Battery cell, battery device, electric apparatus, and energy storage device

Abstract

The present application provides a battery cell, a battery device, an electric apparatus, and an energy storage device. The battery cell comprises an end cover, an electrode assembly, and a casing; the casing is provided with an opening; the casing comprises a first side wall, and the first side wall is provided with a pressure relief component; and the end cover covers the opening, and the first side wall is arranged adjacent to the end cover. In this way, the pressure relief component and electrode terminals are located on different walls, thereby facilitating the improvement of energy density. The first side wall further comprises a protective protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly, and the protective protrusion is at least partially disposed on the side of the pressure relief component close to the end cover. When the electrode assembly is loaded into the casing, the protective protrusion can prevent the electrode assembly from coming into direct contact with the pressure relief component, thereby reducing the possibility of the electrode assembly being scratched by the pressure relief component, improving the performance of the battery cell.

Description

Battery cells, battery packs, electrical equipment and energy storage devices Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery cell, battery device, electrical equipment, and energy storage device. Background Technology

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry, and electric vehicles, due to their energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages, have become an important component of this sustainable development. For electric vehicles, battery technology is a crucial factor in their development.

[0003] As the range requirements for electric vehicles gradually increase, battery energy density has become a critical technical parameter. To improve energy density, some existing battery cells have attempted to achieve this by changing the location of pressure relief components. However, in practical applications, the performance of such battery cells is unsatisfactory. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, one objective of this application is to provide a battery cell, battery device, electrical appliance, and energy storage device that can effectively improve energy density while also possessing superior performance.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a battery cell, including: an end cap, an electrode assembly, and a housing; the housing has an opening, the housing includes a first sidewall, the first sidewall is provided with a pressure relief component; the end cap is disposed on the opening, the first sidewall is disposed adjacent to the end cap; the electrode assembly is housed in the housing; wherein, the first sidewall also includes a protective protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly, the protective protrusion being at least partially disposed on the side of the pressure relief component near the end cap.

[0006] In this embodiment of the battery cell, the pressure relief component is disposed on the first side wall of the housing adjacent to the end cap, so that the pressure relief component and the electrode terminals are located on different walls, which is beneficial to improving energy density. At the same time, by designing the first side wall to also have a protective protrusion protruding towards the electrode assembly, the protective protrusion is at least partially disposed on the side of the pressure relief component near the end cap. The protective protrusion can prevent the electrode assembly from directly contacting the pressure relief component when it is inserted into the housing, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of the electrode assembly being scratched by the pressure relief component. This reduces the negative impact of electrode assembly damage on the performance of the battery cell, resulting in better performance of the battery cell.

[0007] In some exemplary embodiments, the protective protrusion facing away from the wall of the pressure relief component is a scratch-resistant surface. The scratch-resistant surface extends smoothly from a first end near the end cap to a second end near the pressure relief component and gradually approaches the electrode assembly. The second end is arc-shaped.

[0008] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion facing the electrode assembly in the housing direction has no sharp corner, so as to prevent the introduced protective protrusion from scratching the electrode assembly during the housing process.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments, the scratch-resistant surface extends in a curved manner from the first end to the second end; the scratch-resistant surface is a portion of an arc surface, or the scratch-resistant surface is formed by sequentially connecting multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures, and any two adjacent curved surfaces transition continuously.

[0010] In implementations where the curvature of the scratch-resistant surface is uniform across all areas, the shape of the scratch-resistant surface is simple, resulting in a relatively simple manufacturing process. In implementations where the scratch-resistant surface is composed of multiple surfaces with different curvatures, the curvature of each surface can be precisely designed according to actual needs, enabling precise adjustment of the guiding function of the scratch-resistant surface to provide better guidance for the electrode assembly.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, a portion of the scratch-resistant surface extends obliquely from the first end to the second end; the scratch-resistant surface includes a single oblique surface, or the scratch-resistant surface includes multiple oblique surfaces, the slopes of the multiple oblique surfaces changing from small to large from the first end to the second end, and any two adjacent oblique surfaces transitioning into an arc.

[0012] In this embodiment, the scratch-resistant surface is composed of a combination of inclined and curved surfaces, which makes the processing relatively easy. The inclined surface can provide a stable guiding effect for the electrode assembly, so that the electrode assembly can be smoothly inserted into the housing during assembly.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the surface of the protective protrusion facing the inside of the housing also includes a plane parallel to the axial direction of the opening, and one end of the plane near the end cap is connected to a second end of the scratch-resistant surface.

[0014] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion also has a flat surface, which is parallel to the axial direction of the opening. During the insertion of the electrode assembly into the housing, the electrode assembly can slide smoothly against the flat surface. The flat surface can effectively guide the electrode assembly smoothly into the housing along the axial direction of the opening, providing a stable guiding effect for the electrode assembly.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion is a closed shape.

[0016] In this embodiment, by constructing the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion into a closed shape, the protective protrusion has higher structural strength and the possibility of deformation of the protective protrusion under the pressure of the electrode assembly is relatively low.

[0017] In some exemplary embodiments, the inner wall surface of the protective protrusion is connected to the inner surface of the first sidewall, and the outer wall surface of the protective protrusion is connected to the outer surface of the first sidewall and together define the groove; the protective protrusion and the first sidewall are separate structures and are assembled and connected, or the protective protrusion and the first sidewall are integrally formed.

[0018] In embodiments where the protective protrusion and the first sidewall are separate structures, the protective protrusion with a complex structure can be manufactured because the protective protrusion and the first sidewall are formed separately. In embodiments where the protective protrusion and the first sidewall are an integral structure, the assembly process of the protective protrusion and the first sidewall can be eliminated, which is beneficial to improving the assembly efficiency of the battery cell.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, the pressure relief component extends beyond the protective protrusion along its protruding direction. In this embodiment, the top of the protective protrusion protrudes further from the first sidewall than the pressure relief component. During the insertion of the electrode assembly into the housing, the protective protrusion can prevent the electrode assembly from contacting the end of the pressure relief component located inside the housing, thereby reducing the possibility of the electrode assembly being scratched by the edge of the end of the pressure relief component.

[0020] In some exemplary embodiments, the top of the protective protrusion is flush with the axial end face of the end of the pressure relief component located inside the housing, and the orthographic projection of the end of the pressure relief component located inside the housing onto the end cap falls within the orthographic projection of the protective protrusion onto the end cap. This embodiment causes the protective protrusion to cover the edge of the end of the pressure relief component located inside the housing, thereby making it difficult for the electrode assembly to come into contact with the edge of the end of the pressure relief component during installation.

[0021] In some exemplary embodiments, the protective protrusions are covered with a corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant layer on the inner sidewall facing the electrode assembly.

[0022] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion is provided with an anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer on the inner wall of the housing. The anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer has a certain degree of smoothness, which makes the contact between the electrode assembly and the protective protrusion smoother during the insertion of the housing, reducing friction and the risk of jamming.

[0023] In some exemplary embodiments, protective protrusions are arranged around the entire outer periphery of the pressure relief component.

[0024] In this embodiment, by having protective protrusions surround the entire outer periphery of the pressure relief component, the protective protrusions can provide more balanced support for the electrode assembly when it comes into contact with the housing during insertion.

