Battery, battery pack, electrical apparatus, and energy storage apparatus

Abstract

A battery, a battery pack, an electrical apparatus, and an energy storage apparatus. The battery comprises: a casing, which defines an accommodating space and has an opening on one side; a first pouch battery cell and a second pouch battery cell, which are accommodated in the accommodating space, the first pouch battery cell comprising a first positive tab and a first negative tab, and the second pouch battery cell comprising a second positive tab and a second negative tab; and a top cover assembly, which is arranged on the casing and seals the opening. The top cover assembly comprises a top cover body as well as a first input / output member and a second input / output member which are arranged on the top cover body and can conduct electricity. The first input / output member comprises a first positive tab connection portion and a first input / output member exposed portion. The second input / output member comprises a second negative tab connection portion and a second input / output member exposed portion. The first pouch battery cell and the second pouch battery cell may be connected in series or in parallel by means of the first input / output member and the second input / output member. In this way, a battery that takes into account both usage reliability and volume utilization can be provided.

Description

Batteries, battery packs, electricity consumption and energy storage devices

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202410254401.3, application date March 6, 2024, and invention name “Battery and its manufacturing method, top cover assembly, battery pack, power consumption and energy storage device”, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into the present disclosure as a reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to batteries, battery packs, electrical devices, and energy storage devices. Background Art

[0004] New energy batteries are being used more and more widely in life and industry. For example, new energy vehicles equipped with batteries have been widely used. In addition, batteries are also being increasingly used in energy storage fields.

[0005] A battery pack usually includes multiple battery cells, which can be soft-pack battery cells. How to balance the battery's reliability and volume utilization is one of the topics that needs to be studied. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a battery, a battery pack, an electrical device and an energy storage device that take into account both reliability and volume utilization.

[0007] The present disclosure is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery, comprising: a shell defining a storage space and having an opening on one side; a first soft-pack battery cell and a second soft-pack battery cell, which are stored in the storage space, the first soft-pack battery cell comprising a first positive electrode tab and a first negative electrode tab, and the second soft-pack battery cell comprising a second positive electrode tab and a second negative electrode tab; a top cover assembly, which is provided in the shell and closes the opening, the top cover assembly comprising a top cover body and a first input-output component and a second input-output component which are conductive and which are provided in the top cover body, the first input-output component comprising a first positive electrode tab connecting portion and a first input-output component exposed portion, and the second input-output component comprising a second negative electrode tab connecting portion and a second input-output component exposed portion; the first soft-pack battery cell comprises a first positive electrode tab connecting portion and a first negative electrode tab exposed portion, and the second soft-pack battery cell comprises a second positive electrode tab connecting portion and a second input-output component exposed portion; The battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are arranged side by side along a first direction, which is the thickness direction of the soft-pack battery cell; when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are arranged side by side along the first direction, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the second negative electrode tab; or, when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in parallel, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are arranged side by side along the second direction, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first negative electrode tab; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0009] Thus, placing the soft-pack battery cells within the housing space of the housing can effectively protect the soft-pack battery cells, reduce the possibility of damage to the soft-pack battery cells, and reduce the risk of thermal runaway of the soft-pack battery cells due to mechanical collisions, thereby improving the reliability of the soft-pack battery cells and the battery. In addition, the top cover assembly can close the opening of the housing assembly, thereby further protecting the soft-pack battery cells within the housing space. Moreover, a top cover assembly cooperates with a housing, and two soft-pack battery cells can be connected in series or in parallel through a top cover assembly, so that two soft-pack battery cells can be accommodated within the housing space of a housing, thereby improving the volume utilization and energy density of the battery, and also helping to improve the battery grouping efficiency.

[0010] In addition, by housing the soft-pack battery cells in the shell, even if thermal runaway occurs in the soft-pack battery cells, the ejecta generated by the thermal runaway will be blocked in the accommodation space of the shell, making it less likely to affect other surrounding batteries, reducing the possibility of heat diffusion, and also making it more conducive to the subsequent grouping of soft-pack battery cells into battery packs, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing assembly difficulty.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first positive electrode tab connection portion and the second negative electrode tab connection portion both include a connection surface extending along a third direction, the first input-output component exposure portion and the second input-output component exposure portion are exposed to the outside of the shell, the connection surface of the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab surface, and the connection surface of the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the second negative electrode tab surface.

[0012] As a result, the first positive electrode tab of the first soft-pack battery cell and the second negative electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell can respectively achieve a non-bending surface connection with the connecting surface of the first positive electrode tab connecting portion and the connecting surface of the second negative electrode tab connecting portion, thereby reducing the risk of breakage of the first positive electrode tab and the second negative electrode tab, and reducing the gap between the connecting surfaces of the tabs (first positive electrode tab, second negative electrode tab) and the connecting portions (first positive electrode tab connecting portion, second negative electrode tab connecting portion), making the connection more stable and improving the reliability of the battery.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first input / output component exposed portion by a bending motion; and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the second input / output component exposed portion by a bending motion.

[0014] By bending and connecting the first positive electrode tab connection portion with the first input / output component exposed portion, and bending and connecting the second negative electrode tab connection portion with the second input / output component exposed portion, the orientation and posture of the input / output component exposed portion can be easily changed, reducing space occupancy, facilitating the connection of busbars, etc., and providing more space or flexibility for battery grouping.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first input / output component exposed portion and the second input / output component exposed portion are both parallel to the top surface of the top cover body.

[0016] The first input / output exposed portion and the second input / output exposed portion are parallel to the top surface of the top cover body, which reduces space occupation and facilitates the connection of the busbar components, thereby improving the battery grouping efficiency.

[0017] In some embodiments, when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, the top cover assembly further includes a adapter, the adapter including a third positive pole tab connection portion and a fourth negative pole tab connection portion, the third positive pole tab connection portion is connected to the second positive pole tab, and the fourth negative pole tab connection portion is connected to the first negative pole tab; along the second direction, the adapter is placed on one side of the first input-output component and the second input-output component.

[0018] The adapter is arranged side by side with the first input-output component and the second input-output component along the second direction, which can be more conveniently connected to the first positive electrode tab, the first negative electrode tab of the first soft-pack battery cell and the second positive electrode tab and the second negative electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell, and the series connection of the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell can be realized more simply, thereby improving the assembly and manufacturing efficiency of the battery; along the second direction, the adapter is placed on one side of the first input-output component and the second input-output component, thereby making full use of the space of the top cover body to compactly arrange the input-output components and the adapter, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the top cover body and further conducive to improving the volume utilization rate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the third positive electrode tab connection portion includes a connection surface extending along the third direction; and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion includes a connection surface extending along the third direction.

[0020] As a result, the first negative electrode tab of the first soft-pack battery cell and the second positive electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell can respectively achieve non-bending surface connection with the connecting surface of the fourth negative electrode tab connecting portion and the connecting surface of the third positive electrode tab connecting portion, thereby reducing the risk of breakage of the first negative electrode tab and the second positive electrode tab, and reducing the gap between the connecting surfaces of the tabs (first negative electrode tab, second positive electrode tab) and the connecting portions (third positive electrode tab connecting portion, fourth negative electrode tab connecting portion), making the connection more stable and improving battery reliability.

[0021] In some embodiments, the third positive electrode tab connection portion and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion are connected through a third sub-bending portion, and the third sub-bending portion is bent relative to the third positive electrode tab connection portion and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion.

[0022] The third positive electrode tab connection portion and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion are connected through the third sub-bend portion to form a roughly U-shaped structure, which is convenient for maintaining the third positive electrode tab connection portion and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion having connection surfaces extending along the third direction, respectively, and is convenient for connection with the unbent second positive electrode tab and the first negative electrode tab surface, and makes the series connection of the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell more reliable, thereby improving battery reliability.

[0023] In some embodiments, the adapter further includes a sampling portion, which is exposed outside the housing.

[0024] Thus, the sampling portion can be electrically connected to an external sampling component to measure and sample the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell connected in series, thereby being able to identify the working status of the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell, thereby facilitating safe and efficient operation of the battery and improving the battery life.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first input-output member exposed portion and the second input-output member exposed portion are located on opposite sides along the first direction.

[0026] Therefore, when multiple batteries are grouped, it is more convenient for adjacent batteries to be electrically connected through the busbar component, thereby realizing series connection, parallel connection or mixed connection of multiple batteries.

[0027] In some embodiments, when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, an insulating shielding member is provided between the first positive electrode tab connection portion of the first input / output component and the second negative electrode tab connection portion of the second input / output component.

[0028] The insulating shielding member can block the first positive electrode tab connected to the connection surface of the first positive electrode tab connection portion and the second negative electrode tab connected to the connection surface of the second negative electrode tab connection portion, thereby preventing series short circuit and improving battery reliability.

[0029] In some embodiments, the insulating shielding member protrudes from both ends of the first input-output member and the second input-output member along the third direction.

[0030] The insulating shielding member protrudes from both ends of the first input-output member and the second input-output member along the third direction, so that the first input-output member and the second input-output member can be better separated at both ends of the third direction, which is beneficial to increasing the electrical gap and creepage distance between the first input-output member and the second input-output member, and improving the insulation performance.

[0031] In some embodiments, the battery further includes an insulating support platform connected to the insulating shielding member, and insulating supports are provided on opposite sides of the insulating shielding member along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member. The insulating support platform is located on the side of the top cover body along the third direction facing the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell, and the side of the first input-output member facing away from the exposed portion of the first input-output member and the end of the second input-output member facing away from the exposed portion of the second input-output member are abutted against the side of the insulating support platform facing the top cover body.

[0032] The insulating supports on both sides of the insulating shielding member respectively support one end of the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input / output member away from the exposed portion of the first input / output member and one end of the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input / output member away from the exposed portion of the second input / output member, so that the distance from the end of the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input / output member away from the exposed portion of the first input / output member to the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input / output member along the surface of the insulating shielding member through the insulating support member is increased, thereby increasing the creepage distance between the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input / output member and the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input / output member, thereby improving the insulation performance.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input / output component protrudes from the insulating platform on a side facing away from the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input / output component; and / or the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input / output component protrudes from the insulating platform on a side facing away from the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input / output component.

[0034] As a result, the first positive electrode tab connected to the first positive electrode tab connection portion and the second negative electrode tab connected to the second negative electrode tab connection portion will hardly contact the insulating base, reducing the possibility of interference between the insulating base and the first positive electrode tab or the second negative electrode tab, and also reducing the risk of the tabs bending due to contact with the insulating base.

[0035] In some embodiments, the insulating shielding member includes: an insulating main body, connected to the side of the insulating support platform facing the top cover body, the insulating main body being clamped between the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input-output component and the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input-output component; an insulating auxiliary member, connected to the side of the insulating support platform facing away from the top cover body, the thickness of the insulating auxiliary member along the arrangement direction of the first input-output component and the second input-output component is smaller than the thickness of the insulating main body along the arrangement direction of the first input-output component and the second input-output component, and the dimension of the insulating auxiliary member along the third direction is larger than the thickness of the insulating auxiliary member along the arrangement direction of the first input-output component and the second input-output component.

[0036] While minimizing the impact on the creepage distance between the first positive pole tab connection portion of the first input / output component and the second negative pole tab connection portion of the second input / output component, the mass of the insulating auxiliary components can be minimized, which is beneficial to improving the mass energy density of the battery.

[0037] In some embodiments, the insulating shielding member further includes an insulating spacer, which is connected to the side of the insulating main body facing away from the insulating base, and the insulating spacer protrudes along the third direction from the side of the exposed portion of the first input-output member facing away from the first input-output member and the exposed portion of the second input-output member facing away from the second input-output member, the thickness of the insulating spacer along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member is smaller than the thickness of the insulating main body along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member, and the size of the insulating spacer along the third direction is larger than the thickness of the insulating spacer along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member.

[0038] While minimizing the impact on the creepage distance between the first input-output exposed portion of the first input-output member and the second input-output exposed portion of the second input-output member, the mass of the insulating separator can be reduced as much as possible, which is beneficial to improving the mass energy density of the battery.

