Adapter, secondary battery, battery set, and electronic device

Abstract

PURPOSE: The present invention provides an adapter, a secondary battery, a battery set and an electronic device to at least improve the safety of the secondary battery.SOLUTION: The present invention provides an adapter used for electrically connecting an electrode assembly and a top cover. The adapter includes a body portion, a support portion, and a flexible portion. The body portion includes a body tab weld and a body top cover weld connected to each other. The supporting portion is connected to the body portion by the flexible portion, and the flexible portion is used for folding the supporting portion relative to the body portion, such that the body portion and the supporting portion sandwich the tab of the electrode assembly therebetween.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an adapter, a secondary battery, a battery set, and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] In existing batteries, the connection between the tabs of two or more cells and the poles is mainly made by an adapter, in which the tabs of the same electrode in the cells are connected to the adapter by ultrasonic welding, and then the adapter is integrated with the corresponding pole by laser welding. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In view of the problems existing in the related art, an object of the present invention is to provide an adapter, a secondary battery, a battery set, and an electronic device, which at least improves the safety of the secondary battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an adapter for electrically connecting an electrode assembly and an upper cover. The adapter includes a body portion, a support portion, and a flexible portion. The body portion includes a body tab weld and a body-upper-cover weld that are connected to each other. The support portion is connected to the body portion by the flexible portion, and the flexible portion is used to fold the support portion back onto the body portion so that the body portion and the support portion sandwich the tab of the electrode assembly therebetween.

[0005] In some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness of the body portion to the thickness of the support portion is in the range of 0.2-5.

[0006] In some embodiments, the support includes a support tab weld corresponding to the body tab weld and a support top cover weld corresponding to the body top cover weld.

[0007] In some embodiments, the width of the support tab weld is less than 2 / 3 of the height of the tab from the tab start to the tab weld print area.

[0008] In some embodiments, the width of the body tab weld and the width of the support tab weld are greater than the width of the tab weld print area.

[0009] In some embodiments, the body portion includes two body tab welds, the body top cover weld and the two body tab welds together define a body notch that extends through the body portion, the body notch spaces the two body tab welds apart, the support portion includes two support tab welds, the support top cover weld together with the two support tab welds define a support notch that extends through the support portion, the support notch spaces the two support tab welds apart, and when the tab is sandwiched between the body portion and the support portion, the body notch and the support notch overlap when projected along the sandwiching direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the body top cover weld and the support top cover weld are symmetrical about the flexible section.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a secondary battery, the secondary battery including a battery case including a top cover, an electrode assembly housed in the battery case, and any one of the adapters described above, wherein the electrode assembly includes a cell body and a tab protruding from the cell body, the body tab weld is electrically connected to the tab, the body-top-cover weld is electrically connected to the top cover, the body tab weld is located between the tab and the top cover, and the support is located between the tab and the cell body.

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a battery set including the secondary battery.

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention also provides an electronic device including the battery set described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The beneficial technical effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0015]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need for auxiliary weld pieces, further reducing process steps and improving assembly efficiency. By sandwiching the tab of the electrode assembly between the body and support of the adapter, the weld strength between the tab and the adapter is ensured, while the risk of tab weld cracking is reduced and the welding yield rate is improved. Furthermore, when the electrode assembly is packaged together, the support provides support for the bend of the tab, preventing the tab from being bent downward due to stress and being inserted into the electrode assembly. This improves the yield rate of the electrode assembly and secondary battery fabrication and high-voltage insulation test (hi-pot), while also improving the safety of the electrode assembly and secondary battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the accompanying drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and ordinary skilled persons in the art can also obtain other accompanying drawings based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative labor.

