Electrode assembly, battery cell, battery, and power-consuming device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrode assembly (24), a battery cell (22), a battery (20), and an electric power consuming device. The electrode assembly (24) includes an anode plate (100) and a cathode plate (200). An anode active material layer (120) is coated on at least one side surface of the anode current collector (110), and a cathode active material layer (220) and an additional layer (230) are coated on at least one side surface of the cathode current collector (210). In a plane perpendicular to the lamination direction of the anode plate (100) and the cathode plate (200), the projection of the anode active material layer (120) covers the projection of the cathode active material layer (220) and partially covers the projection of the additional layer (230). The battery (20) includes the battery cell (22). The electric power consuming device includes the battery cell (22) or the battery (20). The above electrode assembly (24), battery cell (22), battery (20), and electric power consuming device can alleviate or reduce cracking of the electrode plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202211154768.5, titled "Electrode Assembly, Battery Cell, Battery, and Power - consuming Device", filed on September 22, 2022, and all of the content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the field of power battery technology, and more specifically, to electrode assemblies, battery cells, batteries, and power - consuming devices.

Background Art

[0003] In the manufacturing process of batteries, generally, an anode plate, a cathode plate, and a separator need to be wound or laminated, and subsequent processes such as hot pressing are required. By coating the current collector with the active material to obtain the electrode plate, in the electrode monomer formed by winding or laminating the electrode plates, it is often found that there are varying degrees of cracking problems in the electrode plates. The cracking of the electrode plates is likely to cause a sharp decline in battery performance and, consequently, the occurrence of safety accidents.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application discloses an electrode assembly, a battery cell, a battery, and a power - consuming device.

[0005] An electrode assembly includes an anode plate and a cathode plate. The anode plate includes an anode current collector, and an anode active material layer is coated on at least one side of the anode current collector. The cathode plate is stacked and installed on the anode plate. The cathode plate includes a cathode current collector, and a cathode active material layer and an additional layer are coated on at least one side of the cathode current collector. The additional layer is a non-cathode active material layer, and the edge of the additional layer is connected to the edge of the cathode active material layer. Here, in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate and the cathode plate, the projection of the anode active material layer covers the projection of the cathode active material layer and partially covers the projection of the additional layer. The above electrode assembly installs an additional layer connected to the edge of the cathode active material layer on the cathode current collector, and makes the projection of the additional layer protrude from the projection of the anode active material layer in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate and the cathode plate, thereby preventing shear stress from occurring in the anode active material layer of the anode plate due to the presence of sharp portions or stepped portions on the cathode plate, and can alleviate or reduce the occurrence of cracking of the electrode plate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the anode current collector has a first edge and a second edge that are oppositely installed along a first direction, and an anode tab is installed on the first edge. In the first direction, an additional layer is connected to the side of the cathode active material layer close to the anode tab. In this way, by connecting the additional layer to the side of the cathode active material layer close to the anode tab, the shear stress generated in the anode active material layer of the anode plate by the side of the cathode active material layer close to the anode tab can be alleviated, and the cracking problem at this site can be further reduced.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cathode active material layer includes a second scribe-coated region and a second thinly scribed region that are arranged adjacent to each other. The second thinly scribed region is located on the side away from the anode tab of the second scribe-coated region in the first direction, and the coating thickness of the second thinly scribed region is smaller than the coating thickness of the second scribe-coated region. In this way, the cathode active material layer includes a second scribe-coated region and a second thinly scribed region that are arranged adjacent to each other. The second thinly scribed region reduces the height at which the cathode active material layer further forms a stepped surface at the corresponding edge position by reducing the thickness of the cathode active material layer, or eliminates the formation of a stepped surface at the corresponding edge position of the cathode active material layer, and further reduces the shear stress of the anode active material layer on the anode plate, and can alleviate or reduce the dropout situation of the anode active material layer at the edge of the anode plate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the anode active material layer includes a first scribe-coated region and a first thinly scribed region that are arranged adjacent to each other. The first thinly scribed region is located on the side close to the anode tab of the first scribe-coated region in the first direction, and the coating thickness of the first thinly scribed region is smaller than the coating thickness of the first scribe-coated region. In this way, the anode active material layer includes a first scribe-coated region and a first thinly scribed region that are arranged adjacent to each other, and effectively alleviates or reduces the shear stress received by the anode active material layer at the edge of the anode plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, in the first direction, the width range of the first thinly scribed region is 1 mm to 30 mm, and the width range of the second thinly scribed region is 1 mm to 30 mm. In this way, by setting the widths of the first thinly scribed region and the second thinly scribed region within an optimal range, the effect of reducing the shear stress can be realized, and it can be ensured that the capacity of the battery cell meets the requirements.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cathode active material layer further includes a third thinly shaved region, the third thinly shaved region is located on the side away from the second thinly shaved region of the second scribbled region along the first direction, and the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region is smaller than the coating thickness of the second scribbled region. In this way, the shear stress generated in the anode active material layer of the anode plate due to the step formed by the cathode active material layer of the cathode plate at the edge position can be reduced, and the problem of cracking of the electrode plate can be alleviated.

