Battery housing, battery and electric device

Abstract

This specification defines a battery housing, battery, and electric device. The battery housing includes a housing body and a cover plate. The housing body and the cover plate are tightly joined to each other using welds. The welds include a first weld. The first weld is simultaneously joined to at least the cover plate and the outer surface of the side wall of the housing body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the priority of Patent Application No. 202310639169.0 filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on May 31, 2023, and incorporates the entire content thereof herein by reference.

[0002] Technical Field The present disclosure relates to the field of battery technology, and more particularly, to battery housings, batteries, and electric devices.

Background Art

[0003] As the use of batteries gradually increases across various fields, battery safety has become one of the main concerns for major battery manufacturers and consumers. Generally, a battery includes a battery housing and an electrode core housed within the battery housing. The battery housing generally includes a housing body and a cover plate. To ensure the safety of the battery during subsequent use, it is necessary to ensure the bonding strength between the cover plate and the housing body.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, in the field of batteries, how to improve the bonding strength between the cover plate and the housing body has become an urgent problem to be solved.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In view of this, the present disclosure provides for a battery housing, a battery, and an electric device. The battery housing includes a housing body and a cover plate. The housing body and the cover plate are tightly joined to each other using a welded portion. The welded portion includes a first welded portion. The first welded portion is simultaneously joined to at least several faces of the cover plate and the outer surface of the side wall of the housing body. In this way, the weld strength between the housing body and the cover plate can be improved, reducing the risk of separation between the housing body and the cover plate during battery use, thereby effectively preventing safety-related accidents, such as battery leakage, and improving battery safety.

[0006] A battery housing is defined according to a first aspect of this disclosure. The battery housing includes a cover plate and a housing body. The housing body has an opening in a first direction. The cover plate is suitable for joining to the housing body using a welded portion and covers the opening, thereby forming a housing space. The cover plate has a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other. The first surface is a side of the cover plate facing away from the housing space. The second surface is a side of the cover plate facing into the housing space. The first direction is perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface. The side wall of the housing body has a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other. The third surface is a side of the housing body facing away from the housing space. The fourth surface is a side of the housing body facing into the housing space. The welded portion includes a first welded portion. In a cross-section of the battery housing in the first direction, the intersection of the first welded portion and the first surface is point A. Point B is the intersection of the first weld and the third surface. The angle between the extension of the contour line of the third surface in the cross-section in the first direction and the joining line between point A and point B is α, where 0 < α < 90°, and the extension line extends from point B in the first direction toward the plane where the second surface is located.

[0007] Naturally, the cover plate has a specific thickness. Therefore, between the first and second surfaces of the cover plate, there is also a side wall connecting the first surface to the second surface. In the battery housing, the angle α between the bonding line AB and the extension of the outer contour line of the housing body satisfies 0 < α < 90°. Therefore, the first welded portion is simultaneously bonded to at least the cover plate and the third surface of the housing body (the outer surface of the side wall of the housing body), thereby improving the weld strength between the housing body and the cover plate, reducing the risk of separation between the housing body and the cover plate during battery use, and thereby effectively preventing safety-related accidents, such as battery leakage, and improving battery safety.

[0008] With arbitrary choice, 30° ≤ α ≤ 60°.

[0009] Optionally, the distance between point B and the plane on which the first surface of the cover plate is located is W1, the distance between point A and the second surface of the cover plate is W2, the distance between point B and the fourth surface is W3, the first welded portion satisfies 0.2W3 ≤ (W1 - W2) × tanα ≤ W3, and W1, W2, and W3 are calculated in the same units.

[0010] Optionally, the cover plate includes two cover plates, where W1 is the distance between point B and the first face of the cover plate adjacent to point B, and W2 is the distance between point A and the second face of the adjacent cover plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the outer edge of the first welded portion does not extend beyond the second and fourth surfaces in the direction toward the containment space.

[0012] Optionally, the orthographic projection of point A onto the second surface is point A', and this point A' is located within or within the boundary of the orthographic projection of the housing body onto the cover plate.

[0013] Optionally, in the second and third directions, the orthographic projection of the cover plate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the housing body, and any two of the first, second, and third directions are perpendicular to each other.

[0014] Optionally, there is a gap between the housing body and the cover plate in the first direction, the width of this gap is L1, and 0 < L1 ≤ 0.05 mm.

