Electrode plates, electrode assemblies, battery cells, batteries, power consumption devices, and manufacturing methods

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of batteries, and more particularly to an electrode plate, an electrode assembly, a battery cell, a battery, a power consumption device, and a manufacturing method thereof. In this application, a folding guide is provided on the electrode plate, and the folding guide guides the folding of the electrode plate. In this way, the electrode plates can be folded and then stacked, without having to be stacked one by one, and can be quickly folded while being guided by the folding guide during folding, thereby effectively improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of batteries, and more specifically to electrode plates, electrode assemblies, battery cells, batteries, power consumption devices, and manufacturing methods.

Background Art

[0002] Batteries are being increasingly widely applied. They are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydroelectric, thermal, wind, and solar power plants, but also widely used in many fields such as electric transportation tools like electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, military equipment, and aviation and space flight.

[0003] Laminated batteries are an important type of battery, but due to their structural limitations, the production efficiency of laminated batteries is low.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] To improve the production efficiency of laminated batteries, this application provides electrode plates, electrode assemblies, battery cells, batteries, power consumption devices, and a manufacturing method for electrode plates and electrode assemblies.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the electrode plate provided by this application is provided with a folding guide part for guiding the folding of the electrode plate. Thereby, the electrode plate can be folded and then laminated, without the need to stack one by one. During folding, it can be guided by the folding guide part and folded quickly, so that the production efficiency of the laminated battery can be effectively improved.

[0006] In some embodiments, the folding guide part includes indentations or creases. The provided indentations or creases can both effectively perform the folding guiding function and facilitate folding.

[0007] In some embodiments, the folding guide section has a continuous linear shape or a discontinuous linear shape. When the folding guide section has a continuous linear shape, the structure of the folding guide section is simple and easy to manufacture. When the folding guide section has a discontinuous linear shape, the area occupied by the folding guide section is relatively small, which is advantageous in facilitating the folding of the electrode plate while simultaneously improving the structural strength of the electrode plate as much as possible.

[0008] In some embodiments, the folding guide section has a dashed line pattern. Dashed lines are easier to manufacture than other types of discontinuous lines.

[0009] In some embodiments, the folding guide portion has a dotted dashed line pattern or a linear dashed line pattern. Thus, the dashed line type folding guide portion is easy to manufacture.

[0010] In some embodiments, the folding guide is either parallel to the width direction of the electrode plate or inclined with respect to the width direction of the electrode plate. When the folding guide is parallel to the width direction of the electrode plate, it is easier to manufacture the folding guide. When the folding guide is inclined with respect to the width direction of the electrode plate, it is advantageous in reducing the risk of lithium deposition and improving safety performance.

[0011] In some embodiments, the electrode plate is provided with only one folding guide to guide it to fold once. In this way, the electrode plate is guided by the folding guide and the folding process can be completed quickly.

[0012] The electrode assembly provided in this application is The first electrode plate and It includes a second electrode plate that has the opposite polarity to the first electrode plate and is stacked with the first electrode plate, At least one of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate is the electrode plate of the present invention.

[0013] Providing at least one of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate as an electrode plate having a folding guide portion is advantageous for improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first electrode plate is folded back and forth along a first direction so as to include a plurality of first laminated sheets in which the first electrode plates are connected and stacked in sequence, and the second electrode plate is folded once along a second direction so as to include two second laminated sheets in which the second electrode plates are connected to each other, the second direction being perpendicular or parallel to the first direction, and the second laminated sheets and the first laminated sheets being stacked alternately in sequence.

[0015] In the above installation, the first electrode plate is folded in a Z shape, and the second electrode plate is folded in a U shape, thereby shortening the cutting process time and improving the stacking efficiency, and thereby effectively improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0016] In some embodiments, the tabs of the first electrode plate are located on the edges other than the bent portion of the first electrode plate, and / or the tabs of the second electrode plate are located on the edges other than the bent portion of the second electrode plate. When the tabs of the first electrode plate and / or the second electrode plate are located on the edges other than the bent portion, the tabs are less likely to be damaged during the folding process, resulting in higher structural reliability.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, the tab of the first electrode plate is located on the edge of the first electrode plate adjacent to the bend, and the tab of the second electrode plate is located on the end of the second electrode plate away from the bend. Based on this, the first and second electrode plates employ a tab extension method along the folding direction of the second electrode plate in an orthogonal "Z+U" stacking configuration, allowing the tabs of the first and second electrode plates to easily extend on the same or opposite sides in the second direction, satisfying the design requirements of a battery cell where the positive and negative terminals are located on the same or opposite sides.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and of any two adjacent first laminated sheets, only one of the first laminated sheets has a tab, and the bent portion of the second electrode plate covers the first laminated sheet that does not have a tab. In this way, physical isolation between the positive tab and the negative tab is facilitated and short circuits between the positive tab and the negative tab are prevented.

[0019] In some embodiments, the second direction is parallel to the first direction, the tab of the first electrode plate is located on the edge of the first electrode plate adjacent to the bend, and the tab of the second electrode plate is located on the edge of the second electrode plate adjacent to the bend. Based on this, the first and second electrode plates employ a tab extension method perpendicular to the folding direction of the second electrode plate in an orthogonal "Z+U" stacking configuration, allowing the tabs of the first and second electrode plates to easily extend on the same or opposite side in the longitudinal direction of the first electrode plate, thus meeting the design requirements of a battery cell where the positive and negative terminals are located on the same or opposite side.

[0020] In some embodiments, at least one of the two second laminated sheets of the second electrode plate has a tab. When only one of the two second laminated sheets of the second electrode plate has a tab, the structure is relatively simple. When both of the two second laminated sheets of the second electrode plate have tabs, the electrical energy transfer efficiency is higher and the operational reliability is higher.

[0021] In some embodiments, the second electrode plate has an inert region including a bent portion of the second electrode plate, and this inert region is not coated with the active material. This makes it easier to control the size of the area of ​​the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate.

[0022] In some embodiments, an insulating material is placed on the surface of the inert region of the second electrode plate facing the first electrode plate. This is advantageous in improving the insulation between the first and second electrode plates and enhancing safety performance.

[0023] In some embodiments, the tabs of the first electrode plate and the tabs of the second electrode plate are located on the same side or on opposite sides. When the tabs of the first electrode plate and the tabs of the second electrode plate are located on the same side, it facilitates meeting the design requirements for a battery cell in which the positive and negative terminals are located on the same side. When the tabs of the first electrode plate and the tabs of the second electrode plate are located on opposite sides, it facilitates meeting the design requirements for a battery cell in which the negative terminals are located on opposite sides.

[0024] In some embodiments, the tab of the first electrode plate and the tab of the second electrode plate are located on the same side, and the tab of the first electrode plate and the tab of the second electrode plate are arranged offset in the folding direction of the first electrode plate. Thereby, the positive tab and the negative tab can be efficiently separated, and it is possible to prevent the positive tab and the negative tab on the same side from interfering with each other.

[0025] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly includes a separator that separates the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, and two separators located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the same second electrode plate are both folded back to cover the edge of the second electrode plate where no tab is provided. Thereby, the short-circuit risk can be reduced, and the safety performance can be improved.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first electrode plate is a negative electrode plate, and the second electrode plate is a positive electrode plate. Thereby, it becomes easy to make the area of the negative electrode plate larger than the area of the positive electrode plate, and it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of lithium deposition phenomenon.

[0027] The battery cell provided in the present application includes a housing, and further includes the electrode assembly of the present application, and the electrode assembly is installed in the housing. Since the production efficiency of the electrode assembly is improved, the production efficiency of the battery cell including the electrode assembly is improved.

[0028] In some embodiments, the tab of the second electrode plate is located at the end of the second electrode plate away from the bending portion, and the bending portion of the second electrode plate contacts the inner wall of the housing. In this way, the electrode assembly can contact the housing to transfer heat, and the heat dissipation performance of the battery cell can be improved.

[0029] In some embodiments, the surface of the bending portion of the second electrode plate away from the first electrode plate is directed in the direction of gravity. In this way, the second electrode plate can easily contact the inner wall of the housing sufficiently under the action of gravity, and a better heat dissipation effect can be realized.

[0030] The battery provided in this application includes a packaging box and further includes battery cells of the embodiment of this application, the battery cells being placed inside the packaging box. Since the production efficiency of the battery cells is improved, the production efficiency of the battery including the battery cells is improved.

[0031] The power consumption device provided in this application includes a main unit and further includes a battery cell or battery according to the embodiment of this application, the battery cell supplying electrical energy to the main unit. This effectively improves the production efficiency of the power consumption device.

[0032] The method for manufacturing an electrode plate provided in this application is: By providing a folding guide section on the electrode plate, The invention is characterized by including the folding of an electrode plate guided by a folding guide.

[0033] Electrode plates manufactured using the above method can be quickly folded using the folding guide and then assembled with other electrode plates, thus offering advantages in improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0034] The method for manufacturing an electrode assembly provided in this application is: A first electrode plate is provided, and the first electrode plate is folded by reciprocating along a first direction, thereby including a plurality of first laminated sheets that are sequentially connected and stacked. A second electrode plate is provided with the opposite polarity to the first electrode plate, and the second electrode plate is folded once along a second direction, thereby comprising two second laminated sheets connected to each other, wherein the second direction is perpendicular or parallel to the first direction. This includes inserting the second electrode plate into the first electrode plate and stacking the second laminated sheet and the first laminated sheet alternately in sequence.

[0035] Manufactured using the above method, the electrode assembly is highly efficient.

[0036] In some embodiments, before folding the second electrode plate once in the second direction, two additional separators are placed on opposite sides of the second electrode plate in the thickness direction, and both of these separators located on opposite sides of the second electrode plate in the thickness direction are folded back to cover the edges of the second electrode plate that do not have tabs.

[0037] Before folding the second electrode plate, two separators are used to create a double overlap on the edges of the second electrode plate where no tabs are installed, thereby facilitating the folding of the second electrode plate and effectively improving the safety performance of the battery assembly.

[0038] In this invention, since the electrode plate is provided with a folding guide, the electrode plate can be guided by the folding guide and quickly folded before being assembled with other electrode plates. This eliminates the need to stack them one by one, resulting in high efficiency and an advantage in improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0039] The above description is merely an outline of the proposed technology. In order to provide a clearer understanding of the technical means of this application, to enable implementation based on the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objectives, features, and advantages of this application clearer and easier to understand, specific embodiments of this application are given below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0040] The drawings provided herein are for the purpose of providing a further understanding of the present application and constitute part of the present application. Exemplary embodiments and descriptions thereof are for interpretive purposes only and do not constitute an inappropriate limitation to the present application. The drawings are as follows: [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a power consumption device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view of a battery cell in the first embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] This is a front view of a battery cell in the first embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5]This is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a schematic, enlarged view of part I in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a schematic, enlarged view of part II in Figure 5. [Figure 8] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of BB. [Figure 9] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of section III in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing the lamination process of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a side view of Figure 10. [Figure 12] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of IV in Figure 11. [Figure 13] This is a schematic, enlarged view of part V in Figure 11. [Figure 14] This is a schematic perspective view of a battery cell in the second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 15] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a battery cell in the second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 16] This is a front view of the electrode assembly in the second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 17] This is a schematic diagram showing the lamination process of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate in the second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 18] This is a side view of Figure 17. [Figure 19] This is a side view of the electrode assembly in the second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 20] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of VI in Figure 19. [Figure 21] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of section VII in Figure 19. [Figure 22] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the contact area between the electrode assembly and the casing in the second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 23] This is a schematic perspective view of the electrode assembly in the third embodiment of the present application. [Figure 24] This is a schematic diagram showing the lamination process of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate in the third embodiment of the present application. [Figure 25]This is a schematic perspective view of the second pole plate, on which the folding guide is installed, when it is in the unfolded state in this embodiment. [Figure 26] This figure shows a modified example of the second electrode plate shown in Figure 25. [Figure 27] Figure 26 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the second electrode plate at the notched location. [Figure 28] This figure shows a modified example of the second electrode plate shown in Figure 25. [Figure 29] This is a schematic, enlarged view of part M in Figure 28. [Figure 30] This figure shows a modified example of the second electrode plate shown in Figure 25. [Figure 31] This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of N in Figure 30. [Figure 32] This figure shows a modified example of the second electrode plate shown in Figure 25. [Figure 33] This is a schematic diagram showing how the separator in the embodiment of the present application surrounds the second electrode plate. [Figure 34] This figure shows the method for manufacturing an electrode plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 35] This figure shows the method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0041] The following describes in detail embodiments of the present invention, with accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only to more clearly illustrate the present invention and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Terms used herein are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The terms “including,” “having,” and any variations thereof in the description of the specification, claims, and drawings herein are intended to cover the non-exclusive “including.”

