Battery cell, battery and electrical device

Abstract

A battery cell (1), a battery and an electrical device. The battery cell (1) comprises: a casing (101), which comprises therein a cell, the cell comprising a first tab and a second tab, and a top plate (102) of the casing (101) being an electrical conductor; a first post (104) which is electrically connected to the first tab, the first post (104) being arranged on an outer surface of the top plate (102), and the first tab being electrically connected to the cell; a second post (106) which is electrically connected to the second tab, the second post (106) being arranged on the outer surface of the top plate (102), and the second tab being electrically connected to the cell; at least one thermistor (103) which has a resistance value that decreases as the temperature rises and is configured to be in contact with the two following members: at least one of the first post (104) and the second post (106); and a top plate (102), when the temperature of the at least one thermistor (103) reaches or exceeds a temperature threshold, at least one post being electrically connected to the top plate (102) via the at least one thermistor (103). When thermal runaway occurs in a certain cell in a battery, the entire battery can keep supplying power to a load.

Description

Battery cell, battery and electric device

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410426282.5, filed on April 10, 2024, entitled “Battery cell, battery and electric device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the field of batteries, in particular to a battery cell, a battery and an electric device. BACKGROUND

[0004] Batteries have been increasingly widely used in various industries such as automobiles, which helps to achieve energy saving and emission reduction. A battery can be composed of a plurality of battery cells, each of which contains a battery cell. During use, thermal runaway may occur in one or more battery cells in the battery, which can cause the entire battery to stop working.

[0005] SUMMARY

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a battery cell, a battery and an electric device, which enable the battery to continue working when thermal runaway occurs in one or more battery cells.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a battery cell, comprising: a housing, an interior of the housing containing a battery cell, the battery cell containing a first tab and a second tab, and a top plate of the housing being an electrical conductor; a first pole connected to the first tab, the first pole being disposed on an outer surface of the top plate, the first tab being electrically connected to the battery cell; a second pole connected to the second tab, the second pole being disposed on the outer surface of the top plate, the second tab being electrically connected to the battery cell; and at least one thermistor having an electrical resistance value decreasing with an increase in temperature, disposed in contact with at least one of the first pole and the second pole and the top plate, wherein, when a temperature of the at least one thermistor reaches or exceeds a temperature threshold, the at least one pole and the top plate are electrically connected to each other via the at least one thermistor.

[0008] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a battery comprising the battery cell in the above embodiments.

[0009] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an electric device comprising the battery in the above embodiments, the battery being configured to provide electrical energy.

[0010] The above description is only a summary of the technical solutions of the present application. In order to enable one skilled in the art to better understand the technical means of the present application, the present application can be implemented according to the content of the description, and in order to enable the above and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the present application to be more apparent and easy to understand, the following specific embodiments of the present application are described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a description of the preferred embodiments and are not meant to limit the present application. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. In the drawings:

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] The reference numerals in the detailed description are as follows: housing 101 top plate 102 battery cell 1 first pole 104 second pole 106 first insulating member 105 second insulating member 107 thermistor 103 first thermistor 108 second thermistor 109 first component 110 second component 111 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and therefore only serve as examples, and cannot limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present application; the present specification and claims and the above description of the drawings, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover not exclusively inclusive.

[0021] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second" and the like are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0022] In this paper, the term "embodiment" means that the specific features, structures or properties described in conjunction with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment to other embodiments. Those skilled in the art explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0023] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which means that there are three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " in this paper generally represents that the front and rear associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two), and similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0025] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the technical terms "mounting", "connection", "connection", "fixing" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanical connection, or it can be electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] A battery can be composed of a plurality of (e.g., tens, hundreds) of battery cells, each of which contains a cell, each of which can be discharged and charged individually. During the use of the battery, it is possible that one or more cells in the battery will experience thermal runaway, which can cause the entire battery to be unable to continue to work.