[0025] In some exemplary embodiments, the pressure relief component has a target axis of symmetry, the extension direction of which is perpendicular to the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion and the axial direction of the opening; one end of the housing is open, the protective protrusion is located on the side of the pressure relief component near the end cap, and the first sidewall is also provided with a protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly, the protrusion being located on the side of the pressure relief component opposite to the protective protrusion, and the protrusion and the protective protrusion are symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry.

[0026] In this embodiment, by providing a protrusion on the first sidewall, and symmetrically arranging the protrusion and the protective protrusion about the target axis of symmetry of the pressure relief hole, the first sidewall can be constructed into a symmetrical structure about the target axis of symmetry. This allows the force on the first sidewall to be evenly distributed, which is beneficial to the structural stability of the first sidewall.

[0027] In some exemplary embodiments, the protective protrusion extends along a predetermined straight path, and the extension direction of the protective protrusion is perpendicular to both the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion and the axial direction of the opening.

[0028] In some exemplary embodiments, the first sidewall is provided with a pressure relief hole that extends through its own thickness, a pressure relief component is provided in the pressure relief hole, the pressure relief hole is waist-shaped, the hole wall of the pressure relief hole includes two arc-shaped segments symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry, the protective protrusion extends along a preset bending path, and the curvature center of the protective protrusion and the curvature center of one of the two adjacent arc segments are concentric.

[0029] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion is bent and extended, and its center of curvature is concentric with the center of curvature of the arc segment of the waist-shaped pressure relief hole. This makes the bending shape of the protective protrusion match the bending shape of the arc segment, which helps the protective protrusion to better cover the waist-shaped annular protrusion of the pressure relief component in the direction of the electrode assembly entering the housing.

[0030] In some exemplary embodiments, the protective protrusion is provided with a guide groove, which is an open groove. The bottom of the guide groove extends from the opening to the protrusion along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion and penetrates the inner wall of the protective protrusion. The guide groove also penetrates the protective protrusion along the axial direction of the opening.

[0031] In this embodiment, a guide groove is provided on the protective protrusion. The guide groove is located at the top edge of the protective protrusion and can guide the gas generated inside the battery cell to the pressure relief component.

[0032] In some exemplary embodiments, the depth of the guide groove is B, and the normal distance between the inner and outer walls of the protective protrusion is D, where B < 1 / 2D.

[0033] In this embodiment, by making B < 1 / 2D, the protective protrusion can still have good structural strength while having guide grooves for flow guidance. This makes the possibility of the protective protrusion deforming under the pressure of the electrode assembly relatively low.

[0034] In some exemplary embodiments, 1 / 5D < B < 1 / 3D. This embodiment achieves a good balance between the structural strength of the protective protrusion and the flow guiding capacity of the guide groove by designing 1 / 5D < B < 1 / 3D.

[0035] In some exemplary embodiments, the first sidewall is provided with a pressure relief hole that extends through its own thickness, and a pressure relief component is disposed in the pressure relief hole; an annular boss protrudes from one end of the pressure relief component facing the electrode assembly, the annular boss overlapping at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the pressure relief hole on the first sidewall, and the thickness of the annular boss is h; the protective protrusion has a maximum protrusion height at the second end, the maximum protrusion height being H, 0.1mm < Hh < 0.3mm.

[0036] This allows for a good balance between the protective protrusion's scratch-resistant effect on the annular boss and the space occupied by the protective protrusion within the housing.

[0037] In some exemplary embodiments, the axial end face of the annular boss facing away from the first sidewall is connected to the circumferential side face of the annular boss by a transition arc.

[0038] This design further reduces the possibility of damage to the electrode components caused by the annular boss scraping against them during the housing process.

[0039] In some exemplary embodiments, the thickness of the annular boss is h; the radius of the transition arc is R, where 1 / 6h < R < 1 / 2h.

[0040] In this embodiment, by designing 1 / 6h < R < 1 / 2h, a good balance is achieved between the structural strength and stress distribution of the annular boss.

[0041] In some exemplary embodiments, the battery cell further includes a plurality of electrode assemblies housed within a housing. The electrode assemblies include a straight section and two curved sections. The two ends of the straight section along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion are respectively connected to the two curved sections. A portion of the protective protrusion is located between two adjacent curved sections.

[0042] This embodiment utilizes the cooperation between the protective protrusion and the two adjacent curved sections to not only provide positioning for the electrode assembly, making it easier to accurately locate the installation position of the electrode assembly, but also to limit the movement of the electrode assembly along its own thickness direction during the process of inserting it into the housing, thereby improving assembly stability.

[0043] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a battery device that includes the battery cell described in the above embodiments.

[0044] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides an electrical device that includes a battery cell as described in the above embodiments, the battery cell being used to provide electrical energy, or it includes a battery device as described in the above embodiments, the battery device being used to provide electrical energy.

[0045] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application provides an energy storage device, which includes a battery cell as described in the above embodiments, the battery cell being capable of storing and providing electrical energy; or, it includes a battery device as described in the above embodiments, the battery device being capable of storing and providing electrical energy.

[0046] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0047] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the various drawings denote the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle structure according to some embodiments of this application;

[0049] Figure 2 is an exploded structural diagram of a battery device according to some embodiments of this application;

[0050] Figure 3 is an exploded structural diagram of a battery cell according to some embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 4 is a side view of the housing shown in Figure 3;

[0052] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the shell shown in Figure 4 along the AA direction;

[0053] Figure 6 is a magnified view of part B in Figure 5;

[0054] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the shell of some modified embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the shell of some other modified embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the shell in some modified embodiments of this application;

[0057] Figure 10 is a partial schematic diagram of the housing of some embodiments of this application.

[0058] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Vehicle 1000; Battery device 100, Controller 200, Motor 300; Battery cell assembly 10, Battery cell 11, Electrode assembly 111, Straight section 1111, Bending section 1112, End cap 112, Electrode terminal 1121, Housing 113, First sidewall 1131, Protective protrusion 1133, Guide groove 11331, Inclined section 11332, Straight section 11333, Scratch-resistant surface 1134, Inclined surface 1134A, Groove 1135, Protrusion 1136, Recess 1137, Plane 1138, Pressure relief component 114, Main body 1141, Annular boss 1142; Housing 20, First housing 21, Second housing 22. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0060] 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 pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0062] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0063] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0065] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical terms such as "installation", "connection", "linking", and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components.

[0067] In this application, the term "parallel" includes not only absolute parallelism but also approximate parallelism as commonly understood in engineering; similarly, "perpendicular" also includes not only absolute perpendicularity but also approximate perpendicularity as commonly understood in engineering. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0068] Currently, judging from market trends, the application of power batteries is becoming increasingly widespread. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also extensively used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of power battery applications, market demand is also constantly increasing.

[0069] In battery technology, to ensure the safety performance of individual battery cells, pressure relief components are typically incorporated. These components are activated to release internal pressure when the pressure or temperature within the battery cell reaches a threshold. Specifically, the pressure relief component and the electrode terminals are located on the same wall of the battery cell's casing. The electrode terminals are electrically connected to a current-carrying component to output or input electrical energy. In this configuration, to simultaneously house the pressure relief component and electrode terminals within the limited area of ​​a single wall of the casing without interference, the installation position of the pressure relief component is often recessed into the battery cell relative to the installation position of the electrode terminals. This compresses the actual usable space within the battery cell for the electrode assembly, affecting the energy density of the battery cell.

