Current collection structures, batteries, and power consumption equipment

Abstract

This application provides a current collector structure relating to the lithium-ion battery manufacturing technology, the current collector structure comprising a current collector component including a first connection end, a second connection end, and a bent portion connected to the first and second connection ends, and a guide component having a weak portion, wherein the bending strength of the weak portion is less than the bending strength of other parts of the guide component other than the weak portion, the guide component fits with the current collector component, the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion, and the guide component is used to guide the bent portion so that it bends at the position of the weak portion. Because the bending strength of the weak portion is less than the bending strength of other areas on the guide component, during the bending process of the current collector component, the guide component is bent at the weak portion, and because the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion, the guide component guides the current collector component so that it bends at the position of the bent portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , ,

[0006] , , ,

[0001] [Cross - reference to Related Applications] This application claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202310732456.6, entitled "Current Collecting Structure, Battery and Electric Power Consumption Device", proposed on June 20, 2023, and all contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of lithium - ion battery manufacturing, specifically to a current collecting structure, a battery and an electric power consumption device.

Background Art

[0003] Rechargeable batteries have advantages such as high energy density, high power density, many cycle usage times, and long memory time, so they are widely applied to electric vehicles, mobile installations or various electric tools.

[0004] Currently, for a battery, in the process of connecting the tab of the battery to the electrode terminal using a current collecting structure, generally, it is necessary to perform a bending process on the current collecting structure, so there are certain limitations on the thickness and hardness of the current collecting structure. In the process of bending the current collecting structure, the problem of the fold line shifting is likely to occur, making it difficult to attach the electrode assembly to the housing of the battery. If forced to attach, it will damage the current collecting structure, the tab and the electrode terminal, and further affect the usage performance of the battery.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this application provide a current collecting structure, a battery and an electric power consumption device, which can reduce the deviation of the bending axis of the bending part of the current collecting structure during the bending process and improve the service life of the battery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] <00According to a first aspect, the present application provides a current collector structure comprising a current collector component including a first connecting end, a second connecting end, and a bent portion connected to the first and second connecting ends; and a guide component having a fragile portion, wherein the bending strength of the fragile portion is less than that of the other portion of the guide component other than the fragile portion; the guide component fits with the current collector component, the fragile portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion; and the guide component is used to guide the bent portion to bend at the position of the fragile portion.

[0007] In the embodiments of this application, the current collector component has sequentially distributed first connection ends, a bent portion, and a second connection end, and the guide component has a weak portion. Before bending the current collector component, the guide component and the current collector component are fitted together, the guide component is connected to or in contact with the current collector component, and the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion. Because the bending strength of the weak portion is smaller than the bending strength of other areas on the guide component, during the bending process of the current collector component, the guide component is bent at the weak portion, and because the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion, the guide component guides the current collector component so that it bends at the position of the bent portion. This effectively reduces the amount of offset and inclination that occurs during the bending process of the bending axis of the bent portion, and furthermore, the current collector component can be smoothly assembled into the case of the battery cell, improving the structural stability of the current collector component and improving the service life of the battery.

[0008] In some implementations, the guide component is installed on at least one side of the current collector component. There may be one guide component, in which case it may be installed on one side of the current collector component, or there may be two or more guide components, in which case some guide components may be installed on one side of the current collector component and others on the other side. When the guide component is installed on one side of the current collector component, it can be installed on the side where the inner surface is formed after the current collector component is bent. As the current collector component is bent, the guide component located on the inside of the current collector component deforms relatively first, thus better guiding the bending axis of the current collector component to be held in the bend. When the guide components are installed on both sides of the current collector component, the guide components can guide the position of the bending axis of the current collector component during bending on both sides of the current collector component, and can better guide the bending axis of the current collector component to be held in the bend.

[0009] In some implementations, the current collector component includes at least two current collector layers, the at least two current collector layers are stacked and installed along the thickness direction of the current collector component, and the guide component is provided on at least one of the current collector layers. When the current collector component is formed of at least two current collector layers, thereby ensuring a current passage area, the difficulty of bending the current collector component can be reduced, making the current collector component easier to bend. The guide component may be installed on some of the current collector layers, i.e., guide components are provided on some of the current collector layers, or it may be installed on all of the current collector layers, i.e., guide components are provided on all of the current collector layers. By using the guide component, the bending axis can always be maintained at the bending point during the bending process of a current collector component that is easily bent.

[0010] In some implementations, the guide components are installed between at least one pair of adjacent current collector layers. By installing at least some of the guide components between adjacent current collector layers, the pitch between each current collector layer and the guide component can be made relatively small, improving the guiding effect of the guide components. This allows for better utilization of the guide components, enabling the bending axis of a easily bendable current collector component to always be held at the bend during the bending process.

[0011] In some implementations, the current collector is a conductive structure, and the guide component is an insulating structure. Since the current collector needs to be used to conduct electric current, it must be a conductive structure using a conductive material. Since the guide component needs to form a weak point, if the guide component is a conductive structure, the current passage area in the weak point is relatively small, the resistance there is relatively large, the temperature there is relatively high during operation, and consequently the weak point may thermally weld and break, raising relatively large safety concerns. If the guide component is an insulating structure, the occurrence of the above case can be effectively avoided.

[0012] In some implementations, the material of the guide component includes at least one of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polychloroethylene (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and rubber. Guide components made from the above materials not only have relatively good insulation properties but also relatively high toughness, making them less likely to break during bending. This ensures that the guide component can guide the position of the bending axis of the current collector throughout the entire bending process of the current collector. Furthermore, because the density of the above materials is relatively low, guide components made from these materials can effectively reduce the overall weight of the structure.

[0013] In some implementations, both the current collector and the guide component are conductive structures. Since the current collector needs to be used to conduct electric current, it must be a conductive structure made of a conductive material. However, if the guide component is a conductive structure made of a conductive material, both the guide component and the current collector can conduct electric current. In this case, the guide component can share the current-passing pressure with the current collector.

[0014] In some implementations, the guide component is attached to the current collector component, at least a portion of the guide component is bonded to the current collector component, and / or at least a portion of the guide component is welded to the current collector component. By using bonding or welding, the relatively large surface area of ​​the guide component can be fixedly connected to the side of the current collector component. In this case, the connection between the two is strong, and the guide component is less likely to slip against the current collector component during the bending process, thereby making it less likely for the guide component to guide the bending axis of the current collector component outside the bend.

