Battery, method for manufacturing battery, and power consumption device

Abstract

This application relates to a battery, a method for manufacturing a battery, and a power consumption device, the battery including at least two battery cells, each of which has electrode terminals disposed at both longitudinal ends of the battery cell, with one electrode terminal having a filler hole along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell for injecting electrolyte, and the electrode terminals of the two battery cells having the filler hole disposed opposite each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell and welded together. In the battery of this application, the filler hole is disposed in the electrode terminal, so that the filler hole does not occupy space in the end cap, thereby increasing the size of the electrode terminal and increasing the current-passing area of ​​the electrode terminal. Furthermore, the electrode terminal itself directly seals the entire battery without the need for an additional sealing process, thereby reducing costs and improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of energy storage devices, and particularly to batteries, battery manufacturing methods, and power consumption devices.

Background Art

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are the key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. In such a case, electric vehicles have become an important component of the sustainable development of the automotive industry due to their energy conservation and environmental protection advantages. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor related to their development.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In the production process of batteries, it is necessary to inject electrolyte into the battery cells. In the prior art, it is necessary to open a liquid injection hole in the end cap of the battery cell, inject the electrolyte through the liquid injection hole, and then seal the liquid injection hole. The process is complex and the cost is high.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a battery, the liquid injection hole of which does not occupy the end cap space, can provide a sufficient and flexible installation method and arrangement space for other elements on the end cap, does not affect the structural strength of the end cap, and does not require an additional sealing process for the liquid injection hole, with high production efficiency and low cost.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a battery is provided. The battery includes at least two battery cells, and the battery cells include electrode terminals installed at both ends on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell. Here, a liquid injection hole for injecting electrolyte along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell is provided in one of the electrode terminals, and the electrode terminals of the two battery cells are installed opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell and are welded and connected to seal the liquid injection hole.

[0006] The liquid injection hole is installed on the electrode terminal, and the liquid injection hole does not occupy the space of the end cap, which can facilitate the installation of other elements. For example, the size of the electrode terminal can be increased, and the current passing area of the electrode terminal can be increased. The two electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes are installed opposite to each other and welded, eliminating the need for an additional sealing process. The overall sealing of the battery can be directly realized by the electrode terminal itself, improving production efficiency and reducing costs.

[0007] In some embodiments, by positioning the liquid injection hole at the central position of the electrode terminal, the communication installation of the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells is facilitated.

[0008] The liquid injection hole is installed at the central position of the electrode terminal, which can avoid the influence of the welding of the electrode terminal on the liquid injection hole. When the two electrode terminals are butted, the communication between the two liquid injection holes can also be facilitated, so that the electrolytes between the two battery cells are complementary and balanced.

[0009] In some embodiments, a groove is further provided on the side surface of the electrode terminal provided with the liquid injection hole, and along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the battery cell, the size of the groove is larger than the size of the liquid injection hole.

[0010] When welding the two electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes, due to the buffering effect of the groove on the electrolyte, during the welding process, the risk of the electrolyte flowing out of the liquid injection hole is reduced, and the influence of the outflow of the electrolyte on the quality of the welding joint is avoided.

[0011] In some embodiments, the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells are offset by installing the liquid injection holes offset from the central position of the electrode terminal.

[0012] When installing two liquid injection holes with a displacement, the two liquid injection holes cannot be displaced and communicated. After welding and connecting the two electrode terminals, one of the liquid injection holes can be sealed by the portion where the liquid injection hole of the other electrode terminal is not installed, so as to avoid the electrolyte in the two battery cells flowing into each other during the use process.

[0013] In some embodiments, a step portion is provided on the outer periphery of the end portion of the electrode terminal along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell, and the step portions of the two battery cells are installed opposite to each other to form a welding groove.

[0014] Weld and connect the two electrode terminals at the position of the welding groove. When performing the welding connection, the reflection of the welding laser is concentrated in the welding groove, improving the welding quality and strengthening the sealing property of the battery.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the liquid injection hole is circular, square, triangular or polygonal. In order to weld and connect the electrode terminals of the two battery cells, there is no need to weld and seal the liquid injection hole with an additional sealing nail. Therefore, the shape of the liquid injection hole is not limited by the laser welding track and is not limited to being circular, and the shape of the liquid injection hole can be installed more flexibly.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery cell is a cylindrical battery, and / or the electrode terminal is a cylindrical electrode terminal.