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of this application, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing different subjects and are not to be understood as explicitly or suggesting relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number, specific order, or primary / secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, “plural” means two or more unless specifically defined otherwise.

[0044] Where the “Examples” are referred to herein, it means that certain features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the Examples may be included in at least one of the Examples of this Application. The occurrence of the phrase at each location in the Specification does not necessarily refer to the same Example, nor do they represent mutually exclusive or alternative Examples. Those skilled in the art will understand, both explicitly and implicitly, that the Examples described herein may be combined with other Examples.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" merely describes the relationship between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent three cases: A alone, A and B as a combination, or B alone. In addition, the letter " / " in the text generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" means two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple groups" means two or more groups (including two groups), and "multiple sheets" means two or more sheets (including two sheets).

[0047] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center," "vertical direction," "horizontal direction," "length," "width," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial direction," "radial direction," and "circumferential direction" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are intended for the convenience or simplification of the description of the embodiments of this application. They do not indicate or imply that the referred devices or elements have a specific orientation or need to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of this application.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specifically defined or limited, the technical terms “attached,” “connected,” “connected,” and “fixed” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, integrated, mechanically connected, electrically connected, directly connected, indirectly connected via an intermediate medium, or be internal communication between the two elements or an interaction relationship between the two elements. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0049] With the rapid development of electronic products and power-consuming devices such as electric vehicles, the applications of batteries are becoming increasingly widespread. They are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydroelectric, thermal, wind, and solar power plants, but also in many fields such as electric transportation tools like electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, military equipment, and aerospace. As the application fields of power batteries expand, the market demand is constantly increasing, and there is a growing demand for higher production efficiency in batteries.

[0050] Stacked batteries are an important type of battery. Compared to wound batteries, they have a more flexible and open structure, higher utilization of internal space, and higher energy density, making them a structural form with great potential for widespread adoption. However, currently, the production process for stacked batteries requires stacking multiple positive and negative plates alternately in sequence, resulting in low production efficiency. This is a significant factor limiting the development of stacked batteries. Therefore, improving the productivity of stacked batteries is crucial.

[0051] This application provides a power consumption device, a battery, a battery cell, an electrode assembly and its manufacturing method, an electrode plate and its manufacturing method, in order to improve the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0052] Figures 1 to 35 show power consumption devices, batteries, battery cells, electrode assemblies and their manufacturing methods, as well as electrode plates and their manufacturing methods, in some embodiments of the present application.

[0053] Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 35.

[0054] Figure 1 illustrates the structure of the power consumption device 100.

[0055] Referring to Figure 1, the power consumption device 100 is a device that uses a battery cell 20 as a power source, and includes the battery cell 20 and a main body 105, where the battery 10 is installed in the main body 105 and provides electrical energy to the main body 105. Alternatively, the power consumption device 100 includes a main body 105 and a battery 10, which includes a battery cell 20, provided in the main body 105, where the battery cell 20 of the battery 10 provides electrical energy to the main body 105.

[0056] Here, the power consumption device 100 may be a variety of power consumption devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptop computers, electric toys, power tools, battery-powered cars, electric vehicles, steamships, and aerospace aircraft. Here, electric toys may include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric steamship toys, and electric airplane toys. Aerospace aircraft may include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft.

[0057] The power consumption device 100 includes a power source, the power source includes a battery 10, and the battery 10 provides driving force to the power consumption device 100. In some embodiments, the driving force of the power consumption device 100 is entirely electrical energy, in which case the power source includes only the battery 10. In some other embodiments, the driving force of the power consumption device 100 includes electrical energy and other energy (e.g., mechanical energy), in which case the power source includes the battery 10 and other equipment such as an engine.

[0058] Let's take the case where the power consumption device 100 is a vehicle 101 as an example. Referring to Figure 1, in some embodiments, the power consumption device 100 is a new energy vehicle such as a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range extender vehicle, which includes a battery 10, a controller 102, and power equipment 103 such as a motor 104, the battery 10 being electrically connected to the power equipment 103 such as the motor 104 via the controller 102, so that the battery 10 can supply power to the power equipment 103 such as the motor 104 under the control of the controller 102.

[0059] It can be seen that the battery 10 and its battery cells 20 are important components of the power consumption device 100.

[0060] Figure 2 illustrates the structure of battery 10.

[0061] Referring to Figure 2, the battery 10 includes a packaging box 30 and battery cells 20 installed inside the packaging box 30. The packaging box 30 comprises a box body 301 and a box cover 302. The box body 301 and the box cover 302 engage with each other, forming a sealed housing space inside the packaging box 30 that accommodates the battery cells 20. The number of battery cells 20 in the packaging box 30 is at least two or more, which can provide more electrical energy and meet higher power demands. Each battery cell 20 in the battery 10 can achieve a larger capacity or power by being connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel. It should be noted that the battery cells 20 are depicted in a simplified manner in Figure 2.

[0062] Thus, the battery cell 20 is the smallest battery unit for providing electrical energy, and it is a core component of the battery 10 and the power consumption device 100. Its performance directly affects the performance of the battery 10 and the power consumption device 100, and at the same time, its production efficiency directly affects the production efficiency of the power consumption device 100 and the battery 10. Improving the production efficiency and performance of the battery cell 20 is beneficial for improving the production efficiency and performance of the power consumption device 100 and the battery 10.

[0063] The battery cell 20 may be any type of battery cell, such as a lithium-ion battery, and may have any shape, such as rectangular or cylindrical.

[0064] Figures 3-33 illustrate the structure of a battery cell.

[0065] Referring to Figures 3-33, the battery cell 20 includes a housing 202, an electrode assembly 201, an adapter 205, and electrode terminals 206.

[0066] Here, the housing 202 serves to house and protect components located inside the housing 202 (e.g., electrode assembly 201 and adapter 205). The housing 202 includes a casing 203 and an end cap 204. The end cap 204 is fitted over the end opening of the casing 203, forming a sealed space inside the housing 202 for housing the electrode assembly 201 and the like.

[0067] The electrode assembly 201 is used to generate electrical energy and is installed inside the housing 202. It provides electrical energy by electrochemically reacting with the electrolyte injected into the housing 202. The electrode assembly 201 includes electrode plates 4, specifically two types of electrode plates 4, a first electrode plate 1 and a second electrode plate 2. The first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are electrode plates 4 with opposite polarity; one is a negative electrode plate 14 (also called an anode plate), and the other is a positive electrode plate 24 (also called a cathode plate). The thickness of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 is 0.05 to 0.2 mm. After combining the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2, a laminated structure is formed and separated by a separator 3 to prevent short circuits between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2. Both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 have tabs 15, and the electrical energy generated by the electrode assembly 201 is transmitted to the outside via the tabs 15. The tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are, for convenience, referred to as the first tab 12 and the second tab 22, respectively.

[0068] Tab 15 is the portion of the positive and negative electrode plates of the electrode assembly 201 that is not coated with the active material 29. It extends outward from the portion of the positive and negative electrode plates coated with the active material 29 and is electrically connected to an external circuit via the adapter 205 and electrode terminals 206, enabling the transfer of electrical energy to the outside. The tab 15 on the negative electrode plate 14 is called the negative tab 13, and the tab 15 on the positive electrode plate 24 is called the positive tab 23.

[0069] The adapter 205 is located inside the housing 202 and is positioned between the tab 15 of the electrode assembly 201 and the electrode terminal 206. It provides an electrical connection between the electrode assembly 201 and the electrode terminal 206, and transmits the electrical energy generated by the electrode assembly 201 to the electrode terminal 206. Here, the adapter 205 corresponding to the positive tab is called the positive adapter, and the adapter 205 corresponding to the negative tab is called the negative adapter.

[0070] The electrode terminals 206 are electrically connected to the electrode assembly 201 via the adapter 205 and connect to an external circuit to transmit the electrical energy generated in the electrode assembly 201 to the outside of the battery cell 20. The electrode terminal 206 corresponding to the negative tab 13 is referred to as the negative electrode terminal 20a, and the electrode terminal 206 corresponding to the positive tab 23 is referred to as the positive electrode terminal 20b.

[0071] The electrode assembly 201 is a crucial component of the battery cell 20, and it is clear that it is key to the battery cell 20 providing electrical energy.

[0072] There are mainly two methods for combining the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 in the electrode assembly 201: the winding method and the stacking method. Here, when the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are combined using the winding method, the corresponding battery cell 20 is called a wound battery. On the other hand, when the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are combined using the stacking method, the corresponding battery cell 20 is called a stacked battery. Stacked batteries have no corners like wound batteries, their structure is more free and open, and they have a high utilization rate of internal space and a high energy density, thus offering good application prospects.

[0073] However, the current development of stacked batteries is largely constrained by the problem of low production efficiency.

[0074] Unlike the electrode assembly 201 of a wound-type battery, the electrode assembly 201 of a stacked battery cannot be rapidly wound and molded. In related technologies, the electrode assembly 201 of a stacked battery can only be constructed using a piece-by-piece stacking method, in which the cut first electrode plate 1 and second electrode plate 2 are stacked one by one, and the first electrode plate 1 and second electrode plate 2 are stacked alternately in sequence and separated by a separator 3. In this piece-by-piece stacking method, each electrode plate 4 needs to be cut, which inevitably generates metal burrs and metal scraps at the cut metal edges. If these metal burrs or scraps enter the inside of the stack of the first electrode plate 1 and second electrode plate 2, there is a risk of the plates being pierced and short-circuited. Furthermore, since each plate must be stacked one by one during stacking, there is a problem of low production efficiency.

[0075] In response to this situation, the present invention improves the structure and manufacturing method of the electrode assembly 201 and electrode plate 4 in order to further enhance the safety performance of the stacked battery and improve the production efficiency of the stacked battery.

[0076] Figures 3 to 33 illustrate the structure of the battery cell 20, its electrode assembly 201, and the electrode plate 4.

[0077] Referring to Figures 3 to 33, in this application, the electrode assembly 201 includes a first electrode plate 1 and a second electrode plate 2. The first electrode plate 1 is folded back and forth along a first direction X so as to include a plurality of first laminated sheets 11 in which the first electrode plates 1 are connected and stacked in order. The second electrode plate 2 has the opposite polarity to the first electrode plate 1 and is folded once in a second direction Y so as to include two second laminated sheets 21 in which the second electrode plates 2 are connected to each other. The second direction Y is perpendicular or parallel to the first direction X, and the second laminated sheets 21 are stacked alternately with the first laminated sheets 11 in order.