[0011] In some embodiments, the additional layer includes a fourth thinly shaved region, the fourth thinly shaved region smoothly transitions and connects to the third thinly shaved region, and the coating thickness of the fourth thinly shaved region is smaller than the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region. In this way, since the thickness of the fourth thinly shaved region of the additional layer is smaller than the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region, the shear stress generated in the anode active material layer of the anode plate due to the presence of a relatively thick step at the connection between the fourth thinly shaved region and the third thinly shaved region can be further reduced or alleviated.

[0012] In some embodiments, in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate and the cathode plate, the projection of the end of the fourth thinly shaved region away from the third thinly shaved region is not covered by the projection of the first thinly shaved region. In this way, it is possible to prevent the end of the fourth thinly shaved region of the additional layer away from the third thinly shaved region from generating shear stress on the first thinly shaved region.

[0013] In some embodiments, in the second direction, at least one of both ends of the cathode active material layer and / or both ends of the additional layer is formed with a fifth thinly shaved region, and the first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the anode plate and the cathode plate are perpendicular to each other. In this way, the cracking of the anode plate and the cathode plate can be further alleviated.

[0014] In some embodiments, the additional layer is a ceramic layer, a resistance layer, or an insulating layer of the anode active material layer with a lower hardness. Thus, by making the hardness of the additional layer lower than that of the anode active material layer, the risk of shear stress being generated in the anode active material layer of the anode plate by the cathode plate can be reduced.

[0015] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly further includes an insulating member, and the insulating member is provided between the cathode plate and the anode plate. Thus, by isolating the adjacent anode plate and cathode plate with the insulating member, it is possible to prevent two adjacent plates with opposite polarities from contacting and causing a short circuit.

[0016] The battery cell includes a case, an electrode assembly, and the end cap assembly. The case has an opening, the end cap assembly is covered on the opening, and the electrode assembly is housed in the case. The above battery cell reduces the risk of cracking of the electrode plates of the electrode assembly and ensures that the capacity of the battery cell meets the usage demand.

[0017] The battery includes a housing and the above battery cell, and the battery cell is installed in the housing. The above battery has high safety and large capacity of the battery cell.

[0018] The power-consuming device includes the above battery cell for providing electrical energy or the above battery for providing electrical energy. The above power-consuming device has high battery endurance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] In order to make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present application clearer and easier to understand, the following will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the drawings. For the purpose of making the present application fully understandable, many specific details are described in the following description. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the content of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0021] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal direction", "lateral direction", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial direction", "radial direction", "circumferential direction", etc. is the orientation or positional relationship shown based on the drawings, and is only for the convenience of description and simplification of the description of the present application, and does not indicate or imply that the mentioned device or element must have a specific orientation and be configured and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as a limitation to the present application.

[0022] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are only for the purpose of description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features limited by "first" and "second" may include at least one of this feature explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited.

[0023] In this application, unless otherwise specifically defined or limited, terms such as "attachment", "connection", "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. Unless otherwise specifically limited, for example, it may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or integral, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a communication within two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific situation.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise specifically defined or limited, for the first feature to be "above" or "below" the second feature, it may be a direct contact between the first and second features, or an indirect contact between the first and second features through an intermediate medium. And for the first feature to be "above", "above" and "upper surface" of the second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. For the first feature to be "below", "below" and "lower surface" of the second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is smaller than that of the second feature.