[0028] As an example, in the use scenario of an electric vehicle, when the vehicle identifies that a cell experiences thermal runaway, the tab of the cell can break. At this time, if the entire battery is kept powered on or is powered on afterwards, a reverse high voltage can be formed at the broken tab, causing the cell to be punctured, causing a fire outside the battery, and causing a safety problem. In the case where the tab of the cell does not break, if the entire battery is kept powered on or is powered on afterwards, the cell can overheat and cause a fire. Therefore, once it is identified that a cell experiences thermal runaway, the control system of the entire vehicle will take an immediate power-off process to stop the discharge of the entire battery, causing the vehicle to be unable to continue to travel. Similar problems exist in other use scenarios other than vehicles.

[0029] In order to enable the entire battery to continue to supply power to a load in the case where one cell in the battery experiences thermal runaway, the technical solution of the present disclosure is proposed. In the present disclosure, in the case where one cell experiences thermal runaway, the cell can become a resistor in the circuit of the entire battery, and at least part of the discharge current of the cells of the entire battery that do not experience thermal runaway will continue to supply power to the load via (i.e., flow through) the metal shell of the cell, so that the entire battery can continue to supply power to the load.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery cell 1 includes a housing 101, a first pole 104, and a second pole 106. The inside of the housing 101 can accommodate a cell (not shown), which is a component capable of discharging and charging.

[0031] The housing 101 can be in any shape as long as it can accommodate the cell inside. As an example, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the housing 101 can be in a generally hexahedral shape, for example. The top plate 102 of the housing 101 is an electrical conductor, i.e., the top plate 102 is made of a conductive material such as metal. In some embodiments, some or all of the other plates of the housing 101 can also be electrical conductors.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 can be disposed on the outer surface of the top plate 102. In the case where the cell is working normally, the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 are electrically insulated from the top plate 102, i.e., are not electrically connected to the top plate 102.

[0033] The battery cell can have a first tab (not shown) that can be electrically connected to the first post 104 and a second tab (not shown) that can be electrically connected to the second post 106. The first and second tabs can be connected to the posts by connectors such as jumpers or can be directly connected to the posts. A through hole (not shown) can be formed in the top plate 102 to facilitate these connections. Both the first and second tabs are electrically connected to the battery cell to release current from the battery cell to the outside or to receive charging current from the outside.

[0034] In one embodiment, the battery cell 1 can include at least one thermistor 103 having a resistance value that decreases as temperature increases, the at least one thermistor 103 being disposed in contact with both: at least one of the first and second posts 104 and 106; and the top plate 102. In the event that the temperature of the at least one thermistor 103 reaches or exceeds a temperature threshold, the at least one of the first and second posts are electrically connected to each other via the at least one thermistor 103 and the top plate 102.

[0035] The material and type of the thermistor 103 are not limited in any way. For example, in one embodiment, the thermistor 103 can be formed of a material such as a semiconductive ceramic made of oxides of two or more metals such as manganese, copper, silicon, cobalt, iron, nickel, zinc, etc. In addition, the thermistor 103 can also be formed of a non-oxide such as silicon carbide, tin selenide, tantalum nitride, etc.

[0036] The temperature threshold herein is not limited to a specific temperature value, but can be a temperature value adjusted according to the specific use conditions of the battery and the electrical device (e.g., the voltage of the battery, the size of the load, the resistance size of each element in the circuit), the surrounding environmental parameters (e.g., ambient temperature, humidity), etc. In some embodiments, the temperature threshold can correspond to the temperature that the top plate 102 of the housing 101 will reach when the battery cell experiences thermal runaway, for example, about 300 degrees Celsius. Those skilled in the art can adjust the threshold temperature according to the specific implementation when implementing the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and select the type and / or material of the thermistor that is suitable for the required threshold temperature to achieve the expected thermal runaway response measures.

