Connection structure for battery cells and battery module thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a cell connection structure and its battery module, which includes two blade terminals, two fixing brackets, and spring-loaded terminals. The blade terminals have a fixing part and a connecting part. After the electrical output terminal of the cell is welded and fixed by the fixing part, it is clamped and fixed by the two fixing brackets. The connecting part of the blade terminals is exposed between the two fixing brackets for clamping and fixing by the spring-loaded terminals, which strengthens the contact and electrical connection between the connecting parts. With this detachable fixing method, the cell can be easily assembled or separated without damaging the cell structure during cell assembly or maintenance, without increasing other processing costs, which helps to replace or reuse the cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a connection structure, and more particularly to a cell connection structure and battery module that is easy to disassemble, repair, and replace. Prior Technology

[0002] In response to the booming development of the new energy vehicle market, power batteries, as one of the three core technologies of new energy electric vehicles, are considered a crucial component and a major source of competitive advantage. With the widespread use of power batteries, new energy vehicle manufacturers are demanding lightweight designs to increase driving range, aiming to extend the driving range as much as possible within limited space and capacity, thus facilitating the expansion of new energy vehicles. Among these, the pouch-type design of power batteries has inherent advantages. As the name suggests, the pouch structure differs from the generally hard-shell encapsulation method. It uses flexible film materials such as aluminum-plastic film to encapsulate the internal battery cells or modules. Because of the use of flexible film materials, the weight and volume are naturally smaller, resulting in higher energy density per unit volume or weight. Therefore, it is highly suitable as a power battery for new energy vehicles.

[0003] To enhance competitiveness, pouch batteries also employ welding to connect the cell structure and module for electrical connection. However, current welding processes cannot guarantee weld quality, and the difficulty in inspection makes it prone to issues like incomplete welds. Furthermore, welding generates heat, which can cause degradation of surrounding materials, affecting product reliability. Both ultrasonic and laser welding suffer from low efficiency and high costs for labor, materials, and equipment. Production efficiency and yield are the biggest bottlenecks, significantly impacting the cost of pouch batteries.

[0004] On the other hand, welded cells are not easy to disassemble. In terms of modular stacking, it is difficult to replace individual cells. If one cell fails or is damaged, the entire battery pack will need to be replaced, significantly increasing maintenance costs. Furthermore, from a recycling perspective, disassembling welded cells inevitably damages the material at the weld joint, which is not conducive to reprocessing and reuse, seriously affecting recycling efficiency and willingness.

[0005] Based on the deficiencies of the existing technologies, this invention proposes a cell connection structure and its battery module to effectively solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide a cell connection structure and its battery module. By using a connection structure that can be quickly assembled and disassembled, the electrical output terminals of the battery cells are fixed together and electrically connected. This not only allows for the disassembly and replacement of individual cells during maintenance without damaging the cell structure, but also makes it easy to disassemble and reuse high-performance cells during recycling without incurring additional processing costs.

[0007] This invention proposes a cell connection structure for connecting two battery cells. Each battery cell has two electrical output terminals. The cell connection structure includes two blade terminals, two fixing brackets, and spring-loaded terminals. One side of each blade terminal is a fixing part, and the other side is a connecting part. The two blade terminals are fixed to the electrical output terminals of the two battery cells by their fixing parts to form an electrical connection. Then, the two fixing brackets are used to clamp the blade terminals from top to bottom, exposing the connecting parts of the blade terminals. Finally, the spring-loaded terminals with elastic clamping parts are used to clamp the connecting parts of the blade terminals to fix the connecting parts of the blade terminals and form an electrical connection.

[0008] Furthermore, when the fixing bracket is clamped at both ends of the blade terminal, a hollow groove is formed between them, so that the connection part of the blade terminal is exposed in the hollow groove. The spring terminal can be combined with the terminal insulating shell and installed in the hollow groove to clamp the connection part of the blade terminal. In addition, when the fixing bracket is clamped at both ends of the blade terminal, its end is roughly flat, with only the connection part of the blade terminal exposed. The spring terminal can be combined with the series board, and the power supply core and the core connection structure are inserted together on the series board.