[0025] It should be noted that when an element is said to be "fixed to" or "installed on" another element, it may be directly on top of another element, or a central element may exist. When one element is considered to "connect" to another element, it may be directly connected to another element or a central element may exist simultaneously. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "above", "below", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent specific embodiments.

[0026] With the popularization and spread of new energy vehicles, the charging and discharging performance, cruising range, etc. of new energy vehicles have attracted increasing attention and are highly regarded by people. A rechargeable battery is a power source for new energy vehicles and is widely applied in the field of new energy vehicles.

[0027] In the process of manufacturing a battery, generally, an anode plate, a cathode plate, and a separator need to be wound or laminated, and subsequent processes such as hot pressing are required. By coating an active material on a current collector, a plate is obtained. In an electrode monomer formed by winding or laminating the plates, it is often found that there are different degrees of cracking problems in the plates. The cracking of the plates is likely to cause a sharp decline in battery performance and even lead to safety accidents.

[0028] Based on the above considerations, as a result of in-depth research, an electrode assembly, a battery cell, a battery, and an electric power consuming device are designed. In the electrode assembly of the battery cell, an additional layer connected to the edge of the cathode active material layer is provided on the cathode current collector, and by making the projection of the additional layer protrude from the projection of the anode active material layer in a plane perpendicular to the lamination direction of the anode plate and the cathode plate, it is possible to prevent the generation of shear stress in the anode active material layer of the anode plate due to the presence of sharp portions or stepped portions in the cathode plate, and to alleviate or reduce the occurrence of the cracking situation of the plates.

[0029] The embodiments of the present application provide an electric power consuming device using a battery as a power source. The electric power consuming device may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a notebook computer, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery vehicle, an electric vehicle, a ship, an aircraft, etc. Here, the electric toy may include a stationary or mobile electric toy, for example, a game console, an electric vehicle toy, an electric ship toy, an electric airplane toy, etc., and the aircraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spaceship, etc.

[0030] For the following embodiments, for the sake of easy explanation, an example is given where the electric power consuming device of an embodiment of the present application is a vehicle 10.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 10 according to some embodiments of the present application. The vehicle 10 may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or a range extender vehicle, etc. Inside the vehicle 10, a battery 20 is installed, and the battery 20 may be installed at the bottom, head or rear of the vehicle 10. The battery 20 may be used for power supply of the vehicle 10. For example, the battery 20 may be used as the operating power supply of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may further include a controller 11 and a motor 12. The controller 11 is used to control the battery 20 to supply power to the motor 12. For example, it is used for starting the vehicle 10, navigation and working power requirements during driving. In some other embodiments of the present application, the battery 20 may not only be used as the operating power supply of the vehicle 10, but also be used as the driving power supply of the vehicle 10 to provide driving force for the vehicle 10 instead of or partly instead of fuel oil or natural gas.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a battery 20 according to some embodiments of the present application. The battery 20 includes a housing 21 and battery cells 22, and the battery cells 22 are housed in the housing 21. Here, the housing 21 is used to provide a housing space for the battery cells 22, and the housing 21 may adopt various structures. In some embodiments, the housing 21 may include a first part 21a and a second part 21b. The first part 21a and the second part 21b are overlapped with each other, and the first part 21a and the second part 21b jointly define a housing space for housing the battery cells 22. The second part 21b may have a hollow structure with one end open, and the first part 21a may have a plate-like structure. The first part 21a is covered on the open side of the second part 21b so that the first part 21a and the second part 21b jointly define a housing space. The first part 21a and the second part 21b may both have a hollow structure with one side open, and the open side of the first part 21a is covered on the open side of the second part 21b. Of course, the housing 21 formed by the first part 21a and the second part 21b may have various shapes, such as a cylindrical body, a cuboid, etc.

[0033] In the battery 20, the battery cells 22 may be plural, and the plurality of battery cells 22 may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel. The series-parallel connection means that among the plurality of battery cells 22, there are series connections and parallel connections. The plurality of battery cells 22 may be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel, and the whole composed of the plurality of battery cells 22 may be housed in the housing 21. Of course, the battery 20 may first connect the plurality of battery cells 22 in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to form a battery module, and then connect the plurality of battery modules in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to form one whole and house it in the housing 21.

