the terminals of the battery cell; and a stacked electrical connector 20, which is stacked on top of the bottom electrical connector 10 and electrically connected to the bottom electrical connector 10 along the height direction Z of the electrical connection structure, the stacked electrical connector 20 having two clearance channels 23, the two clearance channels 23 being respectively configured to correspond to the two connection areas, and each clearance channel 23 penetrating the stacked electrical connector 20 along the height direction Z.

[0027] In the above technical solution, by stacking the stacked electrical connector 20 on top of the bottom electrical connector 10 and electrically connecting it to the bottom electrical connector 10, the effective current conduction cross-sectional area can be effectively increased, thereby improving the overcurrent capacity, reducing the resistance and heat generation of the electrical connection structure, and reducing the risk of thermal runaway. Simultaneously, two clearance channels 23 are provided on the stacked electrical connector 20, facilitating the welding of the two connection areas to the terminals of the two battery cells. Thus, compared to the prior art which increases the thickness of the aluminum core and uses CNC to thin the connection area, this application can increase the thickness of the electrical connection structure simply by stacking the stacked electrical connector 20 and the bottom electrical connector 10, without needing to thin the local thickness of the electrical connection structure, and can weld the electrical connection structure to the terminal of the battery cell. This not only improves production efficiency but also reduces mass production costs and manufacturing costs, making it suitable for large-scale production.

[0028] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, a positioning hole 18 is provided on the connection area to facilitate alignment with the positioning hole on the battery cell electrode when connecting the battery cell electrode and the electrical connection structure, thereby facilitating welding.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, in some embodiments, at least one of the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 includes a first plate segment 11, a bent segment 13 and a second plate segment 12, the first plate segment 11 and the second plate segment 12 are stacked along the height direction Z, the first plate segment 11 and the second plate segment 12 are fitted together, and the bent segment 13 is used to connect the first plate segment 11 and the second plate segment 12.

[0030] In the above technical solution, by bending and stacking, the cross-sectional area of ​​the current flow can be effectively increased without increasing the thickness and width of a single electrical connector, and it is easy to weld and install, so as to have excellent mass production economy.

[0031] In some embodiments, the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 may also be single-layer board segments.

[0032] In some embodiments, the electrical connection structure may include only a bent aluminum bar, with the upper layer of the bent aluminum bar forming a stacked electrical connector 20 and the lower layer of the bent aluminum bar forming a bottom electrical connector 10.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first plate segment 11 is provided with an arched region 17, which is located between two connecting regions. The second plate segment 12 is also provided with an arched region 17, which is located between two first through holes 14. In this way, during the process of bending the bottom electrical connector 10 and stacking the electrical connector 20, the position where the arched region 17 overlaps with the bending segment 13 needs to be cut off to facilitate bending.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the second plate segment 12 of the bottom electrical connector 10 is located above the first plate segment 11 of the bottom electrical connector 10. The first plate segment 11 of the bottom electrical connector 10 is provided with two connection areas, and the second plate segment 12 of the bottom electrical connector 10 is provided with two first through holes 14. The two first through holes 14 are respectively provided with the two connection areas. The projected area of ​​the first through holes 14 on the first plate segment 11 is larger than the area of ​​the connection areas.

[0035] In the above technical solution, the second plate segment 12 is located above the first plate segment 11, and the first plate segment 11 is provided with two connection areas for forming a stable electrical connection with the battery cell terminals. At the same time, when the two connection areas are welded to the two battery cell terminals, the two first through holes 14 can provide additional space to facilitate the passage of the welding head and make the thickness of the welding position thinner so as to be able to weld through the bottom electrical connector 10, thereby achieving a stable connection between the connection area and the battery cell terminals.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, in some embodiments, the first plate segment 11 of the stacked electrical connector 20 is located above the second plate segment 12 of the stacked electrical connector 20. The first plate segment 11 of the stacked electrical connector 20 is provided with two second through holes 21, and the second plate segment 12 of the stacked electrical connector 20 is provided with two third through holes 22. The two third through holes 22 are respectively provided corresponding to the two second through holes 21. The third through holes 22 communicate with the corresponding second through holes 21 to form a clearance channel 23. The projected area of ​​the clearance channel 23 on the bottom electrical connector 10 is larger than the area of ​​the connection area. In this way, by forming two clearance channels 23, it is convenient to weld the two connection areas to the terminals of the two battery cells.

[0037] In some embodiments, the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 can be bent into shape by a mold, and the first through hole 14, the second through hole 21 and the third through hole 22 can be formed by stamping. This eliminates the need for CNC machining, simplifies the process, increases material utilization, and speeds up production. It is suitable for large-scale automated production, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing costs and avoiding material waste.

[0038] In some embodiments, the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 are integrally formed from conductive metal sheets through stamping and bending processes, and their overall shape is "U". For example, they are formed by bending aluminum bars. That is, the conductive metal sheet should be aluminum alloy, and the thickness of a single conductive metal sheet is 1mm-2mm. The bottom electrical connector 10 and multiple stacked electrical connectors 20 are stacked one on top of the other and fixed by laser welding through the reserved connection part 15. The welding area between the electrical connection structure and the battery cell electrode is only reserved for the bottom layer (i.e., the connection area) for welding. The conductive metal sheets of the remaining layers need to be removed in this area to form the first through hole and the avoidance channel.

