Batteries and electrical devices

Abstract

This application discloses a battery and an electric device. The battery of the embodiment of this application includes a housing having a top and a bottom facing each other along a first direction, a battery cell placed upside down in the housing and connected to the top, the battery cell including an electrode terminal, the electrode terminal being spaced apart from the top in the first direction, a bus member electrically connected to the electrode terminals of at least two of the battery cells, and a protective assembly provided between the bottom and the bus member and used to support the battery cell and insulate the battery cell from the bottom. The battery provided by the embodiment of this application can improve the strength and safety of the battery.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of batteries, and more particularly to batteries and electrical devices. [Background technology]

[0002] With the joint development of technologies in the fields of vehicles and batteries, the number of vehicle drive systems in the current market is gradually increasing, and in order to reduce pollution and cut costs, the market share of electric vehicles is gradually increasing. Based on this, in order to reduce the thickness of the chassis and increase the interior space of electric vehicles, a technology has emerged in which the battery is integrated with the chassis. However, when the vehicle is running, the bottom of the battery is subjected to external impact, which may cause deformation of the battery during use, and may even pose a potential risk of causing a safety accident.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for batteries with high safety performance and corresponding electrical devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides batteries and electrical devices with high upper strength that can improve the safety factor.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application includes a housing having a top and a bottom opposing each other along a first direction; battery cells placed upside down within the housing and connected to the top part, the battery cells including electrode terminals, the electrode terminals being spaced apart from the top part in the first direction; bus members electrically connected to the electrode terminals of at least two of the battery cells; and a protective assembly provided between the bottom part and the bus members, the protective assembly being used to support the battery cells and to insulate the battery cells from the bottom part.

[0006] The battery cells in the batteries provided in the embodiments of the present application are placed upside down within the housing, with the flat bottom surface of the battery cell, which does not have electrode terminals, connected to the top of the housing, and a protective assembly for support is provided between the battery cell and the bottom of the housing, thereby preventing components such as the electrode terminals of the battery cell from colliding with other components when subjected to external impact. Because the battery cells are connected to the top of the housing, collision between the battery cells and the top of the housing can be prevented when the battery is subjected to impact from the bottom, thereby effectively improving the strength of the top of the battery and ensuring the safety of the entire battery.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell is adhesively fixed to the top. By adhesively bonding the bottom and top of the battery, the strength of the top of the battery can be further improved.

[0008] According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the upper part includes an upper plate and a frame, the frame is provided to surround a plurality of battery cells, and the frame is used to connect the upper plate and the bottom part. The frame provided to surround the battery cells can provide side protection for the battery cells and improve safety.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present application, the protection assembly includes a plurality of protection members extending along the second direction, the plurality of protection members being spaced apart in the third direction, the battery cells abutting against the protection members, and the first, second, and third directions being set to intersect with each other. The protection assembly includes a plurality of protection members abutting against the plurality of battery cells, respectively, to maintain a constant distance between the battery cells and the bottom of the case, and to reduce the impact of bottom impact on the battery.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present application, the orthogonal projections of the bottom of the electrode terminals are located between the orthogonal projections of the bottom of the adjacent protective members, and after the battery cell is uprighted by the protective assemblies, the electrode terminals can be dropped between the adjacent protective assemblies to prevent damage to the electrode terminals due to impact.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present application, the plurality of protective elements include edge protective elements, first protective elements, and second protective elements, and the edge protective elements are provided on both side edges of the battery cell assemblies arranged in an array along the third direction, and the first protective elements and the second protective elements are alternately distributed between the two edge protective elements. The provision of the protective elements on the edges can prevent corner damage due to collisions, and the alternating first and second protective elements can form an electrically safe connection circuit in accordance with the installation of the bus elements.

[0012] According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the extension length of the first protection member is greater than the extension length of the second protection member along the second direction. Connection members for electrically connecting the battery cells in the bus member to each other may be provided between the second protection members having a shorter extension length, thereby protecting the connection members with the protection assembly and improving the reliability of the electrical connection.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present application, the width of the first protection member is greater than the width of the second protection member, which is greater than the width of the edge protection member along the third direction. Each first protection member can simultaneously abut two adjacent battery cells to improve processing efficiency.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present application, the extension length of the protective assembly in the first direction is greater than 1.5 mm. By extending the protective assembly in the first direction by a certain length or more, the safety of the internal electrical performance of the battery can be effectively improved when the bottom of the battery is subjected to an impact.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present application, the protection assembly further includes a connecting plate, and the multiple protection elements are respectively provided on the upper surface of the connecting plate. The multiple protection elements may all be connected to the connecting plate, and the connecting plate can stabilize the relative positions of the multiple protection elements and improve the insulation performance between the bus element and the bottom of the housing.

[0016] According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the frame and the upper plate are connected by welding, heat fusion, self-tapping, adhesive, fastener connection, or integral molding. The frame and the upper plate may also be fixedly connected or integrally molded to improve the connection strength of the entire structure.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present application, the protective assembly is adhesively secured to the battery cell. The bottom ends of the battery cells may be adhesively secured to the protective assembly to further improve the overall connection strength.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present application, the battery cell further includes a pressure release mechanism, and the pressure release mechanism is provided on the same side as the electrode terminal. By providing the pressure release mechanism on the underside of the battery cell as well, it is possible to protect the electrode terminal and improve safety.