[0070] To address this technical issue, some related technologies place the pressure relief component and the electrode terminals on different walls of the housing, with the wall for mounting the pressure relief component and the wall for mounting the power supply terminals adjacent to each other. This frees up the space occupied by the pressure relief component in the height direction of the electrode assembly, optimizes the layout of the internal space of the battery cell, and provides more space for electrolyte and electrode materials, thereby improving the energy density of the battery cell.

[0071] However, in this method, the positional relationship between the pressure relief component and the electrode assembly changes accordingly. In addition, the pressure relief component is located at one end inside the casing, and its axial end face and circumferential side face are orthogonal to the inside of the battery cell. The edge between the axial end face and the circumferential side face is usually sharp. During the manufacturing process, when the electrode assembly is installed into the casing, the electrode assembly is easily scratched and damaged by the sharp edge of the pressure relief component. Damage to the electrode assembly will directly affect the performance of the battery cell. Here, the performance of the battery cell refers to the safety, charge and discharge efficiency, cycle performance, etc. of the battery cell.

[0072] Based on the above considerations, a battery cell, battery device, electrical equipment and energy storage device are designed. On the basis that the pressure relief component and the electrode terminal are located on different walls, and the wall for installing the pressure relief component and the wall for installing the power supply terminal are arranged adjacently, the wall for installing the pressure relief component (i.e. the housing) is designed to have a protective protrusion protruding into the housing. At least part of the protective protrusion is located on the side of the pressure relief component facing the end cover.

[0073] In such a battery cell, during battery cell assembly, the electrode assembly first approaches the protective protrusion before approaching one end of the pressure relief component. Due to the obstruction of the protective protrusion, the possibility of the electrode assembly being scratched by rubbing against the edge of the pressure relief component located inside the housing during the process of entering the housing is significantly reduced. This can effectively improve the problem of poor performance of battery cells caused by scratches.

[0074] The battery devices described in this application can be used, but are not limited to, in electrical equipment such as vehicles, ships, or aircraft, as well as in energy storage devices. Power systems comprising electrical equipment or energy storage devices, including the battery cells and battery devices described in this application, can be used.

[0075] The energy storage device utilizing a battery as a power system in this application embodiment can be used in energy storage power stations, wind power generation systems, solar power generation systems, mobile power systems, or temporary power supply systems, etc. The energy storage device can store electrical energy as needed and output it at appropriate times. For example, the energy storage device can store electrical energy during off-peak hours and provide power to relevant users or electrical equipment during peak hours. The energy storage device provided in this application embodiment can be used in any power system that requires energy storage.

[0076] In some embodiments, the energy storage device is an energy storage container or an energy storage cabinet.

[0077] In some embodiments, the energy storage device may include a cabinet and one or more battery clusters housed within the cabinet. Each battery cluster may include multiple battery units connected in series via a busbar to increase the voltage of the energy storage device. When the energy storage device includes multiple battery clusters, these clusters are connected in parallel to increase the capacity of the energy storage device.

[0078] In this application embodiment, the electrical devices using battery devices as power sources can be, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, electric toys, power tools, electric vehicles, electric cars, ships, spacecraft, etc. Among them, electric toys can include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, and electric airplane toys, etc., and spacecraft can include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft, etc.

[0079] It should be understood that the technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application are not limited to the battery devices and electrical equipment described above, but can also be applied to all battery devices including housings and electrical equipment using battery devices. However, for the sake of brevity, the following embodiments are all illustrated using electric vehicles as examples.

[0080] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle 1000 provided in some embodiments of this application. The vehicle 1000 can be a gasoline-powered vehicle, a natural gas-powered vehicle, or a new energy vehicle. New energy vehicles can be pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, or range-extended electric vehicles, etc. A battery device 100 is installed inside the vehicle 1000, and the battery device 100 can be located at the bottom, front, or rear of the vehicle 1000. The battery device 100 can be used to power the vehicle 1000; for example, the battery device 100 can serve as the operating power source for the vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 may also include a controller 200 and a motor 300. The controller 200 is used to control the battery device 100 to supply power to the motor 300, for example, to meet the power needs of the vehicle 1000 during startup, navigation, and driving.

[0081] In some embodiments of this application, the battery device 100 can not only serve as the operating power source for the vehicle 1000, but also as the driving power source for the vehicle 1000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1000.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device 100 according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the battery device 100 mentioned in the embodiment of this application may include one or more battery cell assemblies 10 for providing voltage and capacity. The battery cell assembly 10 may include multiple battery cells 11, which are connected in series, parallel, or mixed connection through a busbar.

[0083] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 10 is typically formed by arranging a plurality of battery cells 11.

[0084] As an example, the battery cell assembly 10 can be a battery module, which is formed by arranging and fixing multiple battery cells 11 together to form an independent module. As an example, the battery module can be formed by bundling multiple battery cells 11 together with cable ties.

[0085] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the battery device 100 can be a battery pack, which includes a housing 20 and one or more battery cell assemblies 10, the battery cell assemblies 10 being housed within the housing 20. The housing 20 can be a simple three-dimensional structure such as a single cuboid, cylinder, or sphere, or a complex three-dimensional structure composed of simple three-dimensional structures such as cuboids, cylinders, or spheres. The material of the housing 20 can be an alloy material such as aluminum alloy or iron alloy, a polymer material such as polycarbonate or polyisocyanurate foam, or a composite material such as glass fiber and epoxy resin.

[0086] As an example, the battery cell assembly 10 can be a battery module, and the battery cell assembly 10 can be housed in the housing 20 by fixing the battery module in the housing 20.

[0087] As an example, the battery cell assembly 10 can also be housed in the housing 20 by directly fixing multiple battery cells 11 to the housing 20.

[0088] As an example, the housing 20 may include a first housing 21 and a second housing 22. The first housing 21 and the second housing 22 are fastened together to form a closed space inside the housing 20 to house the battery cell assembly 10. Here, "closed" refers to covering or closing, and can be either non-sealed or sealed to prevent liquids or other foreign objects from affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cell 11. The first housing 21 may be a top cover or a bottom plate.

[0089] As an example, the housing 20 may include a top cover, a frame, and a bottom plate. The top cover and the bottom plate are respectively connected to the frame, so that the interior of the housing 20 forms an enclosed space to accommodate the battery cell assembly 10.

[0090] In some embodiments, the housing 20 may be part of the vehicle's chassis structure. For example, a portion of the housing 20 may be at least a portion of the vehicle's floor, or a portion of the housing 20 may be at least a portion of the vehicle's crossbeams and longitudinal beams.

[0091] The battery cell 11 provided in the embodiments of this application can be a secondary battery. A secondary battery refers to a battery cell 11 that can be used again after being discharged by recharging to activate the active material.

[0092] The battery cell 11 can be a lithium-ion battery, sodium-ion battery, sodium-lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, sodium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, magnesium-ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-cadmium battery, lead-acid battery, etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to this. As an example, the battery cell 11 can be a cylindrical battery cell, a prismatic battery cell, or a battery cell 11 of other shapes. Prismatic battery cells include prismatic battery cells, blade-shaped battery cells, and multi-prismatic battery cells, such as hexagonal prismatic battery cells, etc., and this application has no particular limitation.

