Cover plate assembly, battery and vehicle

Abstract

A cover plate assembly (600), a battery (100) and a vehicle. The cover plate assembly (600) comprises a cover plate body (610), a positive terminal connecting piece (800) and an insulating member (700), wherein a positive terminal post (620) is provided on the cover plate body (610), the positive terminal post (620) and the cover plate body (610) being integrally formed, and the cover plate body (610) being configured to connect to a casing (110); the positive terminal connecting piece (800) is connected to the positive terminal post (620) and is configured to electrically connect to a positive tab (130) of the battery (100); and the insulating member (700) is located between the positive terminal connecting piece (800) and the cover plate body (610).

Description

Cover assembly, battery and vehicle

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 11, 2023, with application number 202323364676.2 and invention name “Cover assembly, battery and vehicle”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into the application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a cover assembly, a battery and a vehicle. Background Art

[0003] In traditional lithium batteries, the positive and negative electrodes are installed using terminal assemblies. The terminal assembly includes an adapter plate with a pole, a cover plate, an upper insulating member, an aluminum block, a lower insulating member, and a sealing ring. The pole on the adapter plate is passed through the cover plate and riveted to the aluminum block. The upper insulating member covers the aluminum block, and the lower insulating member covers the adapter plate. The sealing ring is mounted on the pole of the adapter plate and seals the gap between the pole and the cover plate. The cost of using two terminal assemblies for the positive and negative electrodes is relatively high. Technical issues

[0004] The main purpose of this application is to provide a cover plate assembly, which can reduce component composition, reduce costs, and also reduce weight by integrating a traditional positive terminal assembly with a cover plate body. Technical Solutions

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present application proposes a cover plate assembly, comprising:

[0006] A cover body, wherein the cover body is provided with a positive electrode column, the positive electrode column and the cover body are integrally formed, and the cover body is used to connect with the shell;

[0007] A positive electrode adapter, connected to the positive electrode column and used to be electrically connected to the positive electrode tab of the battery; and

[0008] An insulating member is located between the positive electrode adapter and the cover body.

[0009] In one embodiment, the insulating member is provided with a avoidance hole corresponding to the positive electrode column, the positive electrode adapter is provided with a corresponding mounting hole, and the positive electrode column passes through the avoidance hole and the mounting hole in sequence and is welded to the positive electrode adapter.

[0010] In one embodiment, the positive electrode column is solid.

[0011] In one embodiment, the positive electrode column and the cover plate body are integrally stamped.

[0012] In one embodiment, the cover body is provided with a tab connecting portion for connecting tabs, the tab connecting portion is located on the upper surface of the cover body, the positive electrode column is located on the lower surface of the cover body, and the positive electrode column is electrically connected to the tab connecting portion.

[0013] In one embodiment, in the vertical projection direction of the cover body, the tab connection portion corresponds to the positive electrode column.

[0014] In one embodiment, the tab connection portion and the cover body are integrally stamped.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cover body is further provided with a raised portion protruding from the upper surface, and the tab connection portion is located on the raised portion.

[0016] In one embodiment, the cover body is further provided with a liquid injection hole, and the liquid injection hole is close to the bar connecting portion.

[0017] In one embodiment, the insulating member covers the cover body, and the insulating member is sequentially formed with an isolated mounting portion and a liquid leakage portion along its length direction. The positive electrode adapter is provided at the mounting portion, and the liquid leakage portion corresponds to the liquid injection hole.

[0018] The present application also proposes a battery, comprising a shell, a battery cell located in the shell, and the cover assembly as described above, wherein the battery cell is provided with a positive electrode ear, the cover body is used to connect with the shell, and the positive electrode adapter is connected to the positive electrode ear.

[0019] The present application also provides a vehicle comprising the battery as described above. Beneficial effects

