Connector and battery pack

Abstract

A connector (3) and a battery pack. The connector (3) is configured to connect two battery modules (2) arranged side by side, wherein a positive electrode of one battery module (2) and a negative electrode of the other battery module (2) are arranged opposite each other. The connector (3) is bent to form two ends parallel to each other and spaced apart; the two ends of the connector (3) are respectively connected to the positive electrode and negative electrode of the two battery modules (2) opposite each other, thus connecting the two battery modules (2) in series.

Description

Connecting piece and battery pack

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202421775419.X, filed on July 24, 2024, to the Chinese Patent Office, the whole content of the above application being incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a connecting piece and a battery pack. BACKGROUND

[0003] A battery is a product formed by combining battery cells in series and / or parallel and adding single battery monitoring and thermal management devices. The battery can be formed by combining square battery cells, cylindrical battery cells, or soft battery cells, and is widely used in the fields of notebook computers, mobile power sources, electric tools, and electric vehicles.

[0004] In the related art, multiple single battery cells are connected in series and / or parallel, mainly by welding the positive and negative poles of each single battery cell through a battery connecting piece according to design requirements. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] The battery connecting piece in the related art is generally used for connecting the positive and negative poles of the battery cells when the poles are in the same plane. When the number of battery cells increases or the poles of the battery cells are arranged in opposition, the connecting piece cannot effectively connect the two poles, which easily causes a short circuit between the positive and negative poles and increases the insecurity of the battery. TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a connecting piece for connecting two battery modules arranged side by side, wherein the positive pole of one battery module is in opposition to the negative pole of the other battery module.

[0007] The connecting piece forms two ends parallel to each other and having a spacing by being bent by itself, and the two ends of the connecting piece are connected to the opposite positive and negative poles of the two battery modules, respectively, to connect the two battery modules in series.

[0008] In a second aspect, the present application provides a battery pack comprising a wiring output piece, two battery modules arranged side by side, and the connecting piece provided by the present application. Each battery module comprises multiple battery cell groups with different polarities on the same side, and the multiple battery cell groups are connected in series in sequence. The two battery cell groups on the same side end of the two battery modules in opposition are connected in series by the connecting piece, and the two battery cell groups on the other side end of the two battery modules are connected to the wiring output piece, respectively. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[0009] The connecting piece and the battery pack have the beneficial effects that the connecting piece is used for connecting two battery modules arranged side by side, specifically, the two battery modules are arranged side by side, and the positive electrode of one battery module is opposite to the negative electrode of the other battery module; the connecting piece is bent to form two ends parallel to each other and having a spacing, that is, the connecting piece is in a U-shaped structure after being bent, and the two ends of the connecting piece are connected to the opposite positive electrode and negative electrode of the two battery modules, so as to connect the two battery modules in series; meanwhile, the parallel and spaced arrangement of the two ends of the connecting piece can also separate the positive and negative electrodes of the two battery module, which helps to reduce the risk of short circuit and ensure the safety of the electrical connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the battery pack provided by the present application;

[0011] Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the battery pack (hidden filling fixing layer) provided by the present application;

[0012] Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the battery pack provided by the present application;

[0013] Fig. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the battery module provided by the present application;

[0014] Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the battery module provided by the present application.

[0015] In the drawings:

[0016] 1, box body;

[0017] 2, battery module; 21, battery cell group; 211, battery cell; 22, connecting piece; 23, battery cell support; 231, mounting hole; 232, positioning block; 24, fixing piece;

[0018] 3, connecting piece; 31, through hole;

[0019] 4, wiring output piece; 41, connecting plate; 42, output plate; 421, lead-out part; 422, output part;

[0020] 5, filling fixing layer. Embodiments of the present application

[0021] The embodiment of the present application provides a connecting piece which can connect two battery modules arranged side by side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, two battery modules 2 are arranged side by side, and the positive pole of one battery module 2 is opposite to the negative pole of the other battery module 2. The connecting piece 3 is bent to form two ends parallel to each other and having a spacing, that is, the connecting piece 3 is bent to form a U-shaped structure, and the two ends of the connecting piece 3 are connected to the opposite positive pole and negative pole of the two battery modules 2 respectively, so as to connect the two battery modules 2 in series. At the same time, the parallel and spaced arrangement of the two ends of the connecting piece 3 can also separate the positive and negative poles of the two battery modules 2, which helps to reduce the risk of short circuit and ensure the safety of electrical connection.