[0015] Optionally, the first welding part protrudes with respect to the first surface and / or the third surface. The maximum protruding size of the first welding part with respect to the first surface is L2, where 0 < L2 ≤ 0.05 mm, and the maximum protruding size of the first welding part with respect to the third surface is L3, where 0 < L3 ≤ 0.05 mm.

[0016] Optionally, the distance between point A and the second surface is W2, the distance between point B and the fourth surface is W3, and 0.05 mm ≤ W2 ≤ W3. Further, when W2 < W3, 30° ≤ α ≤ 45°.

[0017] Optionally, the opening part includes two opening parts on opposite sides of each other, and the cover plate includes two cover plates on opposite sides of each other.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a battery is defined that includes an electrode core and a battery housing defined in the first aspect of the present disclosure, and the electrode core is housed within the accommodation space of the battery housing. The battery housing defined in the present disclosure is used for the battery, so this battery has a low tendency to cause accidents related to safety, such as battery leakage, and the safety of the battery is high.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an electric device is defined that includes the battery defined in the second aspect of the present disclosure. Since the battery described above is used to supply power to the device, the electric device has good market competitiveness.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1A] It is an exploded view of the structure of the battery according to the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] It is a top view of the battery shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D shown in FIG. 1B. [Figure 2] It is a schematic partial enlarged view of the part b shown in FIG. 1C. [Figure 3A] It is a schematic partial enlarged view of the part a shown in FIG. 1C. [Figure 3B] It is another schematic partial enlarged view of the part a shown in FIG. 1C, and the size mark is different from that in FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] It is a schematic partial enlarged view of the part a of the battery in Comparative Ratio 1. [Figure 5] It is an exploded view of another structure of the battery housing according to the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0021] 100 Battery; 10 Battery housing; 11 Cover plate; 111 First surface; 112 Second surface; 12 Housing body; 123 Third surface; 124 Fourth surface; 13 First welding part; 20 Electrode core; 40 Seal assembly; 41 Seal cover; 42 Seal plug; 50 Terminal post assembly; 51 First tab; 52 Second tab; 60 Explosion-proof mark.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Generally, a battery includes a battery housing and an electrode core housed within this housing. A prismatic battery is used as an example. The battery housing includes a housing body and a cover plate. In some cases, the battery housing includes a housing body, an upper cover, and a lower cover. The housing body is further assembled with terminal post assemblies, seal assemblies, and similar components. The seal assemblies are configured to seal fluid injection holes located in the housing body, which are configured to inject electrolyte into the battery. Generally, the cover plate is firmly bonded to the housing body using a welding process, primarily laser welding. However, current welding techniques used by battery manufacturers typically involve irradiating the laser perpendicularly to the upper surface of the original cover plate, thereby melting a portion of the cover plate and housing body, creating a weld that penetrates the cover plate and extends into the housing body. This weld only bonds the cover plate to the upper surface of the side wall of the housing body. The robustness of batteries welded in this manner is not sufficiently good, and the safety of the battery cannot be ensured during subsequent use. In particular, the welded parts of the battery tend to fail after the battery has fallen out or has been subjected to a collision, which can lead to undesirable consequences, such as battery leakage (electrolyte leakage), and cause safety-related accidents.

[0023] Therefore, in the battery field, improving the robustness of the bond between the cover plate and the housing body is an urgent issue that needs to be resolved.

[0024] To solve the aforementioned problems, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery housing 10. Please refer to Figures 1A to 3B. The battery housing 10 includes a cover plate 11 and a housing body 12. The housing body 12 has an opening in a first direction. The cover plate 11 is suitable for joining to the housing body 12 using welded portions and covers the opening of the housing body 12, thereby forming a housing space. In detail, in one configuration, the battery housing 10 includes a cover plate 11 and a housing body 12. In this example, in a first direction, one end of the housing body 12 has an opening, and the other end is a sealed, one-piece structure. In another configuration, the battery housing 10 includes an upper cover, a housing body 12, and a lower cover. In this example, in a first direction, two opposite ends of the housing body 12 each have an opening, and these two openings are welded to the cover plate 11, thereby sealing the housing space. For the sake of clarity, when the housing body 12 has two openings that are located opposite each other in the first direction, the side walls of the housing body 12 are the housing body 12.