[0020] The technical solution of the present application is that the positive pole and the cover body are integrally formed, the positive pole adapter plate is provided in the mounting hole corresponding to the positive pole, the positive pole passes through the mounting hole and is connected and fixed to the positive pole adapter plate, and the positive pole adapter plate is used to connect with the positive ear of the battery. Compared with the traditional solution that uses an adapter plate with a positive pole to pass through the cover body and the upper insulating member, and then rivets with the aluminum block and seals it with a sealing ring, the present solution is integrally formed with the positive pole and the cover body, and no longer needs to use a sealing ring, an upper insulating member and an aluminum block for connection, which can reduce leakage. path, thereby improving the sealing; after the positive adapter plate is connected to the positive ear of the battery, the insulating part isolates the positive adapter plate from the negative adapter plate next to it to prevent the positive and negative poles from being short-circuited. The current is transmitted from the positive adapter plate through the positive column of the cover plate body. Since the cover plate is positively charged, it can ensure that the cover plate is at a high potential, reducing the risk of corrosion while reducing costs; and, on the basis of the original solution, this solution reduces the number of parts by reducing the upper insulating part, aluminum block and sealing ring, thereby reducing the battery manufacturing cost, reducing the cover plate production time, improving production capacity, and reducing weight to achieve lightweighting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a battery of the present application;

[0023] FIG2 is an exploded view of the cover plate assembly in FIG1 ;

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the cover plate assembly in FIG1 ;

[0025] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of FIG3 from another perspective;

[0026] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of FIG4 after removing the insulating member;

[0027] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the cover body in FIG2 ;

[0028] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of FIG6 from another perspective.

[0029] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0030] Label Name Label Name 100 Battery 630 Positioning bulge 110 Shell 640 Tab connection part 120 Battery cell 650 Raised part 130 Positive ear 660 Filling hole 140 Negative ear 670 Post hole 200 Negative electrode adapter plate 700 Insulator 210 Negative electrode post 710 Avoidance hole 300 Negative electrode upper plastic 720 Mounting part 310 Positioning groove 721 Mounting groove 400 Aluminum block 730 Leakage part 500 Sealing ring 731 Leakage groove 600 Cover assembly 732 Leakage hole 610 Cover body 740 Boss 611 Through hole 800 Positive electrode adapter plate 620 Positive electrode post 810 Mounting hole

[0031] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0032] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0034] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0035] In traditional lithium batteries, the positive and negative electrodes are installed using terminal assemblies. The terminal assembly includes an adapter plate with poles, a cover plate, an upper insulating member, an aluminum block, a lower insulating member, and a sealing ring. The poles on the adapter plate are passed through the cover plate and riveted to the aluminum block. The upper insulating member covers the aluminum block, and the lower insulating member covers the adapter plate. The sealing ring is mounted on the poles of the adapter plate and seals the gap between the poles and the cover plate. The cost of using two terminal assemblies for positive and negative electrodes is relatively high.

[0036] 1 to 7 , the present application proposes a battery 100, comprising a housing 110, a battery cell 120 located within the housing 110, a positive electrode tab 130 provided on the battery cell 120, and a cover assembly 600 connected to the housing 110 to form a sealed integral body (e.g., by laser welding). Specifically, the cover assembly 600 comprises a cover body 610, a positive electrode adapter plate 800, and an insulating member 700. Referring to FIG7 , a positive electrode column 620 is provided on the cover body 610, and the positive electrode column 620 and the cover body 610 are integrally formed. The integral forming can be achieved by welding the battery cell 120 into a single piece, or by forming the battery cell 120 into a single piece using the same material or different materials through a manufacturing process.

[0037] 1 to 7 , the cover body 610 is connected to the housing 110 ; the positive adapter plate 800 is connected to the positive electrode post 620 and is electrically connected to the positive tab 130 of the battery 100 to ensure current flows therebetween.

[0038] The insulating member 700 is located between the positive electrode adapter plate 800 and the cover plate body 610 .

[0039] The insulating member 700 is used to insulate the positive electrode adapter plate 800 from the external environment, that is, to isolate the positive electrode adapter plate 800 from the adjacent negative electrode adapter plate 200 to prevent the positive and negative electrodes from being short-circuited. In one embodiment, the insulating member 700 is connected to the positive electrode adapter plate 800, such as the insulating member 700 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the positive electrode adapter plate 800, or covers the positive electrode adapter plate 800. In another embodiment, the insulating member 700 is clamped and fixed by the positive electrode adapter plate 800 and the cover plate body 610.

[0040] On the negative electrode side, the negative terminal assembly is installed as follows: a through-hole 611 is provided in the cover body 610, and a negative post 210 is integrally formed on the negative electrode adapter plate 200. The negative post 210 of the negative electrode adapter plate 200 passes through the through-hole 611 at the bottom of the cover body 610. The protruding upper end of the negative post 210 passes through the negative electrode upper plastic 300 and is riveted to the aluminum block 400 within the negative electrode upper plastic 300. The aluminum block 400 is located within the negative electrode upper plastic 300 to ensure insulation. To prevent the ingress of moisture, a sealing ring 500 is provided between the negative electrode adapter plate 200 and the cover body 610 to ensure a good seal.