[0078] Since the first electrode plate 1 folds by reciprocating along the first direction X, it employs a Z-shaped (or S-shaped) folding method, and the second electrode plate 2 folds once along the second direction Y, employing a U-shaped folding method. Therefore, in the above installation method, the electrode assembly 201 adopts a "Z+U" type stacking method.

[0079] In the "Z+U" type lamination method, there is no need to laminate the electrode plates 4 one by one. The first electrode plate 1 is folded in a Z shape, and multiple second electrode plates 2 are each folded in the middle in a U shape. Then, the multiple folded second electrode plates 2 are inserted directly into the first electrode plate 1 simultaneously, and the second laminated sheet 21 and the first laminated sheet 11 are laminated alternately in sequence. Therefore, compared to the individual piece lamination method, the production efficiency of the electrode assembly 201, battery cell 20, battery 10, and power consumption device 100 can be effectively improved.

[0080] In this design, the first electrode plate 1 employs a Z-folding method, and each first laminated sheet 11 is connected integrally, eliminating the need to pre-cut the first electrode plate 1 into individual first laminated sheets 11. Furthermore, the second electrode plate 2 employs a U-folding method, and the two second laminated sheets 21 are connected integrally, eliminating the need to cut the second electrode plate 2 into two second laminated sheets 21. Thus, the corresponding cutting steps can be omitted, reducing the time required for the cutting process and thereby improving production efficiency.

[0081] Furthermore, the second electrode plate 2 employs a U-shaped folding method, and during the lamination process, dozens of second electrode plates 2 are simultaneously manipulated and inserted into the first electrode plate 1 to complete the assembly with the first electrode plate 1. This eliminates the need to laminate the second laminated sheets 21 one by one onto the first laminated sheets 11, which is advantageous in terms of improving production efficiency.

[0082] The "Z+U" type stacking method adopted in this invention can effectively improve the production efficiency of stacked batteries by shortening the cutting process time and increasing stacking efficiency.

[0083] Furthermore, in the "Z+U" type lamination method, there is no need to cut between each first laminated sheet 11 of the first electrode plate 1, nor between the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2. Therefore, compared to the individual-piece lamination method where each laminated sheet is separated from each other and has cuts, the number of cuts can be effectively reduced. Reducing the number of cuts is advantageous in reducing the probability of burr generation, reducing the risk of short circuits, and improving operational safety. The more cuts there are, the higher the probability of burr generation, and the easier it is for burrs to penetrate the separator 3, causing a short circuit between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2. Therefore, the higher the risk of short circuits, the lower the operational safety. In this application, both the first laminated sheet 11 and the second laminated sheet 21 only need to be cut on three sides, not four sides. As a result, the number of cuts on both the first laminated sheet 11 and the second laminated sheet 21 is reduced, reducing the risk of short circuits and improving operational safety.

[0084] Thus, it can be seen that by providing an electrode assembly 201 formed using a "Z+U" type stacking method, the present invention can not only effectively improve the production efficiency of stacked batteries but also effectively improve the operational safety of stacked batteries.

[0085] Furthermore, the "Z+U" stacking method adopted in this application is convenient for improving the heat dissipation performance of the battery cell 20. For example, referring to Figure 22, in some embodiments, the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located at the end of the second electrode plate 2 away from the bent portion 25, and the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is in contact with the inner wall of the housing 202.

[0086] It is easy to understand that the bent portion 25 is the part where folding occurs in the electrode plate 4. Specifically, the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1 is the part where folding occurs in the first electrode plate 1, or the part where, after the first electrode plate 1 is folded, two adjacent first laminated sheets 11 are connected to each other. The bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is the part where folding occurs in the second electrode plate 2, or the part where, after the second electrode plate 2 is folded, two second laminated sheets 21 are connected to each other. Referring to Figure 9, in some embodiments, the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1 is arc-shaped so that the first electrode plate 1 as a whole is approximately S-shaped. Referring to Figure 12, in some embodiments, the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is arc-shaped so that the second electrode plate 2 as a whole is approximately U-shaped.

[0087] In related technologies, an insulating tray is usually placed between the electrode plate 4 and the housing 202 for housing the electrode assembly 201, separating them and preventing direct contact. Here, the insulating tray supports the electrode assembly 201, but is usually made of an insulating material such as a polymer material. In this case, the heat generated in the electrode assembly 201 is not easily dissipated quickly, and heat accumulates inside the housing 202, making it prone to safety accidents such as overheating explosions.

[0088] Unlike related technologies, in the above embodiment, instead of providing an insulating tray between the electrode assembly 201 and the housing 202, the folded portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2, which employs a U-shaped folding method for the electrode assembly 201, is brought into contact with the inner wall of the housing 202. As a result, the second electrode plate 2 is usually formed from a material with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal material, and the housing 202 for housing the electrode assembly 201 is usually formed from a material with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal material (e.g., aluminum), and the second electrode plate Because there are many 2s and all the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 are in contact with the inner wall of the housing 202, the total contact area is large. By bringing the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 into contact with the inner wall of the housing 202, a high thermal conductivity and large-area direct contact heat dissipation process can be achieved between the electrode assembly 201 and the housing 202. This allows the heat generated from the electrode assembly 201 to be quickly released to the outside of the housing 202, thereby effectively improving the heat dissipation performance of the battery cell 20, reducing the risk of safety accidents due to heat accumulation, and improving operational safety.

[0089] At the same time, in the above embodiment, when the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 contacts the inner wall of the housing 202, the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located at the end of the second electrode plate 2 away from the bent portion 25. As a result, the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 that contacts the housing 202 does not have the tab 15, and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located on the opposite side of the bent portion 25. This has the advantage that contact between the bent portion 25, which does not have such a tab 15, and the housing 202 is easy, while the contact between the bent portion 25 and the housing 202 does not affect the electrical connection between the tab 15 and the adapter 205 and the electrode terminal 206.

[0090] Assuming that the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is positioned at the end of the second electrode plate 2 away from the bent portion 25, and the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is in contact with the inner wall of the housing 202, and that this does not affect the realization of the electrical energy transmission function of the second electrode plate 2, it is possible to achieve highly efficient heat dissipation between the electrode assembly 201 and the housing 202, thereby effectively improving the heat dissipation performance of the battery cell 20.

[0091] Furthermore, referring to Figure 22, in some embodiments, the surface of the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 that is away from the first electrode plate 1 is oriented in the direction of gravity. This allows the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 to make better contact with the inner wall of the housing 202 due to gravity, enabling more efficient heat transfer, which is advantageous for further improving the heat dissipation performance of the battery cell 20.

[0092] As described above, in this application, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are electrode plates 4 with opposite polarities. In some embodiments, the first electrode plate 1 is a positive electrode plate 24, and the second electrode plate 2 is a negative electrode plate 14. In some embodiments, the first electrode plate 1 is a negative electrode plate 14, and the second electrode plate 2 is a positive electrode plate 24. When the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are a negative electrode plate 14 and a positive electrode plate 24, respectively, the first electrode plate 1 employs a Z-fold method, and the second electrode plate 2 employs a U-fold method. Therefore, the area of ​​the first electrode plate 1 can be conveniently designed to be larger than the area of ​​the second electrode plate 2. Thus, it is easy to make the area of ​​the negative electrode plate 14 larger than the area of ​​the positive electrode plate 24. In this way, the negative electrode plate 14 can have sufficient space to accept lithium ions, which is advantageous in preventing the occurrence of lithium deposition.

[0093] Here, lithium deposition refers to the phenomenon in which lithium ions are deposited on the surface of the negative electrode plate because there are no suitable positions on the negative electrode plate to accept them.

[0094] The charging and discharging process of a lithium-ion battery involves the absorption and release of lithium ions on the positive and negative electrode plates, resulting in energy absorption and release. When a lithium-ion battery is charged, lithium ions are generated on the positive electrode plate. These generated lithium ions move to the negative electrode plate via the electrolyte, combine with electrons, and are absorbed into the active material of the negative electrode plate. The more lithium ions absorbed, the higher the charging capacity. When a lithium-ion battery is discharged, the lithium ions absorbed on the negative electrode plate are released, move, and return to the positive electrode plate. The more lithium ions that return to the positive electrode, the higher the discharge capacity. However, if there are no positions on the negative electrode plate to accept lithium ions, lithium ions will deposit on the surface of the negative electrode plate (lithium deposition), forming lithium dendrites. Once these lithium dendrites penetrate the separator and come into contact with the positive electrode plate, the battery short-circuits, leading to ignition and ultimately explosion. Clearly, the occurrence of lithium deposition affects the safety performance of lithium-ion batteries.

[0095] When the negative electrode plate 14 employs a Z-shaped folding method and the positive electrode plate 24 employs a U-shaped folding method, the area of ​​the negative electrode plate 14 can be easily made larger than the area of ​​the positive electrode plate 24, thereby preventing the occurrence of lithium deposition phenomena, and thus is advantageous in further improving the operational safety of the stacked battery.

[0096] Furthermore, when stacking, the folding directions of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 may be perpendicular or parallel; that is, the first direction X and the second direction Y may be perpendicular or parallel.

[0097] Here, when the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular, the folding directions of the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2 are perpendicular, and the stacking method in this case can be called the orthogonal "Z+U" stacking method. In this orthogonal "Z+U" stacking method, after the second pole plate 2 is folded in the middle and inserted into the folded first pole plate 1, the bent portion 25 of the second pole plate 2 wraps around the edge of the first pole plate 1 adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first pole plate 1, and the bent portion 25 of the second pole plate 2 can exert a certain degree of positional restricting effect on the first pole plate 1 in the folding direction of the second pole plate 2 (i.e., the second direction Y), while the bent portion 25 of the first pole plate 1 can restrict the folding of the second pole plate 2 itself The edges adjacent to the bent portion 25 can be enclosed, and a certain limiting effect is exerted on the second pole plate 2 in the folding direction of the first pole plate 1 (i.e., the first direction X). At the same time, two adjacent first laminated sheets 11 of the first pole plate 1 sandwich the second laminated sheet 21 of the second pole plate 2, and a certain limiting effect is exerted on the second pole plate 2 in the third direction Z (which is the lamination direction of the first laminated sheets 11) perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y. When the orthogonal "Z+U" type lamination method is adopted, the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2 can restrict each other, and positional restrictions can be achieved between them in many directions, indicating a high degree of reliability in the restriction.

[0098] When the first direction X and the second direction Y are parallel, the folding directions of the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2 are parallel, and the lamination method in this case can be called a parallel "Z+U" type lamination method. In this parallel "Z+U" type lamination method, the second pole plate 2 is folded in the middle and inserted into the folded first pole plate 1, after which the bent portion 25 of the second pole plate 2 spans and wraps around the bent portion 25 of the first pole plate 1, and can exert a certain degree of positional restriction on the first pole plate 1 in the folding direction of the second pole plate 2 (i.e., the second direction Y), and the fact that two adjacent first laminated sheets 11 of the first pole plate 1 sandwich the second laminated sheet 21 of the second pole plate 2 can exert a certain degree of positional restriction on the second pole plate 2 in the lamination direction of the first laminated sheets 11 (i.e., the third direction Z). It can be seen that the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 may be positionally restricted from each other when a parallel "Z+U" type lamination is adopted. At the same time, this parallel "Z+U" type lamination method is also easy to assemble.

[0099] When employing a "Z+U" type stacking method, whether it is an orthogonal stacking method where the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular, or a parallel stacking method where the first direction X and the second direction Y are parallel, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 can be mutually restricted in position. This mutual positional restriction between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 is advantageous in improving the structural reliability of the electrode assembly 201, and furthermore, it is advantageous in controlling the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that protrudes from the positive electrode plate, thereby improving the safety performance of the stacked battery.