[0039] In some embodiments, when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in parallel, the first input-output component further includes a fifth positive pole tab connection portion, which is connected to the second positive pole tab of the second soft-pack battery cell, and the second input-output component further includes a sixth negative pole tab connection portion, which is connected to the second negative pole tab of the second soft-pack battery cell.

[0040] Thus, two soft-pack battery cells can be connected in parallel through one top cover assembly, and the connection reliability is high, which is conducive to improving the battery grouping efficiency.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first input-output component further includes a first sub-bending portion, the first positive electrode tab connection portion and the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion are connected through the first sub-bending portion, the first sub-bending portion is bent relative to the first positive electrode tab connection portion and the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion, one end of the first positive electrode tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to the exposed portion of the first input-output component, the other end of the first positive electrode tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to one end of the first sub-bending portion, the other end of the first sub-bending portion is connected to one end of the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion in the third direction, and the fifth positive electrode tab connection is parallel to the first positive electrode tab connection portion. The second input-output component includes a second sub-bending portion, the second negative electrode tab connection portion and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion are connected through the second sub-bending portion, the second sub-bending portion is bent relative to the second negative electrode tab connection portion and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion, one end of the second negative electrode tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to the exposed portion of the second input-output component, the other end of the second negative electrode tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to one end of the second sub-bending portion, the other end of the second sub-bending portion is connected to one end of the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion in the third direction, and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion extends parallel to the second negative electrode tab connection portion.

[0042] As a result, the first positive tab connection and the fifth positive tab connection are connected via the first sub-bend to form a roughly U-shaped structure, facilitating the first and fifth positive tab connections to have connection surfaces extending along the third direction, facilitating surface connection with the unbent first and second positive tabs. Similarly, the second negative tab connection and the sixth negative tab connection are connected via the second sub-bend to form a roughly U-shaped structure, facilitating the second and sixth negative tab connections to have connection surfaces extending along the third direction, facilitating surface connection with the unbent first and second negative tabs. This ensures a more secure parallel connection between the first and second soft-pack battery cells, improving battery reliability.

[0043] In some embodiments, the first input-output member exposed portion and the second input-output member exposed portion are located on the same side along the first direction.

[0044] Therefore, when multiple batteries are grouped, it is more convenient for adjacent batteries to be electrically connected through the busbar component, thereby realizing parallel connection or hybrid connection of multiple batteries.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are respectively injection-molded with the top cover body.

[0046] The first input / output component, the second input / output component, and the top cover body are integrally molded to form a structure that is more stable, thereby improving battery reliability. Furthermore, the integral molding structure is beneficial for improving production efficiency.

[0047] In some embodiments, the shell has a pressure relief port, which is located on different sides of the shell from the opening; the battery includes a pressure relief cover, which is provided on the shell and closes the pressure relief port, and the pressure relief cover is configured to open the pressure relief port in the event of thermal runaway of the battery.

[0048] Because the housing is formed with a pressure relief vent, in the event of thermal runaway, the gases and emissions generated by thermal runaway can be discharged through the vent, thereby relieving the pressure in the containment space. Furthermore, the gases and emissions generated by thermal runaway are guided by the vent, preventing them from dispersing and erupting. This allows for directional emission of thermal runaway emissions, making the emission direction of high-temperature emissions from thermal runaway controllable, reducing the possibility of high-temperature emissions affecting other batteries or other components within the battery pack, and improving battery reliability.

[0049] Since the pressure relief port and the opening are located on different sides, high-temperature emissions are not easily in contact with the top cover assembly at the opening during the discharge process, which is conducive to achieving thermal and electrical separation, reducing the risk of emissions spreading through the top cover assembly to the top cover assemblies of other surrounding batteries, thereby reducing the risk of damage to electrical components such as electrical connectors and busbars on the top cover assembly, and further reducing the risk of heat diffusion.

[0050] In addition, since the pressure relief cover closes the pressure relief port when thermal runaway does not occur, the possibility of objects in the storage space falling out and the possibility of external debris entering the storage space can be reduced, thereby further improving the reliability of the battery.

[0051] In some embodiments, the pressure relief cover is an insulating film, and the melting point of the insulating film is greater than or equal to 100° C. and less than or equal to 500° C.

[0052] The pressure relief cover is an insulating film, which helps reduce the possibility of short circuits in the soft-pack battery cells within the housing. The melting point of the insulating film is greater than or equal to 100°C and less than or equal to 500°C. This allows the insulating film to provide a seal and protection under normal battery operation while also facilitating the melting of thermal runaway gases within the containment space to release pressure.

[0053] In some embodiments, the pressure relief cover is a metal cover having a weakened area for pressure relief.

[0054] By providing a weakened area on the pressure relief cover, the metal cover can better cover the pressure relief port when no thermal runaway occurs, and can better relieve pressure when thermal runaway occurs.

[0055] In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the weakened area is less than the wall thickness of the remainder of the pressure relief cover.

[0056] Therefore, in the event of thermal runaway of the battery, the gases and high-temperature emissions generated by the thermal runaway can more easily break through the weakened zone, thereby relieving the pressure in the accommodation space.

[0057] In some embodiments, a mounting groove is provided on one side of the top cover body facing the shell along the third direction, and the top cover body is inserted into the mounting groove through the opening edge of the shell to close the opening of the shell.

[0058] Since the opening edge of the shell is inserted into the installation groove, the opening edge of the shell is constrained by the groove wall of the installation groove, which is conducive to reducing the shaking of the top cover body relative to the shell.

[0059] In some embodiments, the mounting groove has a guide rib located inside the mounting groove, the guide rib is located on the inner side of the shell, and the guide rib has a guide surface on the side facing the side wall of the shell, pointing along the groove opening of the mounting groove to the direction of the groove bottom of the mounting groove, and the guide surface is inclined toward the side wall of the shell.

[0060] Therefore, during the process of installing the top cover body to the shell, the opening edge of the shell can be guided to move by the guide surface of the guide rib, so that the opening edge of the shell is close to the outer side wall of the installation groove, thereby guiding the opening of the shell to a predetermined position in the installation groove, and the opening edge of the shell can be better constrained by the guide rib and the outer side wall of the installation groove.

[0061] In some embodiments, the pressure relief port is located on opposite sides of the opening along the third direction; and / or the top cover body is glued to the shell.

[0062] Thus, by gluing the top cover body to the housing, the top cover body can be easily installed on the housing. In addition, the pressure relief vent is located on the opposite side of the opening along the third direction. In the event of thermal runaway of the battery, pressure can be relieved through the bottom of the battery, making it less likely that high-temperature emissions will affect the top cover components of other batteries, thereby improving battery reliability.

[0063] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery pack comprising: at least one battery; and at least one busbar component that connects the batteries in series and / or in parallel by electrically connecting to a first input / output exposed portion of a first input / output component and a second input / output exposed portion of a second input / output component.

[0064] Since the battery provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can accommodate the soft-pack battery cells within the accommodating space of the shell, the soft-pack battery cells can be well protected, reducing the possibility of damage to the soft-pack battery cells, thereby reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the soft-pack battery cells due to mechanical collision, and further reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack, thereby improving the reliability of the battery and even the battery pack.

[0065] In some embodiments, there are multiple batteries, the openings of the shells of each battery are located on the same side along the third direction, and the pressure relief ports of the shells of each battery are located on opposite sides of the openings along the third direction; the top cover assemblies of adjacent batteries are connected to each other, and each top cover assembly respectively closes the opening of its corresponding shell.

[0066] Because the openings of the battery housings are all located on the same side along the third direction, it is easier for the busbar to connect to the electrical connectors of the top cover assemblies of adjacent batteries, thereby facilitating electrical connection between the batteries. Furthermore, the busbar extension length does not need to be excessive, which helps save materials and reduces production costs. Each battery can first be connected to the top cover assembly via its tabs, and then grouped together to form a battery pack via its own top cover assemblies. Compared to the traditional method of first grouping the batteries and then connecting the tabs to the connectors, this facilitates the connection between the tabs and the connectors and provides greater connection reliability. Furthermore, batteries can be easily added or removed as needed.

[0067] In some embodiments, among two adjacent top cover assemblies, one top cover assembly is provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion, and the other top cover assembly is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove, and the top cover assemblies of adjacent batteries are connected to each other through the snap-fitting of the snap-fit ​​protrusion and the snap-fit ​​groove.

[0068] By engaging the engaging protrusions of the top cover assemblies of adjacent batteries with the engaging grooves, multiple batteries can be grouped to form a battery pack, thereby improving grouping efficiency.

[0069] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides an electrical device comprising a battery or a battery pack for providing electrical energy.

[0070] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides an energy storage device, including a battery or a battery pack, wherein the battery is capable of storing electrical energy and providing electrical energy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to denote the same components. In the drawings:

[0072] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0073] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery pack provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0074] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of two batteries provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0075] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery with its housing removed provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0076] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery with its casing removed from another perspective provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0077] FIG6 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of a top cover assembly provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0078] FIG7 is an exploded perspective view of a top cover assembly provided by other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0079] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a top cover assembly provided in yet other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0080] FIG9 is a perspective schematic diagram of a top cover assembly provided in still other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0081] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the top cover assembly in FIG9 from another perspective;

[0082] FIG11 is an exploded perspective view of the top cover assembly in FIG9 ;

[0083] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the bottom surface structure of the top cover body provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0084] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of top cover assemblies connected into groups according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0085] FIG14 is a flow chart of a battery manufacturing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0086] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0087] FIG16 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of a battery provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0088] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of a top cover assembly provided in some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0089] FIG18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a battery provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0090] FIG19 is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG17 ;

[0091] FIG20 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of a top cover assembly provided with a mounting groove according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0092] DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS Vehicle 1000; Battery Pack 100; Housing 110; First Housing 110a; Second Housing 110b; Battery Module 120; Controller 200; Motor 300; Battery 4; Weakened Area 41; Housing 10; Pressure Relief Vent 12; Top Cover Assembly 20; Top Cover Body 21; Engaging Protrusion 212; Recess 213; Mounting Slot 214; First Connector 22; First Input / Output Components 22a, 22b; First a first connection portion 221; a first positive electrode tab connection portion 221a, 221b; a second input / output component 23a, 23b; a second negative electrode tab connection portion 231a, 231b; an adapter 27; a third positive electrode tab connection portion 271; a connection surface 271a (of the third positive electrode tab connection portion); a fourth negative electrode tab connection portion 272; a connection surface 272a (of the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion); a first exposed portion 222; first input / output component exposed portions 222a, 222b; a sampling portion 273; a third connection portion 223; a fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b; a sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b; a first sub-bend portion 224; a second sub-bend portion 234; a third sub-bend portion 274; a second connection portion 231; a second exposed portion 232; second input / output component exposed portions 232a, 232b; an insulating shield 25; an insulating body 251; an insulating Auxiliary component 252; insulating separator 253; insulating support 26; electrode assembly 30; first soft-pack battery cell 301; second soft-pack battery cell 302; positive electrode tab 31; first positive electrode tab 311; second positive electrode tab 312; negative electrode tab 32; first negative electrode tab 321; second negative electrode tab 322; third direction X; second direction Y; first direction Z; guide rib 901; guide surface 9011; pressure relief cover 904. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present disclosure are 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 disclosure and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0094] 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 the present disclosure belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0095] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, technical terms such as "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and "fifth" are used solely to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, "plurality" means more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0096] 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 disclosure. 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.

[0097] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, 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 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.

[0098] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", and "circumferential" are 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 disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated or used in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0099] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," 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; and can refer to internal connectivity between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure based on specific circumstances.

[0100] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the technical term "contact" should be understood in a broad sense, and can be direct contact, contact through an intermediate medium layer, contact with essentially no interaction force between the two contacting parties, or contact with interaction force between the two contacting parties.

[0101] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0102] With the promotion and popularization of the green development concept, new energy batteries are being used more and more widely in life and industry. For example, new energy vehicles equipped with batteries have been widely used. In addition, batteries are also being increasingly used in energy storage fields.

[0103] Battery packs typically include multiple batteries, which may include individual cells. These cells carry the risk of thermal runaway. Thermal runaway occurs when a cell releases heat, causing an uncontrolled rise in battery temperature. Thermal runaway in one cell can trigger a larger-scale thermal runaway within the battery pack, leading to thermal diffusion. Thermal runaway in one cell within a battery pack triggers subsequent thermal runaway in the remaining cells, a phenomenon known as thermal diffusion.