[0041] The negative tab 140 of the battery cell 120 is connected to the negative electrode adapter plate 200. To prevent rotation during riveting between the negative electrode post 210 and the negative electrode plastic 300, a positioning protrusion 630 is provided on the cover body 610. A corresponding inwardly recessed positioning groove 310 is provided on the negative electrode plastic 300. The positioning groove 310 and the positioning protrusion 630 interlock with each other to limit circumferential rotation of the negative electrode plastic 300.

[0042] The positive transfer plate 800 and the negative transfer plate 200 are separated by an insulating member 700 to avoid the problem of electrical short circuit. The insulating member 700 is currently made into two separate parts to insulate the positive transfer plate 800 and the negative transfer plate 200 respectively; there is also an integrated solution to insulate the positive transfer plate 800 and the negative transfer plate 200. The specific selection is based on actual design requirements without too many restrictions.

[0043] By integrating the conventional positive terminal assembly with the cover plate body 610 , the number of components can be reduced, the cost can be lowered, and the weight can be reduced.

[0044] In the traditional lithium battery 100, the positive and negative electrodes are installed using terminal assemblies. Due to the complexity of the internal components of the terminal assembly, there are certain sealing risks. In this solution, the positive column 620 and the cover body 610 are integrally formed, and the positive adapter plate 800 is provided with a mounting hole 810. The positive column 620 passes through the mounting hole 810 and is connected and fixed to the positive adapter plate 800. The positive adapter plate 800 is used to connect with the positive ear 130 of the battery 100. Compared with the traditional solution in which the adapter plate with the positive column passes through the cover body 610 and the upper insulating member, and is riveted to the aluminum block and sealed by the sealing ring 500 (refer to the terminal assembly part of the negative electrode in Figure 2), this solution forms the positive column 620 and the cover body 610 as one piece, and there is no need to use a sealing ring, an upper insulating member and an aluminum block. The scheme for connection can reduce leakage paths and thus improve sealing; after the positive adapter plate 800 is connected to the positive ear 130 of the battery 100, the insulating member 700 is used to insulate the positive adapter plate 800 from the external environment, that is, to isolate the positive adapter plate 800 from the adjacent negative adapter plate 200 to prevent the positive and negative poles from being short-circuited. The current is transmitted from the positive adapter plate 800 through the positive column 620 of the cover body 610, and because the cover body 610 is positively charged, this ensures that the cover body 610 is at a high potential, reducing the risk of corrosion while reducing costs; compared with the traditional scheme through the upper insulating member 700, the aluminum block 400 and the sealing ring 500, this scheme greatly reduces the manufacturing cost of the battery 100 by reducing components on the original basis, reduces the cover production time, improves production capacity, and also reduces weight to achieve lightweighting.

[0045] 2 to 7 , the connection method between the positive electrode column 620 and the positive electrode adapter plate 800 is described.

[0046] In one embodiment, the positive electrode column 620 and the cover body 610 are integrally formed, which can reduce cost and weight to a certain extent. The positive electrode column 620 and the positive electrode adapter plate 800 are riveted and fixed, which can also meet the usage requirements after the battery 100 is assembled.

[0047] In another embodiment, to improve the quality of the battery 100 and enhance the sealing effect, the insulating member 700 is provided with a relief hole 710 corresponding to the positive electrode post 620, and the positive electrode adapter plate 800 is provided with a corresponding mounting hole 810. The positive electrode post 620 is sequentially penetrated through the relief hole 710 and the mounting hole 810 and welded to the positive electrode adapter plate 800. The positive electrode adapter plate 800 is provided with a through hole 611 and is laser-welded to the raised positive electrode post 620 on the cover body 610. Compared with the riveted solution, this solution has better integrity, reduces leakage paths, and improves sealing.