[0100] The portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is also called an overhang, and this concept was primarily proposed to improve the safety performance of lithium-ion batteries.

[0101] As mentioned above, in lithium-ion batteries, if the negative electrode plate does not have enough surface area to receive lithium ions during charging, lithium will deposit. Furthermore, if the dendrites caused by lithium deposition pierce the separator, the battery cell will short-circuit, leading to explosion or fire. Therefore, to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries, the negative electrode plate is usually designed to have a sufficient surface area to receive lithium ions. In other words, the surface area of ​​the negative electrode plate needs to be larger than that of the positive electrode plate. As a result, the edge of the negative electrode plate usually extends beyond the edge of the positive electrode plate, and the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is called an overhang.

[0102] Clearly, the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is a dimensional difference design that causes the negative electrode plate to protrude from the positive electrode plate. Such a dimensional difference design can create physical isolation between the positive and negative electrodes, preventing lithium ions from precipitation on the surface of the negative electrode plate and forming lithium dendrites, thereby reducing the risk of short circuits between the positive and negative electrodes, and thus effectively improving the safety performance of the lithium-ion battery.

[0103] However, in the design process for the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate, there has always been a problem in controlling the size of the area of ​​the portion that extends beyond the positive electrode plate. Due to the large number of electrodes, it is difficult to align positive electrodes from different layers with each other, and negative electrodes from different layers with each other. In addition, the relative position between the positive and negative electrodes is prone to change due to factors such as the paste loosening, making it difficult to control the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate. On the other hand, if the size of the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate cannot be effectively controlled, the area of ​​the portion that extends beyond the positive electrode plate tends to be too small or too large, negatively affecting battery performance. For example, if the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is too small, the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is more likely to disappear when the positive and negative electrodes shift, rendering the short-circuit prevention effect ineffective. Furthermore, for example, if the area of ​​the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is too large, the negative electrode plate will occupy too much of the internal space of the lithium battery, leading to wasted space, a low space utilization rate, and affecting the improvement of energy density.

[0104] Thus, effectively controlling the area of ​​the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate is a relatively important, but at the same time, relatively difficult problem.

[0105] On the other hand, in the "Z+U" type laminated method of the present invention, the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 acts as a positional limiting force with respect to the first electrode plate 1, making it easy to control the size of the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that protrudes from the positive electrode plate.

[0106] For example, referring to Figures 6 and 12, in some embodiments, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are configured as a negative electrode plate 14 and a positive electrode plate 24, respectively, and the second electrode plate 2 is configured to have an inert region 26 including a bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2, and the inert region 26 is not coated with the active material 29. Here, for example, the dimensions of the inert region 26 in the second direction Y (half the width of the inert region 26 in its unfolded state) are 1 to 18 mm, and for example, in some embodiments, the dimensions of the inert region 26 in the second direction Y are 3 to 4 mm.

[0107] Since the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 is not coated with the active material 29, the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 forms an inert region and does not participate in the electrochemical reaction during the charging and discharging process. In this case, the portion of the first electrode plate 1 that extends into the corresponding inert region 26 is the portion that protrudes from the second electrode plate 2. At this time, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are the negative electrode plate 14 and the positive electrode plate 24, respectively. Therefore, the portion of the first electrode plate 1 that extends into the corresponding inert region 26, i.e., the portion of the negative electrode plate 14 that protrudes from the positive electrode plate 24, does not undergo lithium deposition and can constitute the portion of the negative electrode plate that protrudes from the positive electrode plate. In this case, the size of the area of ​​the portion of the corresponding negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate depends on the size of the inert region 26. Therefore, by controlling the size of the area where the active material 29 is not applied at one end of the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2, that is, by controlling the size of the inert region 26, the size of the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate can be effectively controlled. This is not only simple and easy, but also highly accurate. Specifically, when assembling, by simply inserting the second electrode plate 2, which has already been processed with an inert region 26, into a predetermined location on the first electrode plate 1, the size of the portion of the negative electrode plate 14 that extends beyond the positive electrode plate 24 can be controlled, and relatively precise control of the size of the portion of the cathode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate can be easily achieved.

[0108] It should be explained that in Figure 6, the gap between the folded portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and the edge of the first laminated sheet 11 is actually filled with separator 3, but the corresponding separator portion is not shown. In other words, during the process of inserting the second electrode plate 2 into the first electrode plate 1, the second electrode plate 2 is inserted directly to the bottom, and the distance between the edge where the folded portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is located and the edge of the first electrode plate 1 enclosed by the folded portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is approximately the thickness of separator 3 or a multiple of the thickness of separator 3.

[0109] Furthermore, the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 not only makes it easier to control the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that extends beyond the positive electrode plate, but also facilitates the improvement of the insulation reliability between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2. For example, referring to Figure 12, in some embodiments, an insulating material 27 is provided on the surface of the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 that faces the first electrode plate 1. As an example, the insulating material 27 is a ceramic coating or insulating paste (e.g., insulating coating paste or insulating topping rubber).

[0110] Whether the second electrode plate 2 is a positive electrode plate 24 or a negative electrode plate 14, if an insulating material 27 is provided on the surface of the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 facing the first electrode plate 1, the space between the inert region 26 and the first electrode plate 1 can be insulated not only by the separator 3 but also by the insulating material 27. This improves the insulation between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2, more reliably preventing short-circuit accidents and contributing to further improvements in operational safety. Since no active material 29 is provided in the inert region 26, the insulating material 27 is provided in the inert region 26 and does not affect normal electrochemical reactions. It is clear that providing an insulating material 27 on the surface of the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 facing the first electrode plate 1 further improves the insulation between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 and more effectively improves operational safety in situations where it does not affect normal electrochemical reactions.

[0111] In this application, there are various methods for extending the tabs between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2.

[0112] For example, referring to Figures 3 to 24, in some embodiments, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is located on an edge other than the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1. In this case, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is not located on the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1 and is less likely to be damaged by folding, thus providing greater reliability compared to the case where the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is located on the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1.

[0113] As another example, referring to Figures 3 to 24, in some embodiments, the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located on an edge other than the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2. In this case, the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is not located on the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and is less likely to be damaged by folding, thus providing greater reliability than when the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located on the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2. Furthermore, when the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located on an edge other than the bent portion 25, contact heat transfer between the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and the inner wall of the housing 202 becomes easier. At the same time, since the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is not located on the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2, it is also easy to restrict the position of the first electrode plate 1 by the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2. Since the tab 15 usually has a long extension length and is relatively soft, if the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located in the bent portion 25, it means that the bent portion 25 needs to extend for a long distance and be soft. In this case, the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 cannot effectively restrict the position relative to the first electrode plate 1.

[0114] As another example, referring to Figures 3 to 24, in some embodiments, the tabs 15 of both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are located on edges other than the bent portion 25. In this case, the tabs of both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are less likely to be damaged by folding, thus providing greater reliability.

[0115] Referring to Figures 3 to 20, as an example where the tabs 15 of both the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2 are located on edges other than the bent portion 25, the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X, the tab 15 of the first pole plate 1 is located on the edge adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first pole plate 1, and the tab 15 of the second pole plate 2 is located at the end of the second pole plate 2 away from the bent portion 25.

[0116] In the example described above, since the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X, a right-angle "Z+U" type lamination method is adopted between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2. On the other hand, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is located at the edge adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1, and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is located at the end of the second electrode plate 2 away from the bent portion 25. Therefore, the extension direction (abbreviated as tab extension direction) of the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 is aligned with the folding direction (second direction Y) of the second electrode plate 2. Thus, the electrode assembly 201 in the above example employs a tab extension method along the folding direction of the second electrode plate 2 in an orthogonal "Z+U" stacking manner for the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2. In this case, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 can extend tabs on the same side or opposite side in the second direction Y, which makes it easier to satisfy the design requirements of a battery cell in which the positive and negative electrode terminals are installed on the same side or opposite side.

[0117] Referring to Figures 3 to 13, as one specific embodiment of the above example, in some embodiments, the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X, and of any two adjacent first laminated sheets 11, only one of the first laminated sheets 11 has a tab 15, and the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 wraps around the first laminated sheet 11 that does not have a tab 15. Based on this installation, the first electrode plate 1 adopts a method of extending spaced tabs, that is, extending one tab 15 across one first laminated sheet 11. In this case, the first laminated sheet 11 that does not extend the tab 15 can leave space for the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2. It is only necessary to make the tab extension direction of the first laminated sheet 11 that extends the tab opposite to the tab direction of the second electrode plate 2. In other words, if the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 extend tabs on opposite sides in the second direction Y, the positive tab and the negative tab can be physically isolated, preventing short circuits between the positive tab and the negative tab, which is simple and easy.

[0118] As another example in which the tabs 15 of both the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2 are located on edges other than the bent portion 25, refer to Figures 23 to 24. In this case, the second direction Y is parallel to the first direction X, the tab 15 of the first pole plate 1 is located on an edge adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first pole plate 1, and the tab 15 of the second pole plate 2 is located on an edge adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the second pole plate 2.

[0119] In the example above, since the second direction Y is parallel to the first direction X, a parallel "Z+U" type lamination method is adopted between the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2. At the same time, the tab 15 of the first pole plate 1 is located on the edge adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first pole plate 1, and the tab 15 of the second pole plate 2 is located on the edge of the second pole plate 2 adjacent to the bent portion 25. Therefore, the tab extension directions of both the first pole plate 1 and the second pole plate 2 are perpendicular to the folding direction of the second pole plate 2 (i.e., the second direction Y, which in this example is also the first direction X). As can be seen from the above, the electrode assembly 201 in the above example employs a tab extension method perpendicular to the folding direction of the second electrode plate 2 in an orthogonal "Z+U" stacking method for the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2. In this case, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 can have tab extensions on the same side or opposite side in directions perpendicular to the second direction Y (in this example, the second direction Y coincides with the first direction X) and the third direction Z, which makes it easy to satisfy the design requirements of a battery cell in which the positive and negative electrode terminals are installed on the same side or opposite side.

[0120] Whether in an orthogonal "Z+U" stacking configuration or a parallel "Z+U" stacking configuration, the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 can both be located on the same side or on opposite sides. In other words, both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 can have tab extensions on the same side or opposite sides, which makes it easier to satisfy the design requirements of a battery cell in which the positive and negative terminals are located on the same side or opposite sides.

[0121] Here, when the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are located on the same side, heat transfer by contact between the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and the inner wall of the housing 202 is facilitated. At this time, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 can be offset in the first direction X to prevent mutual interference between the positive tab and the negative tab.

[0122] Referring to Figures 6-32, in this application, at least one of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 has a tab 15, that is, either only one of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 has a tab 15, or both of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 have tabs 15. Here, if only one of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 has a tab 15, the two second laminated sheets 21 are connected to each other by a bent portion 25, so the two second laminated sheets 21 can share one tab 15 to transmit electrical energy to the outside. Here, the second laminated sheet 21 without a tab 15 transmits electrical energy to the second laminated sheet 21 with a tab 15 via the bent portion 25, and the second laminated sheet 21 with a tab 15 can transmit it to the outside via the tab 15. In this case, the second electrode plate 2 can complete the transmission of electrical energy to the outside with just one tab 15, resulting in a simple structure. If both of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 have tabs 15, the second electrode plate 2 can transmit electrical energy to the outside by two tabs 15, resulting in higher electrical energy transmission efficiency. At the same time, the tabs 15 of the two second laminated sheets 21 serve as spares for each other, so when the tab 15 of one of the second laminated sheets 21 fails, the second electrode plate 2 can still transmit electrical energy normally by the tab 15 of the other second laminated sheet 21. Thus, the operational reliability of the second electrode plate 2, electrode assembly 201, battery cell 20, battery 10, and power consumption device 100 can be effectively improved.