[0015] In some implementations, the guide component abuts against the current collector component, and at least a portion of the guide component and at least a portion of the current collector component are used to abut each other under the action of an external force. When the guide component and the current collector component abut each other, the relatively large surface area of ​​the guide component is attached to the side of the current collector component, and by utilizing friction, the positions of both can be kept constant. As the current collector component is bent, the guide component becomes less likely to slip against the current collector component, thereby making it less likely for the guide component to guide the bending axis of the current collector component outside the bent portion.

[0016] In some implementations, at least a portion of the weak portion is a thin-walled region, and the thickness of at least a portion of the thin-walled region is smaller than the thickness of other portions of the weak portion, or at least a portion of the thin-walled region is a hollow structure. By utilizing the fact that a thin-walled region is formed in part or all of the weak portion, the bending strength of the weak portion can be effectively reduced. Specifically, the thin-walled region may be a region with a relatively low thickness, or it may be a hollow region, and in both of these cases, the bending strength of the thin-walled region may be lower than the bending strength of other portions of the guide part.

[0017] In some implementations, at least a portion of the thin-walled region is located at at least one end of the fragile portion in a first direction, and the first direction intersects the connection direction between the first connection end and the second connection end.

[0018] When thin-walled regions are placed at both ends in the first direction, the positions of both ends of the fold can be limited by utilizing these regions, and this is also advantageous for controlling the deflection angle of the fold. Specifically, if the thin-walled regions are located only in the middle region of the fold, both ends of the fold tend to tilt in the direction of protrusion from the weak area, resulting in an excessively large deflection angle of the fold. This causes only the central part of the fold to be located in the weak area, while both ends of the fold are located outside the weak area. Specifically, one end of the fold may be located on one side of the weak area, and the other end may be located on the opposite side of the weak area, facing this side. However, when thin-walled regions are placed at both ends in the first direction, the positions of both ends of the fold are determined to be within the weak area, and the middle region of the fold is also necessarily within the weak area. Therefore, the deflection angle of the fold can be effectively controlled, and it is possible to ensure that the entire fold is within the weak area.

[0019] In some implementations, at least a portion of the thin-walled region is located in the central part of the weak portion in a first direction, and the first direction intersects the connection direction between the first connection end and the second connection end.

[0020] The thin-wall region is disposed at the center of the vulnerable part in the first direction, which is advantageous for the vulnerable part to have a lower flexural strength, thereby being more easily bent and retaining the fold line within the vulnerable part. Specifically, since the central part of the vulnerable part in the first direction has a larger area than both ends of the vulnerable part in the first direction, the area of the thin-wall region can be made larger, and the flexural strength that controls the vulnerable part can be more effectively reduced.

[0021] In some implementation manners, the guide component is of an integrally formed structure.

[0022] The guide component being of an integrally formed structure not only facilitates manufacturing, but also ensures the structural strength of the guide component and makes it less likely to break during the folding process.

[0023] According to a second aspect, a battery cell is provided, and the battery cell includes an electrode terminal, an electrode assembly, and the current collector structure with one end connected to the electrode terminal and the other end connected to the electrode assembly.

[0024] By using the current collector structure, the guide component can effectively reduce the offset amount and inclination amount generated during the process of bending the bending axis of the bending part by guiding the current collector component to bend at the position of the bending part, and further enable the current collector component to be smoothly incorporated into the case of the battery cell, improving the structural stability of this current collector component and the service life of the battery.

[0025] In some implementation manners, the battery cell is a cylindrical battery or a prismatic battery.

[0026] Both the cylindrical battery and the prismatic battery can be adapted to the current collector component, whereby the current collector component can be smoothly incorporated into the case of the battery cell.

[0027] According to a third aspect, a battery is provided, and the battery includes the above battery cell.

[0028] The battery includes the above battery cell. Since the battery cell has a relatively long service life, this battery can avoid a reduction in life due to displacement of the fold where the current collecting component is bent.

[0029] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided an electric power consuming device, which includes the above battery.

[0030] The electric power consuming device includes the above battery. Since the battery cell included in the battery has a relatively long service life, this electric power consuming device can avoid a reduction in life due to displacement of the fold where the current collecting component is bent.

[0031] The above description is only an outline of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented according to the content of the specification, and in order to more clearly and easily understand the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application, the following will specifically describe the specific embodiments of the present application.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings that need to be used in the embodiment. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application and should not be regarded as a limitation to the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts. [Figure 1] It is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] It is a schematic structural diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3] It is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] It is an exploded view of an end cap assembly according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] It is a schematic structural diagram of a current collecting structure according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a current collector component according to an embodiment of this application. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a guide component according to an embodiment of this application. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another guide component according to an embodiment of this application. [Figure 9] This is a side view of a current collection structure according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10] This is a side view of another current collection structure according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11] This is a side view of yet another current collection structure according to an embodiment of the present application. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] The following describes in detail embodiments of the technical proposal of this application, accompanied by drawings. The following embodiments are provided solely to clarify the technical proposal of this application and are merely examples; they do not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art relating to the present application. The terms used herein are solely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The terms “including” and “having” and any variations thereof in the description of the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are intentionally intended to cover the non-exclusive “including.”

[0035] In the descriptions of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used solely to distinguish different subjects and should not be understood as indicating or suggesting relative importance, or the number, specific order, or hierarchical relationship of the technical features shown. In the descriptions of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specifically limited, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more.

[0036] The “Examples” as used herein mean that certain features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the Examples may be included in at least one Example of this Application. The appearance of this phrase at each location in the Specification does not necessarily refer to the same Example, nor does it mean that each Example is mutually exclusive or alternative to the others. Those skilled in the art will understand, both explicitly and implicitly, that the Examples described herein can be combined with other Examples.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" merely describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent three cases: A alone, a combination of A and B, or B alone. In this specification, the letter " / " generally indicates that the preceding and succeeding related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more sets (including two sets), and "multiple sheets" refers to two or more sheets (including two sheets).

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center," "vertical direction," "horizontal direction," "length," "width," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial direction," "radial direction," and "circumferential direction" are orientations or positional relationships shown based on the drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description and simplification of the embodiments of this application. They do not indicate or imply that the mentioned devices or elements have a specific orientation or must be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise explicitly defined or limited, technical terms such as "attachment," "connection," "bonding," and "fixing" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, these may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, integral connections, mechanical connections, electrical connections, direct connections, indirect connections via an intermediate medium, internal communication between two elements, or interaction relationships between two elements. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this application depending on the specific circumstances.