[0093] Figure 3 is an exploded structural diagram of a battery cell according to some embodiments of this application; Figure 4 is a side view of the casing shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the casing shown in Figure 4 along the AA direction; and Figure 6 is a partial enlarged view of point B in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the battery cell 11 provided in the embodiments of this application includes a casing, an electrode assembly 111, an electrolyte, and a pressure relief component 114. The electrode assembly 111 is the component in the battery cell 11 where the electrochemical reaction occurs, and the electrode assembly 111 and the electrolyte are housed within the casing. As an example, the electrolyte may be liquid, gel-like, or solid.

[0094] Electrode assembly 111 is a component in the battery cell 11 where electrochemical reactions occur. The housing may contain one or more electrode assemblies 111. Electrode assembly 111 can be a wound structure, a stacked structure, or a hybrid structure of wound and stacked.

[0095] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly 111 is a wound structure. The positive and negative electrode sheets are wound into a wound structure. In some embodiments, the electrode assembly 111 is a stacked structure. As an example, multiple positive and negative electrode sheets can be provided, with multiple positive and multiple negative electrode sheets alternately stacked. As an example, multiple positive electrode sheets can be provided, and negative electrode sheets are folded to form multiple stacked folded segments, with a positive electrode sheet sandwiched between adjacent folded segments. As an example, both positive and negative electrode sheets are folded to form multiple stacked folded segments.

[0096] As an example, multiple separators can be provided, each positioned between any adjacent positive or negative electrode plates.

[0097] As an example, the separators can be continuously arranged, either by folding or rolling between any adjacent positive or negative electrode plates.

[0098] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly 111 may be cylindrical, flat, or polygonal in shape.

[0099] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly 111 is provided with tabs that can conduct current from the electrode assembly 111. The tabs include a positive tab and a negative tab.

[0100] As an example, the outer casing can be made of steel, aluminum, plastic (such as polypropylene), or a composite metal (such as a copper-aluminum composite casing). The outer casing includes a housing 113 and an end cap 112. The housing 113 has an opening, and the end cap 112 closes onto the opening of the housing 113. The housing 113 and the end cap 112 together form a mounting cavity, providing mounting space for components such as the electrode assembly 111 and the electrolyte. For ease of description, the X-axis in the accompanying drawings indicates the axial direction of the opening.

[0101] End cap 112 refers to a component that covers the opening of housing 113 to isolate the internal environment of battery cell 11 from the external environment. The shape of end cap 112 can be adapted to the shape of housing 113 to fit it. Optionally, end cap 112 can be made of a material with certain hardness and strength (such as aluminum alloy), so that end cap 112 is not easily deformed under pressure and impact, giving battery cell 11 higher structural strength and improved safety performance. The material of end cap 112 can also be various, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc. As an example, an insulating sheet can also be provided on the inside of end cap 112. The insulating sheet can be used to isolate the electrical connection components inside housing 113 from end cap 112 to reduce the risk of short circuit. Exemplarily, the insulating sheet can be plastic, rubber, etc. An electrode terminal 1121 is provided on the end cap 112. The electrode terminal 1121 is electrically connected to the electrode assembly 111 to output or input electrical energy of the battery cell 11.

[0102] The housing 113 is a component used to cooperate with the end cap 112 to form the internal environment of the battery cell 11, wherein the formed internal environment can accommodate the electrode assembly 111, the electrolyte, and other components. The housing 113 can be of various shapes and sizes, such as cuboid, cylindrical, hexagonal prism, etc. Specifically, the shape of the housing 113 can be determined according to the specific shape and size of the electrode assembly 111. The material of the housing 113 can be various, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and this application embodiment does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0103] According to some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figures 3 to 6. The housing 113 includes a first sidewall 1131 adjacent to the end cap 112, and the first sidewall 1131 is provided with a pressure relief component 114. The pressure relief component 114 is used to actuate to release the internal pressure when the internal pressure of the battery cell 11 reaches a threshold.

[0104] The threshold mentioned in the embodiments of this application varies depending on the design requirements. For example, the threshold may be designed or determined based on the internal pressure of a battery cell 11 that is considered to be dangerous or at risk of runaway.

[0105] The first sidewall 1131 also includes a protective protrusion 1133 protruding from the electrode assembly 111, the protective protrusion 1133 being at least partially disposed on the side of the pressure relief component 114 near the end cap 112.

[0106] As an example, as shown in Figure 3, one end of the housing 113 is open, and correspondingly, one end cap 112 is provided. In this example, the electrode assembly 111 can only enter the housing 113 through this opening along the closing direction of the end cap 112 (the negative X-axis in Figure 3). As an alternative example, both ends of the housing 113 can be open, and correspondingly, two end caps 112 are provided, with the two end caps 112 corresponding to the two openings one-to-one. In this example, the electrode assembly 111 can enter the housing 113 from one end opening along the positive X-axis or from the other end opening along the negative X-axis.

[0107] According to the specific example shown in Figure 3, the housing 113 is cuboid in shape. The sidewalls of the housing 113 include two large surfaces and two small surfaces arranged opposite each other. The first sidewall 1131 can be the sidewall with the smaller area on the housing 113, that is, the pressure relief component 114 and the protective protrusion 1133 are located on the same small surface. Alternatively, in an embodiment not shown in the figure, the first sidewall 1131 can also be the sidewall with the larger area on the housing 113, that is, the pressure relief component 114 and the protective protrusion 1133 are located on the same large surface. In contrast, in the embodiment where the protective protrusion 1133 and the pressure relief component 114 are located on the same small surface, it is advantageous to further improve the energy density of the battery device 100. This is because for a rectangular battery cell 11, the large surfaces of the casings 113 of two adjacent battery cells 11 are usually in contact. In this case, if the pressure relief component 114 is located on the large surface, when multiple battery cells 11 are arranged to form a battery cell assembly 10, space needs to be reserved between two adjacent battery cells 11 for the pressure relief component 114 to open. However, in the technical solution where the pressure relief component 114 is located on the small surface, there is no need to reserve space between the large surfaces of two adjacent battery cells 11 for the pressure relief component 114 to open, and the battery cell assembly 10 is more compact and the required space is saved.

[0108] As an example, the protective protrusion 1133 and the pressure relief component 114 can be arranged sequentially along a straight line parallel to the X-axis, such that at least a portion of the protective protrusion 1133 can be located between the end cap 112 and the annular boss 1142. As an example, the orthographic projection of the protective protrusion 1133 on the end cap 112 and the orthographic projection of the pressure relief component 114 on the end cap 112 can be staggered.

[0109] Taking the battery cell 11 shown in Figure 3 as an example, the assembly process of the battery cell 11 is illustrated. S10: A housing 113 is provided, with one end open. S20: An electrode assembly 111 is provided, such that the electrode assembly 111 is aligned with the opening outside the housing 113, and the electrode assembly 111 is moved along the X-axis towards the opening until it is received within the housing 113 through the opening. S30: An end cap 112 is provided to close the opening. It should be understood that in S20, during the movement of the electrode assembly 111 into the housing 113, one end of the electrode assembly 111 first approaches the protective protrusion 1133, then approaches the pressure relief member 114 after passing the protective protrusion 1133, and then is received into the housing 113 after passing the pressure relief member 114.