[0009] On the other hand, the battery module proposed in this invention includes a plurality of stacked battery cells. The battery cells are fixed by the aforementioned cell connection structure and the multiple battery cells are electrically connected to each other. Therefore, when maintenance is required, a single battery cell can be removed and replaced by removing the spring terminals, or the battery cells with good performance can be taken out and reused during recycling.

[0010] Furthermore, this invention proposes a cell connection structure for connecting two battery cells. Each battery cell has two electrical output terminals, and the cell connection structure includes two blade terminals and a spring terminal. One side of each blade terminal is a fixing part, and the other side is a connecting part. The two blade terminals are fixed to the electrical output terminals of the two battery cells by their fixing parts. Then, the spring terminal with an elastic clamping part slides in along the long axis of the blade terminal so that the elastic clamping part clamps the connecting part of the blade terminal, thereby fixing the connecting part of the blade terminal and forming an electrical connection.

[0011] The following detailed description through specific embodiments will make it easier to understand the purpose, technical content, features and effects achieved by this invention. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0012]

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the blade terminal and battery cell of the cell connection structure of the present invention.

[0014] Figures 2A-2C are schematic diagrams of the combination of the cell connection structure and the battery cell of the present invention.

[0015] Figures 3A-3F are schematic diagrams of the cell connection structure and the assembly of the battery cell according to the present invention.

[0016] Figures 4A-4G are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of the blade terminal of the cell connection structure of the present invention.

[0017] Figures 5A-5D are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of the spring-loaded terminals of the battery cell connection structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the cell connection structure of the present invention applied to a battery module.

[0019] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the battery cell connection structure of the present invention, showing the combination of the blade terminal and the battery cell.

[0020] Figures 8A-8B are schematic diagrams of the cell connection structure and the combination of the battery cell as shown in Figure 7 of this invention.

[0021] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the battery module combined with the series board as shown in Figure 8 of this invention.

[0022] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the battery modules arranged side by side as shown in Figure 9 of this invention.

[0023] Figures 11A-11B are schematic diagrams of another embodiment of the combination of the blade terminal and the battery cell in the cell connection structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the battery modules arranged side by side as shown in Figure 11 of this invention. Implementation

[0025] To make the advantages, spirit, and features of the present invention more readily apparent, detailed descriptions and discussions will follow with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these embodiments are merely representative examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The purpose of providing these embodiments is solely to make the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and easily understood.

[0026] The terminology used in the various embodiments disclosed in this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the various embodiments disclosed in this invention. Unless clearly indicated otherwise, the singular forms used also include the plural forms. Unless otherwise specified, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments disclosed in this invention pertain. The foregoing terms (such as those defined in general-purpose dictionaries) are to be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the same technical field and are not to be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless clearly defined in the various embodiments disclosed in this invention.

[0027] The cell connection structure disclosed in this invention, please refer to Figures 2A and 3A at the same time, is a series or parallel structure for connecting two battery cells 10 to form a circuit. The cell connection structure includes two blade terminals 20, two fixed brackets 30 and spring terminals 40. Each blade terminal 20 has a fixing part 201 and a connecting part 202 (please refer to Figures 4A-4C simultaneously), and the spring terminal 40 has an elastic clamping part 41 (please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3A simultaneously); referring to Figure 1, the battery cell 10 has two electrical output terminals, as shown in the figure, which are formed by welding the tab 11 (located inside the soft pack of the battery cell 10) to the conductive handle 12. Since the tab 11 is generally thin, it needs to be welded to the conductive handle 12 first to facilitate subsequent processing and assembly. However, in this case, it is not limited to this method. If conditions permit, only the tab 11 can be used to connect to the blade terminal 20, that is, the tab 11 can be used as the electrical output terminal of the battery cell 10, or any component of the battery cell 10 that outputs outwards is within the scope of the electrical output terminal defined in this case; but for ease of understanding, the conductive handle 12 is used to replace the electrical output terminal in the following description.

[0028] The blade terminal 20 is a long strip designed to fit the conductive handle 12. It is slightly larger and thicker than the conductive handle 12, which typically has a thickness of 0.1-0.4 mm, while the blade terminal 20 preferably has a thickness of 0.5-2 mm. One side of the blade terminal 20 is a fixing part 201, and the other side is a connecting part 202. Both ends have positioning holes 203, and the connecting part 202 may also have positioning grooves 204. The fixing part 201 can be fixed to the conductive handle 12 of the battery cell 10 (generally by welding). After the conductive handles 12 on both sides of the battery cell 10 are welded to one blade terminal 20, the pre-processing of the battery cell 10 is completed.