[0041] A battery is generally a single physical module containing one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. For example, this battery may include a battery module or a battery pack. Generally, a battery further includes a housing for packaging one or more battery cells. The housing can prevent liquids or other foreign matter from affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

[0042] In some embodiments, the battery cell may include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, or magnesium-ion batteries, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. Generally, a battery cell may also be called a battery core. A battery cell may have a cylindrical, flattened, rectangular parallelepiped, or other regular or irregular shape. The technical inventions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to battery cells of any shape, particularly cylindrical battery cells.

[0043] A battery cell comprises an electrode assembly and an electrolyte, the electrode assembly consisting of a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator. The battery cell operates primarily through the movement of metal ions between the positive and negative electrode plates. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer, the positive electrode active material layer being coated on the surface of the positive electrode current collector, the current collector without the positive electrode active material layer protruding from the current collector with the positive electrode active material layer, and the current collector without the positive electrode active material layer being called a positive electrode tab. Taking a lithium-ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode current collector may be aluminum, and the positive electrode active material may be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide, etc. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode current collector. Current collectors without the negative electrode active material layer protrude from current collectors coated with the negative electrode active material layer, and current collectors without the negative electrode active material layer are designated as negative electrode tabs. The material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon or silicon, etc. To ensure that it does not melt even when a large current is passed through it, there are multiple positive electrode tabs and they are stacked, and there are multiple negative electrode tabs and they are stacked. The material of the separator may be polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), etc. The electrode assembly may have a wound structure or a stacked structure, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to these.

[0044] In some embodiments, in addition to the electrode assembly, the battery cell further includes an end cap on which the electrode terminals of the battery cell are mounted, and an insulating member is installed between the end cap and the electrode terminals to ensure insulation between the end cap and the electrode terminals. An electrical connection is made between the electrode terminals and the tabs of the electrode assembly by a current collection structure.

[0045] Currently, during battery installation, a current collector structure is generally used to connect the battery tabs to the electrode terminals. However, during use, this current collector structure generally needs to be bent. To facilitate bending, the bent portion cannot be made too thick, and to ensure sufficient current passage area, the bent portion cannot be made too thin. Therefore, this current collector structure is generally constructed in a multi-layered thin structure. If the bending strength of this current collector structure is relatively low, problems such as misalignment and tilting of the fold are likely to occur during bending. If the fold is misaligned, it becomes difficult to attach the electrode assembly to the battery housing. If it is forced, it can damage the current collector structure, tabs, and electrode terminals, affecting its lifespan and further impacting the battery's performance. If the fold is tilted, an excessive deflection angle occurs at the electrode terminals, affecting the progress of subsequent production steps such as welding.

[0046] Therefore, an embodiment of the present application provides a current collection structure comprising a current collection component including a first connecting end, a second connecting end, and a bent portion connected to the first and second connecting ends, and a guide component having a weak portion, wherein the bending strength of the weak portion is less than that of the other parts of the guide component other than the weak portion, the guide component fits with the current collection component, the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion, and the guide component is used to guide the bent portion so that it bends at the position of the weak portion. This current collector component has sequentially distributed first connection ends, bent portions, and second connection ends, and the guide component has a weak portion. Before bending the current collector component, the guide component and the current collector component are fitted together, the guide component is connected to or in contact with the current collector component, and the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion. Because the bending strength of the weak portion is smaller than the bending strength of other areas on the guide component, during the bending process of the current collector component, the guide component is bent at the weak portion, and because the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion, the guide component guides the current collector component so that it bends at the position of the bent portion. This effectively reduces the amount of offset and inclination that occurs during the bending process of the bending axis of the bent portion, and furthermore, the current collector component can be smoothly assembled into the inside of the battery cell case, improving the structural stability of the current collector component, improving the battery's lifespan, reducing the deflection angle of the electrode terminals, and reducing the difficulty of subsequent production steps such as welding.

[0047] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application are all applicable to power-consuming devices that use various types of batteries.

[0048] Power-consuming devices may include vehicles, mobile phones, portable devices, laptop computers, steamships, aerospace vehicles, electric toys, and power tools. Vehicles may be fuel-oil vehicles, gas vehicles, or new energy vehicles, and new energy vehicles may be pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or range-extender vehicles. Aerospace vehicles include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft. Electric toys include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric vehicle toys, electric steamship toys, and electric airplane toys. Power tools include metal cutting power tools, polishing power tools, assembly power tools, and railway power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, hammer drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers. The embodiments of this application do not particularly limit the power-consuming devices described above.

[0049] For the sake of explanation, the following examples will be described using a vehicle as the power-consuming device.

[0050] For example, as shown in Figure 1, this is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle 1 according to one embodiment of this application, where the vehicle 1 may be a fuel oil 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. A motor 40, a controller 30, and a battery 10 may be installed inside the vehicle 1, and the controller 30 is for controlling the battery 10 to supply power to the motor 40. For example, the battery 10 may be installed at the bottom, front, or rear of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 may be used to power the vehicle 1, for example, as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, used in the circuit system of the vehicle 1, for example, for starting the vehicle 1, navigation, and operating power consumption requirements during operation. In another embodiment of this application, the battery 10 can provide driving power to the vehicle 1 not only as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, but also as a driving power source for the vehicle 1, in place of or in place of fuel oil or natural gas.

[0051] For example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery 10 according to an embodiment of this application. The battery 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 20. In addition to the battery cells 20, the battery 10 may further include a housing 11, the interior of which is hollow, and the plurality of battery cells 20 can be housed inside the housing 11. As shown in Figure 2, the housing 11 may include two parts, which are referred to as a first housing portion 111 and a second housing portion 112, respectively, and the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 are engaged. The shapes of the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 can be determined according to the shape of the plurality of battery cells 20 combined, and at least one of the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 has an opening. For example, as shown in Figure 2, only one of the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with an opening, while the other is a plate-like part that covers the opening. Here, taking as an example the case where the second housing portion 112 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped and only one side is an open surface, and the first housing portion 111 is plate-shaped, the first housing portion 111 is placed over the opening of the second housing portion 112 to form a housing 11 having a sealed chamber, and this chamber may be used to house a plurality of battery cells 20. The plurality of battery cells 20 are connected in parallel, in series, or in series-parallel and then placed in the housing 11 formed after the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 are engaged.

[0052] Furthermore, unlike in Figure 2, for example, the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 may both be hollow rectangular parallelepipeds, and each may have only one open surface, with the openings of the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 facing each other, and the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 engaging with each other to form a housing with a sealed chamber. Multiple battery cells 20 are connected in parallel, in series, or in series-parallel and then placed inside the housing 11 formed after the first housing portion 111 and the second housing portion 112 engage.