[0123] In each of the embodiments described above, the electrode plates 4 of the electrode assembly 201 need to be folded before they can be assembled together. To facilitate the folding of the electrode plates 4, as shown in Figures 25 to 32, in some embodiments, the electrode plates 4 are provided with folding guides 28 that guide the folding of the electrode plates 4.

[0124] With the above setup, the electrode plates 4 can be folded by being guided by the folding guide section 28, and the electrode plates 4 can be assembled with other electrode plates 4 after being folded, without having to stack them one by one. On the other hand, the electrode plates 4 can be quickly completed in the folding process by being guided by the folding guide section 28. In this case, the cutting efficiency of the electrode plates 4 is high, the stacking efficiency of electrode plates 4 with other electrode plates 4 is high, and the folding efficiency of electrode plates 4 is high, so the production efficiency of stacked batteries can be effectively improved.

[0125] Furthermore, the electrode plate 4 provided with the folding guide portion 28 is applicable not only to the electrode assembly 201 employing the aforementioned "Z+U" type stacking method, but also to stacked batteries that require folding the electrode plate 4 but use a different folding method. In fact, any stacked battery that is assembled after folding the electrode plate 4 can use the electrode plate 4 provided in this application that is provided with the folding guide portion 28. Here, when the electrode assembly 201 of the "Z+U" type stacking method is provided with the folding guide portion 28 on its electrode plate 4, the production efficiency of the stacked battery can be improved more effectively, and the safety performance of the stacked battery can also be further enhanced.

[0126] Furthermore, the electrode plate 4 on which the folding guide portion 28 is provided may have the folding guide portion 28 provided on at least one of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 of the electrode assembly 201, that is, only the first electrode plate 1 or only the second electrode plate 2, or both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 may have the folding guide portion 28. For example, in some embodiments, both the positive electrode plate 24 and the negative electrode plate 14 are provided with the folding guide portion 28, while in other embodiments, only the positive electrode plate 24 is provided with the folding guide portion 28, and the negative electrode plate 14 is not provided with the folding guide portion 28.

[0127] When both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are provided with folding guides 28, both the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 can be folded under the guidance of the folding guides 28, resulting in higher folding efficiency, which is advantageous for further improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0128] By providing a folding guide portion 28 on only one of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2, the production efficiency of the stacked battery can be improved to some extent. At the same time, in this case, the number of folding guide portions 28 is relatively small, and it is not necessary to process so many folding guide portions 28. Therefore, the structure of the electrode assembly 201 is simple and easy to process, meaning that in this case, both the production efficiency and structural simplicity of the stacked battery can be achieved.

[0129] Furthermore, the number of folding guide portions 28 on the electrode plate 4 is not limited, but for example, in some embodiments, the electrode plate 4 is provided with only one folding guide portion 28. In this case, the electrode plate 4 can be folded once by the guiding action of the folding guide portion 28 to form a second electrode plate 2 that employs the U-shaped folding method.

[0130] In this application, there are various types of configurations for the folding guide section 28. For example, referring to Figures 25 to 32, in some embodiments, the folding guide section 28 includes notches 281 or folds 282. The installed notches 281 or folds 282 both effectively perform a folding guide function, allowing the electrode plate 4 to fold along the corresponding notches 281 or folds 282, enabling quick completion of the folding and preventing misalignment of the folded position. Naturally, the notches 281 are engraved marks, which are recessed downwards from the engraved surface and form a fragile area with a certain depth. The folds 282 are folded marks that do not recess downwards from the folded surface and have no depth.

[0131] The shape of the folding guide portion 28 can vary. For example, referring to Figures 25 to 32, in some embodiments, the folding guide portion 28 has a continuous linear shape or a discontinuous linear shape.

[0132] In this case, when the folding guide portion 28 has a continuous linear shape, the structure of the folding guide portion 28 is simple and easy to manufacture. Exemplarily, a continuous linear folding guide portion 28 is a continuous straight line or a continuous curve.

[0133] When the folding guide portion 28 has a discontinuous linear shape, the area occupied by the folding guide portion 28 is relatively small, which is advantageous in facilitating the folding of the electrode plate 4 while simultaneously improving the structural strength of the electrode plate 4 as much as possible. Exemplarily, the discontinuous linear folding guide portion 28 has a dashed line shape, and as shown in Figures 28 to 31, for example, in some embodiments, the folding guide portion 28 has a dotted dashed line shape or a linear dashed line shape. Dashed lines are easier to process than other types of discontinuous linear shapes, and dotted dashed lines and linear dashed lines are particularly easy to process.

[0134] The folding guide portion 28 installed in each of the above embodiments may be parallel to the width direction of the electrode plate 4, or it may be inclined with respect to the width direction of the electrode plate 4. The width direction of the electrode plate 4 is the direction in which the short side of the surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the electrode plate 4 extends, and is also called the transverse direction of the electrode plate 4, and is perpendicular to the vertical direction of the electrode plate 4. The vertical direction of the electrode plate 4 is the direction in which the long side of the surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the electrode plate 4 extends. For the first electrode plate 1 that performs Z-shaped folding as described above, its width direction is also the direction in which the two edges of the first laminated sheet 11 adjacent to the folding portion 25 extend. For the second electrode plate 2 that performs U-shaped folding as described above, its width direction is also the direction in which the two edges of the second laminated sheet 21 adjacent to the folding portion 25 are arranged opposite each other.

[0135] Referring to Figures 25 to 31, if the folding guide portion 28 is parallel to the width direction in which the electrode plate 4 is located, the processing of the folding guide portion 28 becomes easier.

[0136] On the other hand, referring to Figure 32, when the folding guide portion 28 is inclined with respect to the width direction of the electrode plate 4 on which it is located, the folding guide portion 28 has a deflection angle, and can guide the electrode plate 4 to be deflected and folded in the middle so that the space between the two laminated sheets obtained after folding is shifted in the width direction. When such a deflected folding guide portion 28 is provided on the second electrode plate 2 of the positive electrode plate 24, the two second laminated sheets 21 of the positive electrode plate 24 can be shifted in the width direction, and as a result the two second laminated sheets 21 are not perfectly aligned and in close contact, it is easy to insert the second electrode plate 2 into the first electrode plate 1, while after inserting the second electrode plate 2 into the first electrode plate 1 it is easy to control the relative positional relationship between the second electrode plate 2 and the first electrode plate 1, and the two second laminated sheets of the positive electrode plate 24 By positioning the sheet 21 as far away as possible from the discontinuous end of the negative electrode plate 14 and as close as possible to the continuous end of the negative electrode plate 14, that is, by positioning the two second laminated sheets 21 of the positive electrode plate 24 as close as possible to the bent portion 25 of the negative electrode plate 14 and away from the open end of the negative electrode plate 14, the positive electrode plate 24 is less likely to protrude from the negative electrode plate 14 in the width direction, which is advantageous in preventing lithium deposition problems caused by the positive electrode plate 24 protruding from the negative electrode plate 14 in the width direction. This further enhances operational safety.

[0137] As mentioned above, a separator 3 is provided between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 to prevent a short circuit between them. However, in actual operation, the separator 3 may be punctured by foreign matter (for example, burrs or peeled edge dressing generated during cutting of the electrode plate 4, and dendrites that grow during charging), potentially causing a short circuit. For example, during charging, lithium ions escape from the positive electrode plate 24 and enter the negative electrode plate 14, and the negative electrode plate 14 expands after absorbing the lithium ions, and the positive electrode plate 24 also expands after escaping the lithium ions. As a result, the positive and negative electrode plates expand during charging, compressing the separator 3 between them. In this case, foreign matter located on the positive and negative electrode plates can easily puncture the separator, causing a short circuit and a safety accident.

[0138] To further improve safety performance, as shown in Figure 33, in some embodiments, two separators 3 located on opposite sides of the same thickness as the second electrode plate 2 are both folded back to cover the edges of the second electrode plate 2 where the tabs 15 are not provided.

[0139] In related technologies, the separator 3 is positioned only between two adjacent electrode plates 4 on surfaces perpendicular to the thickness direction and does not enclose the edges of the electrode plates 4. In this case, foreign matter at the edges of the electrode plates 4 is likely to cause short circuits. In the embodiment of the present invention, the separator 3 encloses the edge of the second electrode plate 2, thereby using the separator 3 to block foreign matter at the edges from electrically conducting between the positive and negative electrodes, and thereby effectively reducing the risk of short-circuit accidents caused by foreign matter at the edges.

[0140] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, instead of wrapping the edge of the second electrode plate 2 with only one separator 3, both separators 3 on both sides in the thickness direction of the second electrode plate 2 wrap around the edge of the second electrode plate 2. Therefore, even if foreign matter on the edge of the first electrode plate 1 and / or the second electrode plate 2 penetrates the one layer of separator 3 that is wrapped around the edge, it will be caught by the other layer of separator 3 that is wrapped around the edge, thus more reliably preventing short circuits and more effectively improving safety performance.

[0141] At the same time, the separator 3 encloses the edge of the electrode plate 4, and since the separator 3 is a structure inherent to the battery cell 20, there is no need to add any additional components to enclose the edge of the electrode plate 4, resulting in a simple structure. More importantly, if the edge of the electrode plate 4 is enclosed by other components, these other components are likely to interfere with the normal transport of lithium ions, blocking the transport of lithium ions in the enclosed area, resulting in a loss of overall capacity of the electrode assembly 201 and the battery cell 20. Furthermore, when other components enclose the edge of the positive electrode plate, lithium from the edge of the enclosed area escapes normally, creating a risk of lithium accumulation in the corresponding negative electrode plate area, thus easily creating a safety risk. In this invention, the separator 3 is used to enclose the edge of the electrode plate 4, thereby effectively solving the corresponding problem. This is because the separator 3 does not obstruct the transport of lithium ions, thus not causing a loss of overall capacity of the electrode assembly 201 and the battery cell 20, nor does it increase the risk of lithium deposition. On the contrary, after the separator 3 encloses the edge of the positive electrode plate 24, the transport rate of lithium ions in the enclosed region of the edge of the positive electrode plate 24 can be slowed, reducing the amount of lithium ions accumulated in the edge region, which is advantageous in reducing the risk of lithium deposition at the edge.

[0142] Furthermore, in this application, the first electrode plate 1 is folded in a Z-shape and the second electrode plate 2 is folded in a U-shape. Therefore, wrapping the edge of the second electrode plate 2 with the separator 3 is simpler and easier than wrapping the edge of the first electrode plate 1 with the separator 3.

[0143] At the same time, the edges of the second electrode plate 2, which are enclosed by the two separators 3, are the edges where the tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are not installed, and therefore do not affect the normal tab extension of the second electrode plate 2.

[0144] Thus, by folding back both separators 3 located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the same second electrode plate 2, and covering the edges of the second electrode plate 2 where the tabs 15 are not provided, it is possible to improve safety performance more effectively with a relatively simple configuration, without affecting the overall capacity, without increasing the risk of lithium deposition, and more reliably preventing short-circuit accidents caused by foreign matter at the edges.

[0145] Here, when the two separators 3 wrap around the edge of the second electrode plate 2, they wrap around all edges of the second electrode plate 2 where the tabs 15 are not installed. As a result, all edges of the second electrode plate 2 other than the edge where the tabs 15 are located are wrapped by the flanges 31 of the two layers of separators 3, achieving a completely sealed wrapping of all free edges of each second laminated sheet 21, thereby further reinforcing safety performance.

[0146] When combining the separator 3 and the second electrode plate 2, the separator 3 is bonded to the second electrode plate 2 by methods such as thermocompression bonding or adhesive bonding to reinforce the robustness of the packaging. Furthermore, the degree of lithium ion absorption and release at the edges of the electrode plate 4 can be controlled by adjusting the thermocompression bonding or adhesive bonding process.