[0019] According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the orthogonal projection of the pressure release mechanism on the bottom is located between the orthogonal projections on the bottom of the adjacent protective members. As with the electrode terminal, by locating the pressure release mechanism between the adjacent protective members, the probability of impact to the pressure release mechanism can be reduced.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present application, the protective assembly is made of an insulating material or coated with an insulating coating, which can insulate the electrical performance between the bus member and the bottom of the housing, and prevent the bottom of the housing from being affected by external stimuli on the electrical connections between the battery cells.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present application, the battery further includes an adapter plate and an adapter, the adapter plate is provided on one side of the housing and protrudes from the housing, the adapter plate is connected to the bottom to form a receiving part, and the adapter is provided in the receiving part and connected to the adapter plate. By providing the adapter in the receiving part, the adapter can be protected by the housing and the probability of the adapter being damaged by a collision can be reduced.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides an electrical device comprising a battery according to any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0023] In the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, the battery module is placed upside down inside the housing, and the flat bottom surface of the battery module itself is interconnected and fixed to the top of the battery housing. A protective assembly is provided between the battery cells and the bottom of the housing to support the battery cells, thereby improving the structural strength inside the battery and preventing safety issues when the battery is hit or pressed, thereby improving the safety factor of the entire battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] Various other benefits and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The drawings are only for illustrating the preferred embodiments and should not be considered as limiting the present application. In addition, the same elements are represented by the same reference numerals in all the drawings. The drawings are as follows:

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 2] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery provided by some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded view of a battery provided by one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a bottom provided by one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a battery provided by one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell provided by another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a battery provided by one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of an area A in FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a protective assembly provided by one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery provided by yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0026] The reference numerals in the drawings in specific embodiments are as follows: 1000-vehicle, 2000-battery, 3000-controller, 4000-motor, 100 - Housing, 200 - Battery Cell, 300 - Bus Section, 400 - Protection Assembly, 10—top, 20—bottom, 30—electrode terminal, 40—protective member, 50—connection plate, 60—pressure release mechanism, 70—adapter plate, 80—adapter, 90—receptacle, 11 - upper plate, 12 - frame, 41 - edge protection member, 42 - first protection member, 43 - second protection member, X - 2nd direction, Y - 3rd direction, Z - 1st direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The following detailed description will be given of the embodiments of the technical solution of the present application with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are only for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the present application, and are used as examples only, and cannot limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art of this application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific examples and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application, as well as the description of the drawings above, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first," "second," etc. are only intended to distinguish between different objects and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, or implying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, "plurality" means two or more unless otherwise defined.

[0030] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Appearances of the phrase in various places in the present specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they mutually exclusive independent or alternative embodiments to other embodiments. Those skilled in the art can explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0031] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only used to describe the associative relationship of related objects, and indicates that three types of relationships can exist, for example, A and / or B can indicate three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, in this specification, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0032] In describing the examples of the present application, the term "plurality" means two or more (including two); similarly, "groups" means two or more (including two groups), and "plurality" means two or more (including two).

[0033] In describing the embodiments of the present application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "side," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" are orientations or positional relationships indicated based on the drawings, and are intended only to explain the embodiments of the present application and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or elements shown necessarily have a specific orientation or are constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "attached," "coupled," "connected," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integral molding, a mechanical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, internal communication between two elements, or an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application according to specific circumstances.

[0035] With the development and innovation of battery technology, the applications of power batteries in the current market are becoming increasingly widespread. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, wind power plants, and solar power plants, but are also widely used in powered vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in multiple fields such as military equipment and aerospace. As the application fields of power batteries continue to expand, market demand for them is also increasing. Taking electric vehicles as an example, due to the large space required for batteries, existing electric vehicles generally have batteries located in the chassis. In order to expand interior space, structures that integrate the battery with the vehicle chassis, such as cell-to-chassis (CTC) technology, have emerged.

[0036] The applicant found that in existing battery and chassis integration designs, the bottom of the battery cell is usually connected and fixed to the bottom of the battery case, and at the same time, a connecting member for connecting multiple battery cells to each other is provided on the top. In this case, if the bottom is scratched or impacted during the vehicle's operation, the top of the battery cell may collide with the battery case, which may cause problems such as damage to the battery itself and the connecting member, and if a large impact is received, it may cause a fire or explosion, posing a safety hazard.

[0037] Based on the above considerations, the applicant has provided a battery that improves the strength and safety of the upper part of the battery, the battery including a housing, in which battery cells, bus members, and a protective assembly are sequentially provided, and the battery cells are placed upside down and the bottom of the battery cells are connected to the upper part of the housing, thereby effectively improving the strength of the upper part of the battery housing. At the same time, a protective assembly is provided between the battery cells and the bottom of the housing, which prevents the batteries and connecting members between the batteries from colliding with the bottom, further improving the safety of the battery.

[0038] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application are applicable to batteries and electrical devices using the batteries.

[0039] Here, the electric device may be a vehicle, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop, a boat, a spacecraft, an electric toy, an electric tool, etc. The vehicle may be a fuel-powered vehicle, a gasoline-powered vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range-extending vehicle, etc. The spacecraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, a spacecraft, etc. The electric toy may include a stationary or mobile electric toy, such as a game console, an electric car toy, an electric boat toy, and an electric aircraft toy, etc. The electric tool may include a metal cutting electric tool, a polishing electric tool, an assembly electric tool, and a railway electric tool, such as an electric drill, an electric grinder, an electric wrench, an electric screwdriver, an electric hammer, an electric impact drill, a concrete vibrator, and an electric planer, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not particularly limit the above electric device.