[0053] In some implementations, the battery 10 may further include other structures, which are not described here. For example, the battery 10 may further include a busbar member (not shown), which is used to realize electrical connections between multiple battery cells 20, such as parallel, series, or series-parallel connections. Specifically, the busbar member can realize electrical connections between the battery cells 20 by connecting to the electrode terminals of the battery cells 20. In some embodiments, the busbar member can be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells 20 by welding. The electrical energy of the multiple battery cells 20 can further be extracted through a conductive structure through the housing. In some embodiments, the conductive structure may belong to the busbar member.

[0054] To meet different power consumption demands, the number of battery cells 20 may be multiple, and the multiple battery cells may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel, where series-parallel connection is a combination of series and parallel connection. The battery 10 may also be called a battery pack. In some embodiments, multiple battery cells may first be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to form a battery module, and then the multiple battery modules may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to form the battery 10. In other words, multiple battery cells may directly form the battery 10, or they may first form a battery module, and the battery module may then form the battery 10.

[0055] To facilitate explanation, the technical proposal of this application will be described below using the cylindrical battery cell 20 shown in Figure 2 as an example. However, it should be understood that the battery cell 20 in the embodiment of this application may be a cylindrical battery cell, or it may be a rectangular housing-type battery cell or a blade-type battery cell, etc.

[0056] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, the battery cell 20 includes a case 210, an electrode assembly 220, and an end cap assembly 230. The case 210 and the end cap assembly 230 form a housing or battery case. The case 210 is made of a metal, for example, aluminum. The shape of the case 210 is determined according to the shape after one or more electrode assemblies 220 are combined. For example, the case 210 may be a hollow cylinder as shown in Figure 3.

[0057] The case 210 has an opening, and the electrode assembly 220 is housed inside the case 210. The end cap assembly 230 is used to cover this opening and secure the electrode assembly 220 inside the case 210. The case 210 and the end cap assembly 230 provide housing and protection for the electrode assembly 220 and other components. The case 210 is filled with an electrolyte, such as an electrolyte solution.

[0058] As shown in Figure 3, the end cap assembly 230 includes a negative electrode end cap assembly 2301 and a positive electrode end cap assembly 2302, which cover the openings of the case 210 from both ends, respectively, and place the electrode assembly 220 inside the case 210. The negative electrode end cap assembly 2301 is used to install the negative electrode terminals, and the positive electrode end cap assembly 2302 is used to install the positive electrode terminals. The positive electrode terminals are connected to the positive tab of the electrode assembly 220, and the negative electrode terminals are connected to the negative tab of the electrode assembly 220. The number of positive and negative electrode terminals may be arbitrary; for example, the battery cell 20 may have two positive electrode terminals and two negative electrode terminals, with the two positive electrode terminals installed on the positive electrode end cap assembly 2302 and the two negative electrode terminals installed on the negative electrode end cap assembly 2301. The structure of the positive electrode end cap assembly 2302 and the negative electrode end cap assembly 2301 is the same. The end cap assembly 230 described below may be either the positive electrode end cap assembly 2302 or the negative electrode end cap assembly 2301.

[0059] Depending on the actual usage requirements, the battery cell 20 may be provided with one or more electrode assemblies 220. For example, as shown in Figure 3, one electrode assembly 220 is installed inside the battery cell 20.

[0060] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 3, if the battery cell 20 is cylindrical, the range of values ​​for the diameter of this cylinder may be [10 mm, 100 mm]. For example, the diameter of the battery cell 20 may be set within the range obtained by 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 70 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, or any combination of any two of the above values.

[0061] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 3, the length range of the battery cell 20 may be [20mm, 1000mm]. For example, the length of the battery cell 20 may be set within the range obtained by combining any two of the above values: 20mm, 30mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, 80mm, 90mm, 100mm, 200mm, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm, 700mm, 800mm, 900mm, 1000mm, or 200mm, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm, 700mm, 800mm, 900mm, 1000mm.

[0062] Figure 4 shows an exploded view of an end cap assembly 230 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the end cap assembly 230 includes an end cap 233, an electrode terminal 237, and a tab for the electrode assembly 220.

[0063] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 4, a first insulating member 234 is installed between the end cap 233 and the electrode terminal 237, and this first insulating member 234 may be called an underplastic to achieve insulating isolation between the electrode terminal 237 and the end cap 233.

[0064] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 4, the end cap assembly 230 in the battery cell 20 further includes a crimping block 231 for securing electrode terminals 237 that protrude from the end cap 233.

[0065] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 4, the end cap assembly 230 in the battery cell 20 further includes a second insulating member 232, which may also be called an upper plastic, and is used to achieve insulating isolation between the end cap 233 and the crimping block 231.

[0066] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 4, the end cap assembly 230 in the battery cell 20 further includes a seal ring 235 for forming a seal between the electrode terminals 237 and the end cap 233. Exemplarily, the seal ring 235 may be annular in shape and fitted to the outside of the electrode terminals 237.

[0067] It should be understood that in some implementations, the end cap assembly 230 in the battery cell 20 in the embodiments of this application further includes a pressure relief structure for releasing pressure or temperature inside the battery cell 20 when the pressure or temperature inside the battery cell 20 reaches a threshold. This pressure relief structure may have a variety of possible structures. For example, the pressure relief structure may include a temperature-sensitive pressure relief structure configured to melt when the temperature inside the battery cell 20 on which the pressure relief structure is provided reaches a threshold, and / or the pressure relief structure may include a pressure-sensitive pressure relief structure configured to burst when the atmospheric pressure inside the battery cell 20 on which the pressure relief structure is provided reaches a threshold.

[0068] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the current collection structure 236 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0069] It should be understood that, for the sake of convenience, three directions are defined in the embodiments of this application, as shown in Figure 5. The first direction Z is the thickness direction of the current collection structure 236, and this first direction Z is perpendicular to the second direction X and the third direction Y. The second direction X is the longitudinal direction of the current collection structure 236, and the third direction Y is the width direction of the current collection structure 236, and this third direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0070] In the embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 5, the current collection structure 236 includes a current collection component 2361 and a guide component 2363.

[0071] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the current collector component 2361 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0072] As shown in Figure 6, the current collector component 2361 includes a first connection end 2366, a second connection end 2367, and a bent portion 2368. The first connection end 2366 and the second connection end 2367 are connected to opposite sides of the bent portion 2368, respectively. That is, the first connection end 2366, the bent portion 2368, and the second connection end 2367 are distributed sequentially. Specifically, the first connection end 2366 may be the end furthest from the tab connection end 2362, and the second connection end 2367 may be the end closer to the tab connection end 2362.