[0017] According to the second aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a method for manufacturing a battery is provided. The battery includes at least two battery cells, and the battery cell includes electrode terminals installed at both ends along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell. The method for manufacturing the battery includes the steps of installing a liquid injection hole for injecting electrolyte along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell on one of the electrode terminals, injecting electrolyte into the battery cell through the liquid injection hole, and installing and welding and connecting the electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a battery further includes a step of detecting the airtightness of the battery to ensure that the battery has good sealing performance.

[0019] In some embodiments, before installing the electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes of two battery cells opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell and performing welding connection, it further includes a step of injecting helium gas into the inside of the battery cell through the liquid injection holes.

[0020] Injecting helium gas into the inside of the battery cell through the liquid injection holes, further welding and connecting the electrode terminals of the two battery cells, eliminating the need to additionally open an airtightness detection hole and seal the detection hole, reducing the battery manufacturing process, and improving production efficiency.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a power consumption device is provided. The power consumption device includes the battery of the first aspect or the battery manufactured by the method for manufacturing a battery of the second aspect, and the battery is used to supply electrical energy.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and subsequent detailed description are only exemplary and do not limit the present application.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings that need to be used in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only specific embodiments of the present application. Based on these drawings, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings without creative efforts.

[0024]

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[0025] The drawings here are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of this specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present application, and are for interpreting the principle of the present application together with the specification.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the following will combine the drawings to elaborate in detail on the embodiments of this application.

[0027] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0028] The terms used in the embodiments of this application are only for the purpose of explaining specific embodiments and do not limit this application. The singular forms of "a kind of", "the" and "said" used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are intended to include the plural forms, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context.

[0029] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this specification only describes the relevant relationship of the relevant objects and represents that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent three cases: A alone, the combination of A and B, and B alone. Also, the character " / " in the text generally represents that the relevant objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0030] It should be noted that the orientation terms such as "above", "below", "left", "right", etc. described in the embodiments of this application are described at the angles shown in the drawings and should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of this application. In addition, in the context, it should be further understood that when it is mentioned that one element is connected "above" or "below" another element, it can not only be directly connected "above" or "below" another element, but also be connected "above" or "below" another element through an intermediate element.

[0031] The battery mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to a single physical module including one or more battery cells to provide a higher voltage and capacity.

[0032] The battery cell includes an electrode assembly, a case, an end cap assembly, and an electrolytic solution injected into the battery cell. The electrode assembly is installed within the case, the end cap assembly is connected to the case, and seals the electrode assembly within the case. The end cap assembly includes an end cap and electrode terminals installed on the end cap, and the electrode assembly is electrically connected to the electrode terminals. Multiple battery cells are connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel by the electrode terminals, and series-parallel connection means a mixture of series connection and parallel connection.

[0033] The applicant notes that the liquid injection hole for injecting the electrolytic solution into the battery cell is generally installed on the end cap, and since the liquid injection hole occupies the space of the end cap, the electrode terminals installed on the end cap cannot be enlarged, and accordingly, the current passing area of the electrode terminals also decreases. Opening a liquid injection hole on the end cap also reduces the structural strength of the end cap and requires an additional sealing process for the liquid injection hole.