[0040] It is understood that the battery disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be used in electrical devices such as the above-mentioned vehicles, ships, or airplanes, but is not limited thereto. The battery disclosed in the present application can be used to configure the power supply system of the electrical device, thereby avoiding the impact of bottom impact on the battery and improving the safety and reliability of the battery. Based on this, the following embodiments and drawings of the present application will describe the battery as an example for powering a vehicle, but it should be understood that the present application is not limited thereto, and the battery provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to and provide protection for other scenarios in which bottom impact may occur.

[0041] In the following embodiments, for ease of explanation, the electrical device will also be exemplified as a vehicle.

[0042] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by some embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, a battery 2000 is provided inside the vehicle 1000, and the battery 2000 may be provided at the bottom, head, or tail of the vehicle 1000. The battery 2000 may be used to supply power to the vehicle 1000, for example, the battery 2000 may be used as an operating power source for the vehicle 1000.

[0043] The vehicle 1000 may further include a controller 3000 and a motor 4000, where the controller 3000 is used to control the battery 2000 to provide power to the motor 4000, for example for operating power needs when starting, navigating and driving the vehicle 1000.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery 2000 can not only provide the operating power source for the vehicle 1000, but also provide the driving power for the vehicle 1000 by replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas.

[0045] Referring to Figures 2 to 6, Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application, Figure 3 is an exploded view of a battery provided in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the bottom provided by one embodiment of the present application, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a battery provided by one embodiment of the present application, and Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0046] The present application provides a battery 2000 including a housing 100, battery cells 200, a bus member 300, and a protective assembly 400, wherein the housing 100 has an upper portion 10 and a bottom portion 20 facing each other along a first direction Z, the battery cells 200 are placed upside down in the housing 100 and connected to the upper portion 10, the battery cells 200 include electrode terminals 30, the electrode terminals 30 are provided apart from the upper portion 10 in the first direction Z, the bus member 300 is used to electrically connect to the electrode terminals 30 of at least two battery cells 200, the protective assembly 400 is provided between the bottom portion 20 and the bus member 300, and the protective assembly 400 supports the battery cells 200 and insulates the battery cells 200 from the bottom portion 20.

[0047] The battery 2000 provided in the embodiments of the present application has a housing 100 formed by fitting together an upper part 10 and a bottom part 20. Inside the housing 100, battery cells 200, bus members 300, and protective assemblies 400 are sequentially arranged from the upper part 10 to the bottom part 20. The bus members 300 are respectively connected to and installed on the plurality of battery cells 200, and can form electrical connections between the plurality of battery cells 200. The protective assemblies are arranged between the battery cells 200 and the bottom part 20, so that the battery cells 200 and the bottom part 20 can maintain a certain distance from each other and are electrically insulated from each other, preventing adverse effects on the battery cells 200 when the bottom part 20 is subjected to external impact or electrical interference.

[0048] Here, the housing 100 includes an upper part 10 and a bottom part 20, and in the embodiment of the present application, the upper part 10 and the bottom part 20 may be detachably connected to each other so that other components such as the battery cell 200 can be installed inside the housing 100. This detachable connection may be a screw connection, i.e., a through-hole penetrating the bottom part 20 is provided at the position where the bottom part 20 and the upper part 10 connect, and a corresponding screw hole is provided at the corresponding position on the upper part 10, so that the connection can be firmly established with a screw. Optionally, the upper part 10 may be integrally molded with a component such as a vehicle chassis into which the battery 2000 is integrated, which can further improve the strength of the housing 100 and stabilize the connection.

[0049] It can be understood that the housing 100 in the embodiments of the present application is used to accommodate and protect components provided therein, such as the battery cell 200. Based on this, the housing 100 may have different structures. In some optional embodiments, the top portion 10 and the bottom portion 20 may be covered with each other to jointly define a cavity for accommodating components, such as the battery cell 200. Here, the top portion 10 may have a hollow structure with one open end, and the bottom portion 20 may have a plate-like structure, and the open side of the top portion 10 is covered to form a corresponding cavity for accommodating components, such as the battery cell 200. Alternatively, both the top portion 10 and the bottom portion 20 may have a hollow structure with one open end, i.e., the interface between the top portion 10 and the bottom portion 20 may be located in the center of the battery cell 200, and the open side of the top portion 10 is joined to the open side of the bottom portion 20 to form a corresponding cavity for accommodating components, such as the battery cell 200. Of course, the top 10 and bottom 20 may have various shapes, such as a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc., as long as they can be fitted and connected to each other.

[0050] In order to improve the sealing performance after connecting the top part 10 and the bottom part 20, the top part 10 and the bottom part 20 in the embodiments of the present application may be connected by a flange, or a sealing member such as a sealant or a sealing ring may be provided at the connection position.