[0025] The cover plate 11 has a first surface 111 and a second surface 112 that are located on opposite sides of each other, with the first surface 111 being the side of the cover plate 11 facing away from the storage space. Naturally, the cover plate 11 has a certain thickness. Therefore, the cover plate 11 has the first surface 111, the second surface 112, and a side wall located between the first surface 111 and the second surface 112, connecting the first surface 111 to the second surface 112. The first surface 111 is the side of the cover plate 11 facing away from the storage space (the top surface of the cover plate 11), and the second surface 112 is the side of the cover plate 11 facing into the storage space (the bottom surface of the cover plate 11). The side walls of the housing body 12 have a third surface 123 and a fourth surface 124 (i.e., the third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 of the housing body 12) that are located opposite each other, with the third surface 123 being the side surface of the housing body 12 facing away from the housing space. The shape of the battery housing 10 is not limited in this disclosure. In one application, the battery housing 10 may have a variety of shapes, such as rectangular, cylindrical or another suitable shape, to accommodate a variety of shapes of batteries 100, provided that the shape of the cover plate 11 is adapted to the shape of the opening of the housing body 12. Notwithstanding the above examples, the third surface 123 represents the outer surface of the housing body 12, and the fourth surface 124 represents the inner surface of the housing body 12. A rectangular battery housing 10 is used as an example below.

[0026] The welded portion includes the first welded portion 13. See Figure 3A. A second direction and a third direction are defined, both of which are perpendicular to the first direction, and the second and third directions are perpendicular to each other.

[0027] In the cross-section of the battery housing in the first direction, point A is the intersection of the first welded portion 13 and the first surface 111, and point B is the intersection of the first welded portion 13 and the third surface 123. In some configurations, the battery housing 10 is a rectangular battery housing. Naturally, the first direction is specified as the extending direction (thickness direction) of the battery housing 10, the second direction is parallel to the length direction of the battery housing 10, and the third direction is parallel to the width direction of the battery housing 10. Alternatively, the second direction is parallel to the width direction of the battery housing 10, and the third direction is parallel to the length direction of the battery housing 10. In some other configurations, the battery housing 10 is cylindrical, and the first direction is the extending direction (thickness direction) of the battery housing 10, and the second and third directions are parallel to two mutually orthogonal diameters of the circular cover plate of the battery housing 10, respectively. The battery housing 10 in a different shape is adapted according to the principle described above, and the details will not be explained again here. In cross-section, the third surface 123 has a contour line in cross-section (i.e., the outer contour line of the side wall of the housing body 12 in cross-section), the connecting line between point A and point B is the connecting line AB, and the angle between the extension line of the contour line and the connecting line AB is α, where 0 < α < 90°. The extension line means that the contour line extends in the first direction from point B toward the plane on which the second surface 112 is located. In this disclosure, the extension line may be a virtual line with point B as its endpoint, and the angle is the angle between the line segment AB and the virtual line.In other words, as shown in Figure 3A, the area of ​​action of the first weld portion 13 includes the upper surface (first surface 111) of the cover plate 11, the side wall of the cover plate 11, and the outer surface (third surface 123) of the side wall of the housing body 12, and may also act on the second surface 112 of the cover plate 11 and the upper surface of the side wall of the housing body 12. This improves the weld strength between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11, reduces the risk of separation between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11 during use of the battery 100, and effectively reduces the occurrence of safety-related accidents, such as battery leakage, thereby improving the safety of the battery 100.

[0028] Furthermore, the first welded portion 13 helps to improve the welding strength between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11, thereby improving the sealing performance of the battery 100.

[0029] In this disclosure, for rigid bonding regions between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12, all rigid bonding regions between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 may be joined using a first weld portion 13, or some bonding regions between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 may be joined using a first weld portion 13, and the remaining rigid bonding regions may be joined by an existing welding technique (in the examples herein, the weld portion formed by an existing welding technique is referred to as a second weld portion (not shown), i.e., in some configurations, the weld portion includes a first weld portion 13 and a second weld portion). In some configurations of this disclosure, the battery housing 10 is rectangular, that is, both the outer contour of the cover plate 11 and the contour shape of the opening portion of the housing body 12 are rectangular, and at least four corners of each of the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 each have a first weld portion 13. In some configurations of this disclosure, the battery housing 10 is cylindrical, meaning that the outer contour of the cover plate 11 and the contour shape of the opening portion of the housing body 12 are circular, elliptical, or substantially circular, and at least the rounded corners of the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 each have a first welded portion 13. In some configurations of this disclosure, the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11 are completely and tightly joined using the first welded portion 13. That is, the first welded portion 13 is present in each contact area between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11. Thus, the robustness and sealing performance of the battery housing 10 are further improved, and the safety of the battery 100 is further ensured.