[0039] It should be noted that the diameters of the first through hole 14, the second through hole 21, and the third through hole 22 are larger than the connection area (the welding area between the bottom electrical connector 10 and the battery cell terminal). The diameters of the first through hole 14, the second through hole 21, and the third through hole 22 are usually >18mm.

[0040] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, in the width direction Y of the electrical connection structure, the second plate segment 12 protrudes relative to the first plate segment 11 in a direction away from the bent segment 13 to form a connection portion 15. In this way, the connection portion 15 can be used to connect to its adjacent stacked electrical connectors 20 or the bottom layer electrical connectors 10.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, in some embodiments, the bent section 13 of the bottom electrical connector 10 and the bent section 13 of the adjacent stacked electrical connector 20 are located on opposite sides or the same side in the width direction Y of the electrical connection structure. The connecting portion 15 of the bottom electrical connector 10 and one of the second plate segment 12 are connected to the connecting portion 15 of the stacked electrical connector 20 by a weld 16. In this way, an electrical connection between the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 can be achieved.

[0042] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, there are multiple stacked electrical connectors 20, which are stacked sequentially on the bottom electrical connector 10 along the height direction Z. The bent sections 13 of two adjacent stacked electrical connectors 20 are located on both sides in the width direction Y of the electrical connection structure. The connecting portion 15 of the upper stacked electrical connector 20 is connected to the first plate segment 11 of the lower stacked electrical connector 20 by a weld 16. The bent section 13 of the bottom electrical connector 10 and the bent section 13 of the adjacent stacked electrical connector 20 are located on both sides in the width direction Y of the electrical connection structure. The second plate segment 12 of the bottom electrical connector 10 is connected to the connecting portion 15 of the stacked electrical connector 20 by a weld 16.

[0043] By setting the above parameters so that the bent edges of adjacent stacked electrical connectors 20 are opposite (rotated 180°), it is ensured that each stacked electrical connector 20 has space to be welded to its adjacent stacked electrical connectors 20 after stacking. During stacking, starting from the bottom layer electrical connector 10, the first stacked electrical connector 20 is placed on the bottom layer electrical connector 10 with its bent edge opposite to its position. Then, it is welded at the reserved position using weld seam 16. The stacking of the remaining layers of stacked electrical connectors 20 is repeated, placing the stacked electrical connectors 20 on the adjacent lower layer stacked electrical connectors 20 with their bent edges opposite to their positions, and continuing welding until the target number of stacked layers is reached. This integrates multiple electrical connectors into a single unit, effectively increasing the effective cross-sectional area for current conduction and facilitating the welding of stacked electrical connectors 20 between different layers in a multi-layer stacked electrical connector stack.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the stacked electrical connector 20 is a single unit. The bent sections 13 of the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 are located on the same side in the width direction Y of the electrical connection structure. The connecting portion 15 of the bottom electrical connector 10 and the connecting portion 15 of the stacked electrical connector 20 are connected by a weld 16. In this way, the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connector 20 can be combined into a whole, which can effectively increase the effective cross-sectional area for current conduction.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the width of the second plate segment 12 is 8mm to 20mm larger than the width of the first plate segment 11. This allows adjacent electrical connectors (between the bottom electrical connector 10 and the stacked electrical connectors 20 or between adjacent stacked electrical connectors 20) to maintain a gap during stacking, ensuring the accurate formation of the weld 16 and thus achieving a robust electrical connection.

[0046] It should be noted that after the conductive metal sheet is bent, the width of the first plate segment and the second plate segment are not the same, with the bending position as the boundary. The second plate segment 12 is about 8 mm to 20 mm wider than the first plate segment 11.

[0047] It should be noted that the number of stacked electrical connectors 20 can be flexibly adjusted according to the current magnitude. For example, three or more stacked electrical connectors 20 can be stacked. If more layers of stacked electrical connectors 20 are required, the number of stacked connectors can be increased according to this structure.

[0048] It should be noted that the current path in the bottom electrical connector 10 is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0049] This application uses multiple electrical connectors (bottom electrical connector 10 and at least one stacked electrical connector 20) to stack the current. The effective cross-sectional area for current conduction is approximately the sum of the cross-sectional areas of all electrical connectors. This significantly improves the overcurrent capacity without changing the installation space, effectively reducing resistance and heat generation. At the same time, it can make full use of the vertical space within the battery pack, resulting in a compact overall structure that is compatible with existing structural designs.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of this utility model provides a battery module, including the above-mentioned electrical connection structure and multiple battery cells. The electrical connection structure is used to connect the terminals of two adjacent battery cells among the multiple battery cells.

[0051] The battery module described above has all the advantages of the aforementioned electrical connection structure, which will not be elaborated here.