[0034] Here, each battery cell 22 may be a secondary battery or a primary battery, and may be a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-ion battery, a magnesium-ion battery, etc., but is not limited thereto. The battery cell 22 may have a cylindrical body, a flat body, a rectangular parallelepiped, or other shapes. In some embodiments of the present application, the battery cell 22 may include a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, a magnesium-ion battery, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The battery cell 22 may have a cylindrical body, a flat body, a rectangular parallelepiped, or other shapes, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this either.

[0035] The following will describe one of the battery cells 22 in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the battery cell 22 includes a case 23, an electrode assembly 24, and an end cap assembly 25. The case 23 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped or a regular rectangular parallelepiped. One plane of the case 23 has an opening 23a, and this plane is configured not to have a wall so that the inside and outside of the case 23 communicate. The end cap assembly 25 covers the opening 23a, is connected to the case 23, and forms a sealed cavity for placing the electrode assembly 24. This sealed cavity is filled with an electrolyte, for example, an electrolyte solution.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrode assembly 24 in one embodiment includes an anode plate 100 and a cathode plate 200. The cathode plate 200 is stacked on the anode plate 100. The anode plate 100 includes an anode current collector 110, and an anode active material layer 120 is coated on at least one side of the anode current collector 110. The cathode plate 200 includes a cathode current collector 210, and a cathode active material layer 220 and an additional layer 230 are coated on at least one side of the cathode current collector 210. The additional layer 230 is a non-cathode active material layer 220, and the edge of the additional layer 230 is connected to the edge of the cathode active material layer 220.

[0037] Here, in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200, the projection of the anode active material layer 120 covers the projection of the cathode active material layer 220 and partially covers the projection of the additional layer 230.

[0038] Here, the stacking direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200 is the Z direction shown in FIG. 4, that is, the thickness direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200 may form the electrode assembly 24 by a winding or stacking method.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present application, the anode current collector 110 is a member or component that supports the anode active material layer 120 and collects and outputs the current generated by the anode active material. The anode active material includes at least one of lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium nickelate, lithium nickel manganese oxide, lithium nickel manganese iron oxide or a carbon material (graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, carbon nanotube, graphene), where the graphite includes at least one of artificial graphite, natural graphite and mesophase carbon microspheres.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, the cathode current collector 210 is a member or component that supports the cathode active material layer 220 and collects and outputs the current generated by the cathode active material. The cathode active material includes at least one of lithium titanate, a silicon negative electrode, a silicon-carbon negative electrode, a lithium metal negative electrode material, a tin-based negative electrode material, and a tin oxide negative electrode material.

[0042] In the above electrode assembly 24, an additional layer 230 connected to the edge of the cathode active material layer 220 is installed on the cathode current collector 210, and the projection of the additional layer 230 is made to protrude from the projection of the anode active material layer 120 in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200, so as to prevent the occurrence of shear stress on the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 due to the presence of a sharp portion or a stepped portion on the cathode plate 200, and the occurrence of cracking of the electrode plate can be alleviated or reduced.

[0043] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 4, the anode current collector 110 has a first edge 110a and a second edge 110b that are oppositely installed along a first direction. An anode tab 112 is installed on the first edge 110a. In the first direction, an additional layer 230 is connected to the side of the cathode active material layer 220 close to the anode tab 112.

[0044] Here, the first direction is the X direction shown in FIG. 4.

[0045] In this embodiment, the anode tab 112 and the anode current collector 110 have an integrally formed structure. In other embodiments, the anode tab 112 and the anode current collector 110 may have a separate structure, that is, the anode tab 112 is separately provided on the first edge 110a of the anode current collector 110.

[0046] By the above installation, since the additional layer 230 is connected to the side of the cathode active material layer 220 close to the anode tab 112, the shear stress generated on the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 by the side of the cathode active material layer 220 close to the anode tab 112 can be alleviated, and the cracking problem at this site can be further reduced.

[0047] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 4, the anode active material layer 120 includes a first scribed region 121 and a first thinned region 122 that are adjacently arranged. The first thinned region 122 is located on the side closer to the anode tab 112 of the first scribed region 121 in the first direction, and the coating thickness of the first thinned region 122 is smaller than the coating thickness of the first scribed region 121.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present application, in the first direction from the first scribed region 121 to the first thinned region 122, the thickness of the anode active material layer 120 of the first thinned region 122 gradually decreases, and the thickness of the anode active material layer 120 of the first scribed region 121 is consistent.

