Battery case, battery and electrical device

Abstract

A battery case (100), a battery (1000) and an electrical device. The battery case (100) comprises a frame (10); a thermal management plate (20) welded to the frame (10), the thermal management plate and the frame (10) enclosing an accommodating space (101), wherein a heat exchange flow channel (201) for a heat exchange medium to flow is provided in the thermal management plate (20), and the heat exchange flow channel (201) comprises a water intake / output portion (2011); and a current collector (30) fixedly connected to the thermal management plate (20) and arranged on an outer side of the accommodating space (101), wherein a converging flow channel (321) in communication with the water intake / output portion (2011) is arranged in the current collector (30), and the current collector (30) is welded to the frame (10). A first welding mark (40) is formed between the thermal management plate (20) and the frame (10), a second welding mark (50) is formed between the current collector and the frame (10), and the first welding mark (40) is connected to the second welding mark (50). In the battery case (100), the thermal management plate (20) and the current collector (30) are separately welded to the frame (10), and thus the battery case (100) has a relatively good sealing reliability.

Description

Battery box, battery and electrical device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the Patent Office of China on February 1, 2024, with application number 202410145572.2, and invention name “Battery box, battery and electrical device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery box, a battery, and an electrical device. Background Art

[0003] Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. Electric vehicles, due to their energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages, have become an important component of the sustainable development of the automotive industry. For electric vehicles, battery technology is a key factor in their development.

[0004] The thermal management plate in the battery circulates the heat exchange medium to regulate the battery's temperature. The plate has a water inlet and outlet. Because these hollow sections cannot be directly welded to the battery box frame, bolts are typically required to connect the inlet and outlet. This leaves room for improvement in the battery box's sealing reliability.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a battery case, a battery, and an electrical device, which improve the sealing reliability of the battery case.

[0007] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present application proposes a battery case, comprising: a frame; a thermal management plate, welded to the frame and forming a storage space with the frame, a heat exchange channel for the flow of heat exchange medium provided in the thermal management plate, the heat exchange channel including a water inlet and outlet; a current collector, fixedly connected to the thermal management plate and arranged on the outside of the storage space, a converging channel connected to the water inlet and outlet provided in the current collector, and the current collector welded to the frame; wherein a first weld mark is formed between the thermal management plate and the frame, a second weld mark is formed between the current collector and the frame, and the first weld mark is connected to the second weld mark.

[0008] The battery case provided in the embodiments of the present application includes a frame, a thermal management plate, and a current collector. The current collector is fixedly connected to the thermal management plate and welded to the frame. Thus, the water inlet and outlet areas of the thermal management plate, where the water inlet and outlet portions are located, do not need to be directly welded to the frame. Instead, they are sealed to the frame via the current collector, while the remaining areas of the thermal management plate are directly welded to the frame. Due to the first weld mark between the thermal management plate and the frame and the second weld mark between the current collector and the frame, a sealed connection is achieved between the entire thermal management plate and the frame, improving the sealing reliability of the battery case. Furthermore, because the current collector is located outside the storage space, leakage of heat exchange medium from the current collector can be prevented from flowing into the storage space, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of the battery.

[0009] In some embodiments, the current collector includes two flange parts and a current collecting part arranged between the two flange parts, the converging flow channel is arranged in the current collecting part, and the two flange parts are both fitted with and welded to the frame.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the collecting part in the current collector can be connected to the thermal management plate, and the flange part can facilitate the welding of the current collector to the frame. The structure of the current collector can simultaneously meet the needs of entering and exiting the heat exchange medium and welding, and the design is ingenious and practical.

[0011] In some embodiments, a mounting groove is provided on the frame, the collecting portion is provided in the mounting groove, and the flange portion is provided in the mounting groove or on the outside of the frame away from the accommodating space.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the collecting part is arranged in the installation groove of the frame, and the collecting part can be arranged outside the accommodating space to avoid leakage of heat exchange medium affecting the battery cell; the flange part can be arranged in the installation groove or on the outside of the frame, and the flange part and the frame can be overlapped to achieve welding at the interface between the two.

[0013] In some embodiments, the frame includes a first frame beam extending along a first direction and a second frame beam extending along a second direction, the first direction intersects with the second direction, the first frame beam is connected to the second frame beam, the mounting groove is provided in the first frame beam, and the first frame beam includes a top surface and an outer side surface; part of the first weld mark is located between the thermal management plate and the top surface, and the second weld mark is located between the collector and the outer side surface.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the thermal management plate is welded to the top of the first frame beam and the second frame beam, and in the water inlet and outlet areas of the thermal management plate, the current collector is welded to the outer side surface of the first frame beam, so that the weld marks avoid the water inlet and outlet channels of the thermal management plate, thereby achieving a sealed connection between the thermal management plate and the frame.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second weld mark extends continuously along one flange portion, the collecting portion and the other flange portion, and the first weld mark and the second weld mark form a closed weld mark along the frame.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the current collecting part and the flange part are welded to the frame, the thermal management plate and the current collector are respectively welded to the frame to form a closed weld mark, and the battery box has good sealing performance.

[0017] In some embodiments, the thermal management plate includes a main body and a protrusion provided on one side of the main body, the main body is covered on the frame, the protrusion is attached to the first frame beam, and the current collector is provided on the protrusion; the water inlet and outlet are located in the protrusion, and the current collector is fixedly connected to the protrusion; along the first direction, the flange is flush with the edge of the protrusion or the flange extends beyond the edge of the protrusion.

[0018] By setting a protrusion on the heat management plate, the current collector can be installed using the protrusion; by setting the flange to be flush with the edge of the protrusion or the flange to extend beyond the edge of the protrusion, the connection between the first weld mark and the second weld mark is facilitated to form a closed weld mark.

[0019] In some embodiments, the mounting groove includes a first groove and two second grooves that are interconnected, and the first groove is arranged between the two second grooves; the collecting portion is arranged in the first groove, and the flange portion is arranged in the second groove.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the mounting groove can accommodate the current collector without affecting the connection between the current collector and the thermal management plate body and the connection between the current collector and the external heat exchange medium source.

[0021] In some embodiments, a side of the flange portion close to the accommodating space has a limiting surface, and the limiting surface is in contact with a groove wall of the second groove close to the accommodating space.

[0022] The embodiment of the present application utilizes the limiting surface of the flange portion to fit with the groove wall of the second groove, thereby achieving alignment between the current collector and the frame, and alignment between the heat management plate and the frame.

[0023] In some embodiments, the current collector is provided with weight-reducing holes. By adopting the above technical solution, the weight of the current collector can be reduced while welding the current collector to the frame, which is beneficial to reducing the weight of the entire battery box.