[0029] Returning to Figure 2A, the two pre-processed battery cells 10 can be stacked together, separated by a partition plate 50. The partition plate 50 can be foam or a heat-conducting sheet to increase the buffering effect or heat dissipation capacity. After the battery cells 10 are stacked, they are simultaneously bonded together by two blade terminals 20 on the same side, as shown in Figures 2B-2C. The fixing bracket 30 holds the blade terminals 20, which protrude between the two fixing brackets 30. In this embodiment, the outer side of the fixed bracket 30 is H-shaped, thicker at both ends and thinner in the middle. Several first positioning posts 31 are protruding on the top surface of the fixed bracket 30, and the bottom surface of the fixed bracket 30 is recessed with slots 311 corresponding to the first positioning posts 31 (see Figure 3A). After the first positioning post 31 passes through the positioning hole 203 of the blade terminal 20, it is fixedly engaged with the slot 311 on the bottom surface of the adjacent fixed bracket 30. At this time, because the middle part of the outer side of the fixed bracket 30 is thinner, a hollow groove 32 is formed between the two fixed brackets 30 and its side after the two fixed brackets 30 are engaged (see Figure 2C), so that the connecting part 202 of the blade terminal 20 located therein is exposed.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 3A. In the cross-sectional view, after the battery cells 10 are stacked, an electrical connection is formed by the direct contact between the blade terminals 20 and the conductive handle 12. The first positioning post 31 on the top surface of the fixing bracket 30 passes through the positioning hole 203 of the blade terminal 20 and inserts into the slot 311 on the bottom surface of the adjacent fixing bracket 30 to position and fix the two blade terminals 20, as shown in Figure 3B. At this time, the hollowed-out groove 32 formed between the two fixing brackets 30 and on the sides of the two fixing brackets 30 after they are combined accommodates... The connecting part 202 is placed so that the connecting part 202 of the blade terminal 20 is exposed. Then, the spring-loaded terminal 40 is inserted into the hollow groove 32 to clamp and fix the connecting part 202, thereby strengthening the electrical connection between the two blade terminals 20. That is, since the blade terminal 20 is electrically connected to the conductive handle 12, the contact between the two blade terminals 20 is equivalent to the electrical connection between the two conductive handles 12. In addition, the clamping and fixing of the spring-loaded terminal 40 makes the contact between the two blade terminals tighter and more stable, which helps to make the contact between the two blade terminals 20 more stable, thereby reducing the resistance. The spring-loaded terminal 40 has an elastic clamping part 41. The spring-loaded terminal 40 is disposed in the terminal insulating shell 42 with a receiving space. In this way, the exterior of the spring-loaded terminal 40 can be protected by the terminal insulating shell 42 to prevent accidental short circuit. At the same time, the terminal insulating shell 42 can also maintain the overall appearance of the fixed bracket 30 (as shown in Figure 6, after assembly, the outer side of the terminal insulating shell 42 is flush with the outer side of the fixed bracket 30). Referring again to Figures 3A-3B, the cross-sectional view shows that the fixing bracket 30 has a convex shape on the side facing the battery cell 10. When the two fixing brackets 30 are combined, they form an accommodating space to house the two tabs 11. One side of each tab 11 is tightly fitted with its adjacent fixing bracket 30, while the other side forms a recess with the adjacent tab 11 and the two battery cells 10. Furthermore, under normal circumstances, the conductive handle 12 is soldered to the tab 11 inside the soft case. Here, for simplicity, it is simply represented by the tab 11 being directly connected to the conductive handle 12.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 3B-3C. The spring terminal 40 is inserted into the hollow groove 32 formed between the two fixed brackets 30. The elastic clamping part 41 of the spring terminal 40 is a clamping mouth that is bent from the inside to the outside. It can clamp the connecting part 202 of the blade terminal 20 to strengthen the contact and fixing structure between the spring terminal 40 and the two blade terminals 20. The purpose of the blade terminal 20 being thicker than the conductive handle 12 is that when the spring terminal 40 clamps the blade terminal 20, the blade terminal 20 is less likely to be bent and deformed (compared to directly clamping the conductive handle 12). To clarify, the blade terminal 20 is used to electrically connect the two battery cells 10, therefore it must be made of conductive material, preferably conductive metal. The fixing bracket 30 is mainly used for stacking and fixing; to prevent mutual conduction and achieve a lightweight effect, it is generally best to use a non-conductive material such as plastic. The spring terminal 40 can be made of conductive or non-conductive material. If a conductive material is used, the electrical connection between the battery cells 10 can be supplemented by the direct contact circuit between the blade terminals 20, and another circuit can be created through the spring terminal 40 to increase the current in the conductive circuit. The electrical connection between the battery cells 10 can be series or parallel.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 3D. In addition to the aforementioned direct clamping method, the spring terminal 40 can also be used with an inner clamping piece 44 that folds outward to secure it to the positioning groove 204 of the blade terminal 20 to improve the stability of clamping; or as shown in Figure 3E, the connecting portion 202 of the blade terminal 20 can have at least one curved surface 2021, and the curved surfaces 2021 of two adjacent blade terminals 20 protrude upward and downward respectively. After the spring terminal 40 is clamped and fixed, the curved surface 2021 prevents the spring terminal 40 from disengaging from the blade terminal 20.