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electron microscope photograph of a prior art battery. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a power consuming device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of a first type of adapter of a different shape according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram of a second type of adapter of a different shape according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A-10C are schematic diagrams of third differently shaped adapters of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A-10C are schematic diagrams of a fourth type of adapter of a different shape according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view of the adapter of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8]FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the adapter and the electrode assembly of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the adapter and the electrode assembly of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In order to better understand the spirit of the embodiments of the present invention, the same will be further described below in conjunction with some preferred embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Throughout this specification, identical or similar components and components having identical or similar functions are designated by similar reference numerals. Here, the embodiments related to the drawings disclosed in this specification are of explanatory and illustrative nature and are used to provide a basic understanding of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limiting the present invention. As used herein, the terms "generally," "approximately," "substantially," and "about" are used to describe and account for small variations. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, the term can refer to an instance in which the event or circumstance occurs exactly as well as an instance in which the event or circumstance occurs very approximately. In this specification, unless otherwise specified or limited, relative terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "front," "rear," "right," "left," "inner," "outer," "lower," "higher," "horizontal," "vertical," "higher," "lower," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," and derivative terms (e.g., "horizontally," "downward," "upward," etc.) should be construed as referring to directions described in the discussion or depicted in the drawings. These relative terms are used for descriptive convenience only and do not require the invention to be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. For convenience of description, terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to distinguish between different elements in a figure or series of figures. "First," "second," "third," etc. are not intended to identify corresponding elements.

[0019] In the prior art, auxiliary welds are required to strengthen the weld between the tab and the adapter and improve the weld strength. However, using auxiliary welds increases the number of process steps and reduces assembly efficiency. If the tab and adapter are directly welded without auxiliary welds, the copper foil used for the tab is relatively thin, making it prone to weld cracks if sufficient weld strength is not ensured. To prevent this, the weld strength must be reduced to a certain extent. Furthermore, referring to the dashed-line area 1 in Figure 1, after the tab and adapter are welded, the cells must be packaged together. In this case, the tab must be bent into a "C" shape. Because the tab has a certain rigidity, the bending section is subjected to stress, causing a certain downward bending, which can easily cause the tab to contact the top of the cell's pole piece, posing an internal short circuit and potential safety risks to the battery.

[0020] The present invention provides an electronic device 1000, and in the following embodiments, for convenience of explanation, the electronic device 1000 is exemplified as a vehicle. See FIG. 2. A battery set 1002 is installed inside the vehicle, and the battery set 1002 can be installed at the bottom, front, or rear of the vehicle body 1001. The battery set 1002 can be used to power the vehicle, for example, the battery set 1002 can be used as an operating power source for the vehicle. The working unit of the electronic device 1000 is electrically connected to the battery set 1002 to obtain power support. The vehicle can be a fuel-powered vehicle, a combustion-powered vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle can be, but is not limited to, a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range-extender vehicle. The working unit is the vehicle body, and the battery set 1002 is installed at the bottom of the body to provide power support for running the vehicle or operating the electrical components inside the vehicle. In some other embodiments, the electronic device 1000 can also be a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop, a boat, a spaceship, an electric toy, an electric tool, etc. Examples of boilerplates include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft. The working unit can be a unit that obtains power from the battery set 1002 and performs a corresponding operation, such as a fan blade rotation unit or a vacuum cleaner dust collection unit. The electric toys include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric boat toys, and electric airplane toys. The electric tools include metal cutting power tools, polishing power tools, assembly power tools, and railway power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinding machines, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers. The embodiments of the present invention are not particularly limited to the above-described electronic device 1000.

[0021] 3 to 6 show top views of different shapes of transfer contact pieces 150 of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a side view of the transfer contact piece 150 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 shows the connection between the transfer contact piece 150 and the electrode assembly 120 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 shows the connection between the transfer contact piece 150 and the electrode assembly 120 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In Figures 8 and 9, the left-hand transfer piece 150 (showing the shape before folding) connects, for example, the positive electrode tabs of two electrode assemblies 120, and the right-hand transfer piece 150 (showing the shape after folding) connects, for example, the negative electrode tabs of two electrode assemblies 120. The two transfer pieces 150 are installed symmetrically, and the flexible parts 30 are located on both sides to avoid interference when folding. FIG. 10 shows a secondary battery 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The secondary battery 100 includes a battery case 170, an electrode assembly 120, and electrode posts 140. The battery case 170 includes a top cover 172, end walls, and side walls surrounding the end walls. The connection between the end walls and side walls can be achieved in various ways, as long as a stable sealing and electrical connection can be formed. For example, it can be formed by integral press molding, integral casting, or split welding. The side walls can be cylindrical or prismatic, or can be formed along any other closed loop shape that can be integrated with the end walls. A cavity is formed within the battery case 170 and is used to accommodate the electrode assembly 120, electrolyte, and other necessary battery components. The diameter of the battery case 170 can be determined based on the specific dimensions of the electrode assembly 120. The battery case 170 can be made of various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, and aluminum alloys. To prevent the battery case 170 from rusting during long-term use, the surface of the battery case 170 can be plated with a layer of anti-rust material such as metallic nickel.