[0022] The embodiment of the present application also provides a battery pack, as shown in FIG. 1-5, which comprises the connecting piece 3 and the two battery modules 2 arranged side by side provided by the embodiment of the present application, and further comprises a box 1, a wiring output piece 4 and a filling and fixing layer 5.

[0023] In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the box 1 has a cuboid structure, comprising a bottom shell and an upper cover (not shown). The upper cover is connected to the top of the bottom shell to form a hollow box 1. The battery module 2, the connecting piece 3, the wiring output piece 4 and the filling and fixing layer 5 are all arranged in the box 1 to protect the internal structure of the battery pack by the box 1. Of course, in other embodiments, the shape of the box 1 can be designed according to actual needs, which is not limited here.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 5, each battery module 2 comprises a plurality of cell groups 21 with different polarities on the same side, and the plurality of cell groups 21 are connected in series in sequence. Specifically, in the embodiment, the battery module 2 comprises a plurality of cell groups 21 arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the positive and negative poles of adjacent two cell groups 21 are arranged in reverse along a second direction, and the positive and negative poles of adjacent two cell groups 21 are connected in series by a connecting tab 22, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. That is, the adjacent two cell groups 21 with opposite polarities are connected in series by the connecting tab 22, so that the plurality of cell groups 21 in each battery module 2 are connected in series to form a "total cell", and the positive and negative poles of the two cell groups 21 at the end along the first direction form the positive and negative poles of the battery module 2 respectively.

[0025] More specifically, in the present embodiment, each battery module 2 includes two cell groups 21, which are arranged side by side and in opposite polarity along the first direction. The connecting tab 22 is parallel to the first direction and connected to the positive electrode of one cell group 21 and the negative electrode of the other cell group 21. The negative electrode of one cell group 21 and the positive electrode of the other cell group 21 that are not connected to the connecting tab 22 are the negative electrode and the positive electrode of the battery module 2. The number of cell groups 21 in each battery module 2 is not limited and can be determined as needed, as long as the multiple cell groups 21 in each battery module 2 are connected in series.

[0026] It can be understood that, since the square cell and the soft package cell have the risk of damage to the battery pack due to the post-cycling swelling force, and further cause the risk of liquid leakage, in the present embodiment, the cell group 21 is a cylindrical cell group. The cylindrical cell has good internal resistance consistency and low risk of liquid leakage, and is safer and more stable to use.

[0027] In one embodiment, the cell group 21 includes multiple cells 211 arranged in sequence along the first direction, and the length direction of the cell 211 is parallel to the second direction. That is, the multiple cells 211 in each cell group 21 are connected in parallel and have a certain length in the first direction. The multiple cell groups 21 are arranged in sequence along the first direction to form the battery module 2, and this structure is suitable for the case where the battery module 2 is flattened and has a relatively long length along the first direction.

[0028] In another embodiment, the cell group 21 includes multiple cells 211 arranged in sequence along the third direction, and the length direction of the cell 211 is parallel to the second direction, and the third direction, the second direction and the first direction are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the multiple cells 211 in each cell group 21 are connected in parallel and have a certain height in the third direction. The multiple cell groups 21 are arranged in sequence along the first direction to form the battery module 2, and this structure is suitable for the case where the battery module 2 has a relatively high height but a relatively short length along the first direction.

[0029] In still another embodiment, the cell group 21 comprises a plurality of cell columns arranged in sequence along a first direction, each cell column comprising a plurality of cells 211 arranged in sequence along a third direction, the length direction of the cell 211 being parallel to a second direction, the third direction, the second direction and the first direction being perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the plurality of cells 211 in the cell group 21 are arranged in a rectangular array, which not only enables more cells 211 to be connected in parallel, but also shortens the length of the cell group 21 in both the first direction and the third direction, thereby making the structure of the battery module 2 composed of a plurality of cell groups 21 more compact. The cell group 21 in this embodiment is designed in this structure, specifically, referring to FIG. 5, each cell group 21 in this embodiment comprises 8 cylindrical cells, the 8 cylindrical cells being divided into 4 cell columns in sequence along the first direction, each cell column comprising 2 cylindrical cells arranged along the third direction, thereby forming a cell group 21 in which the 8 cylindrical cells are connected in parallel.