[0033] On the other hand, the blade terminal 20 can also have various forms. Please refer to Figure 4A. The blade terminal 20 can have only a fixing part 201, a connecting part 202, and a positioning hole 203 located in the middle part, so that it presents a roughly rectangular form. Please refer to Figure 4B. Continuing the form of the previous Figure 4A, two more positioning holes 203 are added to both ends of the blade terminal 20, and a positioning groove 204 for securing the spring terminal 40 is added to the connecting part 202 (see also Figure 3D). Please refer to Figure 4C. Continuing the form of the previous Figure 4B, an assembly groove 205 is added to the center of the connecting part 202, which is assembled with the corresponding post 421 on the terminal insulating shell 42 (see also Figure 3F) to provide a positioning function.

[0034] Referring to Figure 4D, the blade terminal 20 may only have a fixing portion 201, a connecting portion 202, and at least one curved surface 2021 located on the connecting portion 202, giving it a roughly rectangular shape. The curved surface 2021 can be used to clamp and fix the spring terminal 40 (see also Figure 3E) to prevent detachment. Referring to Figure 4E, continuing the shape of Figure 4D, two additional positioning holes 203 are added to both ends of the blade terminal 20, and an assembly groove 205 is added to the center of the connecting portion 202. This groove is used to assemble with corresponding posts 421 on the terminal insulating housing 42 (see also Figure 3F) to provide a positioning function. Please refer to Figure 4F. Continuing from the previous figure 4E, a plurality of slots 206 are added to the connecting portion 202, making the connecting portion 202 present many separate sections. This allows for different degrees of matching deformation to correspond to the clamping of the spring terminal 40, making the clamping and fixing structure between them more stable. It also increases the contact area between the spring terminal 40 and the connecting portion 202, or the contact area of ​​the connecting portions 202 of two adjacent blade terminals 20, thereby reducing the equivalent resistance of the electrical circuit. When the battery cell 10 is discharging or charging, the output or input current can be increased (because the equivalent resistance is reduced). In addition, it also has the effect of reducing heat generation during constant current charging or discharging. On the other hand, referring to figure 4G, the connecting portion 202 of the blade terminal 20 can also be bent at an angle (for example, 90 degrees) to adapt to different insertion states and assembly methods of the spring terminal 40.

[0035] Similarly, the spring terminal 40 with the elastic clamping portion 41 can also have different variations. Referring to Figure 5A, the end of the spring terminal 40 is flared outward to form the elastic clamping portion 41, and also has a plurality of grooves 43, so that the elastic clamping portion 41 presents many separate sections, which can produce different degrees of matching deformation corresponding to the clamping of the blade terminal 20, thereby making the clamping and fixing structure between two adjacent blade terminals 20 more stable, and also increasing the contact area between the spring terminal 40 and the connecting portion 202 or the contact area of ​​the connecting portion 202 of two adjacent blade terminals 20, thus having the aforementioned technical effects. Continuing to refer to Figure 5B, unlike the aforementioned Figure 5A, the spring terminal 40 has a U-shaped cut near its end, and then this U-shaped cut is folded inward to form an inner clamping piece 44. In addition, in other embodiments, the spring terminal 40 may not have the grooves 43.