[0073] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide component 2363 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0074] As shown in Figure 7, the guide component 2363 has a weak portion 2364, and the bending strength of the weak portion 2364 is smaller than the bending strength of other parts of the guide component 2363 other than the weak portion 2364, that is, the weak portion 2364 belongs to the region of the guide component 2363 with the lowest bending strength, the guide component 2363 is fitted with the current collector component 2361, and when the guide component 2363 is fitted with the current collector component 2361, the position of the weak portion 2364 corresponds to the position of the bent portion 2368, and the guide component 2363 is used to guide the bent portion 2368 so that it bends at the position of the weak portion 2364.

[0075] The first connecting end 2366 refers to the portion on one side of the fold after the current collector component 2361 has been bent, and the second connecting end 2367 refers to the portion on the other side of the fold after the current collector component 2361 has been bent. Generally, the bending angle of the current collector component 2361 is relatively large, and the bending angle is generally between 170° and 180°. After the current collector component 2361 has been bent, the first connecting end 2366 and the second connecting end 2367 are generally installed stacked, that is, the first connecting end 2366 and the second connecting end 2367 are installed close to each other and facing each other. Of course, in some special cases, when the bending angle of the current collector component 2361 is relatively small, the pitch between the first connecting end 2366 and the second connecting end 2367 may be relatively large. This application does not limit the bending angle of the current collector component 2361.

[0076] The bent portion 2368 is the region where a crease is expected after the current collector component 2361 is bent. When the crease is in the bent portion 2368, it is shown that the bent current collector component 2361 will not make it difficult to attach the electrode assembly to the battery housing, and that an excessive deflection angle will not occur at the electrode terminals 237. In order to ensure the accuracy of the crease position, the bent portion 2368 should not be made too wide. Generally, the width of the bent portion 2368 should be 5 mm or less, and preferably 3 mm or less. Of course, in some special cases, for example, when the current collector component 2361 is relatively small and even if the crease misalignment is relatively large, it will not make it difficult to attach the electrode assembly to the battery housing, the width of the bent portion 2368 can be appropriately increased, for example, to 7 mm, 10 mm, or 13 mm. In this application, the width of the bent portion 2368 is not limited. Generally, the current collector component 2361 is bent longitudinally, in which case the length of the bent portion 2368 should be equal to the width of the current collector component 2361 at the bent portion 2368 position. Of course, in some special cases, the current collector component 2361 may be bent in the width direction, in which case the length of the bent portion 2368 should be equal to the length of the current collector component 2361 at the bent portion 2368 position. The length of the bent portion 2368 is not limited in this application.

[0077] The weak point 2364 is a region in the guide component 2363 where the bending strength is relatively low. Generally, in order to correspond to the current collector component 2361, the bending strength on both sides of the weak point 2364 should be greater than that of the weak point 2364 itself. In other words, the weak point 2364 should be in an intermediate region of the guide component 2363, meaning that one side of the weak point 2364 has a structure where the bending strength is greater than that of the weak point 2364, and the other side of the weak point 2364 has a structure where the bending strength is greater than that of the weak point 2364 itself. In this case, the guide component 2363 should engage with the current collector component 2361, the first connection end 2366 of the current collector component 2361 should engage with the portion of the guide component 2363 located on one side of the weak portion 2364, the second connection end 2367 of the current collector component 2361 should engage with the portion of the guide component 2363 located on the other side of the weak portion 2364, and the bent portion 2368 of the current collector component 2361 should engage with the weak portion 2364 of the guide component 2363. Of course, in some special cases, the weak portion 2364 may be at one end of the guide component 2363, in which case one side of the weak portion 2364 has a structure with greater bending strength than the weak portion 2364, and there is no arbitrary structure on the other side of the weak portion 2364. In this case, the guide component 2363 should engage with the current collector component 2361, the first connection end 2366 of the current collector component 2361 should engage with the portion of the guide component 2363 located on one side of the vulnerable portion 2364, and the bent portion 2368 of the current collector component 2361 should engage with the vulnerable portion 2364 of the guide component 2363.

[0078] The engagement of the guide component 2363 with the current collector component 2361 means that the guide component 2363 is attached to the current collector component 2361. Specifically, the guide component 2363 may be attached to the surface of the current collector component 2361 or to the inside of the current collector component 2361. If the vulnerable portion 2364 is in the middle region of the guide component 2363, the portion of the guide component 2363 located on one side of the vulnerable portion 2364 is attached to the first connection end 2366 of the current collector component 2361, the vulnerable portion 2364 in the guide component 2363 is attached to the bent portion 2368 of the current collector component 2361, and the portion of the guide component 2363 located on the other side of the vulnerable portion 2364 is attached to the second connection end 2367 of the current collector component 2361. If the vulnerable portion 2364 is at one end of the guide component 2363, the portion of the guide component 2363 located on one side of the vulnerable portion 2364 is attached to the first connection end 2366 of the current collector component 2361, and the vulnerable portion 2364 in the guide component 2363 is attached to the bent portion 2368 of the current collector component 2361. In summary, the fragile portion 2364 of the guide component 2363 needs to fit with the bent portion 2368 of the current collector component 2361, meaning that the fragile portion 2364 and the bent portion 2368 are stacked and installed, and the projection of the fragile portion 2364 in the stacking direction falls at least partially onto the bent portion 2368, meaning that the fragile portion 2364 and the bent portion 2368 overlap at least partially in the stacking direction. Preferably, in order to ensure the guiding effect of the guide component 2363, the projection of the fragile portion 2364 of the guide component 2363 in the stacking direction is entirely onto the bent portion 2368, so that after the current collector component 2361 is bent, all of the folds are within the range of the bent portion 2368.

[0079] In the embodiment of this application, the current collector component 2361 has sequentially distributed first connection end 2366, a bend portion 2368, and a second connection end 2367, and the guide component 2363 has a weak portion 2364. Before bending the current collector component 2361, the guide component 2363 is fitted to the current collector component 2361, thereby connecting or contacting the guide component 2363 with the current collector component 2361, and the weak portion 2364 corresponds to the position of the bend portion 2368. Because the bending strength of the weak portion 2364 is less than the bending strength of other areas on the guide component 2363, the current collector component 2361 is bent. During the process, the guide component 2363 is bent at the weak portion 2364, and since the weak portion 2364 corresponds to the position of the bent portion 2368, the guide component 2363 guides the current collector component 2361 to bend at the position of the bent portion 2368. This effectively reduces the amount of offset and inclination that occurs during the bending process of the bending axis of the bent portion 2368, and further allows the current collector component 2361 to be smoothly incorporated into the battery cell case, improving the structural stability of the current collector component 2361 and extending the battery's lifespan.