[0051] The battery cells 200 in the embodiments of the present application are used to store and supply electrical energy. A plurality of battery cells 200 may be provided in the housing 100 at the same time, and the plurality of battery cells 200 may be arranged in an array. Optionally, the battery 2000 may include a plurality of battery cells 200. The plurality of battery cells 200 may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel, where series-parallel connection means that the plurality of battery cells 200 are connected not only in series but also in parallel. The plurality of battery cells 200 may also be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel. Naturally, a battery module may be formed by first connecting the plurality of battery cells 200 in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel, and then the plurality of battery modules may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to form a whole, which may be housed in the housing 100.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell 200 is installed upside down, i.e., the flat bottom surface of the battery cell 200 opposite to the top surface on which the electrode terminals 30 are provided is connected to the upper portion 10, so that the electrode terminals 30 are located on one side away from the upper portion 10, which can effectively improve the structural strength of the upper portion of the battery 2000, and by connecting the bottom of the battery cell 200 to the upper portion 10, the space utilization rate within the housing 100 can be improved, thereby improving the energy density of the entire battery 2000.

[0053] The bus member 300 in the embodiment of the present application is provided to be connected to the battery cells 200. The bus member 300 may be a CCS (Cells Contact System) assembly, i.e., an integrated wiring harness made of a flexible circuit board and a plastic structural member, which is used to form necessary electrical connections between multiple battery cells 200, and the battery cells 200 can be charged and discharged through the bus member 300. Optionally, the bus bar 300 in the embodiment of the present application may be welded to the electrode terminal 30 of the battery cell 200, thereby fixing the connection between the bus member 300 and the battery cell 200.

[0054] Alternatively, the bus member 300 in the embodiment of the present application may include a plurality of assemblies, each of which is connected to a corresponding battery module composed of the battery cells 200, and these assemblies are electrically connected to form the required series / parallel connection relationship, or the bus member 300 in the embodiment of the present application may be provided as a whole, and each of which is connected to each battery cell 200 by the same assembly.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the protection assembly 400 is disposed between the bottom 20 and the bus member 300 and is used to support the battery cell 200. That is, the protection assembly 400 abuts the bottom 20 and the upper and lower portions of the battery cell 200 that are not covered by the bus member 300, respectively, to provide a supporting force in the first direction Z for the battery cell 200. At the same time, the protection assembly 400 ensures that the battery cell 200 and the bottom 20 have a certain gap between them and do not come into contact with each other. Furthermore, the bus member 300 connected to the battery cell 200 also maintains a certain distance from the bottom 20. Both the bus member 300 and the battery cell 200 are installed to be insulated from the bottom 20 to prevent the exposed bottom 20 from being interfered with by the external environment and causing electrical interference to the battery cell 200 and the bus member 300. Furthermore, the protective assembly 400 may have a flat surface extending perpendicular to the first direction Z, thereby providing an additional layer of protection on the bottom 20 of the housing 100, providing additional protection to the bottom of the housing 100 and further reducing the impact on the battery cells 200 and bus members 300 when the bottom 20 is impacted.

[0056] The electronic cells 200 in the battery 2000 provided by the embodiments of the present application are placed upside down inside the housing, and the flat, unequipped bottom of the battery cells 200 is connected to the top 10 of the housing 100, thereby improving the structural strength of the upper part of the entire battery 2000. At the same time, a protective assembly 400 is also provided between the bottom 20 of the housing 100 and the bus member 300, which can provide support for the battery cells 200, and both the battery cells 200 and the bus member 300 maintain a certain distance from the bottom 20, thereby ensuring the safety of the entire battery 2000 when a bottom impact occurs.

[0057] In some alternative embodiments, the battery cells 200 are adhesively secured to the top portion 10 .

[0058] In the embodiments of the present application, the battery cells 200 may be fixedly connected to the upper part 10, specifically, may be adhesively fixed. The adhesive connection reduces the size required in the first direction Z when connecting the battery cells 200 to the upper part 10, and can reduce the overall thickness of the battery 2000. By connecting the battery 200 and the upper part 10 in a fixed manner, the strength of the upper part of the battery can be further improved.

[0059] In some alternative embodiments, the top portion 10 includes a top plate 11 and a frame 12, the frame 12 surrounding a plurality of battery cells 200, and the frame 12 is used to connect the top plate 11 and the bottom portion 20.

[0060] The housing 100 in the embodiment of the present application includes an upper portion 10 and a bottom portion 20 that are fitted together. Based on this, the upper portion 10 may be composed of two parts: an upper plate 11 and a frame 12. The upper plate 11 extends along a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z and may be integrated into a component such as a chassis connected to the battery 2000. The frame 12 is parallel to the first direction Z and surrounds a component such as the battery cell 200. At the same time, the frame 12 and the upper plate 11 may be fixedly or detachably connected. Optionally, the frame 12 in the embodiment of the present application may extend in the first direction Z longer than the distance that the battery cell 200, the bus member 300, and the protection assembly 400 extend in the first direction Z. In this case, the bottom portion 20 may be covered by the lower end of the frame 12. The frame 12 surrounding the battery cell 200 provides side protection to the battery cell 200, improving its safety and making it easier to process.

[0061] 7 to 9, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a battery provided by one embodiment of the present application, FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a protection assembly provided by one embodiment of the present application.

[0062] In some alternative embodiments, the protective assembly 400 includes a plurality of protective members 40 extending along the second direction X, the protective members 40 being spaced apart in the third direction Y, the battery cell 200 abutting against the protective assembly 40, and the first direction Z, the second direction X, and the third direction Y being set to intersect with each other.