[0030] In this disclosure, α may be 1°, 2°, 5°, 8°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 42°, 45°, 48°, 50°, 52°, 55°, 58°, 60°, 62°, 65°, 68°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85°, 88°, 89° or similar.

[0031] In this disclosure, the relationship between point A and point B represents the relationship between point B and point A on the corresponding cover plate 11. More specifically, when discussing the relationship between point A and point B when the battery housing 10 has both an upper cover and a lower cover, point A is point A on the upper cover, and point B is the intersection of the third surface 123 and the first welded portion 13 that joins the upper cover to the housing body 12. The lower cover is understood similarly and will not be described in detail here. Furthermore, as an example, a rectangular battery housing 10 is used. The third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 of the side wall of the housing body 12 each include four sides arranged circumferentially. In this disclosure, when discussing the relationship between point A, point B, the third surface 123, and the fourth surface 124, the third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 each represent two sides corresponding to point B. More specifically, when discussing the relationship between point A and point B, the "third surface 123" represents the side surface M on which point B, corresponding to point A, is located, and the "fourth surface 124" represents the side surface N located on the opposite side of side surface M. A battery housing 10 of a different shape can be similarly understood according to the principle described above, and its details will not be explained again here.

[0032] In this disclosure, the shape of the first weld portion 13 may be arbitrary. Naturally, in cross-section, the cross-sectional shape of the first weld portion 13 may also be arbitrary, for example, an arc shape or an irregular shape. In this disclosure, the relationship between the joint line AB and the contour line of the third surface 123 in cross-section is restricted. However, the relationship between the contour line of the third surface 123 in cross-section and the contour line of the cross-section of the first weld portion 13 facing the joint line AB is not restricted. In cross-section, the contour line of the cross-section of the first weld portion 13 facing the joint line AB may be irregular, straight, curved, wavy, or similar, may project toward the accommodating space relative to the joint line AB, may be concave relative to the joint line AB, may overlap with the joint line AB, or may partially overlap with the joint line AB.

[0033] In some configurations of the present disclosure, there is a gap between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11 in the first direction, the width of this gap is L1, and 0 < L1 ≤ 0.05 mm. Generally, the gap exists between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11 due to manufacturing accuracy and the like. L1 is controlled to be within the aforementioned range, whereby the welding between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11 is facilitated, and it is prevented that the electrode core 20 is damaged in the welding process. Just to be on the safe side, the accommodation space in the present disclosure represents the space used to accommodate the electrode core 20, and the accommodation space does not include the gap between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11.

[0034] In some configurations of the present disclosure, 30° ≤ α ≤ 60°. For example, α may be 30°, 32°, 35°, 38°, 40°, 42°, 45°, 48°, 50°, 52°, 55°, 58° or 60°. The distance between point A and the plane where the third surface 123 where the corresponding point B is located is H1 (that is, the extension line in the first direction of the contour line of the third surface 123 in the cross-section for point A, and the distance between the extension line extending from point B in the first direction towards the plane where the second surface 112 is located), and the distance between point B and the plane where the corresponding first surface 111 is located is W1. Naturally, it is appropriate that the values of H1 and W1 are controlled such that α is within the aforementioned range. In other words, the first welding portion 13 is formed by welding the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12. In this case, when α is within the aforementioned range, the area of the action region of the first welding portion 13 on the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 is appropriate, whereby the toughness between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 after welding is further improved, and the safety of the battery 100 is improved.

[0035] Refer to Figure 3A. In some configurations of this disclosure, the distance between point B and the plane on which the corresponding first surface 111 of the cover plate 11 is located is W1, the distance between point A and the second surface 112 is W2, the distance between point B and the fourth surface 124 is W3, and the first welded portion 13 satisfies 0.2W3 ≤ (W1 - W2) × tanα ≤ W3, where W1, W2 and W3 are calculated in the same units as each other. (W1 - W2) × tanα ≥ 0.2W3 indicates that the distance between the intersection point C between the first welded portion 13 and the second surface 112 of the cover plate 11 and the plane on which the corresponding third surface 123 is located is large. In other words, with respect to the state of the cover plate 11 and housing body 12 before welding, the welding size and welding area between the cover plate 11 before welding and the upper surface of the side wall of the housing body 12 before welding (this upper surface is the surface of the side wall of the housing body 12 that is close to the cover plate 11 before welding and is connected to the third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 of the housing body 12) are larger. Therefore, after welding, the joint strength between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 is better. (W1-W2)×tanα≦W3 indicates that the orthographic projection of point C onto the housing body 12 is contained within the range of the side wall of the housing body 12 or overlaps with the fourth surface 124. Thus, the strength between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 is not affected, the battery housing 10 is easier to manufacture, and the electrode core 20 is not damaged during the welding process.