[0024] In some embodiments, the current collector has a fitting surface along the height direction of the battery case, and the fitting surface is fitted and welded to the thermal management plate.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present application, the current collector is bonded and welded to the thermal management plate through the bonding surface, which can improve the sealing between the current collector and the thermal management plate and prevent the heat exchange medium from leaking from between the bonding surface and the thermal management plate; the welding process is simple and easy to manufacture.

[0026] In some embodiments, two converging channels are spaced apart in the current collector, and a first inlet and a first outlet are also provided on the current collector; a second inlet and a second outlet are provided in the thermal management plate body, the first inlet, one converging channel and the second inlet are connected in sequence, and the second outlet, another converging channel and the second outlet are connected in sequence.

[0027] The current collector provided in the embodiment of the present application integrates two converging flow channels, which can simultaneously realize the inflow and outflow of the heat exchange medium. Compared with the method of separately setting the feed current collector and the discharge current collector, the number of parts is reduced and the welding difficulty is reduced.

[0028] In some embodiments, a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe are protruding from the collector, the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the first inlet through a confluence channel, and the liquid outlet pipe is connected to the first outlet through another confluence channel; the liquid inlet pipe is inserted into the second inlet, and the liquid outlet pipe is inserted into the second outlet.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, the protruding tube body is used to align the thermal management plate and the current collector, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the thermal management plate and the current collector and further reducing the risk of heat exchange medium leakage.

[0030] In some embodiments, an arrangement direction of the first inlet and the first outlet is parallel to a length direction, a width direction or a height direction of the frame.

[0031] The current collector provided in the embodiment of the present application can be flexibly designed with an inlet, an outlet and a converging flow channel according to the installation space to meet the requirements of different frameworks. The design is flexible and easy to implement.

[0032] In some embodiments, the converging flow channel includes a first flow channel portion and a second flow channel portion that are connected to each other. The first flow channel portion is parallel to the heat management plate, and the second flow channel portion intersects with the heat management plate.

[0033] The converging flow channel of the embodiment of the present application includes two flow channel parts that are connected and communicated by bending, which can achieve drainage in a smaller space and has an ingenious structure.

[0034] In some embodiments, the thermal management plate includes a first plate and a second plate that are stacked and welded together. The second plate is provided with a flow channel groove on a side facing the first plate. The flow channel groove and the first plate together form a heat exchange flow channel. The first plate is welded to the frame, and the current collector is fixedly connected to the side of the first plate facing away from the second plate.

[0035] The thermal management plate provided in the embodiment of the present application utilizes a first plate and a second plate to form a closed cavity and flow channel to facilitate the flow of heat exchange medium in the thermal management plate; the current collector is connected to the first plate, which facilitates fixing the current collector on the thermal management plate and welding the current collector to the frame.

[0036] In some embodiments, the thickness of the current collector is greater than that of the first plate. By setting the current collector thickness greater than that of the first plate, sufficient penetration can be achieved using the current collector to prevent welding from affecting the heat exchange flow channel in the thermal management plate.

[0037] An embodiment of the second aspect of the present application provides a battery, comprising a battery case and a battery cell as provided in the first aspect, which are accommodated in the battery case.

[0038] An embodiment of the third aspect of the present application provides an electrical device, comprising the battery provided in the second aspect.

[0039] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or conventional technical descriptions. 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 these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0041] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0042] FIG2 is an exploded schematic diagram of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0043] FIG3 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0044] FIG4 is a partial enlarged view of section A of the battery shown in FIG3 ;

[0045] FIG5 is a perspective schematic diagram of a battery box provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0046] FIG6 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of the battery box shown in FIG5 ;

[0047] FIG7 is a partial enlarged view of section B of the battery case shown in FIG6 ;

[0048] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management plate and a current collector in the battery case shown in FIG6 ;

[0049] FIG9 is a top view of the battery box shown in FIG5 ;

[0050] FIG10 is a partial enlarged view of section C of the battery case shown in FIG9 ;

[0051] FIG11 is a cross-sectional view of the battery case shown in FIG9 along line DD;

[0052] FIG12 is a partial enlarged view of section E of the battery case shown in FIG11;

[0053] FIG13 is a side view of the battery box shown in FIG5;

[0054] FIG14 is a partial enlarged view of section F of the battery case shown in FIG13;

[0055] FIG15 is a perspective schematic diagram of a current collector provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0056] FIG16 is a perspective schematic diagram of the current collector shown in FIG15 from another angle;

[0057] FIG17 is a top view of the current collector shown in FIG15 ;

[0058] FIG18 is a cross-sectional view of the current collector shown in FIG17 along line GG;

[0059] FIG19 is a perspective schematic diagram of current collectors provided in other embodiments of the present application;

[0060] FIG20 is a side view of the current collector shown in FIG19;

[0061] FIG21 is a top view of the current collector shown in FIG19;

[0062] FIG22 is a cross-sectional view of the current collector shown in FIG21 along line HH.

[0063] The meanings of the marks in the figure are:

[0064] 5000, vehicle; 1000, battery; 2000, controller; 3000, motor; 100, battery case; 110, first part; 120, second part; 10, frame; 101, accommodation space; 11, first side frame beam; 111, mounting slot; 1111, first slot; 1112, second slot; 112, top surface; 113, side surface; 12, second side frame beam; 20, thermal management plate; 201, heat exchange channel; 2011, water inlet and outlet; 20a, main body; 20b, protrusion; 2 1. First plate; 211. Second inlet; 212. Second outlet; 22. Second plate; 221. Flow channel groove; 30. Current collector; 31. Flange portion; 311. Limiting surface; 32. Current collecting portion; 321. Converging flow channel; 3211. First flow channel portion; 3212. Second flow channel portion; 322. Fitting surface; 3221. Liquid inlet pipe; 3222. Liquid outlet pipe; 323. First inlet; 324. First outlet; 325. Weight reduction hole; 40. First weld mark; 50. Second weld mark; 200. Battery cell. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0065] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0066] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0067] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0068] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0070] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0071] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connected," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; internal connections between two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application based on specific circumstances.

[0073] The thermal management plate in the battery circulates the heat exchange medium to regulate the battery's temperature. The plate has water inlet and outlet areas. Because these are hollow, the plate cannot be directly welded to the battery box frame. Bolts are typically required to connect the inlet and outlet areas of the plate to the frame, leaving room for improvement in the battery box's sealing reliability.

[0074] Research has found that the method of connecting the thermal management plate and the frame with bolts requires the addition of sealant and / or sealing gaskets to achieve sealing in the connection area. The consistency of the glue coating is difficult to control, and sealing failure is prone to occur. In addition, the bolt connection interface is mixed with sealant. Under long-term use conditions (mainly mechanical conditions and temperature conditions), the bolts are prone to torque attenuation, which will also cause the sealing between the thermal management plate and the frame to deteriorate.