[0110] In this embodiment, the battery cell 11 has a pressure relief component 114 disposed on the first side wall 1131 of the housing 113 adjacent to the end cover 112, so that the pressure relief component 114 and the electrode terminal 1121 are located on different walls. As can be seen from the above description, this is beneficial to the improvement of energy density. By designing the first sidewall 1131 to also include a protective protrusion 1133 protruding into the housing 113, the protective protrusion 1133 is at least partially located on the side of the pressure relief component 114 near the end cap 112. In this way, during the process of inserting the electrode assembly 111 into the housing 113 through the opening, the electrode assembly 111 must first approach the protective protrusion 1133 before it can approach the pressure relief component 114. The protective protrusion 1133 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 from contacting the edge of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113 when it is inserted into the housing, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched by the edge of the pressure relief component 114. This can reduce the negative impact of damage to the electrode assembly 111 on the performance of the battery cell 11, so that the battery cell 11 has better performance.

[0111] According to some embodiments of this application, the wall surface of the protective protrusion 1133 facing away from the pressure relief component 114 is a scratch-resistant surface 1134. The scratch-resistant surface 1134 can extend from the first end near the end cap 112 to the second end near the pressure relief component 114 in a smooth transition and gradually approach the electrode assembly 111, with the second end being arc-shaped.

[0112] The scratch-resistant surface 1134 faces the end cap 112. The first end of the scratch-resistant surface 1134 extends from the second end in a smooth transition manner, which means that the scratch-resistant surface 1134 has the characteristics of continuous extension, no obvious abrupt change and uniform transition.

[0113] In S20 above, when a portion of the electrode assembly 111 enters the housing 113 and abuts against the scratch-resistant surface 1134 of the protective protrusion 1133, the position of the electrode assembly 111 can be adjusted along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133, so that the electrode assembly 111 avoids the protective protrusion 1133 in the X-axis direction, and then the electrode assembly 111 continues to move along the X-axis into the housing 113 until the electrode assembly 111 passes the protective protrusion 1133 and is received into the housing 113. Alternatively, in S20 above, when a portion of the electrode assembly 111 enters the housing 113 and abuts against the scratch-resistant surface 1134 of the protective protrusion 1133, the electrode assembly 111 can be manipulated to slide along the protective surface into the housing 113, and after the electrode assembly 111 slides past the second end of the scratch-resistant surface 1134, it continues to move to be received into the housing 113.

[0114] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion 1133 has no sharp corners on the side facing the electrode assembly 111 in the housing insertion direction. This reduces the likelihood of the introduced protective protrusion 1133 scratching the electrode assembly 111 during the housing insertion process and causing damage. Furthermore, the first to second ends of the anti-scratch surface 1134 extend along the housing insertion direction of the electrode assembly 111. When the electrode assembly 111 is inserted into the housing, it can slide along the anti-scratch surface 1134 and gradually adjust to the correct installation position. In other words, the anti-scratch surface 1134 can also play a guiding role to a certain extent.

[0115] It is understood that the extension of the scratch-resistant surface 1134 can be varied, and this embodiment does not impose any specific limitations on it.

[0116] According to some embodiments of this application, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 may be configured to extend integrally in a curved manner from the first end to the second end. In this example, the curvature of the scratch-resistant surface 1134 from the first end to the second end may remain constant or may vary; this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0117] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the housing 113 in some modified embodiments of this application; Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the housing 113 in some other modified embodiments of this application; and Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the housing 113 in still some modified embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7(B), Figure 8(A), and Figure 8(C), the scratch-resistant surface 1134 may also be a portion of an arc surface, that is, the curvature of the scratch-resistant surface 1134 is the same everywhere. In some embodiments, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 may be formed by sequentially connecting multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures, and any two adjacent curved surfaces transition continuously.

[0118] Please refer to Figures 7(A), 8(B), and 9(C). For example, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 can be formed by connecting two curved surfaces sequentially. It is understood that the number of curved surfaces is not limited to two; for example, it can be three, four, five, etc. From the first end to the second end, the curvature of each surface can change from small to large, or from large to small.

[0119] In contrast, in embodiments where the curvature of the anti-scratch surface 1134 is the same at all locations, the shape of the anti-scratch surface 1134 is simple, and its processing technology is relatively simple. In embodiments where the anti-scratch surface 1134 is composed of multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures, the curvature of each curved surface can be precisely designed according to actual needs, so as to precisely adjust the guiding function of the anti-scratch surface 1134 and provide better guidance for the electrode assembly 111.

[0120] According to some embodiments of this application, a portion of the scratch-resistant surface 1134 extends obliquely from the first end to the second end. In this example, a portion of the scratch-resistant surface 1134 is an oblique surface 1134A.

[0121] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 6, 9(A), and 9(B), the scratch-resistant surface 1134 may be configured to include a single inclined surface 1134A. In some embodiments, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 may also be configured to include multiple inclined surfaces 1134A, meaning that the scratch-resistant surface 1134 extends in an inclined manner at multiple locations. Furthermore, the slopes of the multiple inclined surfaces 1134A vary from small to large, and any two adjacent inclined surfaces 1134A transition with an arc, so that there is no obvious abrupt change between two adjacent inclined surfaces 1134A.

[0122] Referring to Figure 7(C), the number of inclined surfaces 1134A can be, for example, two. Of course, in other embodiments of this application, the number of inclined surfaces 1134A can be, for example, three, four, etc. Referring to Figure 3, in a configuration where the housing 113 has an opening only at its top, the inclined surfaces 1134A extend downwards and inwards from their top to bottom, gradually moving away from the end cap 112 while gradually approaching the electrode assembly 111.

[0123] Understandably, because the second end is arc-shaped, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 in this example is composed of an inclined surface 1134A and an arc-shaped surface. Compared with the embodiment where the scratch-resistant surface 1134 is composed of multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 composed of an inclined surface 1134A and an arc-shaped surface is relatively easier to process, and the inclined surface 1134A can provide a stable guiding effect for the electrode assembly 111, so as to guide the electrode assembly 111 to be smoothly inserted into the housing during assembly.

[0124] According to some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figures 6, 7, 8(C), 9(A) and 9(B), the surface of the protective protrusion 1133 facing the inside of the housing 113 may also be configured to include a plane 1138, the plane 1138 being parallel to the axial direction of the opening (i.e., the X-axis direction), and one end of the plane 1138 near the end cap 112 being connected to the second end of the scratch-resistant surface 1134.

[0125] With one end of the housing 113 open, the protective protrusion 1133 is also provided with a plane 1138, which is parallel to the X-axis. During the assembly of the battery cell 11 in this embodiment, when S20 is executed, when a portion of the electrode assembly 111 enters the housing 113 and abuts against the scratch-resistant surface 1134 of the protective protrusion 1133, the electrode assembly 111 can be manipulated to slide along the scratch-resistant surface 1134 into the housing 113. After the electrode assembly 111 slides past the second end of the scratch-resistant surface 1134, the electrode assembly 111 can be manipulated to attach to the plane 1138 and continue to move into the housing 113 until it is completely housed in the housing 113.

[0126] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion 1133 is also provided with a flat surface 1138, which is parallel to the axial direction of the opening. During the process of inserting the electrode assembly 111 into the housing 113, the electrode assembly 111 can slide smoothly against the flat surface 1138. The flat surface 1138 can effectively guide the electrode assembly 111 smoothly into the housing along the X-axis, providing a stable guiding effect for the electrode assembly 111. Furthermore, the contact and engagement relationship between the flat surface 1138 and the electrode assembly 111 can reduce the possibility of unnecessary tilting caused by the electrode assembly 111 shifting during the insertion process, thereby reducing the possibility of scratches or collisions.