[0034] To solve the above problems, the applicant improves the structure of the battery, installs the liquid injection hole on the electrode terminal, so that the liquid injection hole does not occupy the space of the end cap, the electrode terminal can be enlarged, the current passing area can be increased, and the structural strength of the end cap is not affected. Furthermore, by installing the electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes of two battery cells facing each other and welding them together, there is no need to perform an additional sealing process for the liquid injection hole, improving production efficiency and reducing costs. Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present application will be further described.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram in a specific embodiment of the power consumption device according to the present application.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiments of the present application provide a battery B and a power consumption device using the battery B as a power source. The power consumption device using the battery B as a power source includes devices such as a vehicle A, a ship, and a small aircraft. The device adopts the battery B to supply electrical energy and generate a driving force for driving the device. The device may simultaneously use electric power and other types of energy (e.g., fossil energy) to generate a driving force together. Any device that can use the battery B as a power source belongs to the protection scope of the present application.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, taking the vehicle A as an example, the vehicle A in the embodiments of the present application may be a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, or may be a hybrid vehicle or a range extender vehicle, etc. Inside the vehicle A, the battery B is installed, and the battery B may be installed at the bottom, head, or rear of the vehicle A. The battery B can be used for power supply to the vehicle A. For example, the battery B can be used as the operating power source of the vehicle A. The vehicle A may further include a controller C and a motor M. The controller C is for controlling the battery B to supply power to the motor M, for example, for use in the operating power requirements during the start, navigation, and driving of the vehicle A.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery B can not only be used as the operating power source of the vehicle A, but also be used as the driving power source of the vehicle A to provide driving power to the vehicle A instead of gasoline or natural gas, or instead of a part of them.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the battery B in some embodiments of the present application.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the battery B in some embodiments of the present application includes at least two battery cells 100, where the electrode terminals 11 of the two battery cells 100 are welded and connected. The electrode terminals 11 of the battery cell 100 include a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, and the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are respectively installed at both ends of the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell 100.

[0041] When two battery cells 100 are welded and connected to form battery B, the positive terminals of the two battery cells 100 can be arranged to face each other and welded and connected, whereby the two battery cells 100 can be connected in parallel. Or, the negative terminals of the two battery cells 100 can be arranged to face each other and welded and connected, whereby the two battery cells 100 can be connected in parallel. Among them, the positive terminal of one battery cell 100 and the negative terminal of the other battery cell 100 are arranged to face each other and welded and connected, whereby the two battery cells 100 can be connected in series.

[0042] In some embodiments, in order to meet different power usage requirements, battery B may include a plurality of battery cells 100. Optionally, first, the electrode terminals 11 of two battery cells 100 are welded and connected, and then the battery cells 100 that are welded and connected in pairs are connected in parallel or in series or in series-parallel to form battery B. Connecting in series-parallel means a mixture of series connection and parallel connection. First, the electrode terminals 11 of two battery cells 100 are welded and connected, and then one of the electrode terminals 11 of another battery cell 100 is welded and connected to the electrode terminal 11 at the end of one of the two battery cells 100 that are welded and connected, whereby a battery B in which three battery cells 100 are welded and connected along a straight line may be formed. Or, by analogy based on this, a plurality of battery cells 100 are welded and connected along a straight line to form battery B.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the battery cell 100 according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, the battery cell 100 includes an end cap assembly 1, a case 2, an electrode assembly disposed within the case 2, and an electrolytic solution injected into the battery cell 100 (in the drawings of the following embodiments, the electrode assembly and the electrolytic solution are not shown in the figures in order to clearly show the gist of the invention of the present application). The end cap assembly 1 is connected to the case 2 and seals the electrode assembly within the case 2. The end cap assembly 1 includes an end cap 12 and an electrode terminal 11 disposed on the end cap 12, and the electrode assembly is electrically connected to the electrode terminal 11. The end cap 12 covers the opening of the case 2, thereby providing a sealed space for the electrode assembly and the electrolytic solution. The case 2 may have various shapes, such as a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc. The shape of the case 2 can be determined based on the specific shape of the electrode assembly. For example, if the electrode assembly has a cylindrical structure, the case 2 may select a cylindrical structure, and if the electrode assembly has a rectangular parallelepiped structure, the case 2 may select a rectangular parallelepiped structure. As can be understood, the shape of the case 2 and the shape of the electrode assembly may be different.

[0045] Exemplarily, in FIG. 3, the case 2 has a cylindrical structure with both ends open, and the end cap assemblies 1 cover the openings at both ends respectively. Electrode terminals 11 are provided on both end cap assemblies 1 on both sides, and the polarities of the electrode terminals 11 on both sides are opposite. The material of the case 2 can be various, such as plastic, copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not particularly limit this.