[0075] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a battery case, a battery and an electrical device, the battery case includes a frame, a thermal management plate and a current collector, the thermal management plate is welded to the frame and forms a storage space with the frame, the thermal management plate is provided with a heat exchange channel for the flow of heat exchange medium; the current collector is fixedly connected to the thermal management plate and is provided on the outside of the storage space, the current collector is provided with a converging channel connected to the heat exchange channel, and the current collector is welded to the frame.

[0076] In the battery case provided by the embodiment of the present application, the current collector is fixedly connected to the thermal management plate and welded to the frame. Thus, the water inlet and outlet areas of the thermal management plate, where the water inlet and outlet portions are located, do not need to be directly welded to the frame. Instead, they are sealed to the frame via the current collector, while the remaining areas of the thermal management plate are directly welded to the frame. Due to the first weld mark between the thermal management plate and the frame and the second weld mark between the current collector and the frame, a sealed connection between the entire thermal management plate and the frame is achieved, thereby improving the sealing reliability of the battery case. The above-mentioned battery case realizes the connection between the thermal management plate and the frame by welding, eliminating the need for bolts, sealants, gaskets, and other parts, thereby reducing the number of parts and manufacturing costs. In addition, the battery case also solves the problem of torque attenuation of the bolts under long-term use conditions, further improving the sealing reliability of the battery case. In addition, since the current collector is located outside the storage space, it can prevent the leaked heat exchange medium from flowing into the storage space due to leakage of the heat exchange medium in the current collector, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of the battery.

[0077] The present invention provides an electric device that uses a battery as a power source. The electric device may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop computer, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery-powered vehicle, an electric car, a ship, a spacecraft, etc. The electric toy may include a fixed or mobile electric toy, such as a game console, an electric car toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric airplane toy, etc. The spacecraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spacecraft, etc.

[0078] For the convenience of description, the following embodiments are described by taking a vehicle 5000 as an example of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 5000 provided in some embodiments of the present application. The vehicle 5000 can be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle, etc. A battery 1000 is provided inside the vehicle 5000, and the battery 1000 can be provided at the bottom, head or tail of the vehicle 5000. The battery 1000 can be used to power the vehicle 5000. For example, the battery 1000 can serve as an operating power source for the vehicle 5000. The vehicle 5000 can also include a controller 2000 and a motor 3000. The controller 2000 is used to control the battery 1000 to power the motor 3000, for example, for starting, navigating and driving the vehicle 5000.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery 1000 can not only serve as the operating power source of the vehicle 5000, but also serve as the driving power source of the vehicle 5000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 5000.

[0081] Please refer to Figure 2, which is an exploded view of a battery 1000 provided in some embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, the battery 1000 includes a battery case 100 and a battery cell 200, wherein the battery cell 200 is accommodated in the battery case 100.

[0082] The battery case 100 is used to provide a storage space for the battery cells 200. The battery case 100 can adopt various structures. In some embodiments, the battery case 100 can include a first portion 110 and a second portion 120. The first portion 110 and the second portion 120 overlap each other, and the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 together define a storage space for the battery cells 200. The second portion 120 can be a hollow structure with one end open. The first portion 110 can be a plate-like structure, and the first portion 110 overlaps the open side of the second portion 120, so that the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 together define the storage space. The first portion 110 and the second portion 120 can also be hollow structures with one end open, with the open side of the first portion 110 overlapping the open side of the second portion 120. Of course, the battery case 100 formed by the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 can have various shapes, such as a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc.

[0083] In the battery 1000, there may be multiple battery cells 200, and the multiple battery cells 200 may be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection. A hybrid connection refers to a combination of series and parallel connections among the multiple battery cells 200. The multiple battery cells 200 may be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection, and then the entire structure formed by the multiple battery cells 200 is housed in the battery case 100. Of course, the battery 1000 may also be a battery module formed by first connecting multiple battery cells 200 in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection, and then the multiple battery modules are further connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form an entire structure, which is then housed in the battery case 100. The battery 1000 may also include other structures, for example, the battery 1000 may also include a busbar component for achieving electrical connection between the multiple battery cells 200.

[0084] Each battery cell 200 may be a secondary battery or a primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-ion battery, or a magnesium-ion battery, but is not limited thereto. The battery cell 200 may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or in other shapes.

[0085] A battery cell 200 includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode sheet and a negative electrode sheet. The battery cell primarily operates by the movement of metal ions between the positive and negative electrode sheets. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive current collector and a positive active material layer. The positive active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode collector. The portion of the positive electrode collector not coated with the positive active material layer protrudes from the portion coated with the positive active material layer. The portion of the positive electrode collector not coated with the positive active material layer serves as the positive electrode tab. For lithium-ion batteries, for example, the positive electrode current collector can be made of aluminum, and the positive electrode active material can be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative current collector and a negative active material layer. The negative active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode collector. The portion of the negative electrode collector not coated with the negative active material layer protrudes from the portion coated with the negative active material layer. The portion of the negative electrode collector not coated with the negative active material layer serves as the negative electrode tab. The negative electrode current collector can be made of copper, and the negative electrode active material can be carbon or silicon, etc. In order to ensure that a large current can pass without melting, the positive electrode tabs are multiple and stacked together, and the negative electrode tabs are multiple and stacked together.

[0086] The electrode assembly may further include a separator, and the separator may be made of PP (polypropylene) or PE (polyethylene).

[0087] The following is a detailed description of the battery 1000 shown in FIG. 3 . The battery 1000 includes a battery case 100 and a battery cell 200 .

[0088] Referring to Figures 3 to 14 , the battery case 100 includes a frame 10, a thermal management plate 20, and a current collector 30. The thermal management plate 20 is welded to the frame 10 and forms a housing 101 with the frame 10. A heat exchange channel 201 for the flow of heat exchange medium is provided within the thermal management plate 20. The heat exchange channel 201 includes a water inlet and outlet 2011. The current collector 30 is fixedly connected to the thermal management plate 20 and disposed outside the housing 101. A converging channel 321 communicating with the water inlet and outlet 2011 is provided within the current collector 30. The current collector 30 is welded to the frame 10. A first weld mark 40 is formed between the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10, and a second weld mark 50 is formed between the current collector 30 and the frame 10. The first weld mark 40 is connected to the second weld mark 50.

[0089] The frame 10 and the thermal management plate 20 can be connected to form a first portion 110 or a second portion 120. The frame 10 defines a housing for accommodating the battery cells 200. The housing has two opposing openings. The thermal management plate 20 covers one of the openings of the frame 10, thereby enclosing the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 to form a housing space 101. The battery cells 200 are disposed within the housing space 101. The frame 10 and the thermal management plate 20 can have various shapes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylinder. By way of example, both the frame 10 and the thermal management plate 20 are rectangular parallelepiped structures.

[0090] The cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the frame 10 can be a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, a pentagon, etc. The material of the frame 10 can be low carbon steel, low alloy steel or stainless steel to obtain good welding performance; of course, the material of the frame 10 can also be aluminum to reduce the weight of the battery box 100.