[0037] Due to the adoption of the at least one thermistor 103 according to the present disclosure, in the case where the battery cell is in thermal runaway, the temperature of the top plate 102 of the case 101 will rise to or above the threshold temperature, so that the resistance value of the thermistor 103 decreases to be small enough with the temperature rise, so that the at least one pole piece in contact with the at least one thermistor 103 is electrically connected with each other via the at least one thermistor 103 and the top plate 102. Since the electrical connection between the pole piece and the top plate 102 is achieved at this time, and the pole piece is electrically connected with the pole piece of one or more battery cells in which thermal runaway does not occur in the entire battery, at least a part of the discharge current of the battery cell in which thermal runaway does not occur will continue to supply power to the load via the top plate 102 of the battery cell (i.e., the battery cell in which thermal runaway occurs), so that the entire battery can continue to supply power to the load.

[0038] The electrical connection between the pole piece and the top plate 102 achieved in the case where the battery cell is in thermal runaway described above is different from the conventional electrical connection achieved by metal contact, but is achieved by the thermistor 103 when the resistance value thereof decreases to be small enough. The specific resistance value required for the thermistor 103 to achieve such electrical connection is not subject to any limitation, but can vary or be adjusted according to the specific circuit condition, load condition, and environmental condition, etc.

[0039] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the battery cell 1 includes only one thermistor 103, the thermistor 103 is in contact with, for example, the first pole piece 104, and, for example, the second pole piece 106 is insulated from the top plate 102 via the first insulating member 105. In this embodiment, in the case where the battery cell 1 of the battery cell is in thermal runaway, so that the temperature of the thermistor 103 reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, the second pole piece 106 can be electrically connected with each other via the battery cell (e.g., via the active material in the battery cell) and the top plate 102.

[0040] In one embodiment, in the case where the temperature of the battery cell reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, the battery cell can be electrically connected with the top plate 102. Since the battery cell is electrically connected with the top plate 102, the second pole piece 106 can be electrically connected with each other via the battery cell and the top plate 102.

[0041] In one embodiment, an isolation element (not shown) can be provided between the battery cell of the battery cell 1 and the top plate 102, which insulates the battery cell from the top plate 102 from each other. For example, the isolation element can be formed of a material such as a non-conductive plastic film, resin, foam, or the like, or a thermistor whose resistance value decreases with the temperature rise, or a semiconductor element whose electrical conductivity changes with the temperature.

[0042] Due to the provision of the isolation element, in the case where the battery cell is in normal operation, the battery cell can be insulated from each other with the top plate 102.

[0043] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the isolation element can be melted (e.g., in the case where the isolation element is formed of a material such as a non-conductive plastic film, resin, foam, or the like) or be conducted (e.g., in the case where the isolation element is formed of a thermistor or a semiconductor element) in the case where the temperature of the cell reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, such that the cell is electrically connected with the top plate 102. In this embodiment, in the case where the cell of the battery monomer 1 undergoes thermal runaway, such that the temperature of the cell reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, the second pole 106 can be electrically connected with each other via the cell and the top plate 102. Thereby, in the case where both the thermistor 103 and the temperature of the cell are sufficiently high, the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 can be both electrically connected with the top plate 102, and thus at least a portion of the discharge current of other cells of the battery that do not undergo thermal runaway will continue to supply power to the load via the top plate 102 of the cell (i.e., the cell that undergoes thermal runaway) of the battery monomer 1, such that the entire battery can continue to supply power to the load.

[0044] The first pole 104 can be a positive pole or a negative pole, and correspondingly, the second pole 106 can be a negative pole or a positive pole.

[0045] In one embodiment, the first pole 104 is a positive pole, and the second pole 106 is a negative pole.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a structural schematic diagram of the battery monomer 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the battery monomer 1 includes two thermistors 103, i.e., two thermistors 103 that are respectively in contact with the first pole 104 and the second pole 106. In one embodiment, in the case where the temperature of the two thermistors 103 reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 are electrically connected with each other via a corresponding one of the two thermistors 103, respectively, and the top plate 102.