[0063] The protective assembly 400 in an embodiment of the present application may include multiple protective members 40, which respectively abut against multiple battery cells 200, maintaining a certain distance between the battery cells 200 and the bottom 20 of the housing 100, and reducing the impact of an impact on the battery 2000 to the bottom 20.

[0064] Optionally, the protective members 40 in the embodiments of the present application may abut against the surface of the battery cell 200 on which the electrode terminals 30 are provided. Specifically, they may abut against areas that may receive force other than the area where the electrode terminals 30 are located on the surface of each battery cell 200 on which the electrode terminals 30 are provided, i.e., "shoulders" located on both sides of the electrode terminals 30 in the first direction Y on the surface. Based on this, the protective members 40 need to be provided at positions corresponding to the battery cells 200. In the embodiments of the present application, multiple battery cells 200 may be arranged in an array. Correspondingly, the protective members 40 may extend along the second direction X and be arranged along the third direction Y to form a strip-like structure in which the protective members 40 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. In addition to the protective members 40 located on the edges, other protective members 40 may be provided at positions where adjacent battery cells 200 are connected. That is, each protective member 40 can simultaneously abut against two battery cells 200 adjacent to each other in the third direction Y.

[0065] Optionally, the first direction Z, the second direction X and the third direction Y in the embodiments of the present application are orthogonal to each other in pairs, thereby forming a relatively regular and easy-to-process structure.

[0066] In some embodiments, the orthogonal projection of the electrode terminal 30 on the bottom 20 is located between the orthogonal projections of the adjacent guard members 40 on the bottom 20 .

[0067] The protective assembly 400 in the embodiment of the present application includes a plurality of protective members 40, which abut against the battery cells 200. The orthogonal projection of the electrode terminals 30 of the battery cells 200 on the bottom 20 may be located between adjacent protective members 40. In this case, the protective members 40 abut against the shoulders of the battery cells 200, so that the connection between the electrode terminals 30 and the bus members 300 is not obstructed by the protective members 400. After the battery cells 200 are placed upright in the protective assembly 400, if the electrode terminals 30 are dropped between the adjacent protective members 40, the force generated by the impact will be distributed among the plurality of battery cells 200, preventing damage to the electrode terminals 30.

[0068] In some alternative embodiments, the multiple protective elements 40 include an edge protective element 41, a first protective element 42, and a second protective element 43, and along the third direction Y, the edge protective element 41 is provided at the edge of an assembly consisting of battery cells 200 arranged in an array, and the first protective element 42 and the second protective element 43 are alternately distributed between the two edge protective elements 41.

[0069] The protective members 40 in the embodiment of the present application may include three types of protective members provided at different positions, and the edge protective members 41 are provided at the edge positions of the battery cells 200, and the first protective members 42 and the second protective members 43 are provided alternately between the edge protective members 41. The first protective members 42 and the second protective members 42 may have different sizes to fit various connecting members of the bus member 300 and provide the necessary space for connection between adjacent battery cells 200.

[0070] Optionally, the protective members 40 in the embodiments of the present application may include a plurality of different sizes, and the size of each protective member 40 may be adjusted according to the length of the battery cell 200 and the positions of the electrode terminals 30 and pressure release mechanisms 60. When each protective member 40 abuts against a plurality of battery cells 200, each protective member 40 may abut between two adjacent battery cells 200. In this case, the distance between the first protective member 42 and the second protective member 43 may be approximately the same as the length of the battery cell 200 itself. The alternating arrangement of the first protective member 42 and the second protective member 43, in conjunction with the installation of the bus member 300, can form a safe and reliable battery cell.

[0071] In some alternative embodiments, the extension length of the first protection element 42 along the second direction X is greater than the extension length of the second protection element 43 .

[0072] As described above, the first protective member 42 and the second protective member 43 in the embodiments of the present application may have different lengths in their extension direction, and may form a rigid connecting member such as an electrically connected bus bar between the battery cells 200 through the notch between adjacent second protective members 43. This connecting member electrically connects two adjacent battery cells 200 in the third direction Y. In other words, by adjusting the length of the second protective member 43 and the distance between adjacent second protective members 43 in the second direction X, the rigid connecting member of the bus member 300 can be avoided.

[0073] Optionally, depending on the installation position of the connecting members between the battery cells 200, the first protective member 42 may extend along the second direction X as long as the length of the internal cavity of the housing 100 in this direction, i.e., be integrated and extend completely inside the housing 100, or the first protective member 42 may be provided with openings in the second direction X, with corresponding connecting members provided in the openings. The connecting members of the bus members 300 may also be provided in the openings of the protective member 40, so that the connecting members are maintained at a certain distance from the bottom 20 to provide shock protection and maintain insulation.

[0074] In some alternative embodiments, along the third direction Y, the width of the first protective member 42 is greater than the width of the second protective member 43, which in turn is greater than the width of the edge protective member 41.

[0075] The protective member 40 in the embodiment of the present application may include an edge protective member 41 provided on the edge, and first protective members 42 and second protective members 43 provided alternately between the edge protective members 41, 41. The edge protective member 41 abuts only one battery cell 200, and therefore its width is smaller than the widths of the first protective member 42 and the second protective member 43. The first protective member 42 and the second protective member 43 are provided at the connection positions of adjacent battery cells 200, and can abut multiple battery cells 200 simultaneously. By abutting each first protective member 42 against two adjacent battery cells 200 simultaneously, the number of protective members 40 required can be reduced, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0076] Optionally, in the battery 2000 provided by the embodiment of the present application, the width and position of each protective member 40 in the protective assembly 400 can be designed according to the position and size of a partial area of ​​the battery cell 200 that cannot be overlapped with the protective contact port 400. Specifically, the width of the protective member 40 can be selected according to the pressure that the battery cell 200 can withstand and the expected impact, and the installation position of the protective member 40 can be selected according to the positions of the electrode terminal 30 and the pressure release mechanism 60.