[0049] With the above arrangement, the anode active material layer 120 includes a first scribed region 121 and a first thinned region 122 that are adjacently arranged, effectively relieving or reducing the shear stress received by the anode active material layer 120 at the edge of the anode plate 100.

[0050] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 4, the cathode active material layer 220 includes a second scribed region 221 and a second thinned region 222 that are adjacently arranged. The second thinned region 222 is located on the side away from the anode tab 112 of the second scribed region 221 in the first direction, and the coating thickness of the second thinned region 222 is smaller than the coating thickness of the second scribed region 221.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, in the first direction from the second scribed region 221 to the second thinned region 222, the thickness of the anode active material layer 120 of the second thinned region 222 gradually decreases, and the thickness of the anode active material layer 120 of the second scribed region 221 is consistent.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, a cathode tab 212 is provided at the edge of the cathode current collector 210, and the cathode tab 212 and the anode tab 112 are located on opposite sides in the first direction. Alternatively, the cathode tab 212 and the anode tab 112 may be located on the same side in the first direction.

[0053] With the above arrangement, the cathode active material layer 220 includes a second painted area 221 and a second thinned area 222 arranged adjacent to each other. The second thinned area 222 reduces the thickness of the cathode active material layer 220, thereby further reducing the height at which the cathode active material layer 220 forms a stepped surface at the corresponding edge position, or eliminating the formation of a stepped surface at the corresponding edge position of the cathode active material layer 220. Furthermore, the shear stress of the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 can be reduced, and the shedding condition of the anode active material layer 120 at the edge of the anode plate 100 can be alleviated or reduced.

[0054] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 4, in the first direction, the width range of the first thinned area 122 is 1 mm to 30 mm, and the width range of the second thinned area 222 is 1 mm to 30 mm.

[0055] Here, the width direction is the X direction shown in FIG. 4, and the widths of the first thinned area 122 and the second thinned area 222 are the sizes along the X direction shown in FIG. 4.

[0056] As can be understood, when the widths of the first thinned area 122 and the second thinned area 222 are too large, the capacity of the battery cell 22 is affected by reducing the active material content. When the widths of the first thinned area 122 and the second thinned area 222 are too small, the effect of reducing the shear stress cannot be realized.

[0057] By the above installation, by optimizing the widths of the first thinly scraped region 122 and the second thinly scraped region 222, the effect of reducing the shear stress is realized, and it can be guaranteed that the capacity of the battery cell 22 meets the requirements.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, the cathode active material layer 220 further includes a third thinly scraped region 223. The third thinly scraped region 223 is located on the side away from the second thinly scraped region 222 of the second knife-coated region 221 along the first direction, and the coating thickness of the third thinly scraped region 223 is smaller than the coating thickness of the second knife-coated region 221.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present application, in the first direction from the second knife-coated region 221 to the third thinly scraped region 223, the thickness of the cathode active material layer 220 of the third thinly scraped region 223 gradually decreases.

[0060] Here, the third thinly scraped region 223 and the first thinly scraped region 122 are located on the same side in the first direction. In the winding or stacking process of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200, there is compressive stress between the third thinly scraped region 223 of the cathode plate 200 and the third thinly scraped region 223 of the anode plate 100.

[0061] By the above installation, it is possible to prevent the generation of shear stress in the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 due to the presence of a sharp portion or a stepped portion in the cathode plate 200. The shear stress generated in the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 due to the stepped portion formed at the edge position of the cathode active material layer 220 of the cathode plate 200 can be reduced, and the problem of cracking of the electrode plate can be alleviated.

[0062] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, the additional layer 230 includes a fourth thinly shaved area 231, and the fourth thinly shaved area 231 smoothly transitions and connects to the third thinly shaved area 223, and the coating thickness of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 is smaller than the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved area 223.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, in the first direction, the thickness of the additional layer 230 of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 gradually decreases, and the thickness of the cathode active material layer 220 of the third thinly shaved area 223 also gradually decreases. The gradient of the third thinly shaved area 223 is equal to the gradient of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 and smoothly transitions and connects between the two. That is, the minimum thickness of the third thinly shaved area 223 is equal to the maximum thickness of the fourth thinly shaved area 231.