[0046] When assembling the battery cell 100, first place the electrode assembly within the case 2, then electrically connect and fix the electrode assembly and the electrode terminal 11, and then fixedly connect the end caps 12 on both sides to the case 2 to complete the assembly of the battery cell 100. After completion of the assembly, an electrolytic solution is injected into the interior of the battery cell 100.

[0047] In one specific embodiment, the present application provides a battery, which includes at least two battery cells 100. The battery cell 100 includes electrode terminals 11 installed at both ends on both sides of the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell 100. A liquid injection hole 111 for injecting electrolyte along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell is provided at one electrode terminal 11 of the battery cell 100. The electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are installed opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X and are welded and connected to seal the liquid injection hole 111.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a top view of the battery cell 100 in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E of one embodiment in FIG. 4.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the electrode terminal 11 is installed on the end cap 12, and the liquid injection hole 111 is provided in the electrode terminal 11. The liquid injection hole 111 is a through hole penetrating the electrode terminal 11. After the assembly of the battery cell 100 is completed, the electrolyte is injected into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111.

[0050] The liquid injection hole 111 is installed in the electrode terminal 11, and the liquid injection hole 111 does not occupy the space of the end cap 12, thereby increasing the size of the electrode terminal 11 and increasing the current passing area of the electrode terminal 11.

[0051] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the battery B of one embodiment of the present application.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, after a certain amount of electrolyte is injected into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111, the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are installed opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell and are welded and connected to form the battery B.

[0053] In this embodiment, the polarities of the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are the same. After the two electrode terminals 11 are installed opposite to each other and welded, the two battery cells 100 are connected in parallel to form battery B. By installing the two oppositely welded electrode terminals 11 so that their polarities are opposite, the two battery cells 100 may also be connected in series to form battery B.

[0054] After the liquid injection into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111 is completed, it is necessary to seal the liquid injection hole 111, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the entire battery cell 100. In the prior art, in order to realize the sealing of the liquid injection hole 111, after the liquid injection process is completed, a sealing nail needs to be installed in the liquid injection hole 111, and the sealing nail needs to be welded in the liquid injection hole 111 by laser welding to realize the sealing of the liquid injection hole 111. Before welding the sealing nail, it is necessary to further install a stepped structure inside the liquid injection hole 111 so that the sealing nail can be put into the liquid injection hole 111 without falling into the interior of the battery cell 100, thereby realizing the positioning of the sealing nail. Regarding the sealing method of the liquid injection hole 111 by the sealing nail, not only is the processing of the liquid injection hole 111 complicated, but also the process of fixing the sealing nail is increased.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the liquid injection hole 111 is installed on the electrode terminal 11. The two electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 are installed opposite to each other and welded. There is no need to perform an additional sealing process. The electrode terminal 11 itself directly realizes the overall sealing of battery B, improves production efficiency, and reduces costs. Moreover, since the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are welded, there is no need to weld and seal with a sealing nail, so there is no need to process a stepped structure in the liquid injection hole 111 to place the sealing nail, thereby reducing the processing amount of the liquid injection hole 111. Moreover, the laser welding process of the sealing nail is eliminated, and the cross-sectional shape of the liquid injection hole 111 is not limited to a circular shape. It may be various shapes applicable to various situations, such as square, polygonal or irregular shapes, etc. Of course, the circular shape is not excluded either. It provides various choices for the structural form of the liquid injection hole 111, reduces the processing requirements for the shape of the liquid injection hole, and there is no need to strictly process the circular liquid injection hole.

[0056] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of part I in Figure 6.

[0057] As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments, by positioning the liquid injection hole 111 at the central position of the electrode terminal 11, the communication installation of the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 is facilitated.

[0058] If the liquid injection hole 111 is installed at the central position of the electrode terminal 11, the influence on the liquid injection hole 111 due to the welding of the electrode terminal 11 can be avoided. When the two electrode terminals 11 are butted together, the communication between the two liquid injection holes 111 can also be facilitated, whereby the electrolytes between the two battery cells 100 are complementary and balanced.