[0077] In some alternative embodiments, the extension length of the protective assembly 400 in the first direction Z is greater than 1.5 mm.

[0078] The protective assembly 400 in the embodiments of the present application needs to extend to a certain size in the first direction Z, i.e., each protective member 40 needs to have a certain thickness. The protective assembly 400 is used to provide impact protection for the battery cell 200 from below. Therefore, the relationship between the thickness of the protective assembly 400 itself and the impact energy has a significant impact on whether the battery 2000 will cause safety issues such as fire or explosion. Based on this, the protective assembly 400 needs to have a certain basic thickness to provide corresponding protection strength. For example, the overall thickness of the protective assembly 400 in the embodiments of the present application may be greater than 1.5 mm.

[0079] In some alternative embodiments, the protective assembly 400 further includes a connecting plate 50 , and the multiple protective members 40 are respectively provided on the surface of the connecting plate 50 facing the upper portion 10 .

[0080] In the embodiment of the present application, the multiple protective members 40 may all be connected to the same connecting plate 50, which is located near the bottom 20. The connecting plate 50 stabilizes the relative positions of the multiple protective members 40 to prevent displacement after an impact. At the same time, the connecting plate 50 may extend in the same direction as the bottom 20 and abut against the bottom 20, and may be further defined by a groove in the bottom 20. The connecting plate 50 is located between the protective members 40 and the bottom 20 and extends to cover a wider area, thereby improving the insulation performance between the bus members 300 and the battery cells 200 and the bottom 20 of the housing 100. Optionally, the thickness of the connecting plate 50 may be greater than 0.5 mm to provide the required protective strength.

[0081] In some alternative embodiments, the frame 12 and top plate 11 are attached by welding, a heat fusion self-tapping connection, an adhesive connection, or integral molding.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present application, the housing 100 may include a top plate 11, a frame 12, and a bottom 20, and the frame 12 is arranged circumferentially around the battery cells 200. At the same time, in order to improve the strength of the entire housing 100, the frame 12 and the top plate 11 may be fixedly connected, and this connection may be a welding connection, an FDS (Flow Drill Screw / Heat Fusion Self-Tapping Connection) connection, or an adhesive connection. The present application is not particularly limited thereto, and it is only necessary to ensure sufficient connection strength between the top plate 11 and the frame 12.

[0083] In some alternative embodiments, the protective assembly 400 is adhesively secured to the battery cell 200 .

[0084] The protective assembly 400 in the embodiment of the present application abuts on the shoulder of the battery cell 200, and at this time, the two are adhesively fixed to each other, which further improves the overall strength and stability of the connection and prevents displacement between the protective members 400 and the battery cell 200 due to impact. Optionally, in the protective assembly 400, each protective member 40 may be adhesively attached to a corresponding position on the battery cell 200, or at least a portion of the protective member 40 may be adhesively attached to the battery cell 200, and may include an edge protective member 41.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 6, in the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell 200 further includes a pressure release mechanism 60, which is provided on the same side as the electrode terminal 30.

[0086] The battery cell 200 in the embodiment of the present application may further include a pressure release mechanism 60, which may form a weak point when high pressure or expansion occurs inside the battery cell 200, so that internal pressure exceeding a certain threshold may be released from this point, thereby avoiding serious safety issues such as explosion of the entire battery cell 200. Based on this, the pressure release mechanism 60 needs to be able to avoid collisions as much as possible, and by similarly providing the pressure release mechanism 60 on the underside of the battery cell 200, it is possible to protect the battery cell 200 together with the electrode terminal 30, avoid impacts with the housing 100, etc., and improve the safety and reliability of the entire battery 2000.

[0087] In some embodiments, the orthogonal projection of the pressure release mechanism 60 on the bottom 20 is located between the orthogonal projections of the adjacent protective members 40 on the bottom 20 .

[0088] As described above, the battery cell 200 in the embodiment of the present application further includes a pressure release mechanism 60. When the battery cell 200 is fitted to the protective assembly 400, the pressure release mechanism 60 may be provided between the areas where the adjacent protective members 40 and the battery cell 200 abut against each other; that is, the pressure release mechanism 60 is provided on the side closer to the bottom 20 and does not contact the protective assembly 400. This allows the force of an external impact to be dispersed to the shoulder of the battery cell 200, preventing damage to the pressure release mechanism 60 due to the collision, thereby improving the safety of the battery 2000.

[0089] In some alternative embodiments, the protective assembly 400 is made of an insulating material, or the protective assembly 400 has an insulating coating applied to it.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present application, the protective assembly 400 is disposed between the bus member 300 and the bottom 20, and is used to support the battery cells 200 and insulate both the battery cells 200 and the bus member 300 from the bottom 20, thereby avoiding electrical interference from the external environment. Based on this, the protective assembly 400 can be made entirely of insulating material, thereby ensuring good insulation, or the protective assembly 400 can be made of a conductive material with a certain strength, to which an insulating coating is applied, thereby improving the strength of the protective assembly 400 itself, optimizing the protective effect, and further improving the overall resistance of the battery 2000 to bottom impact.