[0048] Furthermore, the positive electrode column 620 is solid. For reference, the positive electrode column 620 and the negative electrode column 210 play a key role in the battery cell 120. The positive electrode column 620 (also known as the positive electrode material) is the part of the battery cell 120 responsible for storing and releasing positive charge. It is typically composed of a positive electrode active material (such as lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel manganese oxide, etc.) and a conductive agent. During charging, the positive electrode column 620 receives current, inserting lithium ions into the active material and storing energy. During discharge, the positive electrode column 620 releases the stored energy, deinserting lithium ions from the active material and transferring them to the negative electrode column 210 through the electrolyte. The solid setting of the positive electrode column 620 and the negative electrode column 210 can improve the power density and energy density of the battery 100; the solid columns can also improve the power density of the battery 100 because they have smaller internal resistance and faster ion transmission speed, and can respond to charge and discharge requests more quickly, thereby improving the output power of the battery 100; the solid columns also have better mechanical strength and stability, can effectively resist vibration and impact, reduce the mechanical wear and deformation of the battery 100 during use, thereby improving the life and safety performance of the battery 100.

[0049] Furthermore, the positive electrode column 620 and the cover plate body 610 are integrally stamped from aluminum. Since integrally formed parts lack weld seams, they avoid stress concentration caused by welding, thereby improving the strength and durability of the parts. The absence of weld seams on the surface of integrally formed parts enhances their aesthetics and avoids corrosion at the weld seams. Since integrally formed parts require no manual labor during production, their quality is more stable and less susceptible to production errors. Aluminum integral stamping refers to the process of directly stamping aluminum into a single integral product or component through a single stamping process.

[0050] It should be noted that the aluminum integral stamping and the solid positive electrode column 620 can be provided separately or together. In other words, the further solution of the cover plate assembly 600 includes three different solutions: one, the cover plate body 610 and the positive electrode column 620 are integrally stamped from aluminum. Two, the cover plate body 610 and the positive electrode column 620 are integrally stamped from aluminum, and the positive electrode column 620 is solid. In this solution, the thickness of the aluminum material is relatively large. Three, the positive electrode column 620 is solid, and the cover plate body 610 and the positive electrode column 620 are integrally formed using other solutions.

[0051] Regarding how the battery 100 using the cap assembly 600 is connected with other similar or different batteries 100 to form a battery 100 module.

[0052] 2 to 6 , the cover body 610 is further provided with a tab connection portion 640 for connecting tabs. The tab connection portion 640 is located on the upper surface of the cover body 610. The positive electrode column 620 is located on the lower surface of the cover body 610. The positive electrode column 620 is electrically connected to the tab connection portion 640. Specifically, the circular tab connection portion 640 is used for welding tabs in groups. For reference, the main function of the tab is to achieve electrical connection between the battery cells 120, thereby forming the required series and parallel relationships.

[0053] In other solutions where the tab connection portion 640 is not provided, the cover body 610 can be directly welded to the tab. The provision of the tab connection portion 640 can avoid the risk of welding through the cover body 610 during the welding process, and also facilitates the connection between the tab and the cover body 610.

[0054] Furthermore, in the vertical projection direction of the cover body 610 , the tab connection portion 640 corresponds to the positive electrode column 620 ; thus, the current path from the positive electrode ear 130 to the positive electrode column 620 through the tab connection portion 640 is shorter.

[0055] Furthermore, the tab connection portion 640 and the cover body 610 are integrally stamped from aluminum. It can be understood that compared to other solutions, the integral molding process is simpler, the cost is lower, the quality is more stable, and the strength is higher.

[0056] 2, 3, and 6, to further enhance the structural strength of the cover body 610 at the connection between the positive and negative electrodes and to prevent quality issues such as deformation during assembly, a raised portion 650 protruding from the upper surface is provided on the cover body 610, and the tab connection portion 640 is located on the raised portion 650. The raised portion 650, tab connection portion 640, and positive electrode column 620 are all integrally formed with the cover body 610. The provision of the tab connection portion 640 ensures the quality of the welding between the tab and the cover body 610, and the raised portion 650 also provides further protection.

[0057] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, further, the cover body 610 is also provided with a liquid injection hole 660, and the liquid injection hole 660 is close to the bar connecting part 640. The setting of the protrusion 650 can also prevent the liquid from flowing to the bar connecting part 640 and the negative electrode when operating through the liquid injection hole 660. It will be blocked by the protrusion 650. The protrusion is equivalent to an island. The bar connecting part 640 and the negative electrode are located on the island and are isolated from the water source below the island, thereby ensuring the safety of the battery cell 120.