[0080] Figure 9 shows a side view of the current collection structure 236 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0081] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments of this application, the guide component 2363 is installed on at least one side of the current collector component 2361. Specifically, the current collector component 2361 has one side located at one end in the stacking direction, and the current collector component 2361 further has another side located at the other end in the stacking direction. The guide component 2363 may be installed only on the aforementioned one side of the current collector component 2361, in which case the guide component 2363 can be used to guide the position of the crease that occurs during the bending of the current collector component 2361 from one side of the current collector component 2361. The guide component 2363 may be installed only on the aforementioned other side of the current collector component 2361, in which case the guide component 2363 can be used to guide the position of the crease that occurs during the bending of the current collector component 2361 from the other side of the current collector component 2361.

[0082] Figure 10 shows a side view of another current collection structure 236 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0083] As shown in Figure 10, at least two guide components 2363 may be installed, some of which may be installed on one side of the current collector component 2361, and the other guide component 2363 may be installed on the other side of the current collector component 2361. In this case, the guide components 2363 can be used to guide the position of the crease that occurs when the current collector component 2361 is bent, from both sides of the current collector component 2361.

[0084] In summary, one guide component 2363 may be installed, in which case the guide component 2363 may be installed on one side or the other side of the current collector component 2361. Two or more guide components 2363 may be installed, in which case some of the guide components 2363 may be installed on one side of the current collector component 2361 and the other of the guide components 2363 may be installed on the other side of the current collector component 2361. When the guide component 2363 is installed on one side of the current collector component 2361, the guide component 2363 can be installed on the side on which the inner surface is formed after bending on the current collector component 2361. As the current collector component 2361 is bent, the guide component 2363 located on the inside of the current collector component 2361 deforms relatively large first, thus better guiding the bending axis of the current collector component 2361 so that it is held in the bent portion 2368. When the guide components 2363 are installed on both sides of the current collector component 2361, the guide components 2363 can guide the position of the bending axis during the process of bending the current collector component 2361 on both sides, and can better guide the bending axis of the current collector component 2361 so that it is held in the bending portion 2368.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, the current collector component 2361 includes at least two current collector layers, the at least two current collector layers are stacked and installed along the thickness direction of the current collector component 2361, and a guide component 2363 is installed on at least one of the current collector layers.

[0086] The current collector layer is a layered structure that forms the current collector component 2361. The current collector layer may be made of metal pieces and is used to conduct electric current. Specifically, the material of the current collector layer may include one of the following: gold, silver, copper, aluminum, and iron. In order for the current collector component 2361 to have a sufficient current passage area, it is necessary for the current collector component 2361 to have a sufficient cross-sectional area. This results in the structural strength of the current collector component 2361 being too high, making it difficult to bend. By using at least two current collector layers to form the current collector component 2361 together, the current passage area is ensured, while the overall structural strength of the current collector component 2361 is reduced, making it easier to bend. The number of layers in the current collector layer may be any number of two or more layers. For example, the number of layers in the current collector layer may be any number of layers from 2 to 50. Preferably, the number of layers in the current collector layer may be any number of layers from 5 to 15. Specifically, the number of layers in the current collector layer may be 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, etc.

[0087] The installation of a guide component 2363 on at least one current collector layer means that the guide component 2363 is connected to at least one current collector layer. Specifically, there may be one or at least two guide components 2363. If there is one guide component 2363, it may be connected alone to the outermost current collector layer, in which case the guide component 2363 is installed on only one current collector layer. The guide component 2363 may also be connected to an intermediate current collector layer, in which case the guide component 2363 is installed on both current collector layers. If there are at least two guide components 2363, each guide component 2363 may be connected to multiple current collector layers, in which case the guide component 2363 is installed on at least two current collector layers.

[0088] If the current collector component 2361 is formed of at least two current collector layers, thereby ensuring a current passage area, the difficulty of bending the current collector component 2361 is reduced, making it easier to bend. The guide component 2363 may be installed on some of the current collector layers, i.e., the guide component 2363 may be installed on all of the current collector layers, i.e., the guide component 2363 may be installed on all of the current collector layers. By using the guide component 2363, the bending axis of the easily bendable current collector component 2361 can always be maintained at the bending portion 2368 during the bending process.

[0089] Figure 11 shows a side view of yet another current collection structure 236 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0090] As shown in Figure 11, in some embodiments of this application, the guide component 2363 is installed between at least one pair of adjacent current collector layers.

[0091] If there is one guide component 2363, it may be installed between a pair of adjacent current collector layers. If there are at least two guide components 2363, one of them may be installed between a pair of adjacent current collector layers, and the other guide components 2363 may be installed in other positions. For example, some of the guide components 2363 may be installed between two current collector layers, and some of the guide components 2363 may be installed outside the outermost current collector layer.

[0092] By installing at least some of the guide components 2363 between two adjacent current collector layers, the pitch between each current collector layer and the guide components 2363 can be made relatively small, improving the guiding effect of the guide components 2363. This allows the guide components 2363 to be used more effectively to keep the bending axis of the easily bendable current collector component 2361 always in place at the bending portion 2368 during the bending process.

[0093] In some embodiments of this application, the current collector component 2361 is a conductive structure, and the guide component 2363 is an insulating structure.

[0094] The current collector component 2361 being conductive means that current can be transmitted from one end to the other in a direction perpendicular to the fold. Specifically, the current collector component 2361 may be made entirely of conductive materials such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum, or it may be made partly of conductive material and partly of non-conductive material, as long as current can be transmitted from one end to the other in a direction perpendicular to the fold.

[0095] The fact that the guide component 2363 has an insulating structure means that current cannot be transmitted from one end of the guide component 2363 to the other end in a direction perpendicular to the fold. Specifically, the guide component 2363 may be made entirely of insulating material, or partly of insulating material and partly of conductive material, as long as current cannot be transmitted from one end of the current collector component 2361 to the other end in a direction perpendicular to the fold.

[0096] Since the guide component 2363 needs to form a vulnerable portion 2364, if the guide component 2363 has a conductive structure, the current passage area in the vulnerable portion 2364 is relatively small, the resistance there is relatively large, the temperature there is relatively high during operation, and consequently the vulnerable portion 2364 may thermally weld and break, which poses a relatively large safety concern. If the guide component 2363 has an insulating structure, the occurrence of the above case can be effectively avoided.

[0097] In some embodiments of this application, the material of the guide component 2363 includes at least one of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polychloroethylene (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and rubber.