[0091] The thermal management plate 20 is used to regulate the temperature of the battery cells 200. In some embodiments, the thermal management plate 20 is welded to the frame 10. The welding method between the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 can be friction stir welding, arc welding, laser welding, or other methods, which are not limited here. This welding method can tightly connect the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10, thereby strengthening the overall structure of the box. Furthermore, because the welding method connects the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 as a whole, the sealing performance between the two is significantly improved.

[0092] The heat exchange channel 201 is provided in the heat management plate 20 and includes a water inlet and outlet 2011 for allowing heat exchange medium to flow in or out.

[0093] For example, during the charge and discharge process of the battery cells 200, the battery cells 200 may generate a large amount of heat. To reduce the risk of thermal runaway of the battery cells 200, a low-temperature medium can be placed in the thermal management plate 20, and the thermal management plate 20 can be used to exchange heat with the battery cells 200 to promptly remove the heat accumulated in the battery cells 200 and reduce the temperature of the battery cells 200. When the ambient temperature of the battery case 100 is low, to ensure the normal operation of the battery cells 200, a high-temperature medium can be placed in the thermal management plate 20, and the thermal management plate 20 can be used to exchange heat with the battery cells 200 to appropriately raise the temperature of the battery cells 200 and ensure their normal operation.

[0094] The current collector 30 is fixed to the side of the thermal management plate 20 facing the frame 10. The current collector 30 can be fixed to the thermal management plate 20 by welding or other means, or it can be integrally formed with the thermal management plate 20. The current collector 30 is provided with a converging flow channel 321 that communicates with the water inlet and outlet 2011. The current collector 30 is used to introduce heat exchange medium into the thermal management plate 20 through the converging flow channel 321 and / or to remove heat exchange medium from the thermal management plate 20 through the converging flow channel 321. It will be understood that the water inlet and outlet 2011 is located at the edge of the thermal management plate 20, and the current collector 30 is connected to the water inlet and outlet area where the water inlet and outlet 2011 is located.

[0095] The current collector 30 is disposed outside the accommodation space 101 , which can prevent the heat exchange medium from leaking from the current collector 30 and flowing into the accommodation space 101 , thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of the battery.

[0096] The current collector 30 is welded to the frame 10, so the position of the thermal management plate 20 corresponding to the current collector 30 does not need to be welded to the frame 10, that is, the water inlet and outlet areas of the thermal management plate 20 do not need to be directly welded to the frame 10, nor do they need to be connected with fasteners such as bolts. The water inlet and outlet areas can be sealed with the frame 10 by welding the current collector 30 to the frame 10.

[0097] 9 , 10 , 13 and 14 , a first weld mark 40 is formed between the heat management plate 20 and the frame 10 , a second weld mark 50 is formed between the current collector 30 and the frame 10 , and the first weld mark 40 is connected to the second weld mark 50 .

[0098] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, a first weld mark 40 is formed at the interface between the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10. Welding points A1 and A8 in Figure 10 are located within the first weld mark 40. Welding points A1 and A8 are located at the intersection of the frame 10 and the thermal management plate 20. For example, welding points A1 and A8 are located at opposite ends of the current collector 30 and are positioned adjacent to the current collector 30. It will be appreciated that the first weld mark 40 is positioned along the edge of the thermal management plate 20, so that all edges of the thermal management plate 20, excluding the current collector 30, can be welded to the frame 10.

[0099] As shown in Figures 9, 10, 13, and 14, a second weld mark 50 is formed at the interface between the current collector 30 and the frame 10. The welding points A3, A4, A5, and A6 in Figure 14 are located in the second weld mark 50, and the welding points A2 and A7 are located in both the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50. That is, the welding points A2 and A7 are the connection points between the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50.

[0100] Illustratively, welding points A2 and A7 are located at the intersection of the thermal management plate 20, the current collector 30, and the frame 10, and welding points A2 and A7 are located at opposite ends of the current collector 30. Illustratively, welding points A3, A4, A5, and A6 are located at the intersection of the frame 10 and the current collector 30. Illustratively, welding point A3 is located at the edge of the current collector 30 close to the thermal management plate 20, welding points A4 and A5 are located at the edge of the current collector 30 away from the thermal management plate 20, and welding point A6 is located at the edge of the current collector 30 close to the thermal management plate 20. The second weld marks 50 are arranged continuously or intermittently along A2 to A7.

[0101] During welding, the thermal management plate 20 is welded to the frame 10 and forms a first weld mark 40, and the current collector 30 is welded to the frame 10 and forms a second weld mark 50. At welding points A2 to A7, the weld mark is transferred from the thermal management plate 20 to the current collector 30, avoiding the water inlet and outlet 2011 at the end of the thermal management plate 20, thereby achieving a sealed connection between the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10.

[0102] The battery case 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a frame 10, a thermal management plate 20, and a current collector 30. The thermal management plate 20 is welded to the frame 10 and forms a storage space 101 with the frame 10. The current collector 30 is fixed to the thermal management plate 20 and welded to the frame 10. Therefore, the position of the thermal management plate 20 corresponding to the current collector 30 does not need to be directly welded to the frame 10 or fixed with fasteners. By welding the current collector 30 to the frame 10, the water inlet and outlet areas of the thermal management plate 20 can be sealed to the frame 10. As a result, the thermal management plate 20 can be sealed to the frame 10, and the battery case 100 has good sealing reliability. In addition, because the current collector 30 is located outside the storage space 101, it can prevent the leaked heat exchange medium from leaking from the current collector 30 and flowing into the storage space 101, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of the battery.

[0103] In the battery case 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the current collector 30 is fixedly connected to the thermal management plate 20 and welded to the frame 10, so that the water inlet and outlet areas where the water inlet and outlet parts 2011 of the thermal management plate 20 are located do not need to be directly welded to the frame 10, but are sealed to the frame 10 through the current collector 30, and the remaining areas of the thermal management plate 20 are directly welded to the frame 10; due to the first weld mark 40 between the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 and the second weld mark 50 between the current collector 30 and the frame 10, a sealed connection between the entire thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 is achieved, thereby improving the sealing reliability of the battery case 100; the above-mentioned battery case 100 realizes the connection between the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 by welding, without the need for parts such as bolts, sealants, and sealing gaskets, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing manufacturing costs. In addition, the battery case 100 also solves the problem of torque attenuation of bolts under long-term use conditions, thereby further improving the sealing reliability of the battery case 100.

[0104] In some embodiments, the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 form a closed weld mark along the frame 10 .

[0105] Specifically, the first weld mark 40 extends along the edge of the thermal management plate 20, and the second weld mark 50 extends along the edge of the current collector 30. Together, the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 form a closed, annular weld mark. This weld mark extends along the frame 10, and its shape is compatible with the outer contour of the frame 10. In this way, the entire periphery of the thermal management plate 20 and the current collector 30 is sealed to the frame 10, and the battery case 100 has a good sealing performance.