[0104] There are many factors that can cause thermal runaway in battery cells, including overheating, short circuits, overcharging, self-heating, and mechanical impact. Due to their soft packaging structure, soft-pack battery cells are more susceptible to damage when impacted, increasing the risk of thermal runaway. Furthermore, when thermal runaway occurs, soft-pack battery cells are more likely to scatter and erupt, increasing the risk of heat spread.

[0105] Therefore, it is hoped that the possibility of thermal runaway of soft-pack battery cells can be reduced to improve the reliability of the battery.

[0106] To this end, consider enclosing soft-pack battery cells in a housing to reduce the risk of thermal runaway of the soft-pack battery cells due to mechanical collisions, etc. In addition, to improve the volume utilization of the battery, consider having at least two soft-pack battery cells share a housing and top cover assembly.

[0107] Based on such a technical concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a battery, comprising: a shell, a first soft-pack battery cell, a second soft-pack battery cell and a top cover assembly. The shell defines a storage space and has an opening on one side; the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are accommodated in the storage space, the first soft-pack battery cell comprises a first positive electrode tab and a first negative electrode tab, and the second soft-pack battery cell comprises a second positive electrode tab and a second negative electrode tab; the top cover assembly is provided on the shell and closes the opening, the top cover assembly comprises a top cover body and a first input-output component and a second input-output component that are conductive and are provided on the top cover body, the first input-output component comprises a first positive electrode tab connecting portion and a first input-output component exposed portion, the second input-output component comprises a second negative electrode tab connecting portion and a second input-output component exposed portion; the first soft-pack battery cell and the second The soft-pack battery cells are arranged side by side along a first direction, which is the thickness direction of the soft pack; when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are arranged side by side along the first direction, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the second negative electrode tab; or when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in parallel, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are arranged side by side along the second direction, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first negative electrode tab; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0108] Thus, placing the soft-pack battery cells within the housing space of the housing can effectively protect the soft-pack battery cells, reduce the possibility of damage to the soft-pack battery cells, and thus reduce the risk of thermal runaway of the soft-pack battery cells due to mechanical collisions, thereby improving the reliability of the soft-pack battery cells and the battery. In addition, the top cover assembly can close the opening of the housing assembly, thereby further protecting the soft-pack battery cells within the housing space. Moreover, a top cover assembly cooperates with a housing, and two soft-pack battery cells can be connected in series or in parallel through a top cover assembly, so that two soft-pack battery cells can be accommodated within the housing space of a single housing, thereby improving the volume utilization and energy density of the battery, and also improving the battery grouping efficiency.

[0109] In addition, by housing the soft-pack battery cells in the shell, even if thermal runaway occurs in the soft-pack battery cells, the ejecta generated by the thermal runaway will be blocked in the accommodation space of the shell, making it less likely to affect other surrounding batteries, reducing the possibility of heat diffusion, and also making it more conducive to the subsequent grouping of soft-pack battery cells into battery packs, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing assembly difficulty.

[0110] The batteries of the embodiments of the present application and the battery packs using these batteries are suitable for various electrical devices that use batteries, such as mobile phones, portable devices, laptops, electric vehicles, electric toys, electric tools, vehicles, ships and spacecraft, etc. For example, spacecraft include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles and spacecraft.

[0111] The batteries and battery packs of the embodiments of the present application are also suitable for use in energy storage devices, which can be used in energy storage power stations, wind power generation systems, solar power generation systems, mobile power systems, or temporary power supply systems. Energy storage devices can store electrical energy as needed and output it at the appropriate time. For example, an energy storage device can store electrical energy during low-power periods and provide it to relevant users or electrical equipment during peak power periods.

[0112] In some embodiments, the energy storage device is an energy storage container or an energy storage cabinet.

[0113] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical device including the above-mentioned battery or battery pack for providing electrical energy. The electrical 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, an aircraft, 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 aircraft toy, etc. The aircraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spacecraft, etc.

[0114] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an energy storage device including the above-mentioned battery or battery pack. The battery or battery pack can store electrical energy and provide electrical energy. The energy storage device includes but is not limited to an energy storage container and an energy storage cabinet.

[0115] In the following embodiments, for the convenience of description, the electric device of one embodiment of the present disclosure is taken as an example of a vehicle 1000. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0116] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 1000 provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. The vehicle 1000 may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle, etc. As shown in Figure 1, a battery pack 100 is provided inside the vehicle 1000. The battery pack 100 may be provided at the bottom, head or tail of the vehicle 1000. The battery pack 100 may be used to power the vehicle 1000. For example, the battery pack 100 may serve as an operating power source for the vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 may further include a controller 200 and a motor 300. The controller 200 is used to control the battery pack 100 to power the motor 300, for example, for starting, navigating and operating power requirements of the vehicle 1000 during driving.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery pack 100 can serve not only as the operating power source of the vehicle 1000, but also as the driving power source of the vehicle 1000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1000.

[0118] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery pack 100 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] The battery pack provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more batteries for providing voltage and capacity, and the multiple batteries may be connected in series, in parallel, or in mixed connection via a busbar component.

[0120] In some embodiments, a battery pack includes a case and one or more batteries housed in the case.

[0121] As an example, a plurality of batteries may be arranged to form a battery module, and the batteries may be housed in a case by fixing the battery module in the case.

[0122] As an example, the battery may also be housed in the case by being directly fixed to the case.

[0123] As an example, the housing may include a first housing and a second housing. The first housing and the second housing engage to form an enclosed space within the housing to accommodate the battery. Enclosed here means covered or closed, and may be sealed or unsealed. The first housing may be a top cover or a bottom plate.

[0124] As an example, the box may include a top cover, a frame, and a bottom plate, wherein the top cover and the bottom plate are respectively connected to the frame to form a closed space inside the box to accommodate the battery cell assembly.

[0125] In some embodiments, the box body can be used as a part of the chassis structure of the vehicle. For example, part of the box body can become at least a part of the floor of the vehicle, or part of the box body can become at least a part of the cross beam and longitudinal beam of the vehicle.

[0126] As shown in Figure 2, the battery pack 100 includes a housing 110, which includes a first housing 110a and a second housing 110b. The first housing 110a and the second housing 110b interlock to form an enclosed space within the housing to accommodate the batteries. Enclosed here means covered or closed, and can be sealed or unsealed. At least one battery 4 is accommodated within the accommodation space formed by the housing 110. There can be multiple batteries 4, and the multiple batteries 4 can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection. Mixed connection means that the multiple batteries 4 are connected in both series and parallel. The multiple batteries 4 can be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection, and the entire battery 4 is placed in the accommodation space formed by the housing. Of course, the battery pack 100 can also be in the form of a battery module 120 composed of multiple batteries 4 connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection. The multiple battery modules 120 are further connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection to form a whole and accommodated in the accommodation space formed by the housing 110. The battery pack 100 may further include other structures. For example, the battery pack 100 may further include a busbar component for achieving electrical connection between the multiple batteries 4 .

[0127] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery cell may be a secondary battery. A secondary battery refers to a battery that can be continuously used by activating active materials by charging after the battery is discharged.

[0128] The battery cells may be lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0129] A battery cell typically includes an electrode assembly. This assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. During the battery's charge and discharge processes, active ions (such as lithium ions) are inserted and removed between the positive and negative electrodes. The separator, placed between the positive and negative electrodes, prevents short circuits while allowing the active ions to pass through.

[0130] In some embodiments, the positive electrode may be a positive electrode sheet, which may include a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material disposed on at least one surface of the positive electrode current collector.

[0131] As an example, the positive electrode current collector has two surfaces facing each other in its thickness direction, and the positive electrode active material is provided on either or both of the two facing surfaces of the positive electrode current collector.

[0132] As an example, the positive electrode current collector may be a metal foil or a composite current collector. For example, as the metal foil, aluminum or stainless steel with a silver surface treatment, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, carbon electrode, carbon, nickel or titanium, etc. may be used. The composite current collector may include a polymer material base layer and a metal layer. The composite current collector may be formed by forming a metal material (aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, silver and silver alloy, etc.) on a polymer material substrate (such as a substrate of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.).

[0133] As an example, the positive electrode active material may include at least one of the following materials: lithium-containing phosphates, lithium transition metal oxides and their respective modified compounds. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these materials, and other traditional materials that can be used as battery positive electrode active materials may also be used. These positive electrode active materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, examples of lithium-containing phosphates may include but are not limited to at least one of lithium iron phosphate (such as LiFePO4 (also referred to as LFP)), a composite material of lithium iron phosphate and carbon, lithium manganese phosphate (such as LiMnPO4), a composite material of lithium manganese phosphate and carbon, lithium iron manganese phosphate, and a composite material of lithium iron manganese phosphate and carbon. Examples of lithium transition metal oxides may include but are not limited to lithium cobalt oxide (such as LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (such as LiNiO2), lithium manganese oxide (such as LiMnO2, LiMn2O4), lithium nickel cobalt oxide, lithium manganese cobalt oxide, lithium nickel manganese oxide, lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (such as LiNi 1 / 3 Co 1 / 3 Mn 1 / 3 O2 (also referred to as NCM 333 ), LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O2 (also referred to as NCM 523 ), LiNi 0.5 Co 0.25 Mn 0.25 O2 (also referred to as NCM 211 ), LiNi 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 O2 (also referred to as NCM 622 ), LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O2 (also referred to as NCM 811 ), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (such as LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05O2) and at least one of its modified compounds. The modified compound refers to a substance obtained by modifying the above substances by means of doping or coating.

[0134] In some embodiments, a positive electrode may utilize a metal foam. The metal foam may include nickel foam, copper foam, aluminum foam, alloy foam, or the like. When a metal foam is used as the positive electrode, the surface of the metal foam may or may not include a positive electrode active material. For example, a lithium source material, potassium metal, or sodium metal may be filled or / and deposited within the metal foam, where the lithium source material is lithium metal and / or a lithium-rich material.

[0135] In some embodiments, the negative electrode may be a negative electrode sheet, and the negative electrode sheet may include a negative electrode current collector.

[0136] As an example, the negative electrode current collector may be a metal foil, a metal foam, or a composite current collector. For example, as the metal foil, aluminum or stainless steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, nickel, or titanium with a silver surface treatment may be used. The composite current collector may include a polymer material base layer and a metal layer. The metal foam may be nickel foam, copper foam, aluminum foam, alloy foam, or the like. The composite current collector may be formed by forming a metal material (copper, copper alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, silver, and silver alloy, etc.) on a polymer material substrate (such as a substrate of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.). In some embodiments, the material of the positive electrode current collector may be aluminum, and the material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper.

[0137] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly further includes a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

[0138] In some embodiments, the separator is a separator. The present disclosure has no particular limitation on the type of separator, and any known separator with a porous structure having good chemical stability and mechanical stability can be selected.

[0139] As an example, the main material of the isolation membrane can be selected from at least one of glass fiber, non-woven fabric, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and ceramics.

[0140] In some embodiments, the separator is a solid electrolyte, which is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and serves to transport ions and isolate the positive and negative electrodes.

[0141] In some embodiments, the battery cell further includes an electrolyte, which acts as a conductor of ions between the positive and negative electrodes. This disclosure does not specifically limit the type of electrolyte, and the electrolyte may be selected based on needs. The electrolyte may be liquid, gel, or solid.

[0142] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is a wound structure, wherein the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are wound into the wound structure.

[0143] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is a laminate structure.

[0144] As an example, multiple positive electrode sheets and multiple negative electrode sheets can be provided respectively, and the multiple positive electrode sheets and the multiple negative electrode sheets can be alternately stacked.

[0145] As an example, a plurality of positive electrode sheets may be provided, and the negative electrode sheet may be folded to form a plurality of stacked folded segments, with a positive electrode sheet being sandwiched between adjacent folded segments.

[0146] As an example, both the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are folded to form a plurality of stacked folded segments.

[0147] As an example, a plurality of separators may be provided, each of which is disposed between any adjacent positive electrode sheets or negative electrode sheets.