[0098] The guide part 2363 made of the above material not only has relatively good insulation properties but also relatively high toughness, making it less likely to break during bending. This ensures that the guide part 2363 can guide the position of the bending axis of the current collector part 2361 throughout the entire bending process of the current collector part 2361. Furthermore, because the density of the above material is relatively low, the guide part 2363 made of the above material can effectively reduce the overall weight of the structure.

[0099] In some embodiments of this application, both the current collector component 2361 and the guide component 2363 are conductive structures.

[0100] In a direction perpendicular to the fold, current can be transmitted from one end of the current collector 2361 to the other end of the current collector 2361, and current can be transmitted from one end of the guide component 2363 to the other end of the guide component 2363. Specifically, the current collector 2361 and the guide component 2363 may be made entirely of conductive materials such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum, or part of them may be made of conductive materials and part of them may be made of non-conductive materials, as long as current can be transmitted from one end of the current collector 2361 and the guide component 2363 to the other end in a direction perpendicular to the fold.

[0101] When the ratio of the cross-section of the weak part of the guide component 2363 to the cross-section of other areas of the guide component 2363 is relatively high, and consequently the distinction between the two is relatively small, the amount of heat generated when current flows to the weak part is relatively low, thereby ensuring safety. This effectively improves the current passage area of ​​the entire current collection structure 236, allowing the guide component 2363 to share the current passage pressure with the current collection component 2361, thereby improving the overall current passage capability of the current collection structure 236.

[0102] In some embodiments of this application, the guide component 2363 is attached to the current collector component 2361, and at least a portion of the guide component 2363 is bonded to the current collector component 2361.

[0103] The guide component 2363 being attached to the current collector component 2361 means that the surfaces of the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 are connected at all opposite points, or that their surfaces are connected at some opposite points, with a relatively small gap formed at the other points.

[0104] The guide component 2363 can be bonded to the current collector component 2361 by applying a rubber seal. Specifically, the rubber between the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 may be a relatively soft rubber with low structural strength to avoid situations where the rubber's structural strength is too high, making it difficult to bend the current collector component 2361.

[0105] In some embodiments of this application, at least a portion of the guide component 2363 is welded to the current collector component 2361.

[0106] If both the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 are made of metal, they can be attached together by welding to permanently connect them. Of course, with advances in welding technology, if at least one of the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 is nonmetallic, they may also be permanently connected by welding if they are weldable.

[0107] By using adhesive or welding methods, the relatively large surface area of ​​the guide part 2363 can be fixedly connected to the side of the current collector part 2361. In this case, the connection between the two is strong, and the guide part 2363 is less likely to slip against the current collector part 2361 during the bending process. As a result, the guide part 2363 is less likely to guide the bending axis of the current collector part 2361 outside the bending portion 2368.

[0108] In some embodiments of this application, the guide component 2363 abuts against the current collector component 2361, and at least a portion of the guide component 2363 and at least a portion of the current collector component 2361 are used to abut each other under the action of an external force.

[0109] The contact between the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 occurs when the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 are not fixedly connected by means of adhesive, welding, or other methods, and the guide component 2363 remains attached to at least a portion of the guide component 2363 and at least a portion of the current collector component 2361. Specifically, the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 can come into contact with each other under the action of an external force. For example, the guide component 2363 can be made to move toward the current collector component 2361 or have a tendency to move toward the current collector component 2361 by receiving an external force on the side away from the current collector component 2361, and the current collector component 2361 can be made to move toward the guide component 2363 or have a tendency to move toward the guide component 2361 by receiving an external force on the side away from the guide component 2363. Under the action of the forces acting on both sides as described above, the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 can come into contact with each other, and under the action of frictional force, the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 can maintain their relative positions fixed, and when a bending force is applied to the current collector component 2361, the guide component 2363 is first bent at the weak portion 2364 and can guide the bending region of the current collector component 2361.

[0110] When the guide component 2363 and the current collector component 2361 come into contact with each other, the relatively large surface area of ​​the guide component 2363 is attached to the side of the current collector component 2361, and by utilizing frictional force, the positions of both can be kept constant. As the current collector component 2361 is bent, the guide component 2363 becomes less likely to slip against the current collector component 2361, and as a result, the guide component 2363 is less likely to guide the bending axis of the current collector component 2361 outside the bending portion 2368.

[0111] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide component 2363 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0112] As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments of this application, at least a portion of the weak portion 2364 is a thin-walled region 2365. The thickness of at least a portion of the thin-walled region 2365 is less than the thickness of the other portions of the weak portion 2364, or at least a portion of the thin-walled region 2365 is hollow.

[0113] A thin-walled region 2365 is a cavity in a hollow structure when the thickness of the guide part 2363 at this point is lower than the thickness of other areas of the guide part 2363, and the thickness of the thin-walled region 2365 is as low as 0.

[0114] By forming a thin-walled region 2365 in some or all of the weak portion 2364, the bending strength of the weak portion 2364 can be effectively reduced. Specifically, the thin-walled region 2365 may be a region with a relatively low thickness, or it may be a hollowed-out region, and in both of these cases, the bending strength of the thin-walled region 2365 may be lower than the bending strength of other regions of the guide part 2363.

[0115] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide component 2363 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0116] As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments of the present application, at least a portion of the thin-walled region 2365 is located at at least one end of the weak portion 2364 in a first direction, the first direction intersects the connection direction between the first connection end 2366 and the second connection end 2367.

[0117] The thin-walled regions 2365 may all be located at one end in the first direction, or a portion of the thin-walled regions 2365 may be located at one end in the first direction and the other portion may all be located at the other end in the first direction. A portion of the thin-walled regions 2365 may be located at one end in the first direction and the other portion at the other end in the first direction, and the remaining portion may be located at another position such as the center in the first direction.

[0118] The current collector component 2361 is bent between a first connection end 2366 and a second connection end 2367, and the fold of the current collector component 2361 intersects the connection direction between the first connection end 2366 and the second connection end 2367, with the first direction in this application being approximately parallel to the fold. Specifically, the angle between the first direction and the fold is 0 to 15°. In this application, the case where the first direction is perfectly parallel to the fold is used as an example.

[0119] The thin-walled region 2365 is located at one or both ends of the weak portion 2364 in a first direction, thereby facilitating processing and manufacturing. Specifically, if the thin-walled region 2365 is a region with relatively low thickness, one or both ends of the weak portion 2364 can be directly processed using methods such as grinding and cutting, and processing is easy because the location requiring processing is at the end and there is ample working space. If the thin-walled region 2365 is a hollowed-out region, one or both ends of the weak portion 2364 can be directly processed using methods such as grinding, cutting, and pressing, and similarly, processing is easy because the location requiring processing is at the end and there is ample working space.