[0147] To facilitate the folding of the second electrode plate 2, in some embodiments, the separator 3 wraps around the edge of the second electrode plate 2 that does not have the tab 15 before the second electrode plate 2 is folded.

[0148] The following provides further explanations for each example shown in Figures 3-33.

[0149] In the following explanation, for the sake of simplicity and ease of understanding, the up, down, left, and right directions are defined based on the up, down, left, and right directions in Figure 5, where these correspond to the up, down, left, and right directions in Figure 14, and represent the orientation and positional relationship when the battery cell 20 and battery 10 are normally installed in the vehicle, where up is the opposite direction to gravity and down is the same direction as gravity.

[0150] Furthermore, it should be explained that, in order to clearly show the relationship between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2, the separator 3 is not shown in some parts of the drawings, for example, Figures 10 to 12, 17 to 18, and 23 to 24.

[0151] First, we will describe the first embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 13.

[0152] As shown in Figures 3 to 13, in the first embodiment, the battery cell 20 is a rectangular stacked battery that transmits electrical energy to the outside from both opposing sides.

[0153] Here, as shown in Figures 3 to 7, in the first embodiment, the housing 202 of the battery cell 20 is formed in a rectangular shape, and one end cap 204 is provided at each of the left and right ends of the casing 203. These two end caps 204 are detachably connected to the left and right ends of the casing 203, thereby forming a sealed space inside the housing 202 for housing the electrode assembly 201, electrolyte, etc.

[0154] Both end caps 204 are provided with electrode terminals 206, so that the two electrode terminals 206 of the battery cell 20 are located on both the left and right sides of the housing 202. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the negative electrode terminal 20a is provided on the left end cap 204, and the positive electrode terminal 20b is provided on the right end cap 204.

[0155] To achieve electrical connection with the two electrode terminals 206 on both the left and right sides, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the tabs 15 of the electrode assembly 201 are provided on both the left and right sides of the electrode assembly 201. Specifically, as can be seen from Figures 5 and 6, the negative tab 13 is provided on the left side of the electrode assembly 201 and is electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal 20a located on the left side via an adapter 205 located on the left side. Then, as can be seen from Figures 5 and 7, the positive tab 23 is provided on the right side of the electrode assembly 201 and is electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal 20b located on the right side via an adapter 205 located on the right side. In this way, the electrical energy generated in the electrode assembly 201 is transmitted outward from both opposing sides in the left-right direction.

[0156] Figures 5-13 show the configuration and lamination process of the electrode assembly 201 in this embodiment.

[0157] As shown in Figures 5-13, in this embodiment, the electrode assembly 201 includes a first electrode plate 1, a second electrode plate 2, and a separator 3. The first electrode plate 1, the second electrode plate 2, and the separator 3 are stacked alternately in a stacking manner to form the electrode assembly 201, which in this case is also commonly called a cell.

[0158] As can be seen from Figures 5-13, in this embodiment, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are the negative electrode plate 14 and the positive electrode plate 24, respectively. In this case, the active material 29 coated on the surface of the first electrode plate 1 is a positive electrode active material, and is one or more of the following: lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, or nickel cobalt manganese metal oxide (NCM). The current collector for supporting the active material 29 of the first electrode plate 1 is a positive electrode current collector such as aluminum foil, and the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is a negative tab 13. The active material 29 coated on the surface of the second electrode plate 2 is a negative electrode active material such as graphite. The current collector for supporting the active material 29 of the second electrode plate 2 is a negative electrode current collector such as copper foil, and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is a positive tab 23.

[0159] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 to 13, in this embodiment, the first pole plate 1 employs a Z-shaped folding method, and the second pole plate 2 employs a U-shaped center-fold folding method. The folding direction of the first pole plate 1 (i.e., the first direction X) is aligned with the vertical direction, and the center-fold direction of the second pole plate 2 (i.e., the second direction Y) is aligned with the horizontal direction, so that the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other, forming an orthogonal "Z+U" type stacking system. After the first pole plate 1 is folded in a Z shape, multiple first stacked sheets 11 are formed, connected at the bent portion 25. After the second pole plate 2 is folded in a U shape, two second stacked sheets 21 are formed, connected at the bent portion 25. The multiple folded second pole plates 2 are inserted into the first pole plate 1 so that each first stacked sheet 11 and each second stacked sheet 21 are stacked alternately in order along the third direction Z. The third direction Z is aligned with the thickness direction of each laminated sheet, and in this embodiment, specifically, the third direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0160] As can be seen from Figures 5 to 13, in this embodiment, the first electrode plate 1 configured as the negative electrode plate 14 employs a spaced tab extension method, that is, in each first laminated sheet 11 of the first electrode plate 1, one tab 15 extends from every other first laminated sheet 11, so that of two adjacent first laminated sheets 11, only one first laminated sheet 11 has a tab 15. Also, as shown in Figures 5 to 6 and Figures 10 to 11, in this embodiment, the first laminated sheet 11 provided with the tab 15 extends the tab only on one side of the second direction Y, so that the first electrode plate 1 extends the tab only on one side of the second direction Y. In this case, the tab extension method of the first electrode plate 1 is a one-sided tab extension. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are all located at the left end of the first electrode plate 1, or more precisely, each tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is located at the left edge of each first laminated sheet 11. As shown in Figures 6 and 10, in this embodiment, the left edge of the first laminated sheet 11 is the edge of the first laminated sheet 11 adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1, and in this embodiment, it can be seen that the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are located at the edge of the first electrode plate 1 adjacent to the bent portion 25. Since the first electrode plate 1 in this embodiment is a negative electrode plate 14, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is a negative tab 13, and by providing the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 on the left side, electrical connection between the negative tab 13 and the negative electrode terminal 20a located on the left side of the battery cell 20 is facilitated.

[0161] Referring to Figures 5 to 13, in this embodiment, for the second electrode plate 2 which is configured as the positive electrode plate 24, only one of the two second laminated sheets 21 has a tab 15, and the tab 15 is located at the end of the second laminated sheet 21 away from the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2. In this case, since the two second laminated sheets 21 are connected by the bent portion 25, even if each second electrode plate 2 is provided with one tab 15, electrical energy can be smoothly transmitted to the outside. Also, referring to Figures 5 to 7, in this embodiment, all the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 face to the left and wrap around the left edge of the first laminated sheet 11 which does not have a tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1, and at the same time, all the tabs 15 of the second electrode plates 2 are located at the right end of the second electrode plate 2, that is, the tabs 15 of each second laminated sheet 21 are located at the right edge of the corresponding second laminated sheet 21. In this embodiment, the second electrode plate 2 is a positive electrode plate 24, so the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is a positive tab 23, and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is installed on the right side to facilitate electrical connection between the positive tab 23 and the negative electrode terminal 20a located on the right side.

[0162] In this embodiment, the first electrode plate 1 employs a one-sided spaced tab extension method, and the second electrode plate 2 employs a one-sided individual tab extension method. Furthermore, the tab extension directions of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are opposite, located on opposing sides in the second direction Y, and protruding to the left and right sides respectively. Therefore, the positive tab and negative tab do not interfere with each other and can be easily electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals on both the left and right sides, respectively, satisfying the design requirements of a battery cell with electrode terminals on both the left and right sides. Of course, referring to Figure 7, in this embodiment, tabs 15 can also be provided on both of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2. In this embodiment, since the first electrode plate 1 does not extend tabs on the side where the tabs of the second electrode plate 2 extend, even if both of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 extend tabs, they do not interfere with the tabs of the first electrode plate 1. Providing tabs 15 on both of the second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 increases the conductivity efficiency and improves the reliability of conductivity.

[0163] Furthermore, as can be seen from Figures 6 and 11-12, in this embodiment, the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and some straight segments located near both ends of the bent portion 25 are configured as inert regions 26. The surface of the inert region 26 facing the first electrode plate 1 is not coated with the active material 29, but is insulated with an insulating material 27 such as a ceramic coating, paste coating, or insulating topping rubber.

[0164] In this embodiment, since the second electrode plate 2 is a positive electrode plate 24, the folded portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 that encloses the first electrode plate 1 and its vicinity are configured as an inert region 26. Lithium ions are not generated in the corresponding inert region 26, and as a result, the portion of the first laminated sheet 11 that extends to the corresponding inert region 26 becomes the portion of the negative electrode plate 14 that protrudes from the positive electrode plate 24, that is, the negative electrode plate protrudes from the positive electrode plate. In this way, the lithium deposition problem caused by the folded portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 protruding from the first electrode plate 1 can be fundamentally solved, and operational safety can be effectively improved. Furthermore, by simply controlling the size of the area of ​​the inert region 26, the size of the area of ​​the corresponding portion of the negative electrode plate that protrudes from the positive electrode plate can be effectively controlled. This is simple and easy, and cleverly solves the problem of difficulty in controlling the size of the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that protrudes from the positive electrode plate.

[0165] On the other hand, if an insulating material 27 is further provided in the inert region 26, the insulation between the positive and negative electrode plates is improved, short circuits between the positive and negative electrode plates are prevented more reliably, and safety performance is improved more effectively.

[0166] As shown in Figures 10 to 11, in this embodiment, when assembling the electrode assembly 201, the first electrode plate 1 is folded back and forth along the first direction X, and multiple second electrode plates 2 are folded in the middle. Then, the multiple folded second electrode plates 2 are inserted together into the position of the first laminated sheet 11 where each tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 does not extend, from the side adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1 and where no tabs 15 are provided. This completes the orthogonal lamination process of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plates 2. Since this lamination process is simple and easy, and the cutting process described above is also relatively simple, the production efficiency of the electrode assembly 201, battery cell 20, battery 10, and power consumption device 100 can be effectively improved, which has significant importance for the widespread application of laminated batteries.

[0167] Here, after folding each second electrode plate 2 in half, the two second laminated sheets 21 are not in complete contact but are left at a certain angle to facilitate insertion of the second electrode plate 2 into the first electrode plate 1.

[0168] Next, we will further describe the second embodiment shown in Figures 14-22. For simplicity, we will focus on explaining the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment; other unexplained aspects can be understood by referring to the second embodiment.

[0169] As shown in Figures 14 to 22, in the second embodiment, the battery cell 20 is still a rectangular stacked battery, and its electrode assembly 201 still uses an orthogonal "Z+U" stacking method, but instead of having the tabs and electrode terminals come out from both the left and right sides, a method is adopted in which the tabs and electrode terminals come out from the top.

[0170] Specifically, as can be seen from Figures 14 and 15, in this embodiment, the housing 202 has only a detachably connected end cap 204, which is detachably connected to the top end of the casing 203. The two electrode terminals 206, namely the negative terminal 20a and the positive terminal 20b, are both mounted on the top end cap 204 and extend upward from the top end cap 204 to the outside of the housing 202. Specifically, the negative terminal 20a is located on the left side of the top end cap 204, and the positive terminal 20b is located on the right side of the top end cap 204.

