Cell holder and battery pack

Abstract

A cell holder (1), characterized in that it comprises: a base material (10); wherein the base material (10) is made of glass fiber or carbon fiber; a plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) are arranged on the base material (10); and a covering layer (30) wrapped around the base material (10); wherein the covering layer (30) comprises a resin part (300); a plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) are arranged on the resin part (300); the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) and the plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) overlap each other and form a plurality of pressure relief holes (410) for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells (2).

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202421848214.X, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on August 1, 2024, and from Chinese Patent Application No. 202411049117.9, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on August 1, 2024. The entire contents of the above-mentioned applications are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical area

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular to a cell holder and a battery pack. State of the art

[0003] With the advancement of battery technology, cylindrical batteries are becoming increasingly popular as a type of lithium battery. A cylindrical battery generally consists of a cell body and a cell holder. The cell body is placed on the cell holder, which physically separates multiple cell bodies to prevent short circuits. It also facilitates heat dissipation from the cell body and improves the structural stability of the battery pack.

[0004] As the industry strives for high energy density in battery packs, battery packs are becoming larger, requiring larger cell holders to support the cell body. Content of this applicationTechnical problem

[0005] In related technologies, the demand for large-format cell holders is typically met by joining several conventional polypropylene (PP) plastic holders together. This approach not only increases manufacturing costs and reduces work efficiency, but also results in weak connections between two adjacent PP plastic holders, increasing the risk of cracks or even breakage during use. Technical solution

[0006] First, the embodiments of the present application provide a cell holder comprising: a base material and a covering layer wrapped around the outside of the base material; wherein the base material is made of glass fiber or carbon fiber; a plurality of first pressure relief holes are arranged on the glass fiber or carbon fiber; wherein the covering layer comprises a resin part; a plurality of second pressure relief holes are arranged on the resin part; the plurality of first pressure relief holes and the plurality of second pressure relief holes overlap each other and form a plurality of pressure relief holes for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells.

[0007] The embodiments of the present application further provide a cell holder manufactured by a method comprising the following steps:

[0008] Lay a fiberglass or carbon fiber base material flat on a workbench surface; there is a gap between the base material and the workbench surface.

[0009] Formation of a plurality of first pressure relief holes on the base material.

[0010] Injecting resin into the base material and drying the resin to form the cell holder.

[0011] Forming a plurality of second pressure relief holes on the resin part; wherein the plurality of first pressure relief holes and the plurality of second pressure relief holes overlap each other and form a plurality of pressure relief holes for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells.

[0012] The embodiments of the present application further provide a battery pack comprising cylindrical cells and the cell holder upwardly; wherein the cylindrical cells are arranged on the cell holder. Beneficial effects

[0013] The cell holder of the present application mainly comprises a base material and a covering layer wrapped around the outside of the base material. The base material is made of either glass fiber or carbon fiber, and the covering layer comprises a resin part. A first pressure relief hole is provided on the glass fiber or carbon fiber, and a second pressure relief hole is provided on the resin part. The first pressure relief hole and the second pressure relief hole overlap each other to form a pressure relief hole for supporting a cylindrical cell. In other words, the cell holder can be formed integrally by the resin part and the glass fiber, or integrally by the resin part and the carbon fiber. In this way, the operator only needs to design the size of the glass fiber or carbon fiber according to the required size of the cell holder and then form the resin part integrally with the glass fiber or carbon fiber.This allows for flexible cell holder size design, allowing operators to design a larger cell holder to meet different requirements. This eliminates the need to assemble multiple plastic holders using appropriate technology, improving work efficiency and saving costs. Furthermore, the resin part is integrally formed with the glass fiber or carbon fiber, which can improve the strength of the cell holder and extend its service life. In other words, compared with the plastic holder in conventional technology, the cell holder in the present application has higher mechanical strength.