[0059] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of another embodiment in Figure 4.

[0060] As shown in Figure 8, in another embodiment, the electrode terminal 11 of the battery cell 100 is installed on the end cap 12, and the liquid injection hole 111 is provided on the electrode terminal 11. The liquid injection hole 111 is a through hole penetrating the electrode terminal 11. A groove 112 is further provided on the side surface of the electrode terminal 11 where the liquid injection hole 111 is provided. Along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell, the size of the groove 112 is larger than the size of the liquid injection hole 111.

[0061] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of battery B of another embodiment of the present application, and Figure 10 is an enlarged view of part II in Figure 9.

[0062] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, after injecting a certain amount of electrolyte into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111, the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are installed opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell and are welded and connected to form battery B.

[0063] When welding the electrode terminals 11 of the two battery cells 100, it is necessary to place the battery cells 100 horizontally. Since the liquid injection hole 111 is not sealed, the electrolyte in the battery cell 100 has a risk of flowing out from the liquid injection hole 111 when the battery cell 100 is placed horizontally.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 10, a groove 112 is provided on the inner surface of the liquid injection hole 111. After the battery cell 100 is placed horizontally, when the electrolyte flows out of the battery cell 100, it first accumulates in the groove 112. When welding the two electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111, due to the buffering effect of the electrolyte in the groove 112, during the welding process, the risk of the electrolyte flowing out from the liquid injection hole 111 is reduced, and the influence of the outflow of the electrolyte on the quality of the welding joint is avoided.

[0065] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of another embodiment in FIG. 4, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of part III of one embodiment in FIG. 11.

[0066] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in some other embodiments, the liquid injection holes 111 are arranged offset from the center positions of the electrode terminals 11, so that the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are arranged offset.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 12, the distance L by which the center line F2 of the liquid injection hole 111 is separated from the center line F1 of the electrode terminal 11. In one specific embodiment, the distance L is greater than the maximum distance R from the inner surface of the liquid injection hole 111 to the center line F2 of the liquid injection hole 111.

[0068] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of battery B of another embodiment of the present application, and FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of part IV of one embodiment in FIG. 13.

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in this embodiment, after injecting a certain amount of electrolyte into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection holes 111, the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are installed opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell, and are welded and connected to form the battery B. When the two electrode terminals 11 are installed opposite to each other, the two liquid injection holes 111 are installed offset, that is, the two liquid injection holes 111 are not located on a straight line along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 14, the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are installed offset, and the distance L by which the center line F2 of the liquid injection hole 111 is offset from the center line F1 of the electrode terminal 11 is greater than the maximum distance R of the liquid injection hole 111. At this time, when the two liquid injection holes 111 are installed offset, the two liquid injection holes 111 are not completely offset and communicated. After the two electrode terminals 11 are welded and connected, one of the liquid injection holes 111 can be blocked by the portion where the liquid injection hole 111 of the other electrode terminal 11 is not installed, avoiding the electrolyte in the two battery cells 100 from flowing into each other during use.

[0071] The offset angle of the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 shown in FIG. 14 is 180 degrees, that is, the center lines of the two liquid injection holes 111 and the center line of the electrode terminal 11 are located in the same plane. This application is not limited to the offset angle being 180 degrees. When the two electrode terminals 11 are installed opposite to each other, it is only necessary to ensure that the two liquid injection holes 111 are completely offset and not communicated, so that the electrolyte in the two battery cells 100 can be prevented from flowing into each other. When the two butted electrode terminals 11 are two electrodes with opposite polarities, it is advantageous to adopt the design of the non-flowing liquid injection hole 111.

[0072] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of part III of another embodiment in FIG. 11.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 15, in another embodiment, a step portion 113 is provided on the outer periphery of the end portion of the electrode terminal 11 along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell. By being installed annularly along the end portion of the electrode terminal 11, a partial notch is formed on the outer periphery of the end portion of the electrode terminal 11. The step portion 113 in FIG. 15 is a chamfered surface installed annularly, and the cross-sectional shape of the step portion 113 may be other shapes capable of forming a notch, such as a square, a trapezoid, an arc shape, etc.