[0106] In other embodiments, the second weld mark 50 may also extend along a portion of the edge of the current collector 30. For example, both sides of the current collector 30 are welded to the frame 10 to form the second weld mark 50, and the middle of the current collector 30 is sealed to the frame 10 through a sealing gasket or sealant.

[0107] 6 , 7 , and 12 , in some embodiments, the current collector 30 includes two flange portions 31 and a current collecting portion 32 disposed between the two flange portions 31 , a converging flow channel 321 is disposed in the current collecting portion 32 , and the two flange portions 31 are both bonded to and welded to the frame 10 .

[0108] The flange 31 is used for welding to the frame 10, and a flow channel is not required within the flange 31. Specifically, the flange 31 is aligned with the frame 10, forming an overlap with the frame 10 to facilitate welding. The flange 31 can have a variety of shapes, such as strips or arcs, as long as it can be welded to the frame 10.

[0109] A converging flow channel 321 is provided in the collecting portion 32, that is, the collecting portion 32 is used to connect with the heat management plate 20 and to connect the converging flow channel 321 with the heat exchange flow channel 201. The converging flow channel 321 is used to introduce the heat exchange medium into the heat exchange flow channel 201 or to extract the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow channel 201. The collecting portion 32 can also be welded to the frame 10 to improve the sealing performance. In other embodiments, the collecting portion 32 can also be fitted to the frame 10 but not welded. The shape of the collecting portion 32 can be various, such as rectangular, cylindrical, etc. The collecting portion 32 can be integrally formed with the flange portion 31 to improve the sealing performance of the collector 30. The collecting portion 32 can also be fixedly connected to the flange portion 31 by welding or other methods.

[0110] By adopting the above technical solution, the collecting portion 32 in the current collector 30 can be connected to the thermal management plate 20, and the flange portion 31 can facilitate welding the current collector 30 to the frame 10. The structure of the current collector 30 can simultaneously meet the needs of entering and exiting the heat exchange medium and welding, and the design is ingenious and practical.

[0111] 6 and 7 , in some embodiments, a mounting groove 111 is provided on the frame 10 , the collecting portion 32 is provided in the mounting groove 111 , and the flange portion 31 is provided in the mounting groove 111 or on the outside of the frame 10 away from the accommodating space 101 .

[0112] Specifically, the current collecting portion 32 can be completely accommodated within the mounting groove 111, or it can be partially accommodated within the mounting groove 111, that is, the current collecting portion 32 protrudes from the side of the mounting groove 111 facing away from the accommodating space 101. Because the thermal management plate 20 covers the frame 10, the current collecting portion 32 is connected to the thermal management plate 20. Therefore, providing the mounting groove 111 on the frame 10 and locating the current collecting portion 32 within the mounting groove 111 not only allows the current collecting portion 32 to be located outside the accommodating space 101, preventing leakage of heat exchange medium from affecting the battery cells 200, but also eliminates the need for the thermal management plate 20 and the current collecting portion 32 to extend a long distance toward the outside of the frame 10, thereby avoiding increasing the size of the battery case 100.

[0113] The flange portion 31 can be arranged in the mounting groove 111. In this case, the flange portion 31 and the frame 10 are welded together by welding the flange portion 31 to the side wall of the mounting groove 111. The flange portion 31 can also be arranged on the outside of the frame 10, and the flange portion 31 fits the outer surface of the frame 10. In this case, the flange portion 31 and the frame 10 are welded together by welding the flange portion 31 to the outer surface of the frame 10. In addition, the flange portion 31 can also play a limiting role on the thermal management plate 20, which is beneficial to the alignment of the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10.

[0114] By adopting the above technical solution, the collecting part 32 is arranged in the installation groove 111 of the frame 10, and the collecting part 32 can be arranged outside the accommodating space 101 to prevent the leakage of heat exchange medium from affecting the battery cell 200; the flange part 31 can be arranged in the installation groove 111 or on the outside of the frame 10, and the flange part 31 and the frame 10 can be overlapped to achieve welding at the interface between the two.

[0115] 6 to 14 , the frame 10 includes a first frame beam 11 extending along a first direction X and a second frame beam 12 extending along a second direction Y. The first direction X intersects the second direction Y. The first frame beam 11 and the second frame beam 12 are connected. A mounting groove 111 is provided in the first frame beam 11. The first frame beam 11 includes a top surface 112 and an outer side surface 113. A portion of the first weld mark 40 is located between the thermal management plate 20 and the top surface 112. The second weld mark 50 is located between the current collector 30 and the outer side surface 113.

[0116] The first frame beam 11 extends along the first direction X, and the two flange portions 31 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the manifold 32 along the first direction X to facilitate connection with the first frame beam 11 .

[0117] Multiple first and second frame beams 11, 12 may be provided, for example, two each. Together, the first and second frame beams 11, 12 form the frame 10 structure. The first frame beam 11 may be, but is not limited to, a beam extending in the width direction of the frame 10. The top surface 112 of the first frame beam 11 refers to the surface of the first frame beam 11 facing the thermal management plate 20; the outer surface 113 of the first frame beam 11 refers to the surface of the first frame beam 11 facing away from the accommodation space 101.

[0118] The mounting groove 111 is provided in the first frame beam 11, so that the current collector 30 is provided on the first frame beam 11. The heat management plate 20 is welded to the tops of the first frame beam 11 and the second frame beam 12, forming a first weld mark 40. Therefore, part of the first weld mark 40 is located between the top surface 112 of the first frame beam 11 and the heat management plate 20. The first weld mark 40 includes weld points A1 and A8. The current collector 30 is welded to the outer surface 113 of the first frame beam 11, forming a second weld mark 50. The second weld mark 50 includes weld points A2 to A7.

[0119] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat management plate 20 is welded to the top of the first frame beam 11 and the second frame beam 12, and the current collector 30 is welded to the outer side surface 113 of the first frame beam 11 in the water inlet and outlet areas of the heat management plate 20, so that the weld marks avoid the water inlet and outlet channels of the heat management plate 20, thereby achieving a sealed connection between the heat management plate 20 and the frame 10.

[0120] In some embodiments, the second weld mark 50 extends continuously along one flange portion 31 , the collecting portion 32 and the other flange portion 31 , and the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 form a closed weld mark along the frame 10 .

[0121] As shown in Figures 10 to 14, the first weld mark 40 includes welding points A1 and A8; the two flange portions 31 and the collecting portion 32 are welded to the first frame beam 11, and the second weld mark 50 extends along the welding points A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, and A7. The second weld mark 50 and the first weld mark 40 have intersection points A2 and A7, that is, the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 are connected and form a closed weld mark on the frame 10.