[0047] In this embodiment, no insulation can be provided between the second pole post 106 and the top plate 102. Since this embodiment employs the two thermistors 103 described above, in the event of thermal runaway of the battery cell, the temperature of the top plate 102 of the housing 101 will rise to or above the threshold temperature, so that the resistance value of the thermistor 103 decreases with the temperature rise to be small enough, so that the first pole post 104 and the second pole post 106 in contact with the two thermistors 103 are respectively electrically connected to each other via the thermistor 103 and the top plate 102. Since the electrical connection of the first pole post 104 and the second pole post 106 to the top plate 102 is achieved at this time, and the first pole post 104 and the second pole post 106 are electrically connected to the respective pole posts of one or more battery cells of the entire battery which have not undergone thermal runaway, at least a part of the discharge current of the battery cells which have not undergone thermal runaway will continue to supply power to the load via the top plate 102 of the battery cell (i.e., the battery cell which has undergone thermal runaway) of the battery monomer 1, so that the entire battery can continue to supply power to the load.

[0048] In the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, for example, one or two thermistors 103 can be sandwiched between the first pole post 104 and / or the second pole post 106 and the top plate 102.

[0049] However, the thermistor 103 can also not be sandwiched between the first pole post 104 and / or the second pole post 106 and the top plate 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a part of the thermistor 103 can be in contact with the pole post, and another part can be in contact with the top plate 102.

[0050] Specifically, FIG. 3 shows a structural schematic diagram of a battery monomer 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, a first insulation 105 can be provided between the second pole post 106 and the top plate 102, so that the second pole post 106 is insulated from the top plate 102 via the first insulation 105. In addition, a second insulation 107 can be provided between the first pole post 104 and the top plate 102, so that the first pole post 104 is insulated from the top plate 102 via the second insulation 107. In addition, a thermistor 103 can be provided, so that a part of the thermistor 103 contacts the first pole post 104, and another part of the thermistor 103 contacts the top plate 102.

[0051] In this embodiment, a portion of the thermistor 103 contacts the first pole 104 on the side of the first pole 104. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and for example, a portion of the thermistor 103 can contact the first pole 104 on the bottom surface or the top surface of the first pole 104, as long as a portion thereof contacts the first pole 104 and another portion thereof contacts the top plate 102. Thus, the electrical connection of the first pole 104 and the top plate 102 can be achieved in the case where the temperature of the thermistor 103 reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, without being sandwiched between the first pole 104 and / or the second pole 106 and the top plate 102.

[0052] In this embodiment, an isolation element (not shown) can be provided between the cell of the battery cell 1 and the top plate 102, which insulates the cell and the top plate 102 from each other. Due to the provision of the isolation element, the cell and the top plate 102 can be insulated from each other in the case where the cell normally operates. In addition, in the case where the temperature of the cell reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, at least a portion of the isolation element can be melted or made conductive, so that the cell and the top plate 102 are electrically connected. At this time, the second pole 106 can be electrically connected to the top plate 102 via the cell.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a structural schematic view of the battery cell 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, two thermistors, i.e., a first thermistor 108 and a second thermistor 109, are provided. The first pole 104 is insulated from the top plate 102 via the second insulating member 107, and the second pole 106 is insulated from the top plate 102 via the first insulating member 105. A portion of the first thermistor 108 contacts the first pole 104, and another portion of the first thermistor 108 contacts the top plate 102. A portion of the second thermistor 109 contacts the second pole 106, and another portion of the second thermistor 109 contacts the top plate 102.

[0054] Thus, the electrical connection of the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 and the top plate 102 can be achieved in the case where the temperatures of the first thermistor 108 and the second thermistor 109 reach or exceed the temperature threshold, without being sandwiched between the first pole 104 and / or the second pole 106 and the top plate 102.