[0091] 10, which is a structural schematic diagram of a battery provided by yet another embodiment of the present application. In some alternative embodiments, the battery 2000 further includes an adapter plate 70 and an adapter 80, where the adapter plate 70 is provided on one side of the housing 100 and protrudes from the housing 100, the adapter plate 70 is connected to the bottom 20 to form a receiving portion 90, and the adapter 80 is provided in the receiving portion 90 and connected to the adapter plate 70.

[0092] The battery 2000 in the embodiment of the present application may further include an adapter plate 70 and an adapter 80. The adapter plate 70 is connected to the housing 100. The housing 100 has an upper portion 10 and a bottom portion 20 facing each other along the first direction Z. The battery cells 200, the bus members 300, and the protective assembly 400 are sequentially installed within the housing 100. The adapter plate 70 protrudes from one side of the housing 100 along the third direction Y and is connected to the upper portion 10 in the first direction Z with a step to form a receiving portion 90. The adapter 80 is connected to the adapter plate 70 at the receiving portion 90, and the adapter 80 does not exceed the extension surface of the bottom portion 20 in the third direction Y.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, the adapter plate 70 protrudes from one side of the housing 100 in the third direction Y and is connected to the bottom 20 by a step in the first direction Z. Specifically, the adapter plate 70 has an extension size difference with the housing 100 in the first direction Z. The accommodation section 90 is a space defined by the contact surface between the adapter plate 70 and the housing 100 resulting from this thickness difference, and is used to accommodate the adapter 80, whose extension size in the first direction Z is equal to or smaller than that of the housing 100. The adapter plate 70 in the embodiments of the present application may be perpendicular to the extension direction of the side wall of the housing 100 or may have a certain angle, but cannot extend parallel to the housing 100, so as to provide the adapter 80 in the receiving portion 90 between the adapter plate 70 and the housing 100.

[0094] The adapter plate 70 protrudes from one side of the housing 100 in the third direction Y and is connected to the bottom 20 of the housing 100 in the first direction Z at a step to form the receiving portion 90. That is, the receiving portion 90 is a receiving space jointly formed by the adapter plate 70 and the housing 100. By providing the adapter 80 in the receiving portion 90, it is possible to protect the adapter 80 and reduce the impact force on the adapter in the event of a collision. Furthermore, since the extension size of the adapter 80 in the first direction Z does not need to exceed the extension size of the housing 100, the adapter 80 is positioned completely within the receiving portion 90, avoiding contact with external devices positioned around the battery 100 and reducing the impact of external impacts on the process by which the adapter 80 electrically connects the battery cells 200 to the external device.

[0095] In some embodiments of the present application, the side of the adapter plate 70 away from the receiving portion 90 is located on the same horizontal plane as the side of the top plate 11 away from the frame 12; that is, the adapter plate 70 can be located on the same horizontal plane as the top surface of the housing 100. When the adapter plate 70 and the housing are integrated, the adapter plate 70 may be formed by extending the top plate of the housing 100 horizontally outward. When the battery 2000 is integrated with an external device such as a vehicle chassis, the adapter plate 70 and the top plate 11 may be fixed to the same surface of the external device, or the adapter plate 70 and the top plate 11 may be integrated with the same external device. By arranging one side of the adapter plate 70 and the top plate 11 to be located on the same horizontal plane, the stress strength of both the adapter plate 70 and the top plate 11 can be improved, further improving the yield strength and upper strength of the battery 2000.

[0096] Optionally, the adapter plate 70 has a constant thickness in the first direction Z. When the bottom or side of the battery 2000 collides, the side of the adapter plate 70 facing away from the housing 100 may be subjected to a certain impact force. Therefore, by providing the adapter plate 70 with a constant thickness, the rigidity of the adapter plate 70 itself can be increased, and the receiving portion 90 supported jointly by the adapter plate 70 and the housing 100 can provide better protection for the adapter 80.

[0097] Alternatively, the adapter plate 70 may be integrally molded with the housing 100, or the adapter plate 70 may be positioned and connected to the housing 100 by a fixed connection such as a welded connection, adhesive connection, or FDS connection, which is not particularly limited in this application.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present application, the adapter plate 70 has a first surface facing the receiving portion 90, and the housing 100 has a second surface facing the receiving portion 90, and the first and second surfaces may be perpendicular to each other, i.e., one side of the adapter 80 of the adapter plate 70 may be perpendicular to the side wall of the housing 100. By making the first and second surfaces perpendicular to each other, the receiving portion 90 interposed therebetween can be maximized, and the installation space for the adapter 80 can be expanded.

[0099] Furthermore, the adapter 80 is connected to the first surface and spaced apart from the second surface; that is, the adapter 80 can extend from the adapter plate 70 along the first direction Z. As a result, the adapter 80 is suspended within the accommodating section 90 and does not contact the second surface, reducing the possibility that the adapter 80 will be subjected to an impact in the event of a collision. This structure also makes it easier to electrically connect the adapter 80 to other external devices. Furthermore, this structure allows the adapter 80 to have better strength-bearing performance than when the adapter 80 is arranged along the horizontal direction.