[0122] By adopting the above technical solution, the collecting portion 32 and the flange portion 31 are both welded to the frame 10, and the thermal management plate 20 and the current collector 30 are respectively welded to the frame 10 to form a closed weld mark. This enables the thermal management component formed by the thermal management plate 20 and the current collector 30 to be fixed and sealed to the frame 10, and the battery case 100 has good sealing performance.

[0123] Referring to Figures 3 to 5 and 8, in some embodiments, the heat management plate 20 includes a main body 20a and a protrusion 20b provided on one side of the main body 20a. The main body 20a is covered on the frame 10, and the protrusion 20b is attached to the first side frame beam 11; the water inlet and outlet 2011 is located within the protrusion 20b, and the current collector 30 is fixedly connected to the protrusion 20b; along the first direction X, the flange 31 is flush with the edge of the protrusion 20b or the flange 31 exceeds the edge of the protrusion 20b.

[0124] The main body 20a is mounted on the frame 10 to form a receiving space 101 together with the frame 10. The protrusion 20b protrudes from one side of the main body 20a and covers the mounting groove 111. The water inlet and outlet 2011 is located within the protrusion 20b. Therefore, the protrusion 20b also serves as the water inlet and outlet area of ​​the heat management plate 20. As shown in Figures 5 and 10, the flange 31 is flush with the edge of the protrusion 20b, and the intersection point A2 of the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 is located on both the protrusion 20b and the flange 31. In another embodiment, the flange 31 extends beyond the edge of the protrusion 20b, and the intersection point A2 of the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 can be located on both the main body 20a and the flange 31.

[0125] By providing the protrusion 20b on the heat management plate 20, the current collector 30 can be installed using the protrusion 20b, without having to provide the heat management plate 20 as a whole with a longer length, thereby saving material for the heat management plate 20; by providing the flange 31 flush with the edge of the protrusion 20b or extending beyond the edge of the protrusion 20b, the connection between the first weld mark 40 and the second weld mark 50 is facilitated to form a closed weld mark.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 7 , the mounting groove 111 includes a first groove 1111 and two second grooves 1112 that are interconnected. The first groove 1111 is disposed between the two second grooves 1112 . The manifold 32 is disposed in the first groove 1111 , and the flange 31 is disposed in the second groove 1112 .

[0127] Optionally, the first groove 1111 is provided with a notch facing the top surface 112 of the first frame beam 11 and a notch facing the outer side surface 113 of the first frame beam 11 ; the second groove 1112 is provided with a notch facing the top surface 112 of the first frame beam 11 .

[0128] The first groove 1111 is used to accommodate the collector 32, and the second groove 1112 is used to accommodate the flange 31, so that the collector 30 can be installed in the installation groove 111 of the frame 10, reducing the volume of the battery box 100. Among them, the first groove 1111 is provided with a notch facing the top surface 112 of the first frame beam 11 and a notch facing the outer side surface 113 of the first frame beam 11. The top of the collector 32 is connected to the heat management plate 20 and the side of the collector 32 can be connected to an external heat exchange medium source. The notch of the second groove 1112 is facing the top surface 112 of the first frame beam 11, which can connect the flange 31 to the heat management plate 20. Optionally, the second groove 1112 can also be provided with a notch facing the outer side surface 113 of the first frame beam 11.

[0129] Optionally, since the flange portion 31 does not need to be provided with a flow channel, the thickness of the flange portion 31 may be smaller than the thickness of the current collector 30 . Accordingly, the width of the second groove 1112 along the second direction Y is smaller than the width of the first groove 1111 along the second direction Y.

[0130] By adopting the above technical solution, the installation groove 111 can accommodate the current collector 30 without affecting the connection between the current collector 30 and the heat management plate 20 and the connection between the current collector 30 and the external heat exchange medium source.

[0131] 6 , 15 , and 16 , in some embodiments, the flange portion 31 has a limiting surface 311 on a side close to the accommodating space 101 , and the limiting surface 311 fits against a wall of the second groove 1112 close to the accommodating space 101 .

[0132] Specifically, along the second direction Y, the thickness of the flange portion 31 is smaller than the width of the second groove 1112 , so as to facilitate the placement of the flange portion 31 in the second groove 1112 .

[0133] During assembly, the current collector 30 is first fixedly connected to the thermal management plate 20 to form a thermal management component. The thermal management plate 20 is then placed on the frame 10, and the current collector 30 is accommodated in the mounting groove 111. The limiting surface 311 of the flange 31 is affixed to the groove wall of the second groove 1112, which can achieve the positioning of the current collector 30 and the frame 10. At the same time, since the current collector 30 is fixedly connected to the thermal management plate 20, the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 are also positioned, resulting in a high degree of alignment accuracy for the thermal management component, which is beneficial for welding the thermal management component to the frame 10.

[0134] It can be understood that in order to utilize the limiting surface 311 to achieve the positioning function, the limiting surface 311 can be a plane; or, the limiting surface 311 and the groove wall of the second groove 1112 are respectively provided with limiting protrusions and limiting grooves, which can also achieve mutual alignment.

[0135] In the embodiment of the present application, the limiting surface 311 of the flange portion 31 is fitted with the groove wall of the second groove 1112 , so as to achieve alignment between the current collector 30 and the frame 10 , and between the heat management plate 20 and the frame 10 .

[0136] In other embodiments, the limiting surface 311 may also be set as the surface of the flange portion 31 facing away from the accommodating space 101 . In this case, the limiting surface 311 is in contact with the groove wall of the second groove 1112 facing away from the accommodating space 101 to achieve positioning of the current collector 30 .

[0137] 15 , in some embodiments, a weight-reducing hole is provided in the current collector 30. Optionally, a weight-reducing hole 3255 is provided in the current collecting portion 32.

[0138] The shape of the weight-reducing holes 3255 can be square, circular, or the like, and the number of weight-reducing holes 3255 can be one or more. The current collector 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application has a special-shaped structure. By providing the weight-reducing holes 3255 in the current collector 30, the weight of the current collector 30 can be reduced while being welded to the frame 10, thereby reducing the weight of the entire battery case 100.

[0139] In some embodiments, the current collector 30 has a fitting surface 322 along the height direction of the battery case 100 , and the fitting surface 322 is fitted and welded to the thermal management plate 20 . Optionally, the fitting surface 322 is provided on the current collecting portion 32 .

[0140] The height direction of the battery case 100, that is, the arrangement direction of the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10, is the third direction Z in this embodiment of the application. The bonding surface 322 and the surface of the thermal management plate 20 facing the frame 10 are both flat to facilitate welding.

[0141] In the embodiment of the present application, the current collector 30 is bonded and welded to the thermal management plate 20 via the bonding surface 322 , which can improve the sealing between the current collector 30 and the thermal management plate 20 and prevent the heat exchange medium from leaking from between the bonding surface 322 and the thermal management plate 20 ; the welding process is simple and convenient to manufacture.