[0120] Furthermore, when the thin-walled regions 2365 are placed at both ends in the first direction, the positions of both ends of the fold can be limited by utilizing the thin-walled regions 2365, which is advantageous for controlling the deflection angle of the fold. Specifically, if the thin-walled regions 2365 are located only in the middle region of the fold, both ends of the fold tend to tilt toward the direction protruding from the weak portion 2364, and as a result the deflection angle of the fold becomes too large, only the central part of the fold is located in the weak portion 2364, and both ends of the fold are located outside the weak portion 2364. Specifically, one end of the fold may be located on one side of the weak portion 2364, and the other end of the fold may be located on the other side of the weak portion 2364 opposite to this side. However, when the thin-walled regions 2365 are placed at both ends in the first direction, the positions of both ends of the fold are determined to be within the weak portion 2364, and the intermediate region of the fold is necessarily within the weak portion 2364. Therefore, the deflection angle of the fold can be effectively controlled, and it is possible to ensure that the entire fold is within the weak portion 2364.

[0121] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another guide component 2363 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0122] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments of this application, at least a portion of the thin-walled region 2365 may be located in the central part of the weak portion 2364 in a first direction. The first direction intersects the connection direction between the first connection end 2366 and the second connection end 2367.

[0123] The placement of the thin-walled region 2365 in the central part of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction means that both ends of the thin-walled region 2365 in the first direction are at a certain distance from the edge of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction, for example, this distance may be 1 to 10 mm.

[0124] The thin-walled regions 2365 may all be located in the central part of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction, or a portion of the thin-walled regions 2365 may be located in the central part of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction and the other portion may be located at other positions, such as the ends of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction.

[0125] The thin-walled region 2365 is located in the central part of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction, which is advantageous for the weak portion 2364 to have a lower bending strength, thereby making it easier to bend and to retain folds within the weak portion 2364. Specifically, since the central part of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction has a larger area than both ends of the weak portion 2364 in the first direction, the area of ​​the thin-walled region 2365 can be increased, and the bending strength controlling the weak portion 2364 can be reduced more effectively.

[0126] In some embodiments of this application, the guide component 2363 is a one-piece molded structure.

[0127] The weak portion 2364 and other parts of the guide part 2363 may be formed in a single manufacturing process. For example, the guide part 2363 may be formed by cutting a portion of a relatively large plate structure, or the guide part 2363 may be formed by integral casting of a mold. Alternatively, for example, the base body of the guide part 2363 may be formed by cutting a portion of a relatively large plate structure, and then the guide part 2363 may be formed by grinding, cutting, pressing, etc., or the base body of the guide part 2363 may be formed by integral casting of a mold, and then the guide part 2363 may be formed by grinding, cutting, pressing, etc.

[0128] Because the guide part 2363 has an integrally molded structure, it not only simplifies manufacturing but also ensures the structural strength of the guide part 2363, making it less likely to break or fray during the bending process.

[0129] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concepts of this application and do not limit them. While this application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical concepts described in the above embodiments or replace some or all of the technical features equally, but these modifications or replacements should be understood as not causing the essence of the relevant technical concepts to deviate from the scope of the technical concepts of each embodiment of this application, and should be included within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, unless there is a structural inconsistency, each technical feature referred to in each embodiment can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical concepts included within the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0130] 1-Power consumption device, 10-Battery, 20-Battery cell, 30-Controller, 40-Motor, 11-Housing, 111-First housing section, 112-Second housing section, 210-Case, 220-Electrode assembly, 230-End cap assembly, 2301-Negative electrode end cap assembly, 2302-Positive electrode end cap assembly, 231-Crimping block, 232-Second insulating member, 233-End cap, 234-First insulating member, 235-Seal ring, 236-Current collection structure, 2361-Current collection component, 2362-Tab connection end, 2363-Guide component, 2364-Weak part, 2365-Thin-walled region, 2366-First connection end, 2367-Second connection end, 2368-Bent part, 237-Electrode terminal.

Claims

1. It is a current collection structure, A current collector component including a first connecting end, a second connecting end, and a bent portion connected to the first connecting end and the second connecting end, A current collection structure characterized by a guide component having a weak portion, wherein the bending strength of the weak portion is less than the bending strength of other parts of the guide component other than the weak portion, the guide component fits with the current collection component, the weak portion corresponds to the position of the bent portion, and the guide component includes a guide component used to guide the bent portion so that it bends at the position of the weak portion.

2. The current collection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide component is installed on at least one side of the current collection component.

3. The current collection structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the current collection component includes at least two current collection layers, the at least two current collection layers are stacked and installed along the thickness direction of the current collection component, and the guide component is provided on at least one of the current collection layers.

4. The current collection structure according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide component is installed between at least one pair of adjacent current collection layers.

5. The current collection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the current collection component has a conductive structure and the guide component has an insulating structure.

6. The current collector structure according to claim 5, characterized in that the material of the guide component includes at least one of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polychloroethylene (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and rubber.

7. The current collection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that both the current collection component and the guide component have a conductive structure.

8. The current collection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the guide component is attached to the current collection component, at least a portion of the guide component is bonded to the current collection component, and / or at least a portion of the guide component is welded to the current collection component.

9. The current collection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the guide component abuts against the current collection component, and at least a portion of the guide component and at least a portion of the current collection component are both used to abut each other under the action of an external force.

10. At least a portion of the aforementioned vulnerable area is a thin-walled region, The current collector structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the thickness of at least a portion of the thin-walled region is smaller than the thickness of other portions of the fragile portion other than the thin-walled region, or at least a portion of the thin-walled region has a hollow structure.

11. The current collection structure according to claim 10, characterized in that at least a portion of the thin-walled region is installed at at least one end of the fragile portion in a first direction, and the first direction intersects the connection direction between the first connection end and the second connection end.

12. The current collection structure according to claim 10, characterized in that at least a portion of the thin-walled region is located in the central part of the weak portion in a first direction, and the first direction intersects with the connection direction between the first connection end and the second connection end.

13. The current collection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the guide component has an integrally molded structure.

14. It is a battery cell, Electrode terminals, Electrode assembly and A battery cell characterized by comprising a current collection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein one end is connected to the electrode terminal and the other end is connected to the electrode assembly.

15. The battery cell according to claim 14, characterized in that the battery cell is a cylindrical battery or a prismatic battery.

16. It is a battery, A battery characterized by including the battery cell described in claim 14 or 15.

17. It is a power-consuming device, A power consumption device characterized by including the battery described in claim 16.

Images