[0148] As an example, the separator may be provided continuously, and may be provided between any adjacent positive electrode sheets or negative electrode sheets by folding or winding.

[0149] In some embodiments, the shape of the electrode assembly can be cylindrical, flat, or polygonal.

[0150] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is provided with tabs that can conduct current from the electrode assembly. The tabs include a positive tab and a negative tab.

[0151] In some embodiments, a battery cell may include a housing. The housing is used to house components such as an electrode assembly and electrolyte. The housing may be a steel housing, an aluminum housing, a plastic housing (e.g., polypropylene), a composite metal housing (e.g., a copper-aluminum composite housing), or an aluminum-plastic film. The housing of the soft-pack battery cell described in the embodiments of this application may be a soft, deformable housing, such as one made of an aluminum-plastic film.

[0152] As an example, the battery may be a cylindrical battery, a prismatic battery or a battery of other shapes. Prismatic batteries include square-shell batteries, blade-shaped batteries, and polygonal batteries. Polygonal batteries may be, for example, hexagonal batteries, etc. There is no particular limitation in the present disclosure.

[0153] In some embodiments, a battery may include a housing that can house battery cells, such as pouch cells. The housing has an opening, and a top cover seals the opening to form a sealed space for containing materials such as an electrode assembly and electrolyte. The housing may have one or more openings. One or more top covers may also be provided.

[0154] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with at least one electrode terminal, which is electrically connected to the tab. The electrode terminal may be directly connected to the tab or indirectly connected to the tab via an adapter component. The electrode terminal may be provided on the top cover or the housing. During battery charging and discharging, the electrode terminal functions as an input and output element.

[0155] In some embodiments, a pressure relief mechanism is provided on the top cover to release internal pressure in the event of thermal runaway inside the battery.

[0156] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 20 .

[0157] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, 15, and 16, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a battery 4 comprising a housing 10, a top cover assembly 20, and an electrode assembly 30. The housing 10 defines a storage space and has an opening on one side; the top cover assembly 20 is disposed on the housing 10 and closes the opening. The top cover assembly 20 includes a top cover body 21 and first and second conductive connectors 22 and 23 disposed on the top cover body 21.

[0158] The first connector 22 and the second connector 23 can be made of a conductive metal material, such as copper, aluminum, steel, or a copper-aluminum alloy. The first connector 221 and the second connector 231 of the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 are respectively used to connect one of the positive electrode tab 31 and the negative electrode tab 32 of the electrode assembly 30 to the other. The first exposed portion 222 of the first connector 22 and the second exposed portion 232 of the second connector 23 are exposed to the outside of the housing 10 and are used to connect to an external busbar component to achieve electrical connection between multiple batteries 4, such as series connection, parallel connection, or hybrid connection. The first connector 22 and the second connector 23 are sometimes referred to as tabs or adapter tabs.

[0159] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly 30 includes an electrode assembly of a soft-pack battery cell, and the number of electrode assemblies 30 can be two or more. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG16 , the housing 10 accommodates at least two electrode assemblies 30 by accommodating a first soft-pack battery cell 301 and a second soft-pack battery cell 302. The number of first soft-pack battery cells 301 can be one or more, and the number of second soft-pack battery cells 302 can be one or more. Here, a first soft-pack battery cell 301 and a second soft-pack battery cell 302 are used as an example for detailed description.

[0160] As shown in Figure 16, the first soft-pack battery cell 301 includes a first positive electrode tab 311 and a first negative electrode tab 321, and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 includes a second positive electrode tab 312 and a second negative electrode tab 322. For ease of explanation, the first positive electrode tab 311 and the second positive electrode tab 312 are collectively referred to as the positive electrode tab 31, and the first negative electrode tab 321 and the second negative electrode tab 322 are collectively referred to as the negative electrode tab 32.

[0161] As shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 11, the first connecting member 22 includes a first connecting portion 221 and a first exposed portion 222 connected to the first connecting portion 221, and the second connecting member 23 includes a second connecting portion 231 and a second exposed portion 232 connected to the second connecting portion 231. The first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 231 both include connecting surfaces extending along the third direction X, and the first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 are exposed to the outside of the shell 10; the first connecting portion 221 and the second connecting portion 231 are used to connect to the pole ear, and the first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 are used to electrically connect to other batteries, for example, when the batteries are grouped, they are electrically connected to other batteries via a busbar component.

[0162] The first connecting member 22 and the second connecting member 23 may be disposed on the top cover body 21 .

[0163] Several embodiments of connecting the first connector 22 , the second connector 23 and the tabs of the soft-pack battery cell are described below.

[0164] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the top cover assembly 20 includes a top cover body 21 and a first input / output member 22a and a second input / output member 23a that are electrically conductive and disposed on the top cover body 21. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG6 , the first connector 22 is configured as the first input / output member 22a, the second connector 23 is configured as the second input / output member 23a, the first input / output member 22a includes a first positive electrode tab connecting portion 221a and a first input / output member exposed portion 222a, and the second input / output member 23a includes a second negative electrode tab connecting portion 231a and a second input / output member exposed portion 232a.

[0165] The electrode assembly 30 is accommodated in the accommodation space. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , the electrode assembly 30 includes a positive electrode tab 31 and a negative electrode tab 32 extending along the third direction X.

[0166] In a specific embodiment, a first soft-pack battery cell 301 and a second soft-pack battery cell 302 are accommodated in the accommodation space. The first soft-pack battery cell 301 includes a first positive electrode tab 311 and a first negative electrode tab 321, and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 includes a second positive electrode tab 312 and a second negative electrode tab 322. A first connecting portion 221 (e.g., the first positive electrode tab connecting portion 221a of the first input / output component 22a in the embodiment shown in FIG6 ) is connected to the first positive electrode tab 311 of the first soft-pack battery cell 301, and a second connecting portion 231 (e.g., the second negative electrode tab connecting portion 231a of the second input / output component 23a in the embodiment shown in FIG6 ) is connected to the second negative electrode tab 322 of the second soft-pack battery cell 302. The first negative electrode tab 321 of the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second positive electrode tab 312 of the second soft-pack battery cell 302 can be connected via an adapter. Thus, a series connection is achieved between the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302. In this case, the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 are arranged along the first direction Z and the positions of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are opposite along the second direction Y.

[0167] In the embodiment shown in FIG6 , a first input / output member 22a, serving as a first connector, and a second input / output member 23a, serving as a second connector, are arranged side by side along the first direction Z. Furthermore, the first input / output member 22a and the second input / output member 23a are formed to have substantially the same shape, for example, each having a generally L-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, the first input / output member 22a and the second input / output member 23a are arranged generally symmetrically with respect to the top cover body 21. Specifically, the exposed portion of the first input / output member 22a and the exposed portion of the second input / output member 23a are located on opposite sides along the first direction Z.

[0168] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, when the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 are connected in series, the top cover assembly also includes an adapter 27, the adapter 27 includes a third positive pole tab connection portion 271 and a fourth negative pole tab connection portion 272, the third positive pole tab connection portion 271 is connected to the second positive pole tab 312, and the fourth negative pole tab connection portion 272 is connected to the first negative pole tab 321; along the second direction Y, the adapter 27 is placed on one side of the first input-output component 22a and the second input-output component 23a.

[0169] As shown in FIG7 , the third positive electrode tab connection portion 271 includes a connection surface 271 a extending along the third direction X, and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion 272 includes a connection surface 272 a extending along the third direction X. The two connection surfaces 271 a and 272 a are respectively used to connect to the tab surface, thereby achieving a tab-free bending.

[0170] Optionally, the adapter 27 can be formed to have a generally U-shaped cross-section, with the third positive electrode tab connection portion 271 and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion 272 extending along the third direction X respectively, and the two connection surfaces 271a and 272a respectively located on the surface on the side away from each other along the first direction Z.

[0171] Further optionally, the third positive electrode tab connection portion 271 and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion 272 are connected by a third sub-bend portion 274, which is bent relative to the third positive electrode tab connection portion 271 and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion 272. As shown in Figure 7, the third sub-bend portion 274 is configured to extend generally along the first direction Z, with its two ends in the first direction Z respectively connected to the third positive electrode tab connection portion 271 and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion 272. The adapter 27 can be configured to have a generally U-shaped cross-section. Further optionally, the adapter 27 can be configured as a single piece, for example, a one-piece metal piece.

[0172] Optionally, as shown in FIG7 , the adapter 27 further includes a sampling portion 273, which is exposed outside the housing, specifically, at the upper portion of the top cover body 21. In a specific embodiment, a recessed portion 210 is formed in the upper portion of the top cover body 21, and the sampling portion 273 is at least partially sunken into the recessed portion 210.

[0173] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , when the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 are connected in series, an insulating shielding member 25 (described in detail below) is provided between the first positive electrode tab connection portion (first connection portion 221) of the first input / output member 22a and the second negative electrode tab connection portion (second connection portion 231) of the second input / output member 23a. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG8 to FIG11 , the top cover assembly 20 includes a top cover body 21 and first and second input / output members 22b and 23b that are electrically conductive and disposed on the top cover body 21. That is, in the embodiments shown in FIG8 to FIG11 , the first connector 22 is configured as the first input / output member 22b, and the second connector 23 is configured as the second input / output member 23b. The first input / output member 22b includes a first positive electrode tab connection portion 221b and a first input / output member exposed portion 222b, and the second input / output member 23b includes a second negative electrode tab connection portion 231b and a second input / output member exposed portion 232b.

[0174] The first input / output component 22b is connected to the first positive electrode tab 311 of the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second positive electrode tab 312 of the second soft-pack battery cell 302. The second input / output component 23b is connected to the first negative electrode tab 321 of the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second negative electrode tab 322 of the second soft-pack battery cell 302. This achieves a parallel connection between the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302. In this case, the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 are arranged along the first direction Z, and the positive and negative electrode tabs are aligned along the second direction Y.

[0175] In the embodiments shown in Figures 8 to 11, a first input / output member 22b, serving as a first connector, and a second input / output member 23b, serving as a second connector, are arranged side by side along the second direction Y. Furthermore, the first input / output member 22b and the second input / output member 23b are formed to have substantially the same shape. Optionally, the first input / output member exposed portion 222b and the second input / output member exposed portion 232b are located on the same side along the first direction Z. Alternatively, the first input / output member exposed portion 222b may be located on one side, while the second input / output member exposed portion 232b may be located on the other side along the first direction Z.

[0176] 8 , the first input / output member 22 b and the second input / output member 23 b may both be formed to have a generally L-shaped cross-section, for example, generally the same shape as the first input / output member 22 a or the second input / output member 23 a shown in FIG. 6 .

[0177] In other embodiments, when the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in parallel, as shown in Figure 11, the first input-output component 22b further includes a fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b, and the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b is connected to the second positive electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell 302, and the second input-output component 23b further includes a sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b, and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b is connected to the second negative electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell 302.

[0178] The fifth positive electrode tab connecting portion 223 b and the sixth negative electrode tab connecting portion 233 b each have a connecting surface for connecting to a tab surface.

[0179] In addition, as shown in Figure 11, the first input-output component 22b and the second input-output component 23b can both be formed to have a generally U-shaped cross-section, and the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221b, the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b, the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231b, and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b respectively extend along the third direction X, can be generally parallel to each other, and their respective connection surfaces (for example, a total of four connection surfaces) are respectively located on the surface of the side away from each other along the first direction Z.

[0180] Further optionally, the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221b and the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b are connected via a first sub-bend portion 224, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231b and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b are connected via a second sub-bend portion 234. Specifically, the first sub-bend portion 224 is bent relative to the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221b and the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b; and the second sub-bend portion 234 is bent relative to the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231b and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b. As shown in Figure 11, the first sub-bend portion 224 is configured to extend generally along the first direction Z, with its ends in the first direction Z connected to the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221b and the fifth positive electrode tab connection portion 223b, respectively. The second sub-bend portion connection portion 234 is configured to extend generally along the first direction Z, with its ends in the first direction Z connected to the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231b and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion 233b, respectively. The first input / output component 22b and the second input / output component 23b can be configured to have a generally U-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, the adapter 27 can optionally be configured as a single piece, for example, a one-piece metal component.