[0127] Because the second end is arc-shaped, the end of the plane 1138 near the end cap 112 is combined with the arc-shaped surface, making the transition between the scratch-resistant surface 1134 and the plane 1138 smooth. Therefore, this embodiment adds the plane 1138 without causing the protective protrusion 1133 to introduce obvious abrupt changes that could damage the electrode assembly 111.

[0128] The specific structure of the protective protrusion 1133 can be implemented in various ways. As one embodiment of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 7. The root of the protective protrusion 1133 is connected to the first sidewall 1131, and the top of the protective protrusion 1133 is suspended inside the housing 113. In this document, the top of the protective protrusion 1133 is relative to the root of the protective protrusion 1133, and the top and root of the protective protrusion 1133 are opposite in their protrusion direction. It can be understood that in this example, the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are separate structures, and the protective protrusion 1133 is assembled and connected to the first sidewall 1131. Exemplarily, the specific implementation process of the above S10 can be as follows: the first sidewall 1131 and the protective protrusion 1133 are formed separately, and the first sidewall 1131 and the protective protrusion 1133 are connected by any one or more of the following techniques: snap-fit ​​technology, pin-fit technology, screw-fit technology, adhesive technology, and welding technology.

[0129] In this embodiment, by reasonably configuring the protective protrusion 1133, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 can be implemented as any of the following: an arc surface with a single curvature, a combination of multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures, or a combination of an inclined surface 1134A and an arc surface. For example, in the example shown in Figure 7(A), the protective protrusion 1133 is formed by connecting two arc-shaped plates sequentially. The side of the two arc-shaped plates facing away from the pressure relief component 114 is the curved surface described above, and the two curved surfaces combine to form the scratch-resistant surface 1134. For example, in the example shown in Figure 7(B), the protective protrusion 1133 is an arc-shaped plate, and the side of this arc-shaped plate facing away from the pressure relief component 114 is the scratch-resistant surface 1134, ensuring that the scratch-resistant surface 1134 has the same curvature throughout. For example, in the example shown in FIG7 (C), a sheet metal can be processed into a protective protrusion 1133 by a two-bending process. The protective protrusion 1133 has two inclined portions and a flat portion connected in sequence. The side of the two inclined portions facing away from the pressure relief component 114 is the inclined surface 1134A described above, and the side of the flat portion facing into the housing 113 is the plane 1138 described above.

[0130] According to some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figures 6, 8 and 9, the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion 1133 can be constructed as a closed shape.

[0131] A closed shape refers to a continuous, completely enclosed geometric figure, such as a circle or an ellipse. This means that the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion 1133 and the inner surface of the first sidewall 1131 form a closed area, and the top of the protective protrusion 1133 is not suspended inside the housing 113.

[0132] In this embodiment, by reasonably configuring the protective protrusion 1133, the scratch-resistant surface 1134 can also be implemented as any of the following: a single-curvature arc surface, a combination of multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures, or a combination of an inclined surface 1134A and an arc surface. For example, as shown in FIG8(A), the protective protrusion 1133 can be a quarter-cylinder structure. For example, as shown in FIG8(B), the protective protrusion 1133 can be a semi-cylinder structure, and the connection between the semi-cylinder structure and the first sidewall 1131 is designed with rounded corners. For example, the protective protrusion 1133 can also be a complex three-dimensional structure composed of simple three-dimensional structures such as cylinders or cuboids, as shown in FIG8(C).

[0133] Compared to the protective protrusion 1133, whose top is suspended inside the housing 113, this embodiment constructs the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion 1133 into a closed shape, thereby giving the protective protrusion 1133 higher structural strength. Thus, when the electrode slides along the scratch-resistant surface 1134 during insertion into the housing, the protective protrusion 1133 in this example is less likely to deform under the pressure of the electrode assembly 111, reliably preventing the electrode assembly 111 from contacting the pressure relief component 114 during insertion and providing a stable guiding effect for the electrode assembly 111.

[0134] According to some embodiments of this application, based on the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion 1133 being constructed as a closed shape, the protective protrusion 1133 can also be constructed such that its inner wall surface is connected to the inner surface of the first sidewall 1131, and its outer wall surface is connected to the outer surface of the first sidewall 1131 and together define the groove 1135.

[0135] This design results in a recessed outer surface of the first sidewall 1131, making the outer surface uneven. In this embodiment, during fabrication, the first sidewall 1131 and the protective protrusion 1133 are formed separately. The protective protrusion 1133 can be implemented as a cover structure. An opening is created in the first sidewall 1131 using machining, laser cutting, or stamping processes. The protective protrusion 1133 is then inserted into the inner side of the first sidewall 1131, covering the opening. Finally, the protective protrusion 1133 is assembled and connected to the first sidewall 1131 using one or more of the following techniques: snap-fit, pin-fit, screw-fit, adhesive-fit, or welding. In this example, the side of the protective protrusion 1133 facing outwards from the housing 113 defines a groove 1135. Because the protective protrusion 1133 covers the opening, it is combined with and sealed to the first sidewall 1131.

[0136] In this embodiment, during the preparation process, the first sidewall 1131 can also be stamped using a stamping process, so that the first sidewall 1131 is partially arched inward to form a protective protrusion 1133, and the position of the outer surface of the first sidewall 1131 corresponding to the protective protrusion 1133 is the groove 1135.

[0137] In other words, in this embodiment, the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 can be separate structures, and the two can be assembled and connected by a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection. Alternatively, the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 can also be integrally formed.

[0138] In embodiments where the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are separate structures, the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are formed separately, thus allowing for the fabrication of a structurally complex protective protrusion 1133. In embodiments where the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are integrally formed, the assembly process between the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 can be eliminated, which is beneficial for improving the assembly efficiency of the battery cell 11 and, without increasing costs, for improving the connection reliability between the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131.

[0139] As an alternative embodiment of this application, the outer surface of the first sidewall 1131 can be smooth and continuous, as shown in FIG8. In this case, the first sidewall 1131 and the protective protrusion 1133 can be formed separately and then assembled and connected. Based on this, in order to make the outer peripheral edge of the root of the protective protrusion 1133 form a closed shape, the protective protrusion 1133 can be a cover structure, as shown in FIG10. FIG10 is a partial schematic diagram of the shell 113 of some embodiments of this application. Compared with the first sidewall 1131 having a groove 1135 at the position corresponding to the protective protrusion 1133 on its outer surface, this embodiment makes the outer surface of the first sidewall 1131 smooth and continuous, and the first sidewall 1131 has higher structural strength.

[0140] According to some embodiments of this application, along the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion 1133, the pressure relief component 114 can be designed to extend beyond the protective protrusion 1133, or the top of the protective protrusion 1133 can be flush with the axial end face of one end of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113, and the orthographic projection of one end of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113 falls within the orthographic projection of the protective protrusion 113 in the end cover 112.

[0141] As an example, along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133, the pressure relief member 114 can be designed to extend beyond the protective protrusion 1133; in other words, the top of the protective protrusion 1133 extends beyond the end of the pressure relief member 114 located within the housing 113. It is understood that the protective protrusion 1133 has a maximum protrusion height of H at its second end, and the maximum dimension of the portion of the pressure relief member 114 located within the housing 113 in the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133 is less than H. Thus, since the top of the protective protrusion 1133 protrudes further from the inner surface of the first sidewall 1131 than the pressure relief member 114, the protective protrusion 1133 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 from contacting the pressure relief member 114, thereby significantly reducing the risk of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched by the edge of the pressure relief member 114.