[0142] 7 , 11 , 12 , and 15 to 18 , two converging channels 321 are spaced apart in the current collector 30 , and a first inlet 323 and a first outlet 324 are also provided on the collecting portion 32 of the current collector 30 ; a second inlet 211 and a second outlet 212 are provided in the thermal management plate 20 , and the first inlet 323 , one converging channel 321 , and the second inlet 211 are sequentially connected, and the second outlet 212 , another converging channel 321 , and the second outlet 212 are sequentially connected.

[0143] The two converging flow channels 321 serve as the feed and discharge flow channels, respectively. The first inlet 323, one converging flow channel 321 (feed flow channel), and the second inlet 211 are sequentially connected to allow heat exchange medium provided by an external heat exchange medium source to flow into the heat management plate 20. The second outlet 212, another converging flow channel 321 (discharge flow channel), and the second outlet 212 are sequentially connected to allow the heat exchange medium source within the heat management plate 20 to flow out. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the feed collector 30 and the discharge collector 30 may also be provided separately.

[0144] The current collector 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application integrates two converging channels 321, which can simultaneously realize the inflow and outflow of the heat exchange medium. Compared with the method of separately setting the feed current collector 30 and the discharge current collector 30, the number of parts is reduced and the welding difficulty is reduced.

[0145] In some embodiments, a liquid inlet pipe 3221 and a liquid outlet pipe 3222 are protruding from the collector 30. The liquid inlet pipe 3221 is connected to the first inlet 323 through a confluence channel 321, and the liquid outlet pipe 3222 is connected to the first outlet 324 through another confluence channel 321; the liquid inlet pipe 3221 is inserted into the second inlet 211, and the liquid outlet pipe 3222 is inserted into the second outlet 212.

[0146] Optionally, a liquid inlet pipe 3221 and a liquid outlet pipe 3222 are protruded on the fitting surface 322. Since the fitting surface 322 is fitted to the thermal management plate body 20, the liquid inlet pipe 3221 and the liquid outlet pipe 3222 are protruded on the fitting surface 322, which can not only realize the communication between the flow channels, but also use the protruding pipe body to align the thermal management plate body 20 and the fluid collector 30, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the thermal management plate body 20 and the fluid collector 30 and further reducing the risk of leakage of the heat exchange medium.

[0147] 6 to 12 and 18 , the converging channel 321 includes a first channel portion 3211 and a second channel portion 3212 that are connected. The first channel portion 3211 is parallel to the heat management plate 20 , and the second channel portion 3212 intersects the heat management plate 20 .

[0148] Optionally, the first flow channel portion 3211 extends along the second direction Y, and the second flow channel portion 3212 extends along the height direction of the battery case 100 (i.e., the third direction Z), that is, the second flow channel portion 3212 intersects the thermal management plate 20 perpendicularly. In other embodiments, the second flow channel portion 3212 can also be arranged at an angle relative to the thermal management plate 20.

[0149] The converging flow channel 321 of the embodiment of the present application includes two flow channel portions that are connected and communicated by bending, which can achieve drainage in a smaller space and has an ingenious structure.

[0150] In addition, when the collecting portion 32 is welded to the frame 10, the weld mark between the collecting portion 32 and the frame 10 needs to avoid the converging channel 321. That is, the converging channel 321 and the collecting portion 32 are spaced apart from the lower edge of the thermal management plate 20. At this time, the second weld mark 50 will not affect the converging channel 321.

[0151] The first inlet 323 and the first outlet 324 are arranged in a direction parallel to the length direction, the width direction or the height direction of the frame 10 .

[0152] The width direction of the frame 10 is the first direction X, the length direction is the second direction Y, and the height direction is the third direction Z. Referring to Figures 3 to 18 , in some embodiments, the first inlet 323 and the first outlet 324 are arranged parallel to the width direction (first direction X) of the frame 10. In this case, the two converging flow channels 321 each include a first flow channel portion 3211 and a second flow channel portion 3212. The two first flow channel portions 3211 are spaced apart along the width direction of the frame 10, and the two second flow channel portions 3212 are also spaced apart along the width direction of the frame 10.

[0153] 3 and 19 to 22 , in some other embodiments, the first inlet 323 and the first outlet 324 are arranged parallel to the height direction (third direction Z) to reduce the size of the current collector 30 in the width direction of the frame 10. In this case, the two converging flow channels 321 each include a first flow channel portion 3211 and a second flow channel portion 3212. The two first flow channel portions 3211 are spaced apart along the height direction of the frame 10, and the two second flow channel portions 3212 are spaced apart along the length direction of the frame 10.

[0154] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the arrangement direction of the first inlet 323 and the first outlet 324 may also be parallel to the length direction of the frame 10 , and in this case, the current collector 30 may be provided on the second frame beam 12 .

[0155] The current collector 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application can flexibly design the inlet, outlet and converging channel 321 according to the installation space to meet the requirements of different frames 10. The design is flexible and easy to implement.

[0156] 6 and 8 , the thermal management plate 20 includes a first plate 21 and a second plate 22 that are stacked and welded together. The second plate 22 is provided with a flow channel groove 221 on a side facing the first plate 21. The flow channel groove 221 and the first plate 21 together form a heat exchange flow channel 201. The first plate 21 is welded to the frame 10, and the current collector 30 is fixedly connected to the side of the first plate 21 facing away from the second plate 22.

[0157] The first plate 21 and the second plate 22 can both be flat plates, and the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 can be attached to each other. In other embodiments, one of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 is frame-shaped and the other is flat. The first plate 21 and the second plate 22 can be made of metal, such as aluminum, copper, or steel; they can also be made of plastic or other materials.

[0158] The first plate 21 and the second plate 22 can be fixedly connected by welding or other methods. In some embodiments, the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 are welded together by a welding agent, which can be a brazing agent or the like.

[0159] A flow channel groove 221 is recessed on the side of the second plate 22 facing the first plate 21. The flow channel groove 221 shown in Figure 8 is only an example, and the structure of the flow channel groove 221 is not limited thereto. A single flow channel groove 221 may be provided, or the flow channel groove 221 may include multiple sub-flow channel grooves, each of which is connected in series and / or in parallel. During use, the first and second plates 21 and 22 form a sealed cavity with a flow channel provided therein, allowing heat exchange medium to circulate within the flow channel.

[0160] The current collector 30 is fixedly connected to the side of the first plate 21 away from the second plate 22 . The first plate 21 can be a flat plate to facilitate fixing the current collector 30 . The second inlet 211 and the second outlet 212 are both provided on the first plate 21 .

[0161] The thermal management plate 20 provided in the embodiment of the present application utilizes the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 to form a closed cavity and flow channel to facilitate the flow of the heat exchange medium within the thermal management plate 20; the current collector 30 is connected to the first plate 21, which facilitates fixing the current collector 30 on the thermal management plate 20 and welding the current collector 30 to the frame 10.