[0014] The present application further discloses a cell holder manufactured by a method in which the cell holder is formed by injection molding the resin and the glass fiber or carbon fiber together, allowing the processing and molding of a large-sized cell holder, eliminating the associated splicing process, improving work efficiency, and saving costs. At the same time, the cell holder has high mechanical strength, which can extend its service life.

[0015] The present application further discloses a battery pack, and the battery pack has the characteristics of high processing efficiency, high strength, and low cost. Short description of the drawing Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view of A in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a method of manufacturing a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 4 is another exploded view of a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view of B in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is another schematic diagram of a method of manufacturing a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the local structure of a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 8 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present application. In the drawings:

[0016] 1000, Battery Packs; 1, Cell holder; 10, Base material; 30, Cladding layer; 110, First pressure relief hole; 300, Resin part; 310, Second pressure relief hole; 410, Pressure relief hole; 420, Connecting portion; 430, Protrusion; 2, Cylindrical cell. Detailed description of the embodiments

[0017] The embodiments of the present application provide a cell holder that can meet the demand for a large-sized cell holder without splicing and has high strength, thereby improving work efficiency and saving costs.

[0018] As in the Fig. 1-7, the cell holder mainly comprises a base material 10 and a covering layer 30 wrapped around the outside of the base material. The base material is made of either glass fiber or carbon fiber, and the covering layer comprises a resin part 300. A plurality of first pressure relief holes 110 are arranged on the base material 10, and a plurality of second pressure relief holes 310 are arranged on the resin part 300. The plurality of first pressure relief holes 110 and the plurality of second pressure relief holes 310 overlap each other to form a plurality of pressure relief holes for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells (not shown in the figures). In other words, the cell holder 1 can be integrally formed by the resin part 300 and the glass fiber, or integrally formed by the resin part 300 and the carbon fiber.In this way, the operator only needs to design the size of the base material 10 according to the required size of the cell holder and then form the resin part 300 integrally with the base material 10. This allows the size of the cell holder to be designed flexibly, meaning the operator can design a larger cell holder to meet different requirements. This eliminates the need to assemble multiple plastic holders using the corresponding technology, thereby improving work efficiency and saving costs. In addition, the resin part 300 is formed integrally with the base material 10, which can improve the strength of the cell holder and extend its service life. In other words, compared with the plastic holder in the conventional technology, the cell holder in the present application has higher mechanical strength.

[0019] The resin part 300 may completely enclose the base material 10. Or, it may partially enclose the base material 10. In other words, the resin part 300 encloses a portion of the base material 10, while another portion of the base material 10 is exposed outside the resin part 300. For example, the upper surface of the other portion of the base material 10 or the upper surface of the other portion of the base material 10 may be exposed on the outside of the resin part 300, which improves flexibility in manufacturing the cell holder.

[0020] In these embodiments, a plurality of pressure relief holes 410 are arranged in an array, and the pressure relief holes 410 penetrate the opposite sides of the cell holder. Each pressure relief hole 410 supports a cylindrical cell. By arranging an array of multiple pressure relief holes 410, the distance between two adjacent cylindrical cells is equal, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect between the cylindrical cells and preventing or reducing the occurrence of heat concentrations.

[0021] As in the Fig. 2, Fig. 5 and Fig. As shown in Figure 7, the cell holder 1 in these embodiments includes a connecting portion 420 between two adjacent pressure relief holes, and the interior of the connecting portion 420 comprises glass fiber or carbon fiber. The configuration of the connecting portion 420 can connect the two adjacent pressure relief holes 410, thereby improving the mechanical strength and integrity of the cell holder and extending its service life.