[0181] Alternatively, samples may be collected from the first input-output member exposed portion 222 b and / or the second input-output member exposed portion 232 b .

[0182] In some embodiments, the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221a or 221b and the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231a or 231b each include a connection surface extending along the third direction X. The first input / output component exposed portion 222a or 222b and the second input / output component exposed portion 232a or 232b are exposed outside the housing. The connection surface of the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221a or 221b is connected to the first positive electrode tab surface, and the connection surface of the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231a or 231b is connected to the second negative electrode tab surface. The connection state is shown in Figures 5, 18, and 19. As can be seen from the figures, the tabs are in a substantially unbent state.

[0183] The so-called "surface connection" may be, for example, that the connection surface of the first connection portion 221 (221a or 221b) and the surface of the positive electrode tab 31 have an overlapping portion in the first direction Z (for example, the left and right directions in the figure) perpendicular to the third direction X, and a connection without bending is achieved in the overlapping portion, and the gap can be reduced.

[0184] In some embodiments, the positive electrode tab 31 and the negative electrode tab 32 extend from the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet in the electrode assembly 30 respectively along the third direction X, and the extended parts are not bent. Such unbent positive electrode tab 31 and negative electrode tab 32 are respectively connected to the connection surface of the first connection part 221 (221a or 221b) and the connection surface of the second connection part 231 (231a or 231b) by welding.

[0185] Since the connection surface of the first connection part 221, the connection surface of the second connection part 231, the positive electrode tab 31 and the negative electrode tab 32 of the electrode assembly 30 all extend along the third direction X (for example, the up and down direction in the figure), the positive electrode tab 31 and the negative electrode tab 32 of the electrode assembly 30 are connected to the connection surface of the first connection part 221 and the connection surface of the second connection part 231 respectively without bending, thereby reducing the risk of breakage of the positive electrode tab 31 and the negative electrode tab 32, and reducing the possibility of gaps between the connection surfaces of the tabs (positive electrode tab, negative electrode tab) and the connection parts (first connection part, second connection part), reducing the risk of cold welding, making the connection more reliable, and improving battery stability.

[0186] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 6 to 11, in the first connecting member 22 (22a or 22b), the first connecting portion 221 (221a or 221b) is bent and connected to the first exposed portion 222 (222a or 222b); in the second connecting member 23 (23a or 23b), the second connecting portion 231 (231a or 231b) is bent and connected to the second exposed portion 232 (232a or 232b).

[0187] The first connection portion 221 and the first exposed portion 222 may be connected by a bending, and an angle may be formed between the first connection portion 221 and the first exposed portion 222. In one example, the first connection portion 221 and the first exposed portion 222 are perpendicular to each other. The first connection portion 221 and the first exposed portion 222 may be respectively located on opposite sides of the top cover body 21 in the third direction X. For example, as shown in FIG5 , the first connection portion 221 is located below the top cover body 21, and the first exposed portion 222 is located above the top cover body 21. In addition, depending on the specific circumstances, the first connection portion 221 and the first exposed portion 222 may also not be bent.

[0188] The second connection portion 231 and the second exposed portion 232 may be connected by a bending, such that an angle is formed between the second connection portion 231 and the second exposed portion 232. In one example, the second connection portion 231 and the second exposed portion 232 are perpendicular to each other. The second connection portion 231 and the second exposed portion 232 may be respectively located on opposite sides of the top cover body 21 in the third direction X. For example, as shown in FIG5 , the second connection portion 231 is located below the top cover body 21, and the second exposed portion 232 is located above the top cover body 21. In addition, depending on the specific circumstances, the second connection portion 231 and the second exposed portion 232 may also not be bent.

[0189] Here, the bent structure can be realized, for example, by bending processing, and can certainly be realized by other suitable methods.

[0190] By bending and connecting the first connecting portion 221 and the first exposed portion 222 , and bending and connecting the second connecting portion 231 and the second exposed portion 232 , the space occupied by the first connecting member 22 and the second connecting member 23 on the battery is reduced, providing more space for battery grouping.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 are both parallel to the top surface of the top cover body 21 .

[0192] The first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 may extend in parallel along a first direction Z perpendicular to the third direction X.

[0193] The first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 may extend parallel to the first direction Z, including the case where the first exposed portion 222 and / or the second exposed portion 232 are substantially flush with the top surface of the top cover body 21 , and also including the case where a table surface difference is formed relative to the top cover body 21 .

[0194] As shown in FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, a recessed portion 213 may be formed on the top surface of the top cover body 21 , so that the first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 are partially or completely submerged in the recessed portion 213 .

[0195] Since both the first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 are parallel to the top surface of the top cover body 21, it is convenient to connect multiple batteries via the busbar assembly to achieve series, parallel, or mixed connection. This also helps to reduce the space occupied by the first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 and the busbar assembly above the top cover body 21 (on the side facing away from the housing 10 along the third direction X).

[0196] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 8 to 11, the first connecting member 22 and the second connecting member 23 are arranged side by side on the top cover body 21 along the second direction Y, and / or, as shown in Figure 6 or 7, the first connecting member 22 and the second connecting member 23 are arranged side by side on the top cover body 21 along the first direction Z, and the third direction X, the second direction Y and the first direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 are arranged in pairs. Since each electrode assembly 30 includes two tabs (a positive tab 31 and a negative tab 32), each tab is correspondingly connected to a connector. In some embodiments, the number of electrode assemblies 30 is one, and the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 are respectively connected to the positive tab 31 and the negative tab 32 of the electrode assembly 30. In some embodiments, the number of multiple electrode assemblies 30 is multiple, and each tab of each electrode assembly 30 is connected to a connector (the first connector 22 or the second connector 23). The paired first connector 22 and the second connector 23 can be arranged side by side on the top cover body 21 along the second direction Y; or they can be arranged side by side on the top cover body 21 along the first direction Z. The arrangement direction and setting position of the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 can be set according to the arrangement position of the positive tab 31 and the negative tab 32 of the electrode assembly 30.

[0198] By arranging the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 side by side, it is possible to more conveniently connect to the positive electrode tab 31 and the negative electrode tab 32, thereby improving the battery manufacturing efficiency; the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 can be arranged side by side in pairs in any direction of the second direction Y or the first direction Z, and can be adapted to electrode assemblies of different specifications / types, making the connection more flexible.

[0199] 11 , a pair of first connectors 22 and second connectors 23 are exemplarily shown disposed side by side on the top cover body 21 along the second direction Y. Referring to FIG. 7 , a pair of first connectors 22 and second connectors 23 are exemplarily shown disposed side by side on the top cover body 21 along the first direction Z.

[0200] In some embodiments, the first connector may include a first connector and a third connector connected to the first connector, and the first connector and the third connector both include a connecting surface extending along the third direction X, and their shapes can be configured to have the same shape as the adapter 27 in Figure 7; the number of second connectors is an even number, and their shapes can be configured to have the same shape as the second connector 23 in Figure 7. For example, one first connector and two second connectors can be used in combination. When the battery 4 is connected in a group, the battery 4 includes at least two electrode assemblies 30, the first connecting portion of the first connector is connected to the positive electrode tab or the negative electrode tab of one electrode assembly, the third connecting portion of the first connector is connected to the positive electrode tab or the negative electrode tab of the other electrode assembly, and the tabs in each electrode assembly that are not connected to the first connector are respectively connected to the second connecting portion of the second connector.

[0201] The first connector can connect two tabs, and the second connectors can each connect one tab. For example, there are two second connectors, and the first connector portion of the first connector and the second connector portion of the second connector are respectively connected to the positive and negative tabs of the same electrode assembly, and the third connector portion and the second connector portion of another second connector are respectively connected to the negative and positive tabs of another electrode assembly, thereby forming an electrode assembly connected in series (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "electrode assembly series"). In this case, the positive and negative terminals of the electrode assembly series can be respectively led out from the second exposed portions of the two second connectors.

[0202] For another example, the number of second connectors is two, the first connector portion of the first connector and the second connector portion of the second connector are respectively connected to the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab of the same electrode assembly, and the third connector portion and the second connector portion of another second connector are respectively connected to the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab of another electrode assembly, thereby forming a parallel electrode assembly (hereinafter sometimes also referred to as a "parallel electrode assembly"). In this case, the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the parallel electrode assembly can be respectively led out from the first exposed portion of the first connector and the second exposed portion of any one of the second connectors. It should be noted that the two second connectors connected to the same-pole tabs can be electrically connected via a busbar or the like.

[0203] Thus, a plurality of electrode assemblies without bent tabs can be connected in series or in parallel through a top cover assembly 20, thereby improving connection reliability, increasing series and parallel connection efficiency, and helping to reduce the number of components in the battery.

[0204] As an example, a first connector and two second connectors can constitute a connection group, and each connection group can connect two electrode assemblies in series or in parallel. Figure 7 exemplarily shows that a connection group is set on a top cover body 21, thereby connecting two electrode assemblies in series or in parallel. It can be understood that multiple connection groups can also be set side by side on a top cover body 21 to form multiple electrode assemblies in series or electrode assemblies in parallel.

[0205] In some embodiments, when the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 are connected in series, an insulating shielding member 25 is provided between the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221a of the first input / output member 22a and the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231a of the second input / output member 23a. The insulating shielding member 25 can be an independent component or a part of the top cover body 21.

[0206] The insulating shielding member 25 can block the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab connected to the connection surfaces of two adjacent input and output components, thereby preventing short circuit and improving battery reliability.

[0207] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 17 , FIG. 18 , and FIG. 19 , the insulating shielding member 25 protrudes from both ends of the first input / output member 22 a and the second input / output member 23 a along the third direction X.

[0208] By providing the insulating shielding member 25 , the electrical clearance and creepage distance can be increased, thereby reducing the risk of accidental short circuit.

[0209] Electrical clearance refers to the shortest spatial distance measured between two conductive parts or between a conductive part and the protective interface of the equipment.

[0210] Creepage distance is the shortest path between two conductive parts or between a conductive part and the protective interface of the equipment measured along the insulating surface.

[0211] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the battery 4 also includes an insulating support 26 connected to the insulating shielding member 25. Insulating supports 26 are provided on opposite sides of the insulating shielding member 25 along the direction in which the first input-output member 22a and the second input-output member 23a are arranged. The insulating support 26 is located on the side of the top cover body 21 facing the electrode assembly 30 along the third direction X. The side of the first input-output member 22a facing away from the first input-output member exposed portion 222a and the end of the second input-output member 23a facing away from the second input-output member exposed portion 232a are abutted against the side of the insulating support 26 facing the top cover body 21.

[0212] The insulating support 26 is a structure for supporting the first input / output component 22 a and the second input / output component 23 a along the third direction X toward the electrode assembly 30 .

[0213] Exemplarily, the insulating shielding member 25 is connected to an insulating support 26 on one side of the direction in which the first input-output member 22a and the second input-output member 23a are arranged (for example, the first direction Z), and the insulating shielding member 25 is connected to an insulating support 26 on the other side of the direction in which the first input-output member 22a and the second input-output member 23a are arranged.

[0214] Exemplarily, the insulating platform 26 is located inside the housing 10 .

[0215] Since the distance from the first input / output component 22a along the surface of the insulating shielding component 25 through the insulating support 26 to the second input / output component 23a is increased, the creepage distance between the first input / output component 22a and the second input / output component 23a is increased, thereby improving the insulation performance.

[0216] It is understandable that the battery 4 may not be provided with the insulating support 26 .

[0217] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the first positive pole tab connection portion 221a of the first input / output component 22a protrudes from the insulating platform 26 on a side facing away from the second negative pole tab connection portion 231a of the second input / output component 23a; and / or, the second negative pole tab connection portion 231a of the second input / output component 23a protrudes from the insulating platform 26 on a side facing away from the first positive pole tab connection portion 221a of the first input / output component 22a.

[0218] As a result, the positive electrode tab 31 connected to the first input / output component 22 a or the negative electrode tab 32 connected to the second input / output component 23 a hardly contacts the insulating support 26 , reducing the possibility of interference between the insulating support 26 and the positive electrode tab 31 or the negative electrode tab 32 .