[0030] Continuing to refer to FIGS. 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the connecting piece 3 has a first state in which it is flat and a second state in which it is folded at both ends. When the connecting piece 3 is in the first state, two battery modules 2 are arranged side by side along the first direction, and the connecting piece 3 is connected to the positive electrode of one of the battery modules 2 and the negative electrode of the other battery module 2. The connecting piece 3 can also be folded to switch from the first state to the second state, and cause the two connected battery modules 2 to be arranged side by side along the second direction. By folding the connecting piece 3, the length of the battery pack in the first direction can be reduced on the premise of connecting two battery modules 2 in series, making the structure of the battery pack more compact.

[0031] Specifically, first, two battery modules 2 are arranged side by side along the first direction, with the positive electrode of one of the battery modules 2 adjacent to the negative electrode of the other battery module 2. Then, the connecting piece 3 is used to connect the adjacent positive and negative electrodes of the two battery modules 2, thereby connecting the two battery modules 2 in series and forming an integral whole in the first direction. Next, the connecting piece 3 is folded, causing the two ends of the battery modules 2 that are away from each other to rotate towards each other until the connecting piece 3 is folded into a U shape, and the two battery modules 2 are arranged side by side along the second direction, at which time the positive and negative electrodes of the two battery modules 2 connected by the connecting piece 3 are directly opposite each other. In this embodiment, the connecting piece 3 is first connected to the positive or negative electrode of the battery module 2, and then the connecting piece 3 is folded, which can ensure the reliability of the connection between the connecting piece 3 and the positive or negative electrode of the battery module 2, and thereby ensure the stability of the battery operation.

[0032] In one embodiment, in order to ensure the integrity of the battery module 2 structure, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the battery module 2 further comprises a cell support 23. Two cell supports 23 are parallel to each other and are spaced apart along the second direction, and a plurality of mounting holes 231 are formed on the cell support 23, and the two ends of the cell group 21 are respectively inserted into a corresponding set of mounting holes 231 on the two cell supports 23. The cell support 23 can position and fix each cell 211 in the cell group 21 to prevent the cell 211 from shifting.

[0033] In one embodiment, the side of the cell support 23 away from the cell 211 is provided with a positioning block 232, and a through hole 31 is formed on the connecting piece 3 corresponding to the positioning block 232. The shape of the positioning block 232 matches the shape of the through hole 31 of the connecting piece 3, and the through hole 31 is sleeved on the positioning block 232 to position the connecting piece 3 when welding the connecting piece 3 with the positive or negative electrode of the battery module 2. In one embodiment, the battery module 2 further comprises a fixing piece 24. The fixing piece 24 is parallel to the second direction, and the two ends of the fixing piece 24 are respectively connected to the two cell supports 23. In this embodiment, the fixing piece 24 is a screw rod, and the two ends of the screw rod are provided with threads. The opposite sides of the two cell supports 23 are respectively provided with threaded holes, and the two ends of the screw rod are respectively threadedly connected to the two threaded holes opposite to each other on the two cell supports 23.

[0034] In this embodiment, after the two battery modules 2 are connected in series and stacked by the connecting piece 3, a wiring output piece 4 is also needed to be arranged to transmit the electric energy of the battery module 2. As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the positive or negative electrode of the two battery modules 2 not connected with the connecting piece 3 is respectively connected with the wiring output piece 4, and the wiring output piece 4 is connected with the collection line to complete the output or input of electric energy.

[0035] Specifically, the wiring output piece 4 comprises a connecting plate 41 which is conductively connected to the positive or negative electrode of the battery module 2 not connected with the connecting piece 3. The side of the connecting plate 41 away from the bottom of the box 1 is provided with an output plate 42, and the output plate 42 extends out of the battery module 2 and is connected with the collection line. The output plate 42 comprises an angled lead-out portion 421 and an output portion 422. The lead-out portion 421 is connected to the connecting plate 41 and extends away from the bottom of the box 1 along the side surface of the battery module 2, and the output portion 422 extends along the upper surface of the battery module 2, and the output portion 422 is connected to the collection line.