[0171] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 16 to 20, the folding direction (i.e., the first direction X) of the first pole plate 1, which employs a Z-shaped folding method, is aligned with the left-right direction, while the folding direction (i.e., the second direction Y) of the second pole plate 2, which employs a U-shaped center-fold folding method, is oriented upward. As a result, the first direction X and the second direction Y are orthogonal, forming an orthogonal "Z+U" type laminated system. Multiple first laminated sheets 11 formed by folding the first pole plate 1 and multiple second laminated sheets 21 formed by center-folding all the second pole plates 2 are stacked alternately in order along the third direction Z. The third direction Z is aligned with the thickness direction of each laminated sheet, and in this embodiment, it is perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0172] As can be seen from Figures 16 to 20, in this embodiment, the first electrode plate 1 is configured as a negative electrode plate 14, and it no longer employs a one-sided continuous tab extension method instead of a one-sided spaced tab extension method. Specifically, in each first laminated sheet 11 of the first electrode plate 1, one tab 15 is provided on each of the first laminated sheets 11, and all tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are located at the top edge of the first laminated sheet 11 in which they are located. Since the first electrode plate 1 in this embodiment is a negative electrode plate 14, the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are negative tabs 13, and the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are installed at the top edge of the first electrode plate 1, facilitating electrical connection between the negative tabs 13 and the negative electrode terminals 20a located at the top of the battery cell 20. As shown in Figure 17, in this embodiment, the top edge of the first laminated sheet 11 is the edge of the first laminated sheet 11 adjacent to the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1, and in this embodiment, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 is located on the edge of the first electrode plate 1 adjacent to the bent portion 25.

[0173] Continuing to refer to Figures 16 to 20, in this embodiment, the second electrode plate 2 is configured as a positive electrode plate 24, and it employs a double-tab extension method on one side rather than a single-piece tab extension method on one side. That is, tabs 15 are provided on both of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2, and the tabs 15 are each located at the ends of the second laminated sheets 21 away from the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2. In this embodiment, the folding direction of the second electrode plate 2 is upward, and therefore the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 is downward, and the end of the second electrode plate 2 away from the second bent portion 25 of the second laminated sheet 21 is the top edge of the second laminated sheet 21, so in this embodiment, all of the tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are located at the top edge of the second electrode plate 2. In this embodiment, the second electrode plate 2 is a positive electrode plate 24, so the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is a positive tab 23, and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 is installed on the top edge of the second electrode plate 2, facilitating electrical connection between the positive tab 23 and the negative electrode terminal 20a located at the top of the battery cell 20.

[0174] In this embodiment, since both the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are located at the top, the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are located on the same side in the second direction Y. In this case, to prevent the positive tab and the negative tab from interfering with each other, as shown in Figure 17, in this embodiment, the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are offset in the folding direction of the first electrode plate 1 (i.e., the first direction X). Specifically, as shown in Figure 17, in this embodiment, a tab 15 is provided only on the edge near one of any two adjacent bends 25 of the first electrode plate 1, and no tab 15 is provided on the edge near the other bend 25. All tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are located close to the bends 25 of the first electrode plate 1, and all tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are located away from the bends 25 of the first electrode plate 1. In this way, the tab 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the tab 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are completely offset in the first direction X and do not overlap each other, so when the positive tab and the negative tab are placed on the same side, mutual interference between the positive tab and the negative tab can be effectively prevented.

[0175] The positive and negative tabs are offset in the first direction X, and since the first direction X is aligned with the left-right direction, the positive and negative tabs can be offset in the left-right direction, as shown in Figures 15-16. All negative tabs 13 are located on the left side of the top, and all positive tabs 23 are located on the right side of the top. The positive and negative tabs are electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal 20a on the left side of the top and the positive electrode terminal 20b on the right side of the top, respectively, satisfying the design requirements for a battery cell with electrode terminals protruding from the top.

[0176] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, all the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 are facing downwards. However, in this case, in order to improve the heat dissipation performance of the electrode assembly 201 and the battery cell 20, referring to Figure 22, in this embodiment, all the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 are in contact with the inner surface of the bottom wall of the housing 202. In this embodiment, the second electrode plates 2 are positioned vertically, and the orientation of the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 is the same as the direction of gravity. More precisely, the surface of the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plates 2 that is farther from the first electrode plates 1 faces the direction of gravity. Therefore, after the electrode assembly 201 is assembled into the housing 202, the second electrode plates 2 naturally sink due to gravity, and the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plates 2 naturally come into contact with the inner surface of the bottom wall of the housing 202. The bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 can be compressed and deformed so that, after contacting the bottom wall of the housing 202, the surface of the bent portion 25, separated from the first electrode plate 1, changes from an arc shape to a roughly rectangular shape, thereby facilitating more sufficient contact between the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and the bottom wall of the housing 202.

[0177] Both the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 and the housing 202 are made of metal material, which has good thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the contact area between all the bent portions 25 of the second electrode plate 2 of the electrode assembly 201 and the bottom wall of the housing 202 is large, and can occupy almost half of the inner surface area of ​​the bottom wall of the housing 202. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electrode assembly 201 can efficiently and sufficiently contact and transfer heat between itself and the housing 202, quickly dissipating the heat generated in the electrode assembly 201 to the outside of the housing 202 and improving operational safety.

[0178] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the second electrode plate 2 is also provided with an inert region 26 including a bent portion 25, and an insulating material 27 is provided in the inert region 26 to further insulate and prevent lithium deposition, thereby effectively controlling the area of ​​the negative electrode plate portion that protrudes from the positive electrode plate and improving safety. Specifically, this will be understood by referring to the relevant explanation in the first embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0179] Next, we will further describe the third embodiment shown in Figures 23-24.

[0180] As shown in Figures 23 to 24, in the third embodiment, the electrode assembly 201 is not a orthogonal "Z+U" stacking method, but a parallel "Z+U" stacking method, that is, the folding direction of the Z-folded first electrode plate 1 (first direction X) is parallel to the folding direction of the U-folded second electrode plate 2 (second direction Y). After stacking is complete, the stacking direction of each stacked sheet (i.e., the third direction Z) is perpendicular to the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the vertical direction of the first electrode plate 1. At this time, the vertical direction of the first electrode plate 1 is perpendicular to the second direction Y (first direction X) and the third direction Z.

[0181] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 23 to 24, in this embodiment, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are the negative electrode plate 14 and the positive electrode plate 24, respectively. The bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 encloses the bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1, and any two adjacent second electrode plates 2 are located on opposite sides of the first electrode plate 1 in the first direction X, enclosing different bent portions 25 of the first electrode plate 1. Here, the two second electrode plates 2 form a pair and enclose two consecutive bent portions 25 of the first electrode plate 1. The space between two adjacent pairs of second electrode plates 2 is separated by one bent portion 25 of the first electrode plate 1, that is, after two consecutive bent portions 25 of the first electrode plate 1 are enclosed, one bent portion 25 is left unenclosed, then two more consecutive bent portions 25 are enclosed, and then another bent portion 25 is left unenclosed, in a cyclical manner. Figure 24 shows that only one pair of second electrode plates 2 have been subjected to explosive treatment, while the other pairs of second electrode plates 2 are encased in the first electrode plate 1.

[0182] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 23 to 24, in this embodiment, the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are both located on the edges adjacent to the bent portion 25, have the same tab extension direction, and are both located on the same side of the first electrode plate 1 in the longitudinal direction (or longitudinal direction), satisfying the design requirement that the tabs and electrode terminals emerge on the same side of the battery cell. Here, each of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 is provided with one tab 15, and each of the first laminated sheets 11 of the first electrode plate 1 is provided with one tab 15. All the tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and all the tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are offset in the first direction X so that the positive tabs and negative tabs do not interfere with each other. Specifically, in this embodiment, all tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 are located at the edge adjacent to the bent portion 25, away from the bent portion 25, while all tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 are located at the edge continuous with the bent portion 25, close to the bent portion 25. However, in this embodiment, the bent portion 25 of the second electrode plate 2 surrounds the bent portion of the first electrode plate 1. By installing them in this manner, all tabs 15 of the first electrode plate 1 and all tabs 15 of the second electrode plate 2 can be offset in the first direction X.

[0183] Figures 23 and 24 illustrate a parallel "Z+U" type stacking method, using the case where the tabs of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 extend from the same side as an example. However, it should be understood that in the parallel "Z+U" type stacking method, the tab extension directions of the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 may be opposite, and the tabs may be located on opposing sides in the longitudinal direction of the first electrode plate 1.

[0184] Figures 25-32 illustrate the structure of the second electrode plate 2 in this application.

[0185] The second electrode plate 2 is foldable, and its state before and after folding is referred to as the unfolded state and the folded state, respectively. In the finished battery cell 20, the second electrode plate 2 is in the folded state, and the corresponding folded state is already shown in Figures 6 to 24. Figures 25 to 32 show the structure of the second electrode plate 2 in the unfolded state, i.e., the second electrode plate 2 that is not folded.

[0186] Here, Figure 25 shows a first example of the second electrode plate 2. As shown in Figure 25, in this example, the second electrode plate 2 is provided with an inert region 26, and no active material 29 is provided on the surface of this inert region 26. Therefore, this inert region 26 is actually a current collector portion that is not covered by the active material 29. An insulating material 27 is provided on the surface of the inert region 26 to improve the insulation between the positive and negative electrode plates.

[0187] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, in this example, the second electrode plate 2 is provided with a folding guide portion 28, which is a fold line 282, located within the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2. Here, the fold line 282 is a straight fold that extends from one edge of the second electrode plate 2 in the width direction to the other edge of the second electrode plate 2 in the width direction, with the direction of extension parallel to the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. As a result, if necessary, the U-shaped inward fold of the second electrode plate 2 can be completed simply by folding the second electrode plate 2 along the fold line 282, making the folding process simpler and easier compared to the case where the second electrode plate 2 is not provided with a folding guide portion 28. After folding, the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 have their edges aligned in the width direction and do not become misaligned. At the same time, since the fold 282 is located within the inert region 26, after folding, the inert region 26 includes a bent portion 25 that connects the two second laminated sheets 21, making it easier to control the area of ​​the portion of the negative electrode plate that protrudes from the positive electrode plate by utilizing the inert region 26, thereby improving safety.

[0188] Figures 26 and 27 show a second example of the second electrode plate. As shown in Figure 26, in this example, a folding guide portion 28 is provided within the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2. However, unlike the first example shown in Figure 25, the folding guide portion 28 is not a fold line 282, but a notch 281. In this example, the notch 281 is a continuous straight notch that extends from one edge of the second electrode plate 2 in the width direction to the other edge of the second electrode plate 2 in the width direction, and whose extension direction is parallel to the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. In this way, the U-shaped fold of the second electrode plate 2 can be completed simply by folding the second electrode plate 2 along the notch 281, making it simple and easy. Compared to the fold line 282, the notch 281 has a depth in the thickness direction of the second electrode plate 2, making it easier to guide the folding process and allowing the second electrode plate 2 to be more accurately guided into a middle fold along the notch 281, thus reducing the likelihood of deviation. At the same time, the notch 281 can be obtained by directly processing it during the production process of the second electrode plate 2, and does not need to be obtained by pre-folding the second electrode plate 2 after processing. Therefore, the processing process for the notch 281 is also simple.

[0189] Figures 28-29 show a third example of the second electrode plate. As shown in Figures 28-29, in this example, the folding guide portion 28 within the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 is still a notch 281 extending along the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. However, in this example, the notch 281 is not a continuous straight notch, but a dotted dashed notch consisting of numerous small holes spaced apart in the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. These small holes may be through holes or blind holes. Based on this, the second electrode plate 2 can also be easily folded in half.

[0190] Figures 30-31 show a fourth example of the second electrode plate. As shown in Figures 30-31, in this example, the inert region 26 of the second electrode plate 2 is provided with dashed notches parallel to the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. However, unlike the third example shown in Figures 28-29, the dashed notches 281 are linear dashed notches, rather than dotted dashed notches. Based on this, the second electrode plate 2 can be easily folded in half.