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 18 and 19 , the insulating shield 25 includes an insulating body 251 and an insulating auxiliary member 252. The insulating body 251 is connected to the side of the insulating support 26 facing the top cover body 21. The insulating body 251 is sandwiched between the first positive electrode tab connection portion 221a of the adjacent first input / output component 22a and the second negative electrode tab connection portion 231a of the second input / output component 23a. The insulating auxiliary member 252 is connected to the side of the insulating support 26 facing away from the top cover body 21. The thickness of the insulating auxiliary member 252 along the direction in which the adjacent first and second input / output components 22a, 23a are arranged is less than the thickness of the insulating body 251 along the direction in which the adjacent first and second input / output components 22a, 23a are arranged. The dimension of the insulating auxiliary member 252 along the third direction X is greater than the thickness of the insulating auxiliary member 252 along the direction in which the adjacent first and second input / output components 22a, 23a are arranged.

[0220] The insulating body 251 is clamped between the adjacent first input-output component 22a and the second input-output component 23a to separate the first input-output component 22a from the second input-output component 23a. The insulating body 251 is a structure that separates the first input-output component 22a from the second input-output component 23a and can mainly provide a more appropriate electrical gap between the two adjacent second connecting components 23.

[0221] The insulating auxiliary member 252 is located on the side of the insulating support 26 facing away from the top cover body 21. The adjacent first input / output member 22a and the second input / output member 23a are connected to the positive electrode tab 31 or the negative electrode tab 32 of the corresponding electrode assembly 30, so that the insulating auxiliary member 252 is located between the positive electrode tab 31 and / or the negative electrode tab 32 of the two adjacent electrode assemblies 30. The insulating auxiliary member 252 can effectively separate the side of the positive electrode tab 31 and / or the negative electrode tab 32 facing away from the top cover body 21.

[0222] For example, as shown in FIG19 , the thickness of the insulating body 251 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22 a and the second input-output components 23 a is D4, and the thickness of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22 a and the second input-output components 23 a is D5. <D4。

[0223] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 18 , a dimension of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the third direction X is D6 , where D6 > D5 .

[0224] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the dimension of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the third direction X is greater than the thickness of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a, the creepage distance between the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a is mainly provided by the dimension of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the third direction X, thereby reducing the influence of the thickness of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a on the creepage distance between the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a. Because the dimension of the auxiliary insulating member 252 along the third direction X is greater than its thickness along the alignment direction of two adjacent second connectors 23, the cross-sectional area of ​​the auxiliary insulating member 252 perpendicular to the alignment direction of the adjacent first input / output components 22a and second input / output components 23a is larger. Reducing the thickness of the auxiliary insulating member 252 along the alignment direction of the adjacent first input / output components 22a and second input / output components 23a helps minimize the mass of the auxiliary insulating member 252 and improve the mass energy density. Therefore, by making the thickness of the auxiliary insulating member 252 along the alignment direction of the adjacent first input / output components 22a and second input / output components 23a smaller than the thickness of the main insulating body 251 along the alignment direction of the adjacent first input / output components 22a and second input / output components 23a, the thickness of the auxiliary insulating member 252 is reduced. This minimizes the mass of the auxiliary insulating member 252 while minimizing the impact on the creepage distance between the adjacent first input / output components 22a and second input / output components 23a, thereby improving the mass energy density of the battery.

[0225] In some embodiments, the thickness of the insulating auxiliary component 252 along the arrangement direction of adjacent first input-output components 22a and second input-output components 23a can be greater than or equal to the thickness of the insulating body 251 along the arrangement direction of adjacent first input-output components 22a and second input-output components 23a.

[0226] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 19, the insulating shielding member 25 also includes an insulating separator 253, which is connected to the side of the insulating body 251 away from the insulating base 26, and the insulating separator 253 protrudes along the third direction X from the side of the first input-output component exposure portion 222a and / or the second input-output component exposure portion 232a away from the first positive pole tab connection portion 221a and / or the second negative pole tab connection portion 231a. The thickness of the insulating separator 253 along the arrangement direction of adjacent first input-output components 22a and second input-output components 23a is less than the thickness of the insulating body 251 along the arrangement direction of adjacent first input-output components 22a and second input-output components 23a, and the size of the insulating separator 253 along the third direction X is greater than the thickness of the insulating separator 253 along the arrangement direction of adjacent first input-output components 22a and second input-output components 23a.

[0227] The insulating spacer 253 mainly serves to separate and insulate the first input / output device exposed portion 222 a and the second input / output device exposed portion 232 a .

[0228] The insulating spacer 253 protruding from the first I / O component exposed portion 222a and / or the second I / O component exposed portion 232a can increase the creepage distance between the first I / O component exposed portion 222a and / or the second I / O component exposed portion 232a.

[0229] For example, as shown in FIG19 , the thickness of the insulating spacer 253 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22 a and the second input-output components 23 a is D7, D7 <D4。

[0230] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 19 , a dimension of the insulating spacer 253 along the third direction X is D8 , where D8 > D7 .

[0231] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the dimension of the insulating partition 253 along the third direction X is greater than the thickness of the insulating partition 253 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a, the creepage distance between the first input-output component exposed portion 222a and the second input-output component exposed portion 232a is mainly provided by the dimension of the insulating partition 253 along the third direction X, and the creepage distance between the first input-output component exposed portion 222a and the second input-output component exposed portion 232a is reduced by reducing the thickness of the insulating partition 253 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a. The creepage distance between the two components is less affected. Since the size of the insulating separator 253 along the third direction X is greater than the thickness of the insulating separator 253 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a, the area of ​​the cross section of the insulating separator 253 perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a is larger. Reducing the thickness of the insulating separator 253 along the arrangement direction of the adjacent first input-output components 22a and the second input-output components 23a is beneficial to reducing the mass of the insulating separator 253 as much as possible, which is beneficial to improving the mass energy density of the battery.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first connector includes, in addition to the first exposed portion and the first connecting portion, a third connecting portion connected to the first connecting portion, the first connecting portion including a connecting surface extending along the third direction X, and the third connecting portion also including a connecting surface extending along the third direction X. The second connector includes, in addition to the second exposed portion and the second connecting portion, a fourth connecting portion connected to the second connecting portion 231, the second connecting portion including a connecting surface extending along the third direction X, and the fourth connecting portion also including a connecting surface extending along the third direction X. For example, the first and second connectors herein may be configured as the first input / output component 22b and the second input / output component 23b as shown in FIG. 11 .

[0233] The battery 4 may include at least two electrode assemblies 30, wherein the positive electrode tab 31 of one electrode assembly 30 may be connected to the first connection surface of the first connector, and the negative electrode tab 32 of this electrode assembly 30 may be connected to the second connection surface of the second connector; the positive electrode tab 31 of the other electrode assembly 30 may be connected to the third connection surface of the first connector, and the negative electrode tab 32 of this electrode assembly 30 may be connected to the fourth connection surface of the second connector, thereby connecting the two electrode assemblies 30 in parallel to form a parallel electrode assembly. That is, the tab connected to the connection surface of the first connector and the tab connected to the connection surface of the third connector have the same polarity, and the tab connected to the connection surface of the second connector and the tab connected to the connection surface of the fourth connector have the same polarity. Figure 11 shows a specific embodiment of this situation.

[0234] A first connector and a second connector, each including two connecting portions, may be combined as a connection group, with each connection group correspondingly used for an electrode assembly parallel body. More electrode assemblies 30 (e.g., 4, 6, 8) and more first connectors (e.g., 4, 6, 8) and second connectors (e.g., 4, 6, 8) may be used to form more electrode assembly parallel bodies connected by connection groups.

[0235] As an example, the multiple electrode assemblies 30 include a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly, one of the connecting surface of the first connecting portion and the connecting surface of the second connecting portion is connected to the positive electrode tab 31 of the first electrode assembly, and the other is connected to the negative electrode tab 32 of the first electrode assembly; one of the connecting surface of the third connecting portion and the connecting surface of the fourth connecting portion is connected to the positive electrode tab 31 of the second electrode assembly, and the other is connected to the negative electrode tab 32 of the second electrode assembly, the tab connected to the connecting surface of the first connecting portion has the same polarity as the tab connected to the connecting surface of the third connecting portion, and the tab connected to the connecting surface of the second connecting portion has the same polarity as the tab connected to the connecting surface of the fourth connecting portion.

[0236] Thus, at least two electrode assemblies without bent tabs are connected in parallel through one top cover assembly 20 , thereby improving connection reliability and enhancing parallel connection efficiency.

[0237] In one example, the connection surface of the first connection portion is connected to the positive electrode tab 31 of the first electrode assembly, the connection surface of the second connection portion is connected to the negative electrode tab 32 of the first electrode assembly, the connection surface of the third connection portion is connected to the positive electrode tab 31 of the second electrode assembly, and the connection surface of the fourth connection portion is connected to the negative electrode tab 32 of the second electrode assembly.

[0238] In another example, the connection surface of the first connection portion is connected to the negative electrode tab 32 of the first electrode assembly, the connection surface of the second connection portion is connected to the positive electrode tab 31 of the first electrode assembly, the connection surface of the third connection portion is connected to the negative electrode tab 32 of the second electrode assembly, and the connection surface of the fourth connection portion is connected to the positive electrode tab 31 of the second electrode assembly.

[0239] The first connecting member 22 and the second connecting member 23 can constitute a connecting group, and each connecting group can connect two electrode assemblies in parallel. Figures 9, 10, and 11 exemplarily show that a connecting group is set on a top cover body 21, thereby connecting two electrode assemblies in parallel. It can be understood that multiple connecting groups can also be set side by side on a top cover body 21, thereby connecting multiple electrode assemblies in parallel.

[0240] In some embodiments, the first connecting portion, the first exposed portion, and the third connecting portion are integrally formed; and the second connecting portion, the second exposed portion, and the fourth connecting portion are integrally formed. This facilitates and makes the connection with the positive and negative electrode tabs more reliable, improves battery reliability, and reduces the number of parts.

[0241] In some embodiments, the first connector 22 (first input / output member 22a or 22b) and the second connector 23 (second input / output member 23a or 23b) are each injection molded with the top cover body 21. Thus, the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 are integrally formed with the top cover body 21, providing a more stable connection and improving battery reliability.

[0242] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 12, 16 and 19, the top cover body 21 is provided with a mounting groove 214 on one side thereof along the third direction X toward the top cover body 21, and the opening edge of the shell 10 is inserted into the mounting groove 214, thereby closing the opening of the shell with the top cover body 2.

[0243] The mounting groove 214 is a recessed structure for accommodating the opening edge of the housing 10 .

[0244] The opening edge of the housing 10 is inserted into the mounting groove 214 , and the opening edge of the housing 10 is located between the inner groove wall and the outer groove wall of the mounting groove 214 .

[0245] Exemplarily, the mounting slot 214 is a groove.

[0246] In the disclosed embodiment, the opening edge of the shell 10 is inserted into the mounting groove 214 , and the opening edge of the shell 10 is constrained by the groove wall of the mounting groove 214 , which helps to reduce the shaking of the top cover body 21 relative to the shell 10 .

[0247] In some embodiments, the top cover body 21 is glued to the housing 10 .

[0248] For example, glue may be applied between the top cover body 21 and the housing 10 to achieve bonding.

[0249] For example, the top cover body 21 and the housing 10 may be bonded together by adhesive tape.

[0250] Exemplarily, the tape for bonding the top cover body 21 and the housing 10 may be a ceramic composite tape.

[0251] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the top cover body 21 is glued to the shell 10 , so that the top cover body 21 can be installed on the shell 10 more conveniently.

[0252] In some embodiments, the top cover body 21 and the housing 10 may be connected via a connector, for example, via rivets.

[0253] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 17 and 19, the mounting groove 214 has a guide rib 901 located in the mounting groove 214, the guide rib 901 is located on the inner side of the shell 10, and the guide rib 901 has a guide surface 9011 on the side facing the side wall of the shell 10, pointing along the groove opening of the mounting groove 214 to the direction of the groove bottom of the mounting groove 214, and the guide surface 9011 is inclined toward the side wall of the shell 10.

[0254] The guide rib 901 is a structure for guiding the opening edge of the housing 10 to move to a predetermined position in the installation groove.