[0036] Referring to Figure 5C, the elastic clamping portion 41 of the spring terminal 40 is formed by cutting a groove 43, and its separated ends and U-shaped cuts are folded inward to form an elastic clamping portion 41 and an inner clamping piece 44, respectively. The inner clamping piece 44 is located inside the elastic clamping portion 41. Both the inner clamping piece 44 and the elastic clamping portion 41 are folded inward to clamp the connecting portion 202 and the positioning groove 204 of the blade terminal 20, respectively. They can also be clamped on the blade terminal 20 body at the same time. In this embodiment, the inner clamping piece 44 clamps the positioning groove 204 and the elastic clamping portion 41 clamps the connecting portion 202. Specifically, the spring-loaded terminal 40 has a terminal body and an elastic clamping portion 41. The elastic clamping portion 41 extends outward from both ends of the body. Each elastic clamping portion 41 has a fixed end and a free end (i.e., adjacent to the folded part). The fixed end of the elastic clamping portion 41 is fixedly connected to the terminal body, while the inner clamping piece 44 is located between the terminal body and the free end of the elastic clamping portion 41. Continuing to refer to Figure 5D, the spring-loaded terminal 40 forms the elastic clamping portion 41 and the inner clamping piece 44 respectively by folding from the inside out at its end and the U-shaped cut, so as to clamp the connecting portion 202 and the positioning groove 204 of the blade terminal 20 respectively (see Figure 3D at the same time), and can also be clamped on the blade terminal 20 body at the same time. The spring terminal 40 may have a plurality of slots 43 (see Figures 5C and 5D) to make the elastic clamping part 41 present many separate sections, so that different degrees of matching deformation can be generated when clamping the blade terminal 20, and the clamping and fixing relationship between adjacent blade terminals 20 can be more stable.

[0037] When applied to battery module 60, please refer to Figure 6. A plurality of battery cells 10 are stacked, and the electrical connection between two battery cells 10 is achieved using the battery cell connection structure of the present invention. The blade terminal 20 is first soldered to the electrical output terminal of the battery cell 10. Then, the two blade terminals 20 are stacked and clamped in sequence using the fixing bracket 30. The exposed two blade terminals 20 are then clamped and fixed using the spring contact terminal 40 to strengthen the mutual electrical connection between the two battery cells 10. Through the above structure, when one of the battery cells 10 fails and needs to be repaired or replaced, it is only necessary to remove the corresponding spring contact terminal 40 and the fixing bracket 30 to separate the two blade terminals 20 that were originally fixed to each other and take out the corresponding battery cell 10 for replacement.