[0036] Furthermore, in some specific embodiments of this disclosure, the outer edge of the first weld portion 13 does not extend beyond the second surface 112 and the fourth surface 124 in the direction toward the housing space. That is, the first weld portion 13 does not extend beyond the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 in the direction toward the housing space. The housing space in this disclosure does not include the gap between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12. Thus, the volume of the housing space is not compressed by the protruding / excess first weld portion 13, and consequently, the space of the electrode core 20 is not compressed. Furthermore, the inner surface of the battery housing 10 is a smooth surface, and no protruding material threatens the safety of the electrode core 20. Furthermore, during the welding process of the battery housing 10, molten material / welding flux does not fall onto the electrode core 20. Thus, the safety of the electrode core 20 is fully protected.

[0037] In some configurations of the present disclosure, the distance between point A and the second surface 112 is W2, the distance between point B and the fourth surface 124 is W3, and 0.05 mm ≤ W2 ≤ W3. W2 and W3 are controlled to be within the above-described range to ensure that both the cover plate 11 and the battery housing 10 have specific strengths. Thereby, the electrode core 20 is protected within the accommodation space, and the risk of bending the cover plate 11 during welding and subsequent assembly processes can be reduced, facilitating the assembly of the battery 100. In some specific configurations of the present disclosure, 0.05 mm ≤ W2 ≤ 0.5 mm and 0.05 mm ≤ W3 ≤ 0.5 mm. For example, W2 and W3 may be 0.05 mm, 0.06 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.09 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.45 mm, or 0.48 mm separately. In some specific embodiments of the present disclosure, 0.05 mm ≤ W2 < W3 ≤ 0.5 mm. Thus, on the premise that the size of the battery 100 is fixed, the structural strength of the battery housing 10 can be ensured, and the space occupied by the cover plate is reduced. Therefore, the battery housing 10 can provide a larger accommodation space for accommodating a larger electrode core, thereby further improving the energy density of the battery 100.

[0038] In some configurations of the present disclosure, when W2 < W3, 30° ≤ α ≤ 45°. For example, in this case, α may be 30°, 31°, 32°, 33°, 34°, 35°, 36°, 37°, 38°, 39°, 40°, 41°, 42°, 43°, 44° or 45°. Thus, H1 ≤ W1, and the difference between H1 and W1 becomes small, that is, the acting force of the first welding portion 13 on the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 is balanced or biased towards the housing body 12. When the battery 100 is affected by an external force from all directions, the stress transmitted to the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 by the first welding portion 13 is equal or more is transmitted by the housing body 12, whereby the bonding force of the housing body 12 is sufficiently applied to the first welding portion 13, and further, the risk of cracking or separation between the first welding portion 13 and both the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 is reduced. Furthermore, in the welding process of the battery housing 10, since α is controlled to be within the aforementioned range, the cover plate 11 is less likely to be affected by welding heat, whereby the risk of deformation of the cover plate 11 is sufficiently reduced, and a battery housing 10 with better complete performance and higher yield can be more easily obtained.

[0039] In some configurations of the present disclosure, the orthographic projection of point A onto the second surface is point A', and this point A' is located within or on the boundary of the orthographic projection of the housing body 12 onto the cover plate 11. Refer to FIG. 3B. Of course, point A does not extend beyond the plane where the fourth surface 124 is located, or the distance between point A and the plane where the third surface 123 where the corresponding point B is located is H1, and H1 ≤ W3. Thus, no defects such as air holes appear in the cover plate 11, whereby the sealing performance of the battery 100 and the robustness of the cover plate 11 are ensured. Furthermore, in the preparation process, the cover plate 11 is not continuously welded, and the molten material does not fall from the cover plate 11 onto the electrode core 20.

[0040] In some configurations of this disclosure, the orthographic projection of the cover plate 11 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the housing body 12 in the second direction, and the orthographic projection of the cover plate 11 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the housing body 12 in the third direction. Naturally, in order to realize the above-described structure, in the second and third directions, the outer edge of the side wall of the cover plate 11 before welding overlaps with the third surface 123 of the housing body 12 before welding, or the outer edge of the side wall of the cover plate 11 before welding extends beyond the third surface 123 of the housing body 12 before welding. Thus, the positioning between the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 is more advantageous, and the first welded portion 13 can be more firmly bonded to the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12.