[0052] As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of this utility model achieve the following technical effects: by stacking the electrical connectors on top of the bottom electrical connectors and electrically connecting them, the effective cross-sectional area for current conduction can be effectively increased, thereby improving the overcurrent capacity, reducing the resistance and heat generation of the electrical connection structure, and reducing the risk of thermal runaway; at the same time, two clearance channels are provided on the stacked electrical connectors, which facilitates the welding of the two connection areas to the terminals of the two battery cells. Thus, compared with the prior art of increasing the thickness of the aluminum bar and using CNC to thin the connection area, this application can increase the thickness of the electrical connection structure simply by stacking the stacked electrical connectors and the bottom electrical connectors, and can weld the electrical connection structure to the terminals of the battery cells without thinning the local thickness of the electrical connection structure. This not only improves production efficiency, but also reduces mass production costs and manufacturing costs, making it suitable for large-scale production.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An electrical connection structure, characterized in that, include: The bottom electrical connector (10) has two spaced-apart connection areas along the length direction (X) of the electrical connection structure, and the connection areas are configured to connect to the poles of the battery cell. The stacked electrical connector (20) is stacked on the bottom electrical connector (10) and electrically connected to the bottom electrical connector (10) along the height direction (Z) of the electrical connection structure. The stacked electrical connector (20) is provided with two clearance channels (23). The two clearance channels (23) are respectively provided with two connection areas. Each clearance channel (23) passes through the stacked electrical connector (20) along the height direction (Z).

2. The electrical connection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the bottom electrical connector (10) and the stacked electrical connector (20) includes a first plate segment (11), a bent segment (13) and a second plate segment (12), the first plate segment (11) and the second plate segment (12) are stacked along the height direction (Z), the first plate segment (11) and the second plate segment (12) are fitted together, and the bent segment (13) is used to connect the first plate segment (11) and the second plate segment (12).

3. The electrical connection structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second plate segment (12) of the bottom electrical connector (10) is located above the first plate segment (11) of the bottom electrical connector (10). The first plate segment (11) of the bottom electrical connector (10) is provided with two connection areas. The second plate segment (12) of the bottom electrical connector (10) is provided with two first through holes (14). The two first through holes (14) are respectively provided with the two connection areas. The projected area of ​​the first through hole (14) on the first plate segment (11) is larger than the area of ​​the connection area.

4. The electrical connection structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first plate segment (11) of the stacked electrical connector (20) is located above the second plate segment (12) of the stacked electrical connector (20). The first plate segment (11) of the stacked electrical connector (20) is provided with two second through holes (21), and the second plate segment (12) of the stacked electrical connector (20) is provided with two third through holes (22). The two third through holes (22) are respectively provided with corresponding second through holes (21). The third through holes (22) are connected to the corresponding second through holes (21) and form the avoidance channel (23). The projected area of ​​the avoidance channel (23) on the bottom electrical connector (10) is larger than the area of ​​the connection area.

5. The electrical connection structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, In the width direction (Y) of the electrical connection structure, the second plate segment (12) protrudes relative to the first plate segment (11) in a direction away from the bent segment (13) to form a connection portion (15).

6. The electrical connection structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bent section (13) of the bottom electrical connector (10) and the bent section (13) of the adjacent stacked electrical connector (20) are located on both sides or the same side in the width direction (Y) of the electrical connection structure. The connecting part (15) of the bottom electrical connector (10) and one of the second plate segment (12) are connected to the connecting part (15) of the stacked electrical connector (20) by a weld (16).

7. The electrical connection structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, There are multiple stacked electrical connectors (20), and the multiple stacked electrical connectors (20) are stacked sequentially on the bottom electrical connector (10) along the height direction (Z). The bent sections (13) of two adjacent stacked electrical connectors (20) are located on both sides in the width direction (Y) of the electrical connection structure. The connecting part (15) of the upper stacked electrical connector (20) of two adjacent stacked electrical connectors (20) is connected to the first plate section (11) of the lower stacked electrical connector (20) of two adjacent stacked electrical connectors (20) by a weld (16). The bent section (13) of the bottom electrical connector (10) and the bent section (13) of the adjacent stacked electrical connector (20) are located on both sides in the width direction (Y) of the electrical connection structure. The second plate section (12) of the bottom electrical connector (10) and the connection part (15) of the stacked electrical connector (20) are connected by a weld (16).

8. The electrical connection structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The stacked electrical connector (20) is one, and the bent section (13) of the bottom electrical connector (10) and the bent section (13) of the stacked electrical connector (20) are located on the same side in the width direction (Y) of the electrical connection structure. The connecting part (15) of the bottom electrical connector (10) and the connecting part (15) of the stacked electrical connector (20) are connected by a weld (16).

9. The electrical connection structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The width of the second plate segment (12) is 8mm to 20mm larger than the width of the first plate segment (11).

10. A battery module, characterized in that, The device includes an electrical connection structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 and a plurality of battery cells, wherein the electrical connection structure is used to connect the terminals of two adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells.

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