[0064] With the above arrangement, it is possible to further prevent the generation of shear stress on the anode plate 100 due to the presence of sharp portions or stepped portions at the connection between the fourth thinly shaved area 231 and the third thinly shaved area 223. Since the thickness of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 of the additional layer 230 is smaller than the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved area 223, it is possible to further reduce or relieve the shear stress generated in the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 due to the presence of a relatively thick stepped portion at the connection between the fourth thinly shaved area 231 and the third thinly shaved area 223.

[0065] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200, the projection of the end of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 away from the third thinly shaved area 223 is not covered by the projection of the first thinly shaved area 122.

[0066] Optionally, the width range of the third thinly shaved area 223 is 1 mm to 30 mm, and the width range of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 is 1 mm to 30 mm. In this way, while effectively reducing the shear stress of the cathode plate 200, it is possible to ensure that the capacity of the battery cell 22 meets the requirements.

[0067] By the above installation, the end of the fourth thinly shaved area 231 of the additional layer 230 away from the third thinly shaved area 223 can be made not to generate shear stress on the first thinly shaved area 122.

[0068] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, in the second direction, at least one of both ends of the cathode active material layer 220 and / or both ends of the additional layer 230 is formed with a fifth thinly shaved area, and the first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200 are perpendicular to each other.

[0069] Here, the second direction is the Y direction shown in FIG. 5, that is, the longitudinal direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200. When the cathode active material layer 220 is provided with a fifth thinly shaved area along the second direction, the thickness of the cathode active material layer 220 in the fifth thinly shaved area gradually decreases in the second direction. When the additional layer 230 is provided with a fifth thinly shaved area along the second direction, the thickness of the additional layer 230 in the fifth thinly shaved area gradually decreases in the second direction.

[0070] Preferably, when the lengths of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200 are 600 mm or less, a fifth thinly shaved area is provided in the cathode active material layer 220 and / or the additional layer 230 in a second direction different from the first direction, so as to further reduce the risk of cracking of the electrode plate.

[0071] By the above installation, cracking of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200 can be further alleviated.

[0072] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, the additional layer 230 is a ceramic layer, a resistance layer, or an insulating layer having a hardness smaller than that of the anode active material layer 120.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present application, the additional layer 230 may be another substance having a high resistance value and a low gram capacity, which is different from the first active material.

[0074] By the above arrangement, by making the hardness of the additional layer 230 smaller than the hardness of the anode active material layer 120, the risk of shear stress being generated in the anode active material layer 120 of the anode plate 100 by the cathode plate 200 can be reduced.

[0075] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, the electrode assembly 24 further includes an insulating member 300, and the insulating member 300 is provided between the cathode plate 200 and the anode plate 100.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, the insulating member 300 is a separator. The separator has insulation properties and is used to isolate the adjacent anode plate 100 and cathode plate 200 to prevent two adjacent plates with opposite polarities from contacting and causing a short circuit. The material of the separator may be one of an organic polymer insulating material, an inorganic insulating material, and a composite material. Preferably, the composite material is composed of an organic polymer insulating material and an inorganic insulating material.

[0077] By the above arrangement, the insulating member 300 isolates the adjacent anode plate 100 and cathode plate 200, thereby preventing two adjacent plates with opposite polarities from contacting and causing a short circuit.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 3, a battery cell 22 in one embodiment includes a case 23, an end cap assembly 25, and the above-mentioned electrode assembly 24. The case 23 has an opening 23a, the end cap assembly 25 covers the opening 23a, and the electrode assembly 24 is accommodated in the case 23.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, case 23 is an assembly for fitting with end cap assembly 25 to form the internal environment of battery cell 22, where the formed internal environment may be used to accommodate electrode assembly 24, electrolyte, and other components. Case 23 and end cap assembly 25 may be independent components. An opening 23a may be provided in case 23, and end cap assembly 25 may be placed over opening 23a at opening 23a to form the internal environment of battery cell 22. Also, case 23 and end cap assembly 25 may be integrated. Specifically, case 23 and end cap assembly 25 may first form a common connection surface before placing other components into the housing. When it is necessary to package the interior of case 23, end cap assembly 25 may be placed over case 23. Case 23 may have various shapes and various sizes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a cylindrical shape, a hexagonal prism shape, etc. Specifically, the shape of case 23 may be determined according to the specific shape and size of electrode assembly 24. The material of case 23 is various, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not particularly limit this.