[0041] In some configurations of this disclosure, the two ends of the housing body 12 each have an opening in a first direction, and the battery housing 10 includes two cover plates 11. The side of the cover plate 11 facing the housing space (i.e., the second side 112) is the side with the largest surface area within the battery housing 10 (structure shown in Figure 1A). Since the second side 112 is the side with the largest surface area within the battery housing 10, that is, the cover plate 11 occupies the largest area in the battery housing 10, and the area of ​​the opening is large, which makes subsequent assembly of the electrode core 20 more advantageous and thereby improves production efficiency. Furthermore, due to structural features, the cover plate 11 may be thinner than the housing body 12. Therefore, the second side 112 is not the side with the largest surface area within the battery housing 10 (see the structure of the battery housing 10 shown in Figure 5). In this example, when the second surface 112 is the largest surface, the total volume of the battery housing 10 can be reduced, improving the space utilization of the battery 100. Furthermore, in the current production process, the housing body 12 (especially the housing body 12 of a rectangular battery housing) must be formed by bending and welding plate material. By thus reducing the size of the housing body 12, the size of the plate material can be reduced, which simplifies the bending process and makes the preparation of the housing body 12 easier.

[0042] In some configurations of the present disclosure, the first welding portion 13 protrudes with respect to the first surface 111 and / or the third surface 123. The maximum protrusion size of the first welding portion 13 with respect to the first surface 111 is L2, where 0 < L2 ≦ 0.05 mm. The maximum protrusion size of the first welding portion 13 with respect to the third surface 123 is L3, where 0 < L3 ≦ 0.05 mm. For example, L2 and L3 may be 0.01 mm, 0.02 mm, 0.03 mm, 0.04 mm, or 0.05 mm separately. L2 and L3 are controlled to be within the aforementioned ranges, whereby the outer space occupied by the first welding portion 13 of the battery 100 is significantly saved, the assembly of the battery 100 becomes easier, whereby the space utilization of the battery 100 is improved, and the bonding strength between the housing body 12 and the cover plate 11 is ensured.

[0043] In some configurations of the present disclosure, the outer edge of the first welding portion 13 is flush with the first surface 111 and the third surface 123 separately.

[0044] In some configurations of the present disclosure, the material of the battery housing 10 is metal. In some specific embodiments, the materials of the cover plate 11 and the housing body 12 include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, pure aluminum, or aluminum alloy separately.

[0045] In some configurations of this disclosure, an explosion-proof mark 60 is further located on the cover plate 11, and the thickness at the location of the explosion-proof mark 60 is thinner than the thickness at another location on the cover plate 11. When the internal pressure of the battery 100 is excessively high, the explosion-proof mark 60 may rupture because its thickness is smaller than the thickness at another location on the cover plate 11, allowing gases inside the battery 100 to be released and the pressure to be relieved. This prevents the battery 100 from exploding and improves the safety of the battery 100. In this disclosure, when the battery housing 10 has both an upper cover and a lower cover, the explosion-proof mark 60 may be located on the upper cover or the lower cover, or it may be located on both the upper cover and the lower cover.

[0046] In some configurations of this disclosure, a terminal post assembly 50 is located in a housing body 12 (or a side wall of the housing body 12). More specifically, a first through-hole is located in the housing body 12 (or a side wall of the housing body 12), and the terminal post assembly 50 is located in this first through-hole, which is insulated from the housing body 12. The terminal post assembly 50 includes terminal posts, a first insulator, a second insulator, and a metal sheet, with through-holes located in each of the first insulator, the second insulator, and the metal sheet. The through-holes in the first insulator, the second insulator, and the metal sheet are located concentrically with the first through-hole located in the housing body 12. The terminal post may pass continuously from the outside to the inside through the first insulator, the housing body 12, the second insulator, and the metal sheet, and the other end of the terminal post may be riveted to the metal sheet by crimping, thereby electrically connecting the terminal post to the metal sheet. The first insulator is sandwiched between the terminal post and the housing body 12, and the second insulator is sandwiched between the housing body 12 and the metal sheet. This arrangement prevents the battery from short-circuiting due to contact between the terminal post and the housing body 12. For the sake of clarity, the terminal post assembly 50 may alternatively be located in the upper or lower cover. This is not limited herein.