[0023] The electrode assembly 120 is housed in the battery case 170, and is a component where an electrochemical reaction occurs in the secondary battery 100. One or more electrode assemblies 120 can be contained within the battery case 170. The electrode assembly 120 includes a stacked and / or wound positive electrode piece, a first separator, a negative electrode piece, and a second separator. The positive electrode piece includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer coated on the positive electrode current collector. A first coated area coated with the positive electrode active material layer and a first uncoated area not coated with the positive electrode active material layer are formed on the positive electrode current collector, and the first coated area and the first uncoated area are arranged along the height direction H of the electrode assembly 120. The first uncoated area extends to the outside of the separator toward one end of the height direction H of the secondary battery 100, forming a bent positive electrode tab. The negative electrode piece includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer coated on the negative electrode current collector. A second coated area coated with the negative electrode active material layer and a second uncoated area not coated with the negative electrode active material layer are formed on the negative electrode current collector. The second coated area and the second uncoated area are arranged along the height direction H of the electrode assembly 120. The second uncoated area similarly extends to the outside of the separator toward one end of the height direction H of the secondary battery 100, forming a bent negative electrode tab. The first separator and the second separator are disposed between the positive electrode piece and the negative electrode piece to separate the positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer. Taking the lithium-ion secondary battery 100 as an example, the positive electrode current collector may be made of aluminum, and the positive electrode active material layer may include a positive electrode active material, which may be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide. The material of the negative electrode current collector can be copper, and the negative electrode active material layer contains a negative electrode active material, which can be carbon, silicon, or the like. The base material of the first separator and the second separator can be PP (polypropylene) or PE (polyethylene), etc. To protect and insulate the cell, an insulating film can be coated on the outside of the cell. The insulating film can be made of PP, PE, PET, PVC, or other high molecular weight polymer materials.

[0024] Furthermore, the positive electrode tab of the present invention faces the negative electrode tab and is electrically connected to the top cover 172. The top cover 172 is hermetically attached to the side wall of the battery case 170. The outer edge shape of the top cover 172 corresponds to the shape of the opening in the side wall. The attachment method of the top cover 172 includes, but is not limited to, mechanical sealing or weld sealing.

[0025] 3-7. An embodiment of the present invention provides an adapter 150 for use in electrically connecting an electrode assembly 120 and an upper cover 130. The adapter 150 includes a main body portion 10, a support portion 20, and a flexible portion 30. The main body portion 10 includes a connected main body tab weld 12 and a main body upper cover weld 14. The support portion 20 is connected to the main body portion 10 by the flexible portion 30. The flexible portion 30 is used to fold the support portion 20 back onto the main body portion 10 so that the tab 122 of the electrode assembly 120 is sandwiched between the main body portion 10 and the support portion 20. The main body 10, the support part 20, and the flexible part 30 can be integrally molded. That is, the three parts are made of the same material, and the thickness of the flexible part 30 along the thickness direction T (see FIG. 7) and the width of the flexible part 30 along the width direction W are both smaller than those of the main body 10 and the support part 20. Therefore, the flexible part 30 is softer, allowing the adapter 150 to be folded back at this point. The embodiment of the present invention does not require the use of auxiliary welding pieces, further reducing the number of steps and improving assembly efficiency. By sandwiching the tab 122 of the electrode assembly 120 between the body portion 10 and the support portion 20 of the adapter 150, the weld strength between the tab 122 and the adapter 150 is ensured, while the risk of weld cracking of the tab 122 is reduced and the welding yield rate is improved. Furthermore, when the electrode assembly 120 is packaged, the support 20 provides support to the bending portion of the tab 122, preventing the tab 122 from being bent downward due to stress and being inserted into the electrode assembly 120. This improves the yield rate of the manufacturing and high-voltage insulation test (hi-pot) of the electrode assembly 120 and the secondary battery 100, while also improving the safety of the electrode assembly 120 and the secondary battery 100.