[0036] In the embodiment, the positive and negative poles of the battery module 2 connected with the two connecting plates 41 are arranged oppositely, and the output portion 422 extends along the upper surface of the battery module 2 in a direction away from the other battery module 2. When the positive and negative poles of the battery module 2 connected with the two connecting plates 41 are arranged oppositely, the output portion 422 extends along the upper surface of the battery module 2 in a direction close to the other battery module 2. The extending direction of the output portion 422 is determined according to the relative positions of the positive and negative poles of the two battery modules 2, which is not limited herein.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, after the two battery modules 2 are connected, they are placed in the bottom shell of the box 1, and then the filling and fixing layer 5 is filled and solidified in the gap between the box 1 and the battery module 2. The battery module 2 is wrapped and fixed by the filling and fixing layer 5, which can play a protective and shock-absorbing role. The filling and fixing layer 5 replaces the fixing components such as end plates and fixing plates, and can effectively reduce the overall weight of the battery, which is conducive to achieving the lightweight goal.

[0038] In an embodiment, the filling and fixing layer 5 is a foaming glue fixing layer. Specifically, after the two battery modules 2 are placed in the box 1, foaming glue is sprayed inside the box 1, and the upper flat surface is pressed to make the foaming glue flow and expand fully inside the box 1, and penetrate into small parts. After the foaming glue is solidified, it plays a fixing role on the battery cell 211, the battery cell support 23, the connecting plate 22 and the connecting piece 3.

Claims

1. A connecting piece for connecting two battery modules (2) arranged side by side, wherein the positive electrode of one of the battery modules (2) is opposite to the negative electrode of the other battery module (2); the connecting piece (3) is formed by bending itself to have two ends parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the two ends of the connecting piece (3) are connected to the opposite positive and negative electrodes of the two battery modules (2) respectively to connect the two battery modules (2) in series. A through hole (31) is provided on the connecting piece (3) and is used to position the cell support (23) of the battery module (2).

2. The connection of claim 1, wherein, 3. A battery pack comprising a wiring output piece (4), two battery modules (2) arranged side by side, and the connecting piece (3) according to claim 1 or 2, each of the battery modules (2) comprising a plurality of cell groups (21) with different polarities on the same side, and the plurality of cell groups (21) are connected in series in sequence, the two cell groups (21) on the same side end of the two battery modules (2) are connected in series by the connecting piece (3), and the two cell groups (21) on the other side end of the two battery modules (2) are connected to the wiring output piece (4) respectively.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, further comprising a connecting tab (22), and the plurality of cell groups (21) in each of the battery modules (2) are connected in series by the connecting tab (22). Each of the cell groups (21) comprises a plurality of cells (211) with the same polarity on the same side, the length direction of the cell (211) is parallel to the second direction, and the plurality of cells (211) are arranged in sequence along the first direction; and / or, 5. The battery pack of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The plurality of cells (211) are arranged in sequence along the third direction, and the third direction, the second direction and the first direction are perpendicular to each other in pairs.

6. The battery pack according to claim 3, further comprising a box (1) and a filling and fixing layer (5), the two battery modules (2) are arranged side by side in the box (1) along the second direction, and the filling and fixing layer (5) is arranged in the gap between the box (1) and the battery modules (2), and the filling and fixing layer (5) is a foaming adhesive fixing layer. The battery module (2) comprises two cell supports (23), the two cell supports (23) are parallel to each other and arranged spaced apart along the second direction, and a plurality of mounting holes (231) are formed on the cell support (23), and the two ends of the cell (211) are respectively inserted into a corresponding group of mounting holes (231) on the two cell supports (23).

7. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein, The side of the cell support (23) away from the cell (211) is provided with a positioning block (232), the shape of the positioning block (232) matches the shape of the through hole (31) of the connecting piece (3), and the through hole (31) is sleeved outside the positioning block (232).

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein, The battery module (2) further comprises a fixing piece (24), the fixing piece (24) is arranged parallel to the second direction, and the two ends of the fixing piece (24) are respectively connected to the two cell supports (23).

9. The battery pack of claim 8, wherein, ​ 10. The battery pack of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The wiring output piece (4) comprises a connecting plate (41) which is electrically connected to the positive or negative electrode of the battery module (2) which is not connected with the connecting piece (3), and the side of the connecting plate (41) away from the bottom of the box (1) is provided with an output plate (42) which extends to protrude from the battery module (2) and is connected with a collection line.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein, The output plate (42) comprises an angle-fixed leading-out portion (421) and an output portion (422), the leading-out portion (421) is connected with the connecting plate (41) and extends along the side of the battery module (2) in the direction away from the bottom of the box (1), and the output portion (422) extends along the upper surface of the battery module (2), and the output portion (422) is connected with the collection line.

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