[0047] As shown in Figures 1A to 1C, the battery 100 includes an electrode core 20. This electrode core 20 includes an electrode core body and a first tab 51 and a second tab 52 extending from the electrode core body, the polarities of the first tab 51 and the second tab 52 being opposite to each other. That is, the first tab 51 may have positive polarity and the second tab 52 may have negative polarity, or the first tab 51 may have negative polarity and the second tab 52 may have positive polarity. The first tab 51 may be electrically connected to a terminal post assembly 50, and the second tab 52 may be electrically connected to a battery housing 10. The first tab 51 may be electrically connected to a metal sheet, that is, the first tab 51 is electrically connected to a terminal post using a metal sheet to lead out the electrode. Such a design increases the area of ​​the connectable region between the first tab 51 and the terminal post assembly 50, thereby facilitating electrical connection between them. In detail, the first tab 51 and the terminal post assembly 50 may be electrically connected by welding, bonding, abutment or similar means.

[0048] For the sake of clarity, the first tab 51 may be a group of tabs, that is, the first tab 51 may contain at least two tabs. Multiple tabs may be stacked and bundled together to obtain the first tab 51, or multiple tabs may be bundled together and welded to a transition sheet to obtain the first tab 51. The second tab 52 may also be a group of tabs, that is, the second tab 52 may contain at least two tabs. Multiple tabs may be stacked and bundled together to obtain the second tab 52, or multiple tabs may be bundled together and welded to a transition sheet to obtain the second tab 52. In this way, the rate capability of the battery 100 can be improved.

[0049] For the sake of clarity, it should be added that both sides of the first tab 51 may be further bonded with insulating adhesive paper. In the first orientation of the battery 100, the insulating adhesive paper may be bonded to the upper and lower sides of the first tab 51. In this way, it is possible to prevent the battery 100 from short-circuiting due to contact between the first tab 51 and the battery housing 10.

[0050] Furthermore, the housing body 12 is provided with a liquid injection hole for injecting electrolyte into the battery 100. After the liquid injection into the battery 100 is complete, the liquid injection hole may be sealed using a seal assembly 40. This seal assembly 40 includes a seal plug 42 and a seal cover 41. After the liquid injection is complete, the seal plug 42 is first packed into the liquid injection hole, the seal cover 41 is pressed against the seal plug 42, and the seal cover 41 is fastened to the housing body 12, thereby sealing the liquid injection hole. The seal plug 42 and the liquid injection hole may be tight-fitted. When the seal cover 41 is pressed against the seal plug 42, the seal plug 42 is compressed. Such a design allows the battery 100 to have better sealing performance. In detail, the seal cover 41 and the housing body 12 may be tightly joined by welding. For the record, the liquid injection hole may be located between the first tab 51 and the second tab 52. Thus, it becomes more advantageous to inject the electrolyte into the battery 100, thereby increasing the impregnation rate of the electrode core 20. For the sake of clarity, the liquid injection hole may alternatively be located in the upper or lower cover, or may be designed according to specific requirements. This is not limited to the present disclosure.

[0051] Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a battery 100 including an electrode core 20 and a battery housing 10 provided in embodiments of the present disclosure. The electrode core 20 is housed within a housing space of the battery housing 10.

[0052] Since the battery housing 10 defined in this disclosure is used for the battery 100, the battery 100 is not prone to causing safety-related accidents, such as battery leakage, and the battery 100 is highly safe.

[0053] Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an electric motor including a battery 100 provided in embodiments of the present disclosure. Since the aforementioned battery 100 is used to supply power to the electric motor, the risk of safety-related accidents during the use of the electric motor, such as battery leakage, is low, and safety is high. Therefore, the electric motor has high market competitiveness.

[0054] In some configurations of this disclosure, the electric device includes, but is not limited to, a powered vehicle or a 3C type electronic device.

[0055] The technical solutions of this disclosure will be described in detail below using several embodiments.

[0056] Example 1 A rectangular battery S1 is defined. This rectangular battery S1 includes a rectangular battery housing and an electrode core housed within the battery housing. In a first direction, the battery housing includes a cover plate and a housing body having an opening. The cover plate is joined to the housing body using a first welded portion and covers the opening, thereby forming a housing space. In the battery S1, in a cross-section of the battery housing in a first direction (this first direction is considered to be the extending direction of the battery housing), the intersection of the first welded portion and the first surface of the cover plate is point A, and the intersection of the first welded portion and the third surface of the housing body is point B. The angle between the extension of the contour line of the third surface in the cross-section in the first direction (this extension extends from point B in the first direction toward the plane where the second surface is located) and the joining line between point A and point B is α, where α = 5°. Furthermore, the outer edge of the first welded portion almost perfectly overlaps with the joint line AB in the direction toward the housing space.