[0080] The above battery cell 22 reduces the risk of cracking of the electrode plates of electrode assembly 24 and ensures that the capacity of battery cell 22 meets the usage demand.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, battery 20 includes housing 21 and the above battery cell 22, and battery cell 22 is installed within housing 21. The above battery 20 has high safety and large capacity of battery cell 22.

[0082] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment, the power-consuming device includes the above battery cell 22 for providing electrical energy, or the above battery 20 for providing electrical energy. In the above power-consuming device, the battery 20 has high endurance.

[0083] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the electrode assembly 24 in one embodiment includes an anode plate 100, a cathode plate 200, and an insulating member 300. The cathode plate 200 is laminated and installed on the anode plate 100, and the insulating member 300 is provided between the cathode plate 200 and the anode plate 100. The anode plate 100 includes an anode current collector 110, and an anode active material layer 120 is coated on at least one side surface of the anode current collector 110. The cathode plate 200 includes a cathode current collector 210, and a cathode active material layer 220 and an additional layer 230 are coated on at least one side surface of the cathode current collector 210. The additional layer 230 is a ceramic layer, a resistance layer, or an insulating layer having a hardness smaller than that of the anode active material layer 120, and the edge of the additional layer 230 is connected to the edge of the cathode active material layer 220. In a plane perpendicular to the lamination direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200, the projection of the anode active material layer 120 covers the projection of the cathode active material layer 220 and partially covers the projection of the additional layer 230.

[0084] Here, the anode active material layer 120 includes a first black-coated region 121 and a first thinly shaved region 122 arranged adjacent to each other. The first thinly shaved region 122 is located on the side closer to the anode tab 112 of the first black-coated region 121 in the first direction, and the coating thickness of the first thinly shaved region 122 is smaller than the coating thickness of the first black-coated region 121. The cathode active material layer 220 includes a second black-coated region 221 and a second thinly shaved region 222 arranged adjacent to each other. The second thinly shaved region 222 is located on the side away from the anode tab 112 of the second black-coated region 221 in the first direction, and the coating thickness of the second thinly shaved region 222 is smaller than the coating thickness of the second black-coated region 221. The cathode active material layer 220 further includes a third thinly shaved region 223. The third thinly shaved region 223 is located on the side away from the second thinly shaved region 222 of the second black-coated region 221 along the first direction. The coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region 223 is smaller than the coating thickness of the second black-coated region 221. The additional layer 230 includes a fourth thinly shaved region 231. The fourth thinly shaved region 231 smoothly transitions and connects to the third thinly shaved region 223, and the coating thickness of the fourth thinly shaved region 231 is smaller than the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region 223. In a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate 100 and the cathode plate 200, the projection of the end of the fourth thinly shaved region 231 away from the third thinly shaved region 223 is not covered by the projection of the first thinly shaved region 122. In the second direction, at least one of both ends of the cathode active material layer 220 and / or both ends of the additional layer 230 is formed with a fifth thinly shaved region.

[0085] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 3, a battery cell 22 in one embodiment includes a case 23, an end cap assembly 25, and the electrode assembly 24 described above. The case 23 has an opening 23a. The end cap assembly 25 covers the opening 23a, and the electrode assembly 24 is housed in the case 23.

[0086] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the battery 20 includes a housing 21 and the above-described battery cell 22, and the battery cell 22 is installed within the housing 21.

[0087] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment, the power-consuming device includes the above-described battery cell 22 for providing electrical energy or the above-described battery 20 for providing electrical energy.

[0088] As described above, each technical feature of the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be regarded as within the scope described in this specification.

[0089] As described above, the embodiments only represent multiple implementation forms of the present application, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they are not understood as limiting the scope of the applied patent. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, on the premise of not departing from the concept of the present application, some modifications and improvements can be made, and all of these belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be in accordance with the following claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0090] 10: Vehicle, 11: Controller, 12: Motor, 20: Battery, 21: Housing, 21a: First part, 21b: Second part, 22: Battery cell, 23: Case, 23a: Opening, 24: Electrode assembly, 25: End cap assembly, 100: Anode plate, 110: Anode current collector, 110a: First edge, 110b: Second edge, 111: First body part, 112: Anode tab, 120: Anode active material layer, 121: First smear region, 122: First thinly shaved region, 200: Cathode plate, 210: Cathode current collector, 211: Second body part, 212: Cathode tab, 220: Cathode active material layer, 221: Second smear region, 222: Second thinly shaved region, 223: Third thinly shaved region, 230: Additional layer, 231: Fourth thinly shaved region, 300: Insulating member, X: Width direction, Y: Longitudinal direction, Z: Thickness direction