[0022] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, in these embodiments, the inner wall of the pressure relief hole 410 has a protrusion 430 projecting therefrom, and the protrusion 430 is configured to support the cylindrical cell; the interior of the protrusion 430 comprises glass fiber or carbon fiber. The protrusion 430 is integrally formed with the resin part 300. The protrusion 430 can support the cylindrical cell and prevent the cylindrical cell from falling out of the interior of the pressure relief hole. The projected area of ​​the protrusion 430 into each pressure relief hole is smaller than the projected area of ​​the pressure relief hole, thereby preventing the pressure relief hole from being completely blocked by the protrusion. This facilitates the discharge of high-temperature and high-pressure gas from the cylindrical cell through the pressure relief hole when the cylindrical cell experiences thermal breakdown, thereby preventing explosions and other hazards.

[0023] In these embodiments, the ratio of the length of the connecting portion 420 to the diameter of the pressure relief hole is set to a value between 0.8 and 1.5. For example, the ratio of the length of the connecting portion 420 to the diameter of the pressure relief hole can be set to values ​​such as 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, etc.

[0024] In these embodiments, the pressure relief hole is circular or square, for example, a circular pressure relief hole, so that it can be adapted to the cylindrical cell and multiple cylindrical cells can be arranged on a limited cell holder. Of course, the operator can adjust the pressure relief hole to other shapes not described here.

[0025] In these embodiments, the resin part 300 is injection-molded with one of the glass fibers or carbon fibers 200, and the injection-mold temperature can be set to 225°C to 250°C.

[0026] As in Fig. 7, the pressure relief holes in these embodiments are arranged in multiple rows, with adjacent rows of pressure relief holes being offset from each other so that more pressure relief holes can be arranged on a cell holder of a given size, thereby increasing the energy density of the battery pack and saving costs.

[0027] As in the Fig. 3, Fig. 6 and Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the present application provides a method for manufacturing a cell holder for manufacturing the above-mentioned cell holder. The method comprises:

[0028] Step 801: Lay a base material 10 made of fiberglass or carbon fiber flat on a workbench surface; there is a gap between the base material 10 and the workbench surface.

[0029] The operator may use an existing automatic device to lay the base material flat and place it on the workbench surface to ensure that there is a gap between the base material 10 and the workbench surface;

[0030] Step 802: Forming a plurality of first pressure relief holes 110 on the base material 10.

[0031] As in the Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the operator can use a concave-convex mold to push apart a portion of the glass fiber or a portion of the carbon fiber and form the first pressure relief hole 110. The single-hole extrusion pressure exerted by the concave-convex mold on the glass fiber and the carbon fiber can be adjusted between 10 N and 100 N.

[0032] As in the Fig. As shown in Figures 5-6, the operator can cut off a portion of the glass fiber or a portion of the carbon fiber with a knife die to form the first pressure relief hole 110. Regardless of whether the first pressure relief hole 110 is machined with a concave-convex die or a knife die, the first pressure relief hole 110 can be formed on the base material 10. This eliminates the need for additional machining equipment to machine the first pressure relief hole 110 after the cell holder is assembled, thereby improving work efficiency and saving costs.

[0033] It is understood that the above-mentioned concave-convex shape and knife shape are both conventional parts, and their structures and working principles are not described in detail here.

[0034] In these embodiments, the base material 10 is formed by arranging a plurality of glass fiber strips 100, and the extension directions of the plurality of glass fiber strips are the same; or the base material 10 is formed by arranging a plurality of carbon fiber strips 200, and the extension directions of the plurality of carbon fiber strips 200 are the same.

[0035] In these embodiments, the two adjacent glass fiber strips 100 or the two adjacent carbon fiber strips 200 are arranged at intervals, and the interval is set between 0 mm and 2 cm. For example, the interval can be set to 0 mm, 5 mm, 1 cm, 2 cm, etc. In other words, there can be a gap between adjacent glass fiber strips or adjacent carbon fiber strips, or they can be set with a zero interval. This improves the flexibility of the arrangement of the glass fiber strips or carbon fiber strips, and the operator can flexibly arrange the glass fiber strips and carbon fiber strips according to actual needs. Having a gap between two adjacent glass fiber strips or two adjacent carbon fiber strips can reduce the number of glass fiber strips or carbon fiber strips, thereby saving costs and making the cell holder lighter.Having no gap between two adjacent glass fiber strips or two adjacent carbon fiber strips can improve the mechanical strength of the cell holder and extend its service life.