[0057] The distance W1 between point B and the plane on which the first surface of the cover plate is located is 0.15 mm, the distance W2 between point A and the second surface of the cover plate is 0.065 mm, and the distance W3 between point B and the fourth surface of the housing body is 0.22 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the cover plate is 0.065 mm, and the thickness of the side wall of the housing body is 0.22 mm.

[0058] Example 2 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 15°.

[0059] Example 3 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 25°.

[0060] Example 4 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 35°.

[0061] Example 5 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 45°.

[0062] Example 6 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 55°.

[0063] Example 7 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 65°.

[0064] Example 8 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 75°.

[0065] Example 9 The only difference from Example 1 is that α = 85°.

[0066] Example 10 The difference from Example 1 is that α = 45° and W1 is 0.09 mm.

[0067] Example 11 The difference from Example 1 is that α = 45° and W1 is 0.25 mm.

[0068] Example 12 The difference from Example 1 is that α = 45°, W1 is 0.15 mm, W2 is 0.05 mm, and W3 is 0.1 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the cover plate is 0.05 mm, and the thickness of the side wall of the housing body is 0.1 mm.

[0069] Example 13 The difference from Example 1 is that α = 45°, W1 is 0.3 mm, W2 is 0.15 mm, and W3 is 0.5 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the cover plate is 0.15 mm, and the thickness of the side wall of the housing body is 0.5 mm.

[0070] Example 14 The difference from Example 1 is that α = 35°, W1 is 0.15 mm, W2 is 0.065 mm, and W3 is 0.065 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the cover plate is 0.065 mm, and the thickness of the side wall of the housing body is 0.065 mm.

[0071] To highlight the beneficial effects of this disclosure, the following proportions are set forth.

[0072] Ratio 1 A housing body and a cover plate are prepared, and the thickness parameters of the housing body and cover plate are the same as in Example 1. The cover plate and the housing body are joined using welds. Refer to Figure 4 for a cross-section of the battery.

[0073] Performance testing: Tensile Test: The maximum tensile force that can be withstood at the weld location between the cover plate and the housing body is tested to determine the weld strength between the cover plate and the housing body. Specifically, a tensile testing machine with an appropriate measurement range is selected to test the battery housing.

[0074] First, the batteries in each embodiment and proportionality are disassembled, and the battery housings are cut into long strip-shaped test samples of the same size. In this case, the width of the test sample is 0.5 cm, the length of the cover plate is 2.5 cm, and the length of the housing body is 0.4 cm. The test sample strips of the battery housings are fastened to a fastener on a tensile testing machine (YH-9002), which grips the housing body end and the cover plate end of the test sample strip separately. Specifically, one end of the fastener grips the housing body and the other end grips the cover plate. A tensile force is applied to the test sample, and the fastener is moved at a speed of 200 mm / min, thereby breaking the welded joint between the cover plate and the housing body. The maximum tensile force value during the test process is recorded as the test result, obtaining the maximum tensile force that the welded joint between the cover plate and the housing body can withstand. A larger value indicates better welded robustness between the cover plate and the housing body.

[0075] Five samples were prepared from the same embodiment / proportional battery housing, and the average value was calculated. The results are summarized in Table 1.

[0076] [Table 1]

[0077] The results in Table 1 show that the maximum tensile force between the cover plate and the housing body of the battery housing in the embodiments of this disclosure is clearly higher than the maximum tensile force of the battery in proportion to the cover plate. It has been well demonstrated that the first welded portion can significantly improve the robustness of the bond between the cover plate and the housing body.

[0078] From the comparison of the results of Examples 1 to 9, it can be recognized that when α is controlled to be within the range of 30° to 60°, the robustness between the cover plate and the housing body is good. Further, when W2 < W3 and α is controlled to be within the range of 30° to 45° (Examples 4 and 5), the robustness between the cover plate and the housing body becomes better. From the comparison of the data of Examples 5 and 10 to 12, it can be recognized that when α is equal and further (W1 - W2) × tan α and W1 × tan α (H1) satisfy the conditions of the present disclosure, the welding strength between the cover plate and the housing body becomes better.

[0079] In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, for example, two or three, unless specifically and explicitly limited.

[0080] The foregoing description is merely an exemplary configuration of the present disclosure. Just to be on the safe side, those skilled in the art can further make numerous improvements and modifications to the present disclosure without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, and these improvements and modifications are included within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

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