[0058] Specifically, the insulating member 700 covers the cover body 610 , and the insulating member 700 is sequentially formed with an isolated mounting portion 720 and a liquid leakage portion 730 along its length direction. The positive electrode adapter plate 800 is provided on the mounting portion 720 , and the liquid leakage portion 730 corresponds to the liquid injection hole 660 .

[0059] 4 , the mounting portion 720 is a mounting groove 721 opening toward one side of the battery 100 , and the leakage portion 730 is a leakage groove 731 opening toward the cover body 610 . The bottom of the leakage groove 731 is further provided with a plurality of leakage holes 732 , and the bottom surface of the mounting groove 721 is flush with the opening of the leakage groove 731 .

[0060] 2 and 7 , a snap-fit ​​structure is further provided between the cover body 610 and the insulating member 700. The snap-fit ​​structure includes grooves and protrusions provided on the periphery of the cover body 610 and the insulating member 700 to ensure the cover body 610 and the insulating member 700 are covered. The snap-fit ​​structure also includes a protrusion 740 provided on the surface of the mounting groove 721 facing the cover body 610, i.e., provided on the bottom surface of the groove. Two protrusions 740 are provided at intervals. The cover body 610 has post holes 670 corresponding to the two protrusions 740. During installation, the protrusions 740 and the post holes 670 cooperate to provide both positioning and limiting functions. The cover body 610 and the housing 110 are made of aluminum, while the insulating member 700 is made of plastic.

[0061] The present application also proposes a vehicle, including a battery 100. The specific structure of the battery 100 refers to the above-mentioned embodiment. Since the present vehicle package adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be described one by one here.

[0062] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural transformations made based on the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A cover plate assembly for a battery, the battery comprising a housing, a battery cell located in the housing, the battery cell being provided with a positive electrode ear, wherein: The cover plate assembly comprises: A cover body, wherein the cover body is provided with a positive electrode column, the positive electrode column and the cover body are integrally formed, and the cover body is used to connect with the shell; A positive electrode adapter, the positive electrode adapter is connected to the positive electrode column and is used to be electrically connected to the positive electrode ear of the battery; and An insulating member is located between the positive electrode adapter and the cover plate body.

2. The cover plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The insulating member is provided with a avoidance hole corresponding to the positive pole, and the positive pole adapter is provided with a mounting hole correspondingly. The positive pole is penetrated by the avoidance hole and the mounting hole in sequence and is welded to the positive pole adapter.

3. The cover plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The positive electrode column is solid.

4. The cover plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The positive electrode column and the cover plate body are integrally stamped and formed.

5. The cover plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover body is provided with a tab connecting portion for connecting tabs, the tab connecting portion is located on the upper surface of the cover body, the positive electrode column is located on the lower surface of the cover body, and the positive electrode column is electrically connected to the tab connecting portion.

6. The cover plate assembly according to claim 5, wherein: In the vertical projection direction of the cover plate body, the bar connecting portion corresponds to the positive electrode column.

7. The cover plate assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The bar connecting portion and the cover plate body are integrally stamped and formed.

8. The cover plate assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The cover plate body is also provided with a raised portion protruding from the upper surface, and the bar connecting portion is located on the raised portion.

9. The cover plate assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The cover body is also provided with a liquid injection hole, and the liquid injection hole is close to the bar piece connecting portion.

10. The cover plate assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The insulating member covers the cover body, and the insulating member is sequentially formed with an isolated mounting portion and a liquid leakage portion along its length direction. The positive electrode adapter is arranged at the mounting portion, and the liquid leakage portion corresponds to the liquid injection hole.

11. The cover plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover plate body is also provided with a positioning protrusion.

12. The cover plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A clamping structure is further provided between the cover body and the insulating member, and the clamping structure comprises a groove provided on the cover body and a clamping protrusion provided on the periphery of the insulating member.

13. The cover plate assembly according to claim 12, wherein: The mounting portion is a mounting groove with an opening toward one side of the battery, and the clamping structure also includes a surface arranged on the side of the mounting groove facing the cover body, two bosses are arranged at intervals, and the cover body is provided with column holes corresponding to the two bosses.

14. A battery, wherein: The battery comprises a shell, a battery cell in the shell, and a cover assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the battery cell is provided with a positive electrode ear, the cover body is used to connect with the shell, and the positive electrode adapter is connected with the positive electrode ear.

15. A vehicle, wherein: The vehicle includes the battery of claim 14.

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