[0055] In the above, two thermistors that respectively contact the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 are provided. However, only one thermistor can be provided, which has a first portion that contacts the first pole 104, a second portion that contacts the second pole 106, and a third portion that contacts the top plate 102. In this way, the same technical effects as the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

[0056] In another embodiment, in order to achieve the connection of the pole to the top plate in the case of thermal runaway of the battery cell, a lock structure can also be provided instead of the thermistor. Alternatively, in still another embodiment, both the lock structure and the thermistor can be provided.

[0057] FIG. 5 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the battery cell 1 includes a housing 101, a first pole 104, and a second pole 106. The inside of the housing 101 can accommodate a battery cell (not shown), which is a component capable of discharging and charging.

[0058] The housing 101 can be in any shape as long as the inside thereof can accommodate the battery cell. As an example, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the housing 101 can be in a substantially hexahedral shape, for example. The top plate 102 of the housing 101 is an electrical conductor, i.e., the top plate 102 is made of an electrically conductive material such as metal. In some embodiments, some or all of the other plates of the housing 101 can also be electrical conductors.

[0059] In one embodiment, the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 can be provided on the outer surface of the top plate 102. The first pole 104 is insulated from the top plate 102 by a first insulating member 105 provided on the top plate 102, and the second pole 106 is insulated from the top plate 102 by a second insulating member 107 provided on the top plate 102.

[0060] The battery cell can have a first tab and a second tab (not shown), which can be electrically connected to the first pole 104 and the second pole 106, respectively. The first tab and the second tab can be connected to the poles by a connecting member such as a jumper, or can be directly connected to the poles. A through-hole (not shown) can be formed in the top plate 102 to facilitate these connections. The first tab and the second tab are both electrically connected to the battery cell to release the current of the battery cell to the outside, or to receive a charging current from the outside.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5, the battery cell 1 can further include at least one electrical connection assembly provided outside the top plate 102, which is configured to electrically connect at least one of the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 to the top plate 102 in response to the outward displacement of the top plate 102 in the case where the internal pressure of the housing 101 reaches or exceeds a pressure threshold.

[0062] In the case where the electric cells are operating normally, the internal pressure of the casing 101 is lower than the pressure threshold, and the electric connection assembly remains in the disengaged state, so the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 are both electrically separated from the top plate 102. In the case where the electric cells of the battery cell 1 undergo thermal runaway, the internal pressure of the casing 101 will rise. Due to the provision of the at least one electric connection assembly, in the case where the internal pressure of the casing 101 rises to the pressure threshold, the electric connection assembly will become in the locked state or in the state of being in contact with each other, so that at least one pole (for example, the first pole 104) and the top plate 102 become in the electrically connected state. Since the electric connection between the at least one pole and the top plate 102 is achieved at this time, and the at least one pole is electrically connected with the corresponding pole of one or more electric cells of the electric cells of the battery that do not undergo thermal runaway, at least a part of the discharge current of the electric cells that do not undergo thermal runaway will continue to supply power to the load via the top plate 102 of the electric cells (i.e., the electric cells that undergo thermal runaway) of the battery cell 1, so that the entire battery can continue to supply power to the load.

[0063] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the battery cell 1 includes only one electric connection assembly, which is in contact with, for example, the first pole 104. In this embodiment, in the case where the electric cells of the battery cell 1 undergo thermal runaway, so that the internal pressure of the casing 101 reaches or exceeds the pressure threshold, the second pole 106 can be electrically connected with each other via the electric cells and the top plate 102.

[0064] In one embodiment, since the internal pressure of the casing 101 rises due to the thermal runaway of the electric cells, the temperature of the electric cells will rise synchronously with the rise of the internal pressure of the casing 101. Therefore, in the case where the internal pressure of the casing 101 reaches or exceeds the pressure threshold, the temperature of the electric cells will also reach or exceed a certain temperature threshold. Thus, the electric cells can be configured to be electrically connected with the top plate 102 at this time. Since the electric cells are electrically connected with the top plate 102, so that the second pole 106 can be electrically connected with each other via the electric cells and the top plate 102.