[0036] In these embodiments, the two adjacent glass fiber strips 100 or the two adjacent carbon fiber strips 200 are arranged at equal intervals, which can improve the stress situation of the cell holder, evenly load the cell holder, and avoid the stress concentration phenomenon.

[0037] Step 803: Injecting resin into the base material 10; and drying the resin to form the cell holder 1.

[0038] The presence of a gap between the base material 10 and the workbench surface ensures that the resin can flow beneath the base material 10, completely surrounding the resin and improving the stability and reliability of the cell holder. It also prevents the base material 10 from being exposed, which would result in a weak cell holder.

[0039] Step 804: Form a plurality of second pressure relief holes 310 on the resin part 300; the plurality of first pressure relief holes 110 and the plurality of second pressure relief holes 310 overlap each other to form a plurality of pressure relief holes 410 for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells. In step 804, the resin is heated at positions corresponding to the plurality of first pressure relief holes 110 until melted to form the plurality of second pressure relief holes 310 in the resin part 300, each of which individually corresponds to the plurality of first pressure relief holes 110.

[0040] Step 805: the projection 330 is processed on the inner wall of the pressure relief hole by a projection mold as shown in Fig. 7 shown.

[0041] At this time, the molten resin is mixed with the glass fiber or carbon fiber to form a unit, and the second pressure relief hole 310 is formed at the position of the first pressure relief hole 110. At this time, the first pressure relief hole 110 and the second pressure relief hole 310 together form the pressure relief hole configured to support the cylindrical cell. The hollowed-out position of the pressure relief hole is the pressure relief position of the cylindrical cell in the event of thermal runaway, and there is no glass fiber or carbon fiber here; the protrusion 330 of the pressure relief hole and the connecting portion 420 on the resin part 300 are both provided with glass fiber or carbon fiber. It should be understood that the protrusion shape in these embodiments is a conventional component, and its structure and operating principle will not be described in detail here.

[0042] The ratio of the volume of injected resin to the volume of base material 10 is 5:1 to 20:1, which improves the mechanical strength of the cell holder while ensuring good fusion of the resin with the base material and preventing the base material 10 from being exposed.

[0043] For example, the ratio of the injected resin volume to the base material volume can be set to a ratio of 5:1, 10:1, 15:1, 20:1, etc. If the ratio is less than 5:1, there is a possibility of exposing the base material 10, thereby reducing the mechanical strength of the cell holder. If the ratio is greater than 20:1, the prepared cell holder will be too thick, which not only wastes the resin cost but also occupies additional internal volume of the battery pack, which is not conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0044] In these embodiments, the heating temperature of the resin is set at 225°C to 250°C. Since the melting temperature of glass fiber is 700°C to 900°C and the melting temperature of carbon fiber is generally above 2500°C, setting the heating temperature of the resin at 225°C to 250°C not only ensures that the resin can melt and be integrally molded with glass fiber or carbon fiber, but also ensures that the glass fiber and carbon fiber are not damaged, thereby saving energy and improving work efficiency.

[0045] The above-mentioned manufacturing process for the cell holder is simple, and the cell holder 1 is formed by injection molding the resin and glass fiber or carbon fiber together, which allows for the processing and molding of a large-sized cell holder, eliminating the associated splicing process, improving work efficiency and saving costs. At the same time, the cell holder has high mechanical strength, which can extend its service life.

[0046] D As in Fig. 9, the present application further includes a battery pack 1000 comprising cylindrical cells 2 and the above-mentioned cell holder 1, wherein the cylindrical cells 2 are arranged on the cell holder 1. The cell holder 1 is provided with a plurality of pressure relief holes 410, wherein each cylindrical cell 2 corresponds to a pressure relief hole 410.