[0191] Figure 32 shows a fifth example of the second electrode plate. As shown in Figure 32, this example differs from the examples shown in Figures 25 to 31 above in that the folding guide portion 28 is no longer parallel to the width direction of the second electrode plate 2, but forms an angle with respect to the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. In other words, in this example, the folding guide portion 28 is deflected with respect to the width direction of the second electrode plate 2. In this way, after folding, the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 do not align in the width direction, resulting in deflection. This not only facilitates the opening of an angle after the second electrode plate 2 is folded and insertion into the first electrode plate 1, but also prevents each second laminated sheet 21 from protruding from the first laminated sheet 11 after the second electrode plate 2 is assembled with the first electrode plate 1, thereby reducing the risk of lithium deposition.

[0192] It should be noted that the folding guide section 28 shown in Figure 32 is a continuous straight line, but instead, this deflecting folding guide section 28 may be in other configurations such as dots or dashed lines, and this deflecting folding guide section 28 may be a fold line 282 or a notch 281.

[0193] As can be seen by looking at Figures 25 to 32 together, in these embodiments, tabs 15 are provided at both ends of the second electrode plate 2. That is, both of the two second laminated sheets 21 of the second electrode plate 2 have tabs 15, and the second electrode plate 2 employs a one-sided double-piece tab extension method. However, this is not an limitation to the present invention, and it should be understood that if a tab 15 is provided at only one end of the second electrode plate 2, and a tab 15 is provided at only one of the two second laminated sheets 21, the second electrode plate 2 may be provided with the various folding guide portions 28 described above.

[0194] Figure 33 shows an example in which the second electrode plate 2 is overlapped with two separators 3.

[0195] As shown in Figure 33, in this embodiment, two separators 3 located on opposite sides in the thickness direction of the same second electrode plate 2 are both folded back to form flanges 31. The flanges 31 of the two separators 3 wrap around all the edges of the second electrode plate 2 that do not have tabs 15, thereby wrapping all the edges of the second electrode plate 2 that do not have tabs 15 with the flanges 31 of the two layers of separators 3. The flanges 31 wrap around a region of 1 to 20 mm near the edge of the second electrode plate 2. In the wrapping process, first the separator 3 located on the first side of the second electrode plate 2 can be folded back, and the flange 31 formed by the folding is made to bypass the surface of the second electrode plate 2 corresponding to the corresponding edge, reach the second side of the second electrode plate 2, and cover a region of 1 to 20 mm close to the corresponding edge on the surface of the second side, thereby forming an overlap of the inner layer. Next, the separator 3 located on the second side of the second electrode plate 2 is folded back, and the flange 31 formed by the fold bypasses the surface of the second electrode plate 2 corresponding to the edge and reaches the first side of the second electrode plate 2, and covers a region of 1 to 20 mm adjacent to the corresponding edge of the first side surface, forming an outer layer overlap that wraps around the outside of the inner layer overlap, thus obtaining a two-layer separator overlap. Here, after the separator overlap of each layer is completed, the separator overlapping region can be fixed by methods such as heat compression bonding or adhesive bonding. Furthermore, the corresponding overlapping process can be completed before folding or slicing the second electrode plate 2.

[0196] The double-layer overlapping of the installed separator does not affect the overall capacity and does not increase the risk of lithium deposition, while more reliably preventing short-circuit accidents caused by foreign matter at the edges. Therefore, safety performance can be effectively improved compared to when the separator 3 does not overlap the second electrode plate 2.

[0197] Referring to Figures 34 and 35, based on the embodiments described above, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing an electrode plate and a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly.

[0198] Here, an example of a method for manufacturing the electrode plate is shown in Figure 34. Referring to Figure 34, the method for manufacturing the electrode plate 4 includes the following steps.

[0199] S10, A folding guide portion 28 is provided on the electrode plate 4.

[0200] S20, the electrode plate 4 is folded, guided by the folding guide section 28.

[0201] The electrode plate 4 manufactured using the above method can be folded and then assembled to form an electrode assembly 201. Therefore, compared to the individual plate stacking method in related technologies, the production efficiency of stacked batteries can be effectively improved. Furthermore, the electrode plate 4 can be folded more easily by being guided by the folding guide portion 28 during the folding process, improving folding efficiency and thus further improving the production efficiency of stacked batteries.

[0202] Figure 35 illustrates a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly. Referring to Figure 35, the method for manufacturing the electrode assembly 201 is: Step S100 includes providing a first electrode plate 1, folding the first electrode plate 1 by reciprocating along a first direction, thereby connecting and stacking the first electrode plate 1 in sequence to form a plurality of first laminated sheets 11, Step S200 provides a second electrode plate 2 having the opposite polarity to a first electrode plate 1, and folds the second electrode plate 2 once along a second direction Y, thereby connecting the second electrode plate 2 to each other, and the second direction Y is perpendicular or parallel to the first direction X. The process includes step S300, which involves inserting the second electrode plate 2 into the first electrode plate 1 and stacking the second laminated sheet 21 and the first laminated sheet 11 alternately in sequence.

[0203] By employing the above method, the electrode assembly 201 can be manufactured with high efficiency, effectively improving the production efficiency of electrode assemblies, battery cells, batteries, and power consumption devices.

[0204] The order in which steps S100 and S200 are performed is not particularly limited; step S100 may be performed first and step S200 afterward, or step S200 may be performed first and step S100 afterward, or step S100 and step S200 may be performed simultaneously.

[0205] In some embodiments, before folding the second electrode plate 2 once in the second direction Y, two additional separators 3 are placed on opposing sides of the second electrode plate 2 in the thickness direction, and both of the separators 3 located on the same opposing sides in the thickness direction of the second electrode plate 2 are folded back to cover the edges of the second electrode plate 2 that do not have tabs 15.

[0206] Before folding the second electrode plate 2, two separators 3 are used to perform a double overlap on the edges of the second electrode plate 2 where the tabs 15 are not installed, thereby facilitating the folding of the second electrode plate 2 and effectively improving the safety performance of the battery assembly.

[0207] In the manufacturing method of the electrode assembly 201 of each embodiment described above, the first electrode plate 1 and / or the second electrode plate 2 may be folded by being guided by the folding guide portion 28. For example, in some embodiments, when the second electrode plate 2 is folded in step S200, the second electrode plate 2 is folded along the folding guide portion 28 on the second electrode plate 2, and the second electrode plate 2 is folded in the middle along the folding guide portion 28 to form a U-shaped second electrode plate 2.

[0208] The above-mentioned protective themes and features in each embodiment of this application are mutually referential, and, where the structure allows, those skilled in the art can flexibly combine the technical features in different embodiments to form more embodiments.

[0209] While specific examples have been used to describe the principles and embodiments of the present application, these examples are intended only to aid in understanding the methods and core ideas of the present application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make some improvements and modifications to the present application, provided they do not deviate from the principles, and these improvements and modifications are also within the scope of protection of the claims of the present application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0210] 100: Power consumption device, 101: Vehicle, 102: Controller, 103: Power unit, 104: Motor, 105: Main unit, 10: Battery, 20: Battery cell, 201: Electrode assembly, 202: Housing, 203: Casing, 204: End cap, 205: Adapter, 206: Electrode terminal, 20a: Negative terminal, 20b: Positive terminal, 30: Packaging box, 301: Box body, 302: Box cover, 1: First Electrode plate, 11: First laminated sheet, 12: First tab, 13: Negative tab, 14: Negative electrode plate, 15: Tab, 2: Second electrode plate, 21: Second laminated sheet, 22: Second tab, 23: Positive tab, 24: Positive electrode plate, 25: Folded section, 26: Inert region, 27: Insulating material, 28: Folding guide section, 281: Notch, 282: Fold, 29: Active material, 3: Separator, 31: Flange, 4: Electrode plate, X: First direction, Y: Second direction, Z: Third direction

Claims

1. Electrode assembly (201), First electrode plate (1), A second electrode plate (2) has the opposite polarity to the first electrode plate (1) and is stacked with the first electrode plate (1), Includes, The first electrode plate (1) is folded back and forth along a first direction (X) so as to include a plurality of first laminated sheets (11) in which the first electrode plates (1) are connected in order and stacked, and the second electrode plate (2) is folded once along a second direction (Y) so as to include two second laminated sheets (21) in which the second electrode plates (2) are connected to each other, the second direction (Y) is parallel to the first direction (X), and the second laminated sheets (21) and the first laminated sheets (11) are stacked alternately in order. The tab (15) of the first electrode plate (1) is located on the edge of the first electrode plate (1) adjacent to the bent portion (25) of the first electrode plate (1), and the tab (15) of the second electrode plate (2) is located on the edge of the second electrode plate (2) away from the bent portion (25) of the first electrode plate (1). The tab (15) of the first electrode plate (1) and the tab (15) of the second electrode plate (2) are located on opposite sides in the vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y). An electrode assembly (201) characterized by the above.

2. The electrode assembly (201) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the two second laminated sheets (21) of the second electrode plate (2) has a tab (15).

3. The electrode assembly (201) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second electrode plate (2) has an inert region (26) including a bent portion (25) of the second electrode plate (2), and the inert region (26) is not coated with an active material.

4. The electrode assembly (201) according to claim 3, characterized in that an insulating material (27) is provided on the surface of the inert region (26) of the second electrode plate (2) facing the first electrode plate (1).

5. The electrode assembly (201) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrode assembly (201) includes a separator (3), and the separator (3) separates the first electrode plate (1) and the second electrode plate (2).

6. The electrode assembly (201) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first electrode plate (1) is a negative electrode plate (14) and the second electrode plate (2) is a positive electrode plate (24).

7. A battery cell (20) comprising a housing (202), further comprising an electrode assembly (201) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electrode assembly (201) is installed within the housing (202).

8. The battery cell (20) according to claim 7, characterized in that the tab (15) of the second electrode plate (2) is located on an edge other than the bent portion (25) of the second electrode plate (2), and the bent portion (25) of the second electrode plate (2) is in contact with the inner wall of the housing (202).

9. The battery cell (20) according to claim 8, characterized in that the surface of the bent portion (25) of the second electrode plate (2), which is separated from the first electrode plate (1), is oriented in the direction of gravity.

10. A battery (10) comprising a packaging box (30), further comprising a battery cell (20) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the battery cell (20) is installed inside the packaging box (30).

11. A power consumption device (100) including a main body (105), further comprising a battery cell (20) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, or a battery (10) according to claim 10, wherein the battery cell (20) provides electrical energy to the main body (105).

12. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly (201), A first electrode plate (1) is provided, and the first electrode plate (1) is folded by reciprocating along a first direction (X), thereby the first electrode plate (1) includes a plurality of first laminated sheets (11) that are sequentially connected and stacked. A second electrode plate (2) is provided having the opposite polarity to the first electrode plate (1), and the second electrode plate (2) is folded once along a second direction (Y), so that the second electrode plate (2) includes two second laminated sheets (21) connected to each other, and the second direction (Y) is parallel to the first direction (X), The second electrode plate (2) is inserted into the first electrode plate (1), and the second laminated sheet (21) and the first laminated sheet (11) are stacked alternately in order, with the bent portion (25) of the first electrode plate (1) being parallel to the bent portion (25) of the second electrode plate (2). Includes, The tab (15) of the first electrode plate (1) is located on the edge of the first electrode plate (1) adjacent to the bent portion (25) of the first electrode plate (1), and the tab (15) of the second electrode plate (2) is located on the edge of the second electrode plate (2) away from the bent portion (25) of the first electrode plate (1). The tab (15) of the first electrode plate (1) and the tab (15) of the second electrode plate (2) are located on opposite sides in the vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y). A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly (201) characterized by the above.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, before folding the second electrode plate (2) once in the second direction (Y), two separators (3) are further placed on opposing sides of the second electrode plate (2) in the thickness direction, and both of the two separators (3) located on opposing sides of the second electrode plate (2) in the thickness direction are folded back to cover the edge of the second electrode plate (2) that does not have a tab (15).

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