[0038] Based on the same principle, in addition to the two tabs 11 (together with the conductive handle 12) of the battery cell 10 shown in Figure 1 being located at opposite ends, as shown in Figure 7, the two tabs 11 (together with the conductive handle 12) of the battery cell 10 can also be located at the same end. At the same time, in order to facilitate connection, the two tabs 11 need to be bent and adjusted so that they are bent toward the upper and lower sides of the battery cell 10 respectively. The blade terminal 20 is also welded to the conductive handle 12. The structure and various variations of the blade terminal 20 are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 8A, 8B, and 9. The fixing bracket 30 is used to clamp the blade terminal 20 and expose it between the two fixing brackets 30. In this embodiment, besides the method of forming the slot 32 in Figure 2C, the fixing brackets 30, after being joined, do not have the aforementioned slot 32. Instead, the outer surface of the fixed bracket 30 after joining is a roughly flat end face with a notch. The connecting portion 202 of the blade terminal 20 is exposed through this notch from its end face. Similarly, the fixing bracket 30 uses the first positioning post 31 to pass through the positioning hole 203 of the blade terminal 20 and then aligns and engages with the slot 311 of the adjacent fixing bracket 30. The blade terminals 20 on the single conductive handle 12 of two different battery cells 10 are respectively clamped between the two fixing brackets 30, so that adjacent battery cells 10 can sequentially form an electrically connected structure. The outermost side uses two bracket guard plates 30' to clamp and fix the plurality of battery cells 10. Meanwhile, the battery cells 10 are also separated by partitions 50, which can be foam 51 or heat-conducting sheets 52, to increase the buffering effect or heat dissipation capacity. The ends of the heat-conducting sheets 52 can extend into vertical extensions 521, which can support the bottom of the battery cells 10 and provide heat dissipation at the bottom. As shown in Figure 8B, the extensions 521 are divided into multiple segments and bend sequentially toward the upper and lower sides; on the other hand, the extensions 521 can also bend toward only one side (not shown in the figure), that is, all segments of the extensions 521 are bent toward the upper side or all are bent toward the lower side. These multiple battery cells 10 are then covered by a casing 70 to form a battery module 60. In this embodiment, the outer casing 70 has an opening on its side. Simultaneously, the outer side of the bracket guard plate 30' has a beveled protrusion 301, which can be engaged and fixed with corresponding holes or grooves on the inner side of the outer casing 70. The connecting portion 202 of the blade terminal 20 exposed on the end face of the fixing bracket 30 is also exposed in the opening of the outer casing 70. A plurality of spring-loaded terminals 40 are arranged on the serial plate 80 to form a slot. Since the blade terminal 20 has a certain thickness and strength compared to the electrical output terminal of the battery cell 10, the connecting portion 202 of the exposed blade terminal 20 of the battery module 60 can be clamped within the spring-loaded terminals 40 in a plug-in manner. The spring-loaded terminals 40 can adopt the aforementioned configuration, and their structure and various variations are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 9. To enhance the bonding strength with the series connection board 80, the series connection board 80 may have a plurality of alignment holes 81 to cooperate with the fixing bracket 30 with the second positioning post 33. The fixing bracket 30 is positioned on the series connection board 80 by the second positioning post 33 and the alignment holes 81. At the same time, the series connection board 80 has at least two connection terminals 82, which serve as the total positive and total negative terminals of the battery module 60, and are the contacts for external power output. In addition, the general middle part of the series connection board 80 is slightly recessed, so that a power detection circuit (not shown in the figure) can be set there. In terms of the function of the power detection circuit, for example, it can detect the voltage of each spring terminal to monitor the voltage status of the battery module 60, or set a temperature sensor, etc. The series connection board 80 also has a plurality of fixing holes 83 to fix the series connection board 80 to, for example, a battery pack base plate, for application in various devices. Additionally, referring to Figure 10, multiple battery modules 60 can also be arranged side-by-side to expand their power capacity and application scope. A single serial board 80 can correspond to only one set of battery modules 60, or a single serial board 80 can correspond to multiple sets of battery modules 60.

[0041] Referring to Figure 11A, based on the same working principle of the series plate 80, the electrical output terminals of the battery cell 10 are located at opposite ends (i.e., the battery cell 10 is assembled vertically, unlike the aforementioned horizontal assembly). Similarly, the series plate 80 can be used, as shown in the figure. The battery module 60 includes a plurality of stacked battery cells 10. The structure and variations regarding the stacking of the battery cells 10, the blade terminals 20, etc., are as described above and will not be repeated here. In addition to being located on the series plate 80, the bending direction of the end of the spring terminal 40 and the L-shaped cut is also changed. In this embodiment, the spring terminal 40 has an elastic clamping part 41, an inner clamping piece 44, a long shaft, and a short shaft. Along the long axis of the spring terminal 40, the end of the spring terminal 40 and the L-shaped cut are bent upward and inward to form an elastic clamping part 41 and an inner clamping piece 44 respectively (see Figure 11B), so that the blade terminal 20 can be inserted into the spring terminal 40 in a vertical direction along the long axis of the spring terminal 40. In other words, as shown in the figure, the blade terminals 20 at both ends of the battery module 60 can slide in along the long axis of the spring terminal 40, or the spring terminal 40 slides in along the long axis of the blade terminal 20. In this embodiment, because it is a vertical sliding method, the force direction is lateral, along the long axis of the blade terminal 20 and the conductive handle 12. The difference in technology and effect from the previous embodiment is that in the previous embodiment, the elastic clamping part 41 is formed by bending inward along the short axis of the spring terminal 40. When assembling the blade terminal 20 and the spring terminal 40, the spring terminal 40 is inserted into the blade terminal 20 along its short axis. At this time, a single blade terminal 20 must be assembled with multiple elastic clamping parts 41 on the spring terminal 40 at the same time, so the actual assembly is more difficult, and the blade terminal 20 may be deformed. In other words, the method of the previous embodiment is that the blade terminal 20 or the conductive handle 12 is oriented in the forward direction. The frontal force is applied to the multiple elastic clamping parts 41 on the spring terminal 40 for simultaneous assembly, unlike the lateral force assembly method of this embodiment. Therefore, the blade terminal 20 or conductive handle 12 of this embodiment is less likely to deform when it slides into the spring terminal 40 for assembly. Thus, the aforementioned fixing bracket 30 can be omitted, reducing production costs. Similarly, referring to Figure 12, multiple battery modules 60 can be arranged side by side. In this case, the serial plate 80 can have spring terminals 40 corresponding to the multiple battery modules 60, and because the battery modules 60 slide in vertically, assembly is very convenient. When maintenance is required, the battery modules 60 can simply be slid out in the opposite direction.Based on the same variation, as in Figure 6, when the cutout groove 32 extends along the front or rear side of the battery module 60 to have an opening on one side, the spring contact terminal 40 can also adopt a sliding-in configuration as shown in Figure 11A. Furthermore, as in Figure 11A, where the blade terminals 20 are located on opposite sides, they can also be joined using a slot-type configuration as shown in Figure 9.