[0065] In one embodiment, an isolation element (not shown) can be provided between the electric cells of the battery cell 1 and the top plate 102, which insulates the electric cells and the top plate 102 from each other. For example, the isolation element can be formed of a material such as a non-conductive plastic film, resin, foam, or a thermistor whose resistance decreases with the rise of temperature, or a semiconductor element whose electrical conductivity changes with temperature.

[0066] Due to the provision of the isolation element, in the case where the electric cells are operating normally, the electric cells can be insulated from each other and the top plate 102.

[0067] In one embodiment, in the case where the internal air pressure of the casing 101 reaches or exceeds the pressure threshold, the temperature of the electric cell also reaches or exceeds a certain temperature threshold. At this time, at least a part of the isolation element can be melted (for example, in the case where the isolation element is formed of a material such as a non-conductive plastic film, resin, foam, etc.) or be conducted (for example, in the case where the isolation element is formed of a thermistor or a semiconductor element), so that the electric cell (for example, via the active material inside the electric cell) is electrically connected with the top plate 102. In this case, the second pole 106 can be electrically connected with the top plate 102 via the electric cell. Thus, in the case where the internal air pressure of the casing 101 reaches or exceeds the pressure threshold, the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 can both be electrically connected with the top plate 102, and thus at least a part of the discharge current of the other electric cells of the battery which do not undergo thermal runaway will continue to supply power to the load via the top plate 102 of the electric cell (i.e., the electric cell which undergoes thermal runaway) of the battery cell 1, so that the entire battery can continue to supply power to the load.

[0068] The first pole 104 can be a positive pole or a negative pole, and correspondingly, the second pole 106 can be a negative pole or a positive pole.

[0069] In one embodiment, the first pole 104 is a positive pole, and the second pole 106 is a negative pole.

[0070] In each of the above embodiments, the electric connection assembly can adopt any form, shape or structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the electric connection assembly can adopt a hook-like interlocking structure. However, this is merely an example, and the electric connection assembly can also adopt any electric contact mode such as a buckle structure, a direct contact structure, a spring or spring sheet abutting structure, etc. For example, one of the electric connection assemblies can be in the form of a spring or spring sheet which elastically presses against the other assembly when the relative distance between the two assemblies becomes small. Obviously, the specific implementation of the electric connection assembly is not subject to any limitation, as long as at least one of the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 is electrically connected with the top plate 102 in response to the outward displacement of the top plate 102 in the case where the internal air pressure of the casing 101 reaches or exceeds the pressure threshold.

[0071] In one embodiment, the at least one electric connection assembly includes a first component 110 and a second component 111 which are electrically separated from each other, the first component 110 is engaged with and electrically connected with the at least one pole (for example, the first pole 104), and the second component 111 is engaged with and electrically connected with the outer surface of the top plate 102.

[0072] In one embodiment, the rigidity of the top plate 102 at the first location (i.e., the location of the top plate 102 in contact with the first insulator 105 below the first pole 104) is greater than the rigidity of the top plate 102 at the second location where the second component 111 is engaged with the top plate 102. As the rigidity of the top plate 102 at the first location is greater than the rigidity at the second location, when the internal air pressure of the housing 102 increases, the displacement of the second component 111 outward (i.e., upward in FIG. 5) will be greater than the displacement of the first component 110 outward, thereby enabling the electrical contact of the second component 111 with the first component 110.

[0073] In one embodiment, the rigidity of the top plate 102 at the first location can be made greater than the rigidity at the second location by making the material, thickness, or processing technique of the top plate 102 different at the first location and the second location. In one embodiment, the rigidity of the top plate 102 at the first location is made greater than the rigidity at the second location due to the presence of the first pole 104 at the first location (e.g., by being riveted or the like).

[0074] In one embodiment, the thickness of the top plate 102 at the first location is greater than the thickness of the top plate 102 at the second location. Thereby, the rigidity of the top plate 102 at the first location is made greater than the rigidity at the second location.