[0100] In some optional embodiments, the housing 100 may have cooling channels embedded therein, and the battery cells 200 and the top plate 10 of the housing 100 may be connected to each other, so that the bottom of the battery cells 200 and the top plate 10 can be in contact with each other and transfer heat. In order to further improve the performance of the battery 2000, cooling channels may be embedded in the top plate 10 at the position where it is connected to the battery cells 200, allowing the gas or liquid required for cooling to flow through, thereby achieving heat exchange and playing a cooling role when the battery 2000 is operating, thereby extending the service life of the entire battery 2000 and making it applicable to a wider range of uses.

[0101] Furthermore, in some alternative embodiments, the cooling channels may be provided as multiple cooling plates between the battery cells 200 or between the battery cells 200 and the housing 100, and the inlets and outlets through which the cooling medium flows in these cooling plates may be unified and connected to other components for storing, circulating, and dissipating the cooling medium via through holes on the housing 100, but this is not particularly limited in the present application.

[0102] 3 , an embodiment of the present application provides a battery 2000 including a housing 100 having an upper portion 10 and a bottom portion 20 that are fitted together, battery cells 200 arranged sequentially inside the housing 100 along a direction from the upper portion 10 to the bottom portion 20, a bus member 300, and a protective assembly 400. The battery cells 200 are placed upside down in the housing 100 and connected to the upper plate 10, and the electrode terminals 30 and pressure release mechanisms 60 of the arrayed battery cells 200 are all provided on the side closer to the bottom portion 20. The bus member 300 is electrically connected to at least two of the electrode terminals 30, and the protective assembly 400 is used to support the battery cells 200 and insulate them from the bottom portion 20. The protection assembly 400 includes edge protection members 41 arranged on both sides in the third direction Y and first protection members 42 and second protection members 43 arranged alternately between the edge protection members 41, and along the second direction X, the extension size of the second protection member 43 is smaller than the extension size of the first protection member 42, and along the third direction Y, the width of the first protection member 42 is greater than or equal to the width of the second protection member 43, and the width of the second protection member 43 is greater than or equal to the width of the edge protection member 41.

[0103] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide an electric device including the battery 2000 of any of the embodiments of the first aspect. As described above, the battery 2000 can function as a driving power source or a control power source for the electric device.

[0104] The electrical device provided by the embodiments of the present application has the beneficial effects of the above battery 2000. For details, please refer to the specific description of the battery 2000 in each of the above embodiments, and repeated description will be omitted in this embodiment.

[0105] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solutions of the present application and are not limiting. Although the above embodiments have described the present application in detail, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments may still be modified or some or all of the technical features therein may be equivalently replaced, and such modifications or replacements shall not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and shall all be within the scope of the claims and description of the present application. In particular, the technical features described in the embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural contradiction. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery, a housing having a top and a bottom opposed to each other along a first direction; a battery cell placed upside down in the housing and connected to the upper portion, the battery cell including an electrode terminal, the electrode terminal being spaced apart from the upper portion in the first direction; a bus member electrically connected to the electrode terminals of at least two of the battery cells; a protection assembly provided between the bottom and the bus member, the protection assembly being used to support the battery cells and insulate the battery cells from the bottom; The protective assembly includes a plurality of protective members extending along a second direction, the plurality of protective members being spaced apart in a third direction, the battery cells abutting the protective members, and the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction being set to intersect with each other.

2. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is adhesively fixed to the upper portion.

3. 2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the upper portion includes a top plate and a frame, the frame surrounding the plurality of battery cells, and the frame is used to connect the top plate and the bottom portion.

4. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the orthogonal projections of the electrode terminals on the bottom are located between the orthogonal projections of the adjacent protective members on the bottom.

5. 5. The battery of claim 4, wherein the plurality of protective members include an edge protective member, a first protective member, and a second protective member, and along the third direction, the edge protective members are provided on both side edges of the battery cell assemblies arranged in an array, and the first protective members and the second protective members are alternately distributed between two of the edge protective members.

6. The battery according to claim 5 , wherein the extension length of the first protection member is greater than the extension length of the second protection member along the second direction.

7. The battery of claim 6 , wherein the width of the first protection member is greater than the width of the second protection member, and the width of the second protection member is greater than the width of the edge protection member, along the third direction.

8. 7. The battery of claim 6, wherein the protective assembly has an extension length in the first direction greater than 1.5 mm.

9. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the protective assembly further includes a connection plate, and the plurality of protective members are respectively provided on the surface of the connection plate facing the upper portion.

10. 4. The battery of claim 3, wherein the frame and the upper plate are connected by welding, heat fusion, self-tapping, adhesive, fastener, or integral molding.

11. 10. The battery of claim 1, wherein the protective assembly is adhesively secured to the battery cell.

12. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell further includes a pressure release mechanism, the pressure release mechanism being provided on the same side as the electrode terminal.

13. 13. The battery of claim 12, wherein the orthogonal projection on the bottom of the pressure release mechanism is located between the orthogonal projections on the bottom of adjacent protective members.

14. 10. The battery of claim 1, wherein the protective assembly is made of an insulating material or the protective assembly is coated with an insulating coating.

15. 2. The battery of claim 1, further comprising an adapter plate and an adapter, the adapter plate being provided on one side of the housing and protruding from the housing, the adapter plate being connected to the bottom to form a receiving portion, and the adapter being provided in the receiving portion and connected to the adapter plate.

16. An electrical device comprising the battery of any one of claims 1 to 15.

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