[0142] As an example, the top of the protective protrusion 1133 can be flush with the axial end face of the end of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113. That is, the maximum dimension of the portion of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113 in the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133 is equal to H. Furthermore, in this example, the orthographic projection of the end of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113 onto the end cap 112 falls within the orthographic projection of the protective protrusion 113 onto the end cap 112. This embodiment effectively reduces the likelihood of the electrode assembly 111 contacting the edge of the end of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113 when it is inserted into the housing, thereby effectively reducing the risk of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched by the end of the pressure relief component 114.

[0143] According to some embodiments of this application, the protective protrusion 1133 facing the inner wall surface of the housing 113 may be covered with an anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer.

[0144] The anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer can be a metal coating made of metallic materials (e.g., nickel, chromium), a ceramic coating made of ceramic materials (e.g., alumina), or a polymer coating made of polymer materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane, and polyimide (PI) or one or more of these. The anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer can be formed on the inner wall surface of the protective protrusion 1133 facing the inside of the housing 113 using coating processes (e.g., spraying or dip coating), electroplating, laser cladding, etc. In an example where the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are separate structures, the specific preparation process can be as follows: first, the first sidewall 1131 and the protective protrusion 1133 are formed separately; then, the anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer is formed on the inner wall surface of the protective protrusion 1133; finally, the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are assembled and connected. In the example where the protective protrusion 1133 and the first sidewall 1131 are integrally formed, after the protective protrusion 1133 is formed by locally arching the first sidewall 1131 inward through a stamping process, an anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer is formed on the inner sidewall surface of the protective protrusion 1133.

[0145] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion 1133 is provided with an anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer facing the inner wall of the housing 113. On the one hand, the anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer has a certain degree of smoothness, which makes the contact between the electrode assembly 111 and the protective protrusion 1133 during the insertion of the housing smoother, reducing friction and the risk of jamming, and reducing the possibility of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched and damaged. On the other hand, the anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer is resistant to electrolyte corrosion.

[0146] According to some embodiments of this application, the protective protrusion 1133 may be configured to surround the entire outer periphery of the pressure relief component 114.

[0147] This design causes the base of the protective protrusion 1133 to form a ring around the connection point of the first sidewall 1131. In other words, a ring on the first sidewall 1131 protrudes inward toward the housing 113 to form the protective protrusion 1133, surrounding the outer periphery of the pressure relief component 114. In this embodiment, a portion of the protective protrusion 1133 is located between the end cap 112 and a portion of the annular boss 1142 of the pressure relief component 114. The shape of the ring formed by the protective protrusion 1133 can be adapted to the shape of the pressure relief component 114, for example, both being waist-shaped (also known as oblong).

[0148] In an embodiment where both ends of the housing 113 are open and two end caps 112 are provided, the portion of the protective protrusion 1133 located between one end cap 112 and the pressure relief component 114 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 entering the housing 113 through the opening covered by one end cap 112 from directly contacting the pressure relief component 114. Similarly, the portion of the protective protrusion 1133 located between the other end cap 112 and the pressure relief component 114 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 entering the housing 113 through the opening covered by the other end cap 112 from directly contacting the pressure relief component 114. In other words, regardless of whether the electrode assembly 111 enters the housing in the positive or negative direction of the X-axis, or regardless of whether the electrode assembly 111 enters the housing 113 from either of the two openings, the protective protrusion 1133 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 from directly contacting the pressure relief component 114 and thus preventing the electrode assembly 111 from being scratched.

[0149] In this embodiment, by having the protective protrusion 1133 surround the entire outer periphery of the pressure relief component 114, the protective protrusion 1133 can provide more balanced support for the electrode assembly 111 when it comes into contact with the protective protrusion 1133 during the insertion process.

[0150] According to some embodiments of this application, the pressure relief component 114 has a target axis of symmetry, the extension direction of which is perpendicular to both the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion 1133 and the axial direction of the opening. One end of the housing 113 is open, and the entire protective protrusion 1133 is located on the side of the pressure relief component 114 near the end cap 112, that is, the entire protective protrusion 1133 is located between the end cap 112 and the pressure relief component 114. The first sidewall 1131 may also have a protrusion 1136 protruding towards the electrode assembly 111. The protrusion 1136 is located on the side of the pressure relief component 114 opposite to the protective protrusion 1133, and the protrusion 1136 and the protective protrusion 1133 are symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry.

[0151] The structure of the protrusion 1136 is the same as that of the protective protrusion 1133, and can be designed with reference to the protective protrusion 1133 in the above embodiments. For example, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the outer wall surface of the protective protrusion 1133 is connected to the outer surface of the first sidewall 1131 and together defines the groove 1135. Correspondingly, the outer wall surface of the protrusion 1136 is connected to the outer surface of the first sidewall 1131 and together defines the recess 1137.

[0152] In this embodiment, the first sidewall 1131 is further provided with a protrusion 1136. The protrusion 1136 and the protective protrusion 1133 are symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry of the pressure relief component 114. The first sidewall 1131 can be constructed into a symmetrical structure about the target axis of symmetry, which can make the force on the first sidewall 1131 evenly distributed, which is beneficial to the structural stability of the first sidewall 1131. Moreover, compared with the protective protrusion 1133 forming a ring, the internal space utilization of the shell 113 is higher in this embodiment without changing the size of the shell 113.

[0153] Based on the first sidewall 1131 also having a protrusion 1136, the housing 113 is replaced with an opening at both ends. At this time, the protrusion has the same structure and is symmetrical with the protective protrusion 1133. The electrode assembly 111 enters the housing 113 from one end opening. The protective protrusion 1133 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 from directly contacting the pressure relief component 114, thus preventing the electrode assembly 111 from being scratched. The electrode assembly 111 enters the housing 113 from the other end opening. The protrusion 1136 can prevent the electrode assembly 111 from directly contacting the edge of the annular boss 1142, thus preventing the electrode assembly 111 from being scratched.

[0154] In the embodiment where the protective protrusion 1133 is located between the end cap 112 and the annular protrusion 1142, the protective protrusion 1133 has an extending direction, which can be a straight line or an arc. This embodiment does not impose any specific limitations.

[0155] As an example, the protective protrusion 1133 can be configured to extend along a predetermined straight path, with the extension direction of the protective protrusion 1133 being perpendicular to both the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion 1133 and the axial direction of the opening. This embodiment adopts a straight-line design for the protective protrusion 1133, which is simple to design and easy to process and form.

[0156] As an example, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the first sidewall 1131 may also be provided with a pressure relief hole extending through its own thickness. A pressure relief component 114 is disposed in the pressure relief hole, which is waist-shaped. The hole wall includes two arc-shaped segments symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry. The protective protrusion 1133 may also be configured to extend along a predetermined curved path, with the curvature center of the protective protrusion 1133 concentric with the curvature center of one of the two adjacent arc segments. To match the pressure relief component 114 with the pressure relief hole, in this example, the portion of the pressure relief component 114 located within the housing 113 is correspondingly waist-shaped.