[0162] In another embodiment, the flow channel groove 221 may also be disposed on the first plate 21 .

[0163] 7 and 12 , the thickness of the current collector 30 is greater than that of the first plate 21. The thickness of the current collector 30 and the thickness of the first plate 21 are both the maximum values ​​along the height direction (third direction Z) of the battery case 100.

[0164] Since the current collector 30 is welded to the first plate 21 , the thickness of the current collector 30 is set to be greater than that of the first plate, so that sufficient penetration can be formed by the current collector 30 to prevent welding from affecting the heat exchange flow channel 201 in the thermal management plate 20 .

[0165] Optionally, the thickness of the current collector 30 is more than twice the thickness of the first plate 21 , but is not limited thereto.

[0166] Optionally, the thickness of the current collector 30 is greater than the overall thickness of the heat management plate 20. Since the current collector 30 is welded to the frame 10 separately, the thickness of the current collector 30 can be flexibly set.

[0167] Referring to Figures 2 to 22, some embodiments of the present application provide a battery case 100 comprising a frame 10, a thermal management plate 20, and a current collector 30. The thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 enclose a receiving space 101. The current collector 30 is fixed to the side of the thermal management plate 20 facing the frame 10 and is disposed outside the receiving space 101. The thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 are welded to form a first weld mark 40. The current collector 30 and the frame 10 are welded to form a second weld mark 50. The first weld mark 40 is connected to the second weld mark 50. A mounting groove 111 is defined within the frame 10. The current collector 30 is disposed within the mounting groove 111. The current collector 30 includes two flange portions 31 and a current collecting portion 32 disposed between the two flange portions 31. The second weld mark 50 extends along the edge of the current collector 30.

[0168] The battery case 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application welds the current collector 30 to the frame 10, and welds the area of ​​the thermal management plate 20 other than the area connected to the current collector 30 to the frame 10, thereby realizing a welded connection between the thermal management component and the frame 10 and improving the sealing of the battery case 100; the above-mentioned battery case 100 does not need to connect the thermal management plate 20 and the frame 10 by bolts, saving parts and processes and improving the sealing reliability. In addition, the current collector 30 is arranged outside the accommodating space 101, realizing external placement of the joint, reducing the risk of the current collector 30 leaking the heat exchange medium into the accommodating space 101, and improving the reliability of the battery.

[0169] A second aspect of the present application provides a battery 1000 , comprising the battery case 100 and a battery cell 200 provided in the first aspect, wherein the battery cell 200 is accommodated in the battery case 100 .

[0170] A third aspect of the present application provides an electrical device, comprising the battery 1000 provided in the second aspect, wherein the battery 1000 is used to provide electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0171] The power-consuming device may be any of the aforementioned devices or systems using batteries.

[0172] It should be noted that, unless there is any conflict, the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0173] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery box, wherein: include: frame; A heat management plate body is welded to the frame and encloses a receiving space with the frame. A heat exchange flow channel for the heat exchange medium to flow is provided in the heat management plate body, and the heat exchange flow channel includes a water inlet and outlet; a current collector fixedly connected to the heat management plate and disposed outside the accommodation space, wherein a converging flow channel communicating with the water inlet and outlet is disposed in the current collector, and the current collector is welded to the frame; A first weld mark is formed between the heat management plate and the frame, a second weld mark is formed between the current collector and the frame, and the first weld mark is connected to the second weld mark.

2. The battery case according to claim 1, wherein: The current collector includes two flange parts and a current collecting part arranged between the two flange parts. The converging flow channel is arranged in the current collecting part. The two flange parts are both fitted with and welded to the frame.

3. The battery case according to claim 2, wherein: The frame is provided with a mounting groove, the collecting portion is arranged in the mounting groove, and the flange portion is arranged in the mounting groove or on the outer side of the frame away from the accommodating space.

4. The battery case according to claim 3, wherein: The frame includes a first frame beam extending along a first direction and a second frame beam extending along a second direction, the first direction intersects the second direction, the first frame beam and the second frame beam are connected, the mounting groove is provided in the first frame beam, and the first frame beam includes a top surface and an outer side surface; Part of the first weld mark is located between the heat management plate and the top surface, and the second weld mark is located between the current collector and the outer side surface.

5. The battery case according to claim 4, wherein: The second weld mark continuously extends along one flange portion, the collecting portion and the other flange portion, and the first weld mark and the second weld mark form a closed weld mark along the frame.

6. The battery case according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The heat management plate includes a main body and a protruding portion protruding from one side of the main body, the main body is covered on the frame, and the protruding portion is attached to the first frame beam; the water inlet and outlet are located in the protruding portion, and the current collector is fixedly connected to the protruding portion; Along the first direction, the flange portion is flush with an edge of the protruding portion or the flange portion exceeds the edge of the protruding portion.

7. The battery case according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: The mounting groove includes a first groove and two second grooves that are interconnected, and the first groove is arranged between the two second grooves; The current collecting portion is provided in the first groove, The flange portion is disposed in the second groove.

8. The battery case according to claim 7, wherein: The flange portion has a limiting surface on one side close to the accommodation space, and the limiting surface is in contact with a groove wall of the second groove close to the accommodation space.

9. The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The current collector is provided with weight-reducing holes.

10. The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The current collector has a fitting surface along the height direction of the battery box, and the fitting surface is fitted and welded to the heat management plate.

11. The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: Two converging flow channels are spaced apart in the current collector, and a first inlet and a first outlet are also provided on the current collector; A second inlet and a second outlet are provided in the heat management plate body. The first inlet, one of the converging channels, and the second inlet are connected in sequence. The second outlet, another of the converging channels, and the second outlet are connected in sequence.

12. The battery case according to claim 11, wherein: A liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe are protruding from the collector, the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the first inlet through one of the converging flow channels, and the liquid outlet pipe is connected to the first outlet through another of the converging flow channels; the liquid inlet pipe is inserted into the second inlet, and the liquid outlet pipe is inserted into the second outlet.

13. The battery case according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The first inlet and the first outlet are arranged in a direction parallel to a length direction, a width direction or a height direction of the frame.

14. The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The converging flow channel includes a first flow channel portion and a second flow channel portion that are connected to each other. The first flow channel portion is parallel to the heat management plate body, and the second flow channel portion intersects with the heat management plate body.

15. The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: The thermal management plate includes a first plate and a second plate that are stacked and welded together. The second plate is provided with a flow channel groove on a side facing the first plate. The flow channel groove and the first plate together form the heat exchange flow channel. The first plate is welded to the frame, and the current collector is fixedly connected to the side of the first plate facing away from the second plate.

16. The battery case according to claim 15, wherein: The thickness of the current collector is greater than the thickness of the first plate.

17. A battery, wherein: include: The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 16; The battery cell is housed in the battery box.

18. An electrical device, wherein: The battery according to claim 17 is used to provide electrical energy to the electrical device.

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