[0075] In one embodiment, two electrical connection assemblies can be provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the battery cell 1 includes two electrical connection assemblies configured to electrically connect the first pole 104 and the second pole 106 with the top plate 102, respectively, in the event that the internal air pressure of the housing 101 reaches or exceeds the pressure threshold.

[0076] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery cell is also provided, comprising any of the above arrangements.

[0077] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an electrical device is also provided, comprising the battery of any of the above arrangements, and the battery is configured to provide electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0078] The electrical device can be any device or system that uses or is installed with a battery.

[0079] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should be covered in the scope of the claims and the description of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, each technical feature mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery cell, characterized in that: include: A housing, wherein the interior of the housing contains a battery cell, the battery cell includes a first tab and a second tab, and the top plate of the housing is an electrical conductor; a first pole electrically connected to a first tab, the first pole being disposed on an outer surface of the top plate, the first tab being electrically connected to the battery cell; a second pole electrically connected to a second tab, the second pole being disposed on an outer surface of the top plate, the second tab being electrically connected to the battery cell; and at least one thermistor whose resistance value decreases as the temperature increases, and is provided in contact with: at least one of the first pole and the second pole, and the top plate; wherein, when the temperature of the at least one thermistor reaches or exceeds a temperature threshold, the at least one pole is electrically connected to the top plate via the at least one thermistor; The at least one thermistor includes two thermistors respectively in contact with the first pole and the second pole, and when the temperature of the two thermistors reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, the first pole and the second pole are respectively electrically connected to the top plate via a corresponding one of the two thermistors.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, wherein: The two thermistors are a first thermistor and a second thermistor, the first pole is insulated from the top plate via a first insulating member, the second pole is insulated from the top plate via a second insulating member, and A portion of the first thermistor contacts the first terminal, and another portion of the first thermistor contacts the top plate, and A portion of the second thermistor contacts the second pole, and another portion of the second thermistor contacts the top plate.

3. The battery cell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The two thermistors are respectively sandwiched between the first pole and the second pole and the top plate.

4. A battery cell, characterized in that: include: A housing, wherein the interior of the housing contains a battery cell, the battery cell includes a first tab and a second tab, and the top plate of the housing is an electrical conductor; a first pole electrically connected to a first tab, the first pole being disposed on an outer surface of the top plate, the first tab being electrically connected to the battery cell; a second pole electrically connected to a second tab, the second pole being disposed on an outer surface of the top plate, the second tab being electrically connected to the battery cell; and at least one thermistor whose resistance value decreases as the temperature increases, and is provided in contact with: at least one of the first pole and the second pole, and the top plate; wherein, when the temperature of the at least one thermistor reaches or exceeds a temperature threshold, the at least one pole is electrically connected to the top plate via the at least one thermistor; The at least one thermistor includes only one thermistor, the thermistor is in contact with one of the first pole and the second pole, and the other of the first pole and the second pole is insulated from the top plate via a first insulating member.

5. The battery cell according to claim 4, wherein: When the temperature of the thermistor reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, the other pole is electrically connected to the top plate via the battery cell. The battery cell further comprises: An isolation element is located between the battery cell and the top plate and insulates the battery cell and the top plate from each other, wherein when the temperature of the battery cell reaches or exceeds the temperature threshold, at least a portion of the isolation element is melted or conducted, so that the battery cell is electrically connected to the top plate. The battery cell according to claim 4 , wherein: The one pole is a positive pole.

7. The battery cell according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein: The one thermistor is sandwiched between the one pole and the top plate.

8. The battery cell according to claim 3, wherein: A second insulating member is provided between the one pole and the top plate, and A portion of the thermistor contacts the one pole, and another portion of the thermistor contacts the top plate.

9. A battery, characterized in that: The battery cell comprises the battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An electrical device, characterized in that: The battery according to claim 9 is included for providing electrical energy.

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