[0255] Exemplarily, the guide rib 901 may be in the shape of a plate-like structure.

[0256] Exemplarily, the number of the guide ribs 901 may be at least two, and the at least two guide ribs 901 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the top cover body 21 .

[0257] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, during the process of installing the top cover body 21 to the shell 10, the opening edge of the shell 10 is guided to move by the guide surface 9011 of the guide rib 901, so that the opening edge of the shell 10 is close to the outer side wall of the installation groove, thereby guiding the opening of the shell 10 to a predetermined position in the installation groove, and the opening edge of the shell 10 can be better constrained by the guide rib 901 and the outer side wall of the installation groove.

[0258] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 15, 16 and 18, the shell 10 has a pressure relief port 12, and the pressure relief port 12 and the opening are located on different sides of the shell 10; the battery 4 includes a pressure relief cover 904, which is provided on the shell 10 and closes the pressure relief port 12. The pressure relief cover 904 is configured to open the pressure relief port 12 in the event of thermal runaway of the battery 4.

[0259] A pressure relief port 12 is formed on one side of the housing 10 , and the accommodating space is communicated with the pressure relief port 12 . The pressure relief port 12 is an opening for the gas and exhaust in the accommodating space 11 to escape.

[0260] Because the housing is provided with a pressure relief vent, in the event of thermal runaway of battery 4, the gases and emissions generated by the thermal runaway can be discharged through the pressure relief vent 12, thereby achieving pressure relief in the storage space. Furthermore, the gases and emissions generated by the thermal runaway are guided by the pressure relief vent 12 and are less likely to disperse, thereby achieving directional emission of the thermal runaway of battery 4. This makes the emission direction of the high-temperature emissions generated during thermal runaway controllable, reduces the possibility of the high-temperature emissions affecting other batteries 4 or other components within the battery pack, and improves the reliability of battery 4.

[0261] The pressure relief cover 904 is a sealing structure that covers the pressure relief port 12 . The pressure relief cover 904 is configured to open the pressure relief port 12 when thermal runaway occurs in the battery 4 .

[0262] In this way, when thermal runaway does not occur, the pressure relief cover 904 closes the pressure relief port, thereby reducing the possibility of objects in the storage space falling out and reducing the possibility of external debris entering the storage space, thereby further improving the reliability of the battery 4.

[0263] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure relief port 12 is located on the opposite side of the opening along the third direction X. In other words, the opening is located on the top side of the shell 10 and the pressure relief port 12 is located on the bottom side of the shell 10. This can effectively achieve thermal and electrical separation and improve the reliability of the battery 4.

[0264] Thermal separation refers to the arrangement of separate electrical connections and pressure relief devices within battery 4, preventing thermal runaway of battery 4 from causing arcing, short circuits, insulation failure, and other phenomena. This prevents further thermal runaway of other surrounding batteries 4 and reduces the risk of heat spread. Thermal separation can be considered a measure to reduce the severity of thermal runaway within battery 4, thus preventing serious consequences such as fire and explosion caused by abnormal battery conditions.

[0265] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, in the event of thermal runaway of the battery 4, pressure can be released through the bottom of the battery 4, so that high-temperature emissions are not easily in contact with the top cover assembly 20 covering the opening, which is conducive to achieving thermal and electrical separation, and reduces the risk of emissions spreading through the top cover assembly 20 to the top cover assemblies 20 of other surrounding batteries 4, thereby reducing the risk of damage to electrical components such as electrical connectors and busbars on the top cover assembly 20, further reducing the risk of thermal diffusion, and improving the reliability of the battery 4.

[0266] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some other embodiments, the pressure relief port 12 may also be located on any other side of the housing 10 as long as it is located on a different side from the opening.

[0267] Due to the soft (flexible) packaging shell structure of the soft-pack battery cell, it is more difficult to control the eruption direction during thermal runaway, that is, it is more difficult to achieve directional eruption. Therefore, the soft-pack battery cell is placed in the accommodation space of the shell 10, and the shell 10 is provided with a pressure relief vent 12. When the soft-pack battery cell experiences thermal runaway, the high-temperature emissions can also be ejected in a direction through the pressure relief vent 12 of the shell 10. This makes the eruption direction of the soft-pack battery cell in thermal runaway controllable, reduces the risk of heat diffusion, and is conducive to improving the reliability of the soft-pack battery cell.

[0268] In some embodiments, the pressure relief cover 904 is an insulating film having a melting point less than or equal to 500° C.

[0269] Illustratively, the melting point of the insulating film may be 100°C, 200°C, 300°C, 400°C, or 500°C.

[0270] The pressure relief cover 904 is an insulating film, which helps reduce the possibility of short circuiting between the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302 within the housing 10. The melting point of the insulating film is less than or equal to 500°C. This relatively low melting point of the insulating film facilitates thermal runaway gases in the containment space to melt through the insulating film and relieve pressure in the containment space.

[0271] In some embodiments, the pressure relief cover 904 is a metal cover having a weakened area 41 for pressure relief.

[0272] For example, the material of the pressure relief cover 904 may be the same as that of the housing 10 .

[0273] The weakened area 41 refers to an area on the pressure relief cover with a smaller pressure bearing capacity.

[0274] By providing a weakened area 41 on the pressure relief cover 904, the metal cover can better shield the pressure relief port 12 when no thermal runaway occurs, and when thermal runaway occurs, high-temperature emissions can break through the weakened area 41, thereby achieving better pressure relief.

[0275] For example, the weakened area 41 may be a notch provided on the pressure relief cover 904 .

[0276] In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the weakened area 41 is less than the wall thickness of the rest of the pressure relief cover 904 .

[0277] By providing an area with a smaller wall thickness on the pressure relief cover 904, the strength of the pressure relief cover 904 in the area with the smaller wall thickness is lower due to the smaller wall thickness, and the pressure bearing capacity of the pressure relief cover 904 in the area with the smaller wall thickness is lower. The pressure relief cover 904 in the area with the smaller wall thickness is weakened relative to other areas. In this way, in the event of thermal runaway of the battery, the gas generated by the thermal runaway and the high-temperature emissions can more easily break through the weakened zone 41, thereby depressurizing the accommodation space.

[0278] The battery provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is described above by way of example. In addition, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a top cover assembly 20 for the above-mentioned battery. The structure of the top cover assembly 20 is as described above and will not be further described here.

[0279] The present disclosure further provides a battery pack 100 comprising: at least one battery 4 as described above; and at least one busbar component electrically connected to a first exposed portion of a first input / output component and a second exposed portion of a second input / output component, thereby connecting the batteries 4 in series and / or in parallel. For details on the series and parallel connection methods, refer to the above embodiments.

[0280] Since the battery 4 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can accommodate the soft-pack battery cells (the first soft-pack battery cell 301 and the second soft-pack battery cell 302) within the accommodating space of the shell 10, the soft-pack battery cells can be well protected, reducing the possibility of damage to the soft-pack battery cells, thereby reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the soft-pack battery cells due to mechanical collision, and further reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack, thereby improving the reliability of the battery 4 and even the battery pack 100.

[0281] In addition, the battery pack 100 may further include a case for accommodating one or more batteries 4. In some embodiments, the case further includes a cover to enclose the space accommodating the batteries 4. In the battery pack 100, multiple batteries 4 may be arranged along the second direction Y and / or the first direction Z.

[0282] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2, there are multiple batteries 4, the openings of the shells 10 of each battery 4 are located on the same side along the third direction X, and the pressure relief ports 12 of the shells 10 of each battery 4 are located on opposite sides of the openings along the third direction X, and the top cover assemblies 20 of adjacent batteries 4 are connected to each other, and each top cover assembly 20 respectively closes the opening of its corresponding shell 10.

[0283] Since the openings of the shells 10 of the batteries 4 are all located on the same side along the third direction, it is more convenient for the busbar to connect to the electrical connectors of the top cover assemblies 20 of adjacent batteries 4, thereby making it easier to make electrical connections between the batteries 4. In addition, the extension length of the busbar does not need to be too long, which is beneficial to saving materials and reducing production costs.

[0284] The pressure relief vent 12 is located on the opposite side of the opening along the third direction, so that in the event of thermal runaway of the battery 4, high-temperature emissions can be discharged in a direction opposite to the bottom direction of the opening, thereby not easily affecting the top cover assembly 20 provided at the opening, thereby improving the reliability of the battery 4.

[0285] In each battery cell 4, the tab is connected to the top cover assembly. Multiple top cover assemblies 20 are connected in pairs to form a battery pack 100. Compared to the traditional method of first grouping the batteries (electrode assemblies) and then connecting the tabs to the connectors, this facilitates the connection of the tabs to the connectors and reduces or even eliminates the risk of the tabs breaking due to bending, resulting in higher connection reliability. Furthermore, if a battery cell 4 in the battery pack 100 experiences thermal runaway, the high-temperature emissions generated by the thermal runaway can be directed and discharged in a predetermined direction through the pressure relief vent 12 of the battery cell 4, thereby less likely to affect other batteries 4 and other components in the battery pack 100. This can reduce the risk of thermal diffusion and improve the stability of the battery cell 4 and the battery pack 100.

[0286] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG13 , among two adjacent top cover assemblies 20 , one top cover assembly 20 is provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion 212 (shown in FIG20 ), and the other top cover assembly 20 is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove, and the top cover assemblies 20 of adjacent batteries 4 are connected to each other through the snap-fitting of the snap-fit ​​protrusion 212 and the snap-fit ​​groove.

[0287] As shown in FIG5 , one of the two end surfaces of the top cover body 21 in the first direction Z can be formed with a ridge extending in the second direction Y, and the other can be formed with a groove extending in the second direction Y. The ridge of one top cover body 21 mates with the groove of the adjacent other top cover body 21 to achieve the splicing of the two top cover bodies 21. The first exposed portion 222 and the second exposed portion 232 provided on the top cover body 21 can be connected by a busbar component. This allows the batteries 4 to be arranged close to each other and electrically connected into groups.

[0288] The engagement of the engaging protrusions 212 of the top cover assemblies 20 of adjacent batteries 4 with the engaging grooves enables the battery pack 100 to be formed into a group, thereby improving the grouping efficiency.

[0289] Of course, each top cover assembly 20 may not be provided with the engaging protrusion 212 . When the top cover assemblies 20 are arranged side by side and close to each other, there is no engagement between adjacent top cover assemblies 20 .

[0290] In some embodiments, the battery pack 100 contains multiple batteries 4. The connection method (series or parallel) of the electrode assemblies of these batteries 4, as well as the shape and combination of the first connector 22 and the second connector 23 in the top cover assembly 20, can be the same or different.

[0291] The present disclosure further provides an electrical device, comprising at least one battery 4 or at least one battery pack 100 for providing electrical energy.

[0292] The present disclosure further provides an energy storage device, including at least one battery 4 or at least one battery pack 100 , wherein the battery is capable of storing electrical energy and providing electrical energy.

[0293] A battery manufacturing method provided by the present disclosure is described below.

[0294] 14 , the present disclosure provides a battery manufacturing method comprising:

[0295] S01: a top cover assembly forming step of forming a first conductive connector and a second conductive connector on the top cover body to form an integrated top cover assembly, wherein the first connector includes a first connecting portion and a first exposed portion connected to the first connecting portion, and the second connector includes a second connecting portion and a second exposed portion connected to the second connecting portion;

[0296] S02: a tab connecting step of connecting one of the connecting surface of the first connecting portion and the connecting surface of the second connecting portion of the top cover assembly to the positive electrode tab or the negative electrode tab surface of the electrode assembly, and connecting the other to the positive electrode tab or the negative electrode tab surface of the electrode assembly not connected to the first connecting portion, wherein the positive electrode tab, the negative electrode tab, the connecting surface of the first connecting portion, and the connecting surface of the second connecting portion all extend along the third direction;

[0297] S03 Electrode assembly into the shell step: the electrode assembly connected to the top cover assembly is accommodated in the accommodation space defined by the shell from the opening of the shell, and the opening is closed by the top cover assembly, wherein the first exposed portion and the second exposed portion are exposed to the outside of the shell.