[0026] See Figures 7 and 10. Along the thickness direction W, the ratio of the thickness of the body 10 to the thickness of the support 20 ranges from 0.2 to 5, and the combined thickness of the body 10 and the support 20 satisfies the maximum overcurrent capacity during operation of the secondary battery 100, with the upper limit (limit difference) of the difference between the thickness of the body 10 and the thickness of the support 20 being 5 times. When the ratio is within this range, the supporting capacity and supporting effect for the tab 122 can be satisfied.

[0027] See Figures 3-7. Support portion 20 similarly includes support tab weld 22 corresponding to body tab weld 12 and support top cover weld 24 corresponding to body top cover weld 14. When welding, body tab weld 12 and support tab weld 22 are welded to tab 122, and body top cover weld 14 and support top cover weld 24 are welded to top cover 172.

[0028] See Figures 8 and 9. The width of support tab weld 22 is smaller than two-thirds of the height from tab start end 1222 of tab 122 to tab weld print area 1224, and the widths of main body tab weld 12 and support tab weld 22 are both greater than the width of tab weld print area 1224. When the width of support tab weld 22 is within this range, it can provide a satisfactory support effect for the bending area when tab 122 is bent.

[0029] See Figures 3-9. Body portion 10 includes two body tab welds 12. Body top cover weld 14 and the two body tab welds 12 define a body notch 16 that extends through body portion 10. Body notch 16 spaces the two body tab welds 12 apart. The support portion 20 includes two support tab welds 22. The support top cover weld 24 and the two support tab welds 22 define a support notch 26 that extends through the support portion 20. The support notch 26 spaces the two support tab welds 22. When the tab 122 is sandwiched between the body portion 10 and the support portion 20, the body notch 16 and the support notch 26 overlap when projected along the sandwiching direction. It should be understood that there will be some alignment deviation between the support portion 20 and the body portion 10 when the support portion 20 is folded back. See Figures 8 and 9. The width of the body notch 16 and the support notch 26 determines the distance between the tabs 122 of the two electrode assemblies 120.

[0030] See Figures 3, 6 and 9. Body top cover weld 14 and support top cover weld 24 may be symmetrical about flexible section 30. See Figures 4, 5, and 8. The support top cover weld 24 may be wider than the body top cover weld 14. See Figure 3. The body 10 may be symmetrical to the support 20. 4 to 9. The support part 20 is wider than the main body part 10 and has a better supporting effect on the tab 122.

[0031] See Figure 10. An embodiment of the present invention further provides a secondary battery 100. The secondary battery 100 includes a battery case 170, an adapter 150, and an electrode assembly 120. The battery case 170 includes a top cover 172. The electrode assembly 120 is housed within the battery case 170 and includes a cell body 124 and a tab 122 protruding from the cell body 124. Body tab weld 12 of adapter 150 electrically connects to tab 122, and body top cover weld 14 electrically connects to top cover 172, with body tab weld 12 located between tab 122 and top cover 172. Support 20 is located between tab 122 and cell body 124. The secondary battery 100 can be a lithium ion battery, a sodium ion battery, and other electrochemical devices of the same structure and principle. The body portion 10 and support portion 20 of the adapter 150 sandwich the tab 122 of the electrode assembly 120 between the body portion 10 and support portion 20 of the adapter 150. First, the tab 122 is welded to the body tab weld 12 and the support tab weld 22, for example, by an ultrasonic welding process. After the welding is completed, the electrode assembly 120 and adapter 150 are placed inside the battery case 170, and the top cover 172 is attached to the body top cover weld 14 and the support top cover weld 24. The tab 122 is located between the main body 10 and the support 20, and ensures the strength of the weld between the tab 122 and the adapter 150, while reducing the risk of weld cracking of the tab 122 and improving the welding yield rate. When two electrode assemblies 120 (the present invention is not limited to this number) are packaged together as shown, the support 20 provides support to the bend of the tab 122 below the tab 122, preventing the tab 122 from being inserted into the electrode assembly 120 due to downward bending caused by stress, thereby improving the safety of the electrode assembly 120 and the secondary battery 100.