[0042] In summary, this invention proposes a cell connection structure and its battery module. By utilizing the cooperation of blade terminals, fixing brackets, and spring terminals, the spring terminals can firmly clamp the blade terminals to enhance the electrical connection stability of the battery cells, enabling rapid assembly and connection of the battery cells. When it is necessary to replace or recycle a single high-performance battery cell, the battery cell can be easily separated without damaging the cell structure. It can also replace a single damaged battery cell or reuse a high-performance battery cell without increasing additional processing costs. Therefore, it can significantly reduce assembly and maintenance costs and greatly improve the feasibility of recycling and reuse.

[0043] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, all equivalent variations or modifications made in accordance with the features and spirit described in the claims of this invention should be included within the scope of the patent application of this invention.

[0044]

[0045] 10: Battery Cell

[0046] 11: Electrode

[0047] 12: Conductive handle

[0048] 20: Blade Terminal

[0049] 201: Fixing part

[0050] 202: Connecting part

[0051] 2021: Surface

[0052] 203: Positioning hole

[0053] 204: Positioning groove

[0054] 205: Assembly tank

[0055] 206: Groove

[0056] 30: Fixed bracket

[0057] 301: Bevel bump

[0058] 30': Bracket Protective Plate

[0059] 31: First positioning post

[0060] 311: Card Slot

[0061] 32: Hollowed-out groove

[0062] 33: Second positioning post

[0063] 40: Spring contact terminal

[0064] 41: Elastic clamping part

[0065] 42: Terminal insulating housing

[0066] 421: Column

[0067] 43: Grooving

[0068] 44: Inner clamping plate

[0069] 50: Divider

[0070] 51: Foam

[0071] 52: Thermal conductive sheet

[0072] 521: Extension

[0073] 60: Battery Module

[0074] 70: Outer shell

[0075] 80: Serial board

[0076] 81: Alignment Hole

[0077] 82: Connecting terminal

[0078] 83: Fixing hole

Claims

1. A cell connection structure for connecting two battery cells, each battery cell having two electrical output terminals, the cell connection structure comprising: two blade terminals, each blade terminal having a fixing portion on one side and a connecting portion on the other side, the two blade terminals being fixed to the electrical output terminals of the two battery cells by the fixing portion and forming an electrical connection; two fixing brackets clamping the blade terminals, the connecting portions of the blade terminals being exposed between the two fixing brackets; and a spring terminal having an elastic clamping portion clamping the connecting portions, so that the connecting portions form an electrical connection.

2. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the fixing portion of the blade terminal is welded and fixed to the electrical output terminal of the battery cell.

3. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion of the blade terminal has at least one positioning groove for clamping and fixing the spring terminal.

4. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the fixing part of the blade terminal has at least one positioning hole, and the top surface of the fixing bracket has at least one corresponding first positioning post and the bottom surface of the fixing bracket has at least one corresponding slot, and the first positioning post passes through the positioning hole and engages with the slot to be fixed.

5. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion of the blade terminal has at least one curved surface for clamping and fixing by the spring terminal.

6. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the connection portion of the blade terminal has a plurality of slots to divide the connection portion into a plurality of segments.

7. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the blade terminal is 0.5-2 mm.

8. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein two adjacent fixing brackets form a slot on the side, so that the connecting portions of the clamped blade terminals are received and exposed in the slot.

9. The cell connection structure as described in claim 8, wherein the spring terminal is disposed in the hollow groove and clamps the connecting portions of the blade terminals.

10. The cell connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein two adjacent fixing brackets form a generally flat end face on the side, and only the connection portions of the blade terminals are exposed on the end face.

11. The cell connection structure as described in claim 10 further includes a serial connection plate, wherein the spring contact terminal is disposed on the serial connection plate for the exposed connection portions to be inserted into the spring contact terminal.

12. The cell connection structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the serial connection board has at least one pair of alignment holes, and the fixing brackets have corresponding second positioning posts, wherein the fixing brackets can be aligned on the serial connection board by means of the second positioning posts and the alignment holes.

13. The cell connection structure as described in claim 11, wherein the series connection board has: a plurality of spring-loaded terminals disposed on one side of the series connection board and corresponding to the connection portions; and at least one connection terminal disposed on one side of the series connection board for serving as the overall positive or overall negative terminal of the cell connection structure.

14. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1 further includes a terminal insulating housing, in which the spring terminal is housed.

15. The cell connection structure as described in claim 14, wherein the connection portion of the blade terminal has at least one set of slots, and the terminal insulating shell has at least one post, the post being matched with the set of slots.

16. The cell connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic clamping portion of the spring terminal has a plurality of slots to divide the elastic clamping portion into a plurality of segments.

17. The cell connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner side of the elastic clamping portion of the spring terminal further comprises an inner clamping piece.

18. The cell connection structure as described in claim 17, wherein the end of the inner clamping piece of the elastic clamping portion of the spring terminal is formed by a cut that is folded outward or inward.

19. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the elastic clamping portion of the spring terminal is formed by folding the end of the spring terminal outward or inward.

20. The cell connection structure as described in claim 1, wherein the connection portion of the blade terminal is bent at an angle.

21. A battery module that uses a cell connection structure as described in claim 1 to fix a plurality of stacked battery cells and to form a series or parallel electrical connection structure between the plurality of battery cells.

22. The battery module as claimed in claim 21 further includes a housing and at least one bracket guard plate, the housing covering the battery cells, the at least one bracket guard plate being located outside the fixed brackets and having a beveled protrusion fixed to the inside of the housing.

23. The battery module as claimed in claim 21 further includes a plurality of partitions for separating the battery cells, the partitions being foam or thermal conductive sheets, and the ends of the thermal conductive sheets having a plurality of extensions, the extensions being divided into a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments being bent sequentially toward the upper and lower sides relative to the thermal conductive sheet or toward one side relative to the thermal conductive sheet.

24. A cell connection structure for connecting two battery cells, each battery cell having two electrical output terminals, the cell connection structure comprising: two blade terminals, each blade terminal having a fixing portion on one side and a connecting portion on the other side, the two blade terminals being fixed to the electrical output terminals of the two battery cells by the fixing portion and forming an electrical connection; and a spring terminal having an elastic clamping portion, a long axis and a short axis, the elastic clamping portion being bent along the direction of the long axis, so that the spring terminal can slide in along the long axis direction of the blade terminals, so that the elastic clamping portion clamps the connecting portions and the connecting portions form an electrical connection; wherein the spring terminal is disposed on a serial connection plate.

25. The cell connection structure as described in claim 24, wherein the fixing portion of the blade terminal is welded and fixed to the electrical output terminal of the battery cell.

26. The cell connection structure as described in claim 24, wherein the elastic clamping portion of the spring terminal is formed by bending the end of the spring terminal upward and inward along its long axis, so that the spring terminal can slide in along the long axis of the blade terminals.

27. A battery module that uses the cell connection structure as described in claim 24 to fix a plurality of stacked battery cells and to form a series or parallel electrical connection structure between the plurality of battery cells.

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