[0298] Since the extension direction of the connection surface of the first connecting part and the second connecting part is the same as the extension direction of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab, the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab can be connected to the first connecting part and the second connecting part respectively without bending, eliminating the step of bending the tabs, reducing the risk of tab breakage, improving connection reliability, and improving battery manufacturing efficiency.

[0299] In some embodiments, the step of forming the top cover assembly S01 includes:

[0300] The first connecting piece, the second connecting piece and the top cover body are formed into an integrated top cover assembly through injection molding.

[0301] The first connecting member, the second connecting member and the top cover body form an injection-molded integral structure, which makes the connection more stable, thereby improving the reliability of the battery.

[0302] In some embodiments, the step of connecting the tabs S03 includes:

[0303] Connecting one of the connecting surface of the first connecting portion of the first connector and the connecting surface of the second connecting portion of the second connector to the positive electrode tab of the first electrode assembly, and connecting the other to the negative electrode tab of the first electrode assembly;

[0304] One of the connecting surface of the third connecting portion in the first connecting member and the connecting surface of the second connecting portion in another second connecting member is connected to the positive electrode tab of the second electrode assembly, and the other is connected to the negative electrode tab of the second electrode assembly, wherein the third connecting portion is connected to the first connecting portion, the polarity of the tab connected to the connecting surface of the first connecting portion is opposite to the polarity of the tab connected to the connecting surface of the third connecting portion, and the polarity of the tabs connected to the connecting surfaces of the second connecting portions of the two second connecting members are opposite.

[0305] Thus, at least two electrode assemblies without bent tabs can be connected in series through a top cover assembly, thereby improving connection reliability and enhancing battery manufacturing efficiency.

[0306] In some embodiments, the step of connecting the tabs S02 includes:

[0307] Connecting one of the connection surface of the first connection portion and the connection surface of the second connection portion to the positive electrode tab of the first electrode assembly, and connecting the other to the negative electrode tab of the first electrode assembly;

[0308] One of the connecting surfaces of the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part of the top cover assembly is connected to the positive electrode tab of the second electrode assembly, and the other is connected to the negative electrode tab of the second electrode assembly, wherein the first connecting part is connected to the third connecting part, and the second connecting part is connected to the fourth connecting part, the tab connected to the connecting surface of the first connecting part has the same polarity as the tab connected to the connecting surface of the third connecting part, the tab connected to the connecting surface of the second connecting part has the same polarity as the tab connected to the connecting surface of the fourth connecting part, and the polarity of the tab connected to the first connecting part is opposite to the polarity of the tab connected to the second connecting part.

[0309] Thus, at least two electrode assemblies without bent tabs are connected in parallel through one top cover assembly, thereby improving connection reliability and enhancing battery manufacturing efficiency.

[0310] In some embodiments, after the S02 electrode assembly shelling step, the method further includes: a battery grouping step: connecting the top cover assemblies of each battery in sequence.

[0311] Each battery can first be connected to the top cover assembly through the tabs, and then connected into groups through their own top cover assemblies to form a battery pack. Compared with the traditional method of first grouping the batteries and then connecting the tabs and connectors, it is easier to connect the tabs and connectors, and the connection reliability is higher.

[0312] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure 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 or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and description of the present disclosure. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery, wherein: include: a housing defining a receiving space and having an opening on one side; A first soft-pack battery cell and a second soft-pack battery cell are accommodated in the accommodation space, the first soft-pack battery cell includes a first positive electrode tab and a first negative electrode tab, and the second soft-pack battery cell includes a second positive electrode tab and a second negative electrode tab; a top cover assembly, disposed on the housing and closing the opening, the top cover assembly comprising a top cover body and a first input / output member and a second input / output member that are electrically conductive and disposed on the top cover body, the first input / output member comprising a first positive electrode tab connection portion and a first input / output member exposed portion, and the second input / output member comprising a second negative electrode tab connection portion and a second input / output member exposed portion; The first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are arranged side by side along a first direction, where the first direction is a thickness direction of the soft-pack battery cell; When the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are arranged side by side along a first direction, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the second negative electrode tab; or When the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in parallel, the first input-output component and the second input-output component are arranged side by side along the second direction, the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab, and the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first negative electrode tab; The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein The first positive electrode tab connection portion and the second negative electrode tab connection portion each include a connection surface extending along a third direction, the first input-output component exposure portion and the second input-output component exposure portion are exposed to the outside of the shell, the connection surface of the first positive electrode tab connection portion is connected to the first positive electrode tab surface, and the connection surface of the second negative electrode tab connection portion is connected to the second negative electrode tab surface.

3. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The first positive electrode tab connecting portion is bent and connected to the first input / output component exposed portion; The second negative electrode tab connecting portion is bent and connected to the second input / output member exposed portion.

4. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The first input / output member exposed portion and the second input / output member exposed portion are both parallel to the top surface of the top cover body.

5. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein When the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, the top cover assembly further includes a adapter, which includes a third positive pole tab connection portion and a fourth negative pole tab connection portion, the third positive pole tab connection portion is connected to the second positive pole tab, and the fourth negative pole tab connection portion is connected to the first negative pole tab; along the second direction, the adapter is placed on one side of the first input-output component and the second input-output component.

6. The battery according to any one of claims 5, wherein The third positive electrode tab connecting portion includes a connecting surface extending along the third direction; The fourth negative electrode tab connecting portion includes a connecting surface extending along the third direction.

7. The battery according to claim 5 or 6, wherein The third positive electrode tab connection portion and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion are connected via a third sub-bending portion, and the third sub-bending portion is bent relative to the third positive electrode tab connection portion and the fourth negative electrode tab connection portion.

8. The battery according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein The adapter also includes a sampling portion, which is exposed outside the shell.

9. The battery according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein The first input-output member exposed portion and the second input-output member exposed portion are located on opposite sides along the first direction.

10. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein When the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in series, an insulating shielding member is provided between the first positive electrode tab connection portion of the first input / output component and the second negative electrode tab connection portion of the second input / output component.

11. The battery according to claim 10, wherein The insulating shielding member protrudes from both ends of the first input / output member and the second input / output member along the third direction.

12. The battery according to claim 10 or 11, wherein The battery further includes an insulating support connected to the insulating shielding member. The insulating support is provided on opposite sides of the insulating shielding member along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member. The insulating support is located on a side of the top cover body facing the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell along the third direction. A side of the first input-output member facing away from the exposed portion of the first input-output member and an end of the second input-output member facing away from the exposed portion of the second input-output member abut against a side of the insulating support facing the top cover body.

13. The battery according to claim 12, wherein The side of the first positive electrode tab connection portion of the first input / output component facing away from the second negative electrode tab connection portion of the second input / output component protrudes from the insulating support; and / or A side of the second negative electrode tab connection portion of the second input / output component facing away from the first positive electrode tab connection portion of the first input / output component protrudes from the insulating support.

14. The battery according to claim 12 or 13, wherein The insulating shielding member comprises: an insulating body connected to a side of the insulating support facing the top cover body, the insulating body being clamped between the first positive electrode tab connection portion of the first input / output component and the second negative electrode tab connection portion of the second input / output component; An insulating auxiliary part is connected to the side of the insulating base facing away from the top cover body, the thickness of the insulating auxiliary part along the arrangement direction of the first input-output part and the second input-output part is less than the thickness of the insulating main body along the arrangement direction of the first input-output part and the second input-output part, and the size of the insulating auxiliary part along the third direction is greater than the thickness of the insulating auxiliary part along the arrangement direction of the first input-output part and the second input-output part.

15. The battery according to claim 14, wherein The insulating shielding member also includes an insulating spacer, which is connected to a side of the insulating main body facing away from the insulating support platform. The insulating spacer protrudes along the third direction from a side of the exposed portion of the first input-output member facing away from the first input-output member and a side of the exposed portion of the second input-output member facing away from the second input-output member. The thickness of the insulating spacer along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member is smaller than the thickness of the insulating main body along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member. The dimension of the insulating spacer along the third direction is greater than the thickness of the insulating spacer along the arrangement direction of the first input-output member and the second input-output member.

16. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein When the first soft-pack battery cell and the second soft-pack battery cell are connected in parallel, the first input-output component further includes a fifth positive electrode tab connection portion, which is connected to the second positive electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell, and the second input-output component further includes a sixth negative electrode tab connection portion, which is connected to the second negative electrode tab of the second soft-pack battery cell.

17. The battery according to claim 16, wherein: The first input / output member further includes a first sub-bend portion, the first positive tab connection portion and the fifth positive tab connection portion are connected via the first sub-bend portion, the first sub-bend portion is bent relative to the first positive tab connection portion and the fifth positive tab connection portion, one end of the first positive tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to the exposed portion of the first input / output member, the other end of the first positive tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to one end of the first sub-bend portion, and the other end of the first sub-bend portion is connected to one end of the fifth positive tab connection portion in the third direction, and the fifth positive tab connection portion extends parallel to the first positive tab connection portion; The second input-output member includes a second sub-bending portion, the second negative electrode tab connection portion and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion are connected via the second sub-bending portion, the second sub-bending portion is bent relative to the second negative electrode tab connection portion and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion, one end of the second negative electrode tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to the exposed portion of the second input-output member, the other end of the second negative electrode tab connection portion in the third direction is connected to one end of the second sub-bending portion, the other end of the second sub-bending portion is connected to one end of the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion in the third direction, and the sixth negative electrode tab connection portion extends parallel to the second negative electrode tab connection portion.

18. The battery according to claim 16 or 17, wherein The first input-output member exposed portion and the second input-output member exposed portion are located on the same side along the first direction.

19. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein The first input-output component and the second input-output component are respectively injection-molded with the top cover body.

20. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein The housing has a pressure relief port, and the pressure relief port and the opening are located on different sides of the housing; The battery includes a pressure relief cover, which is provided on the housing and closes the pressure relief port. The pressure relief cover is configured to open the pressure relief port when thermal runaway occurs in the battery.

21. The battery according to any one of claims 20, wherein The pressure relief cover is an insulating film, and the melting point of the insulating film is greater than or equal to 100° C. and less than or equal to 500° C.

22. The battery according to any one of claims 20, wherein The pressure relief cover is a metal cover having a weakened area for pressure relief.

23. The battery according to claim 22, wherein The wall thickness of the weakened area is smaller than the wall thickness of the remaining portion of the pressure relief cover.

24. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein The top cover body is provided with a mounting groove on one side thereof facing the shell along the third direction, and the top cover body is inserted into the mounting groove through the opening edge of the shell to close the opening of the shell.

25. The battery according to claim 24, wherein The mounting groove has a guide rib located inside the mounting groove, and the guide rib is located on the inner side of the shell. The guide rib has a guide surface on the side facing the side wall of the shell, pointing along the groove opening of the mounting groove to the bottom of the mounting groove, and the guide surface is inclined toward the side wall of the shell.

26. The battery according to any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein The pressure relief port is located on the opposite side of the opening along the third direction; and / or The top cover body is glued to the shell.

27. A battery pack, wherein: include: At least one battery according to any one of claims 1 to 26; At least one busbar is electrically connected to the first input / output member exposed portion of the first input / output member and the second input / output member exposed portion of the second input / output member to connect the batteries in series and / or in parallel.

28. The battery pack according to claim 27, wherein: There are multiple batteries, the openings of the housings of the batteries are located on the same side along the third direction, and the pressure relief ports of the housings of the batteries are located on opposite sides of the openings along the third direction; The top cover assemblies of adjacent batteries are connected to each other, and each top cover assembly respectively closes the opening of the corresponding shell.

29. The battery pack according to claim 27 or 28, wherein: Among the two adjacent top cover assemblies, one top cover assembly is provided with a snap-fit ​​protrusion, and the other top cover assembly is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove. The top cover assemblies of the adjacent batteries are connected to each other through the snap-fitting of the snap-fit ​​protrusion and the snap-fit ​​groove.

30. An electrical device, wherein: A battery according to any one of claims 1 to 26 or a battery pack according to any one of claims 27 to 29 for providing electrical energy.

31. An energy storage device, wherein: The invention comprises the battery according to any one of claims 1 to 26 or the battery pack according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the battery is capable of storing electrical energy and providing electrical energy.

Images