Claims

Claim 1 An electrode assembly (24), comprising: An anode plate (100) including an anode current collector (110), wherein an anode active material layer (120) is coated on at least one side of the anode current collector (110); A cathode plate (200) laminated on the anode plate (100), the cathode plate (200) including a cathode current collector (210), wherein a cathode active material layer (220) and an additional layer (230) are coated on at least one side of the cathode current collector (210), the additional layer (230) being a non-cathode active material layer, and an edge of the additional layer (230) is connected to an edge of the cathode active material layer (220); and In a plane perpendicular to the lamination direction of the anode plate (100) and the cathode plate (200), a projection of the anode active material layer (120) covers a projection of the cathode active material layer (220) and partially covers a projection of the additional layer (230). Claim 2 The anode current collector (110) has a first edge (110a) and a second edge (110b) disposed opposite to each other along a first direction, and an anode tab (112) is disposed on the first edge (110a). In the first direction, the additional layer (230) is connected to a side of the cathode active material layer (220) close to the anode tab (112). The electrode assembly (24) according to Claim 1. Claim 3 The cathode active material layer (220) includes an adjacent second stripe coating region (221) and a second thinly scraped region (222). The second thinly scraped region (222) is located on a side away from the anode tab (112) of the second stripe coating region (221) in the first direction, and a coating thickness of the second thinly scraped region (222) is smaller than a coating thickness of the second stripe coating region (221). The electrode assembly (24) according to Claim 2. Claim 4 The anode active material layer (120) includes a first herringbone coating region (121) and a first thinly shaved region (122) arranged adjacent to each other. The first thinly shaved region (122) is located on the side closer to the anode tab (112) of the first herringbone coating region (121) in the first direction. The coating thickness of the first thinly shaved region (122) is smaller than the coating thickness of the first herringbone coating region (121). The electrode assembly (24) according to claim 3.

5. In the first direction, the width range of the first thinly shaved region (122) is 1 mm to 30 mm, and the width range of the second thinly shaved region (222) is 1 mm to 30 mm. The electrode assembly (24) according to claim 4.

6. The cathode active material layer (220) further includes a third thinly shaved region (223). The third thinly shaved region (223) is located on the side away from the second thinly shaved region (222) of the second herringbone coating region (221) along the first direction. The coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region (223) is smaller than the coating thickness of the second herringbone coating region (221). The electrode assembly (24) according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The additional layer (230) includes a fourth thinly shaved region (231). The fourth thinly shaved region (231) smoothly transitions and connects to the third thinly shaved region (223). The coating thickness of the fourth thinly shaved region (231) is smaller than the coating thickness of the third thinly shaved region (223). The electrode assembly (24) according to claim 6.

8. In a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction of the anode plate (100) and the cathode plate (200), the projection of the end of the fourth thinly shaved region (231) away from the third thinly shaved region (223) is not covered by the projection of the first thinly shaved region (122). The electrode assembly (24) according to claim 7.

9. In a second direction, at least one of both ends of the cathode active material layer (220) and / or both ends of the additional layer (230) is formed with a fifth thinly shaved region. The first direction, the second direction, and the stacking direction of the anode plate (100) and the cathode plate (200) are perpendicular to each other. The electrode assembly (24) according to any one of claims 2 to 8.

10. The electrode assembly (24) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the additional layer (230) is a ceramic layer, a resistance layer or an insulating layer having a hardness smaller than that of the anode active material layer (120).

11. The electrode assembly (24) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising an insulating member (300), wherein the insulating member (300) is provided between the cathode plate (200) and the anode plate (100).

12. A battery cell (22), comprising: a case (23) having an opening (23a); an end cap assembly (25) covering the opening (23a); and the electrode assembly (24) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 accommodated in the case (23). The battery cell (22).

13. A battery (20), comprising: a housing (21) and the battery cell (22) according to claim 12, wherein the battery cell (22) is installed in the housing (21).

14. An electric power consuming device, comprising: the battery cell (22) according to claim 12 for providing electrical energy, or the battery (20) according to claim 13 for providing electrical energy.

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