[0032] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a battery set 1002. The battery set 1002 includes the above-described secondary battery 100 and can have beneficial effects on the above-described secondary battery 100.

[0033] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an electronic device 1000. The electronic device 1000 includes the above-described battery set 1002, and can have the beneficial effects of the above-described adapter 150, secondary battery 100, and battery set 1002.

[0034] The above-mentioned are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention, and the present invention may have various modifications and variations for those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be equally included in the protection scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] The adapter, secondary battery, battery set, and electronic device of the present invention do not require the use of auxiliary weld pieces, thereby reducing the number of processes and improving assembly efficiency. The tab of the electrode assembly is sandwiched between the adapter body and the support, ensuring the weld strength between the tab and the adapter while reducing the risk of tab weld cracking and improving the welding yield. When the electrode assembly is packaged together, the support provides support for the bent portion of the tab, preventing the tab from being inserted into the electrode assembly due to a downward curvature caused by stress. This improves the yield rate of the electrode assembly and secondary battery fabrication and high-voltage insulation test (hi-pot), while also improving the safety of the electrode assembly and secondary battery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10: Main body 12: Body tab weld 14: Upper body cover weld 16: Main body notch 20: Support part 22: Support tab weld 24: Support upper cover weld 26: Support notch 30: Flexible part 100: Secondary battery 120: Electrode assembly 122: Tab 124: Cell body 140: Pole Pillar 150: Adapter 170: Battery case 172: Top cover 1000: Electronic equipment 1001: Body 1002: Battery set 1222: Tab start 1224: Tab Weld Print Area W: Width direction T: Thickness direction H: Height

Claims

1. An adapter used to electrically connect the electrode assembly and the upper cover, a body portion including a connected body tab weld and a body top cover weld; A support portion and a flexible portion, the support portion is connected to the body portion by the flexible portion so that the body portion and the support portion sandwich the tab of the electrode assembly therebetween, and the flexible portion is used to fold the support portion back onto the body portion. An adapter characterized by:

2. The ratio of the thickness of the main body to the thickness of the support portion is in the range of 0.2 to 5.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that:

3. The support portion is a support tab weld corresponding to the body tab weld; a support upper cover weld corresponding to the body upper cover weld.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that:

4. The width of the support tab weld is less than two-thirds of the height from the tab start end to the tab weld printing area.

4. The adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that it is

5. The width of the main body tab weld and the width of the support tab weld are greater than the width of the tab weld print area.

5. The adapter according to claim 4, characterized in that it is

6. the body portion includes two of the body tab welds, the body top cover weld and the two body tab welds define a body notch through the body portion, the body notch spacing the two body tab welds; the support portion includes two of the support tab welds, the support top cover weld together with the two support tab welds define a support notch through the support portion, the support notch spacing the two support tab welds; When the tab is sandwiched between the main body portion and the support portion, the main body notch and the support notch overlap when projected along the sandwiching direction.

4. The adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that it is

7. The main body upper cover weld and the support upper cover weld are symmetrical with respect to the flexible portion.

4. The adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that it is

8. a battery case including a top cover; an electrode assembly housed in the battery case; The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Including, the electrode assembly includes a cell body and a tab protruding from the cell body; the body tab weld is electrically connected to the tab, the body top cover weld is electrically connected to the top cover, the body tab weld is located between the tab and the top cover, and the support is located between the tab and the cell body. A secondary battery characterized by:

9. A battery set comprising the secondary battery according to claim 8.

10. An electronic device comprising the battery set of claim 9.

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