[0047] Since the battery pack 1000 has the above-mentioned cell holder 1, the battery pack 1000 has the characteristics of high processing efficiency, high strength, and low cost.

[0048] The present application further provides an electrical device including the above-mentioned battery pack 1000. This electrical device has the characteristics of high processing efficiency, high strength, and low cost. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] CH 202411049117.9

[0001]

Claims

[1] A cell holder (1), characterized in that it comprises: a base material (10); wherein the base material (10) is made of glass fiber or carbon fiber; a plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) are arranged on the base material (10); and a covering layer (30) wrapped around the base material (10); wherein the covering layer (30) comprises a resin part (300); a plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) are arranged on the resin part (300); the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) and the plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) overlap each other and form a plurality of pressure relief holes (410) for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells (2). [2] The cell holder (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressure relief holes are arranged in an array, and the plurality of pressure relief holes (410) penetrate the opposite sides of the cell holder (1). [3] The cell holder (1) according to claim 2, wherein the cell holder (1) comprises a connecting portion (420) between every two adjacent pressure relief holes (410), and the interior of the connecting portion (420) comprises the glass fiber or the carbon fiber. [4] The cell holder (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner wall of each pressure relief hole (410) has a projection (430) projecting therefrom, and the projection (430) is configured to support a corresponding cylindrical cell; the interior of the projection (430) comprises the glass fiber or the carbon fiber. [5] Cell holder (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base material (10) is formed by arranging a plurality of glass fiber strips (100), and the extension directions of the plurality of glass fiber strips (100) are the same; or the carbon fiber is formed by arranging a plurality of carbon fiber strips (200), and the extension directions of the plurality of carbon fiber strips (200) are the same. [6] Cell holder (1) according to claim 5, wherein every two adjacent glass fiber strips (100) or every two adjacent carbon fiber strips (200) are arranged at intervals, and the interval is set between 0 mm and 2 cm. [7] Cell holder (1) according to claim 6, wherein every two adjacent glass fiber strips (100) or every two adjacent carbon fiber strips (200) are arranged at equal intervals. [8] Cell holder (1) according to claim 1, wherein the resin part (300) is formed integrally with the base material (10). [9] Cell holder (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, manufactured by a method comprising the following steps: Laying a base material (10) made of glass fiber or carbon fiber flat on a workbench surface; wherein there is a gap between the base material (10) and the workbench surface; Forming a plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) on the base material (10); Injecting resin into the base material (10); and drying the resin to form the cell holder (1); Forming a plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) on the resin part (300); wherein the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) and the plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) overlap each other and form a plurality of pressure relief holes (410) for supporting a plurality of cylindrical cells (2). [10] Cell holder (1) according to claim 9, wherein the formation of the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) on the base material (10) comprises: Extruding a portion of the materials of the base material (10) through a concave-convex mold to form the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110); or Cutting a portion of the materials of the base material (10) by a knife die to form the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110). [11] Cell holder (1) according to claim 9, wherein forming a plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) on the resin part (300) comprises: the resin is heated at positions corresponding to the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110) until it is melted to form the plurality of second pressure relief holes (310) in the resin part (300), each of which individually corresponds to the plurality of first pressure relief holes (110). [12] Cell holder (1) according to claim 9 or 11, wherein the method comprises: Machining a projection (430) on the inner wall of each pressure relief hole (410) by a projection mold. [13] Cell holder (1) according to claim 9, wherein the ratio of the injection volume of the resin to the volume of the base material (10) is 5:1 to 20:

1. [14] The cell holder (1) according to claim 11, wherein the heating temperature range of the resin is set to 225°C to 250°C. [15] A battery pack comprising cylindrical cells (2) and the cell holder (1) according to any one of claims 1-8; wherein the cylindrical cells (2) are arranged on the cell holder (1).

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