[0074] FIG. 16 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the welded connection of two battery cells 100 in FIG. 15.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 16, when the electrode terminals 11 of the two battery cells 100 of this embodiment are installed opposite to each other and welded, the step portion 113 at the end of the electrode terminal 11 forms a partial notch. After the two step portions 113 are installed opposite to each other and the two notches correspond, a welding groove 114 is formed.

[0076] Weld and connect the two electrode terminals 11 at the position of the welding groove 114. When welding, the reflection of the welding laser concentrates in the welding groove 114, improving the welding quality, reducing the influence of laser welding on the battery end cap, strengthening the sealing property of the battery B, and improving the yield of the finished battery product.

[0077] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the liquid injection hole 111 is circular, square, triangular or polygonal. When the conventional liquid injection hole 111 is sealed with a sealing nail, laser welding is required. However, due to the trajectory limitation of laser welding, the liquid injection hole 111 can only be circular. In this application, since the liquid injection hole 111 is installed on the electrode terminal 11 and the electrode terminals 11 of the two battery cells 100 are welded and connected, there is no need to weld and seal the liquid injection hole 111 with an additional sealing nail. Therefore, the liquid injection hole 111 can be made into other shapes such as square, triangular or polygonal, without being restricted by the trajectory of laser welding and not being limited to circular shape, and the shape of the liquid injection hole 111 can be installed more flexibly.

[0078] Although each of the above embodiments has described installing two battery cells 100 to face each other and welding them together, it is also possible to integrally weld-connect a plurality of battery cells 100. The following embodiment will be described by taking the welding connection of three battery cells 100 as an example.

[0079] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of battery B according to still another embodiment of the present application.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 17, three battery cells 100 are integrally welded and connected to form battery B. Here, the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of two battery cells 100 are installed to face each other and are welded and connected, whereby these two battery cells 100 are connected in parallel, and the welding connection method of the electrode terminals 11 of these two battery cells 100 is the same as the connection method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. The structural form of the liquid injection hole 111 may be the same as the structural form of FIG. 10 or FIG. 14, or may be a combination of different structural forms.

[0081] FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of part V in FIG. 17.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 18, the electrode terminal of another battery cell 100 provided with the liquid injection hole 111 is welded and connected to the electrode terminal 11 without the liquid injection hole 111 at the end of one of the two welded and connected battery cells 100. The electrode terminal 11 without the liquid injection hole 111 has the opposite polarity to the electrode terminal 11 with the liquid injection hole installed, whereby these two battery cells 100 are connected in series. In FIG. 18, the electrode terminal 11 without the liquid injection hole 111 is a solid structure, and the liquid injection hole 111 of the electrode terminal 11 welded and connected thereto can be sealed.

[0083] The present application is not limited to welding and connecting two battery cells 100 in the above embodiment or welding and connecting three battery cells 100 to form battery B. Instead, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be integrally welded and connected by the above connection method to form battery B including a plurality of battery cells 100.

[0084] In each of the above embodiments of the present application, the battery cell 100 may be a cylindrical battery, and / or the electrode terminal may be a cylindrical electrode terminal. Of course, the present application is not limited thereto and can also be applied to other shaped battery structures.

[0085] Also, the present application is not limited to the structures of the above embodiments, and it may be a combination of the above embodiments.

[0086] FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a battery according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0087] The present application further relates to a method for manufacturing a battery, where the battery B includes at least two battery cells 100, and the battery cell 100 includes electrode terminals 11 installed at both ends on both sides in the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 19, the method for manufacturing the battery includes the following steps.

[0089] Step S1, install a liquid injection hole 111 for injecting an electrolytic solution along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell on one of the electrode terminals 11 of the battery cell 100.

[0090] Step S2, inject the electrolytic solution into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111.

[0091] Step S3, install the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell and perform welding connection.

[0092] The method for manufacturing the battery of the present application installs the liquid injection hole 111 on the electrode terminal 11. The liquid injection hole 111 does not occupy the space of the end cap 12, thereby increasing the size of the electrode terminal 11 and increasing the current passing area of the electrode terminal 11. The two electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection hole 111 are installed opposite to each other and welded and connected. There is no need to perform an additional sealing process. The overall sealing of the battery B is directly realized by the electrode terminal 11 itself, reducing costs and improving production efficiency. Moreover, since the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 are welded and connected, there is no need to weld and seal with a sealing nail, so there is no need to process a stepped structure in the liquid injection hole 111 to place the sealing nail, thereby reducing the processing amount of the liquid injection hole.

[0093] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing the battery further includes a step of detecting the airtightness of the battery. After the assembly of the battery cell 100 is completed and the injection and sealing of the electrolyte are completed, it is necessary to detect the airtightness in order to ensure the sealing performance of the battery cell 100 and guarantee the yield of the battery cell 100.

[0094] After the assembly of the battery cell 100 of the embodiment of the present application is completed and the electrolyte is injected, without performing additional sealing on the battery cell 100, the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the battery cell 100 are installed opposite to each other and welded and connected to form the battery B, thereby realizing the overall sealing of the battery B. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the airtightness of the entire battery B.

[0095] In order to detect the airtightness of the battery B of the present application, before installing the electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111 of the two battery cells 100 opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X of the battery cell and welding and connecting them, the method further includes a step of injecting helium gas into the interior of the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111.

[0096] After injecting helium gas into the battery cell 100, the battery B achieves an overall seal by welding and connecting the two electrode terminals 11 provided with the liquid injection holes 111. After the welding is completed, the airtightness of the entire battery B is detected to check whether helium gas leaks from the battery B. If no helium gas leaks, it indicates that the seal of the entire battery B is good.

[0097] The method for manufacturing the battery of the present application injects helium gas into the battery cell 100 through the liquid injection hole 111 and further welds and connects the electrode terminals 11 of the two battery cells 100. Therefore, there is no need to additionally open an airtightness detection hole and seal the detection hole, reducing the battery manufacturing process and improving production efficiency.

[0098] The power consumption device according to the present application uses the above-mentioned battery B, or the battery B is manufactured by the above-mentioned battery manufacturing method.

[0099] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various changes and modifications. All modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0100] A - Vehicle B - Battery C - Controller M - Motor 100 - Battery Cell 1 - End Cap Assembly 11 - Electrode Terminal 111 - Liquid Injection Hole 112 - Groove 113 - Step Portion 114 - Welding Groove 12 - End Cap 2 - Case

Claims

1. A battery comprising at least two battery cells, wherein the battery cells include electrode terminals installed at both ends of the battery cells in the longitudinal direction of the battery cells, wherein one of the electrode terminals installed at both ends is provided with a liquid injection hole for injecting electrolyte along the longitudinal direction of the battery cells, a battery in which the electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells are installed opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cells and are welded and connected to seal the liquid injection holes.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the liquid injection holes are located at the central positions of the electrode terminals so that the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells are installed to communicate with each other.

3. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a groove is further provided on the side surface of the electrode terminal provided with the liquid injection hole, and along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the battery cell, the size of the groove is larger than the size of the liquid injection hole.

4. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid injection holes are installed offset from the central positions of the electrode terminals so that the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells are installed offset from each other.

5. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a stepped portion is provided on the outer periphery of the end of the electrode terminal along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell, and the stepped portions of the two battery cells are installed opposite to each other to form a welding groove.

6. A method for manufacturing a battery including at least two battery cells including electrode terminals installed at both ends of the battery cells in the longitudinal direction of the battery cells, the step of installing a liquid injection hole for injecting electrolyte along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell in one of the electrode terminals installed at both ends, the step of injecting electrolyte into the battery cell through the liquid injection hole, and the step of installing the electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell and welding and connecting them.

7. The method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 6, further including the step of detecting the airtightness of the battery.

8. The method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 7, further including the step of injecting helium gas into the battery cell through the liquid injection hole before installing the electrode terminals provided with the liquid injection holes of the two battery cells opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell and welding and connecting them.

9. A power consumption device, comprising the battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the battery is used to supply electrical energy.

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