[0157] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion 1133 is bent and extended, and its center of curvature is concentric with the center of curvature of the arc segment of the waist-shaped pressure relief hole. That is, the bending shape of the protective protrusion 1133 matches the bending shape of the arc segment. This helps the protective protrusion 1133 to better shield the part of the pressure relief component 114 located inside the housing 113 in the direction of the electrode assembly 111 entering the housing, so as to prevent the electrode assembly 111 from directly contacting the edge of the annular boss 1142, and significantly reduce the possibility of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched by the pressure relief component 114.

[0158] In addition to the pressure relief hole that can be provided on the first sidewall 1131, as an alternative embodiment, the pressure relief component 114 can also be integrally formed with the first sidewall 1131.

[0159] According to some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figures 9(A) and 9(B), the protective protrusion 1133 may also be provided with a guide groove 11331. The guide groove 11331 is an open groove. The bottom of the guide groove 11331 extends from the groove opening along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133 and penetrates the inner wall of the protective protrusion 1133. The guide groove 11331 also penetrates the protective protrusion 1133 along the axial direction of the opening.

[0160] The guide groove 11331 has a depth of B, and the protective protrusion 1133 has a thickness of D, where B < D, ensuring that the guide groove 11331 does not penetrate the entire protective protrusion 1133 in its protruding direction. In other words, the guide groove 11331 is positioned at the top edge of the protective protrusion 1133. The cross-sectional shape of the guide groove 11331 in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the opening can be, but is not limited to, semi-circular, rectangular, U-shaped, etc.

[0161] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the length of the electrode assembly 111 can be equal to the normal distance between the two small faces minus the maximum protrusion height of the protective protrusion 1133. That is, the length of the electrode assembly 111 is equal to the normal distance between the top of the protective protrusion 1133 and the other small face opposite it. When the electrode assembly 111 is installed in the housing 113, the top of the protective protrusion 1133 contacts the electrode assembly 111.

[0162] In this embodiment, a guide groove 11331 is provided on the protective protrusion 1133. The guide groove 11331 is located at the top edge of the protective protrusion 1133 and can play a guiding role. During the operation of the battery cell 11, gas is generated. The gas formed between the protective protrusion 1133 and the end cap 112 can be guided to the pressure relief component 114 through the guide groove 11331, which effectively optimizes the gas flow direction and reduces the risk caused by gas turbulence.

[0163] According to some embodiments of this application, the groove depth of the guide groove 11331 is B, and the normal distance between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the protective protrusion 1133 is D. The relationship between the groove depth B of the guide groove 11331 and the normal distance D can be further designed as: B < 1 / 2D.

[0164] In other words, the depth of the guide groove 11331 is less than half of the normal distance between the inner and outer walls of the protective protrusion 1133.

[0165] In this embodiment, by ensuring that B < 1 / 2D, from both a functional and structural perspective, the ratio of the thickness of the remaining portion of the protective protrusion 1133 not penetrated by the guide groove 11331 to the total thickness of the protective protrusion 1133 is greater than 1 / 2 along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133. This allows the protective protrusion 1133 to still possess good structural strength, making it relatively less likely to deform under the pressure of the electrode assembly 111. This ensures that the protective protrusion 1133 reliably prevents contact between the electrode assembly 111 and the pressure relief component 114, and provides stable guidance for the electrode assembly 111. From a manufacturing perspective, since the depth of the guide groove 11331 is relatively small, the manufacturing difficulty is relatively low.

[0166] In some embodiments, the relationship between the groove depth and the normal distance D of the guide groove 11331 can be exemplarily: 1 / 5D < B < 1 / 3D.

[0167] This embodiment achieves a good balance between the structural strength of the protective protrusion 1133 and the flow guiding capacity of the guide groove 11331 by designing 1 / 5D < B < 1 / 3D. On the one hand, the guide groove 11331 is not too shallow, so as to reliably guide the gas flow to the pressure relief component 114. On the other hand, the protective protrusion 1133 has strong structural strength, so as not to be easily deformed by the pressure of the electrode assembly 111 during the installation of the electrode assembly 111 into the housing, so as to reliably prevent the pressure relief component 114 from scraping the electrode assembly 111 and reliably guide the electrode assembly 111 into the housing.

[0168] Of course, in other embodiments of this application, the relationship between the groove depth of the guide groove 11331 and the normal distance D can also be: 1 / 4 < B < 3 / 10D.

[0169] According to some embodiments of this application, the first sidewall 1131 is provided with a pressure relief hole extending through its own thickness, and a pressure relief component 114 is disposed in the pressure relief hole; an annular boss 1142 protrudes from one end of the pressure relief component 114 facing the electrode assembly 111, the annular boss 1142 overlapping at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the pressure relief hole on the first sidewall 1131, and the thickness of the annular boss 1142 is h. The protective protrusion 1133 has a maximum protrusion height at the second end, the maximum protrusion height being H, and the maximum protrusion height and the thickness of the annular boss 1142 can be designed such that: 0.1 mm < Hh < 0.3 mm.

[0170] The annular boss 1142 contacts the inner surface of the first sidewall 1131, and the annular boss 1142 is stacked on the inner side of at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the pressure relief hole. This ensures that the distance between the side of the annular boss 1142 facing inwards from the housing 113 and the top of the protective protrusion 1133 in the penetrating direction of the pressure relief hole is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm; in other words, the top of the protective protrusion 1133 extends beyond the annular boss 1142 by 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. Ideally, the electrode assembly 111 remains inserted into the housing along the X-axis direction. Since Hh > 0 mm, the electrode assembly 111 does not contact the annular boss 1142, preventing the electrode assembly 111 from being scratched by the annular boss 1142.

[0171] On the one hand, by ensuring Hh > 0.1 mm, this embodiment ensures that the top of the protective protrusion 1133 extends beyond the annular boss 1142 in the direction of the pressure relief hole. This facilitates the protective protrusion 1133 in effectively preventing the electrode assembly 111 from contacting the annular boss 1142 during insertion into the housing, reducing or even eliminating the possibility of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched by the annular boss 1142. On the other hand, by ensuring Hh < 0.3 mm, this embodiment ensures that the distance by which the top of the protective protrusion 1133 extends beyond the annular boss 1142 is not excessive, resulting in a relatively small space occupied by the protective protrusion 1133 inside the housing 113. In summary, this achieves a good balance between the anti-scratch effect of the protective protrusion 1133 on the annular boss 1142 and the space occupied by the protective protrusion 1133 inside the housing 113.

[0172] According to some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG9(B), the axial end face of the annular boss 1142 facing away from the first sidewall 1131 and the circumferential side face of the annular boss 1142 can be connected by a transition arc.

[0173] In other words, the connection between the axial end face of the annular boss 1142 facing away from the first side wall 1131 and the circumferential side face of the annular boss 1142 is designed with rounded corners.

[0174] Compared to the sharp edges at the connection between the axial end face and the circumferential side face of the annular boss 1142 facing away from the first sidewall 1131, this embodiment adopts this design. On the one hand, it can reduce the possibility of stress concentration. On the other hand, it can further reduce the possibility of damage to the electrode assembly 111 caused by the annular boss 1142 scraping against the electrode assembly 111 during the insertion process.

[0175] According to some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the annular boss 1142 is h, and the radius of the transition arc is R. The thickness h of the annular boss 1142 and the radius R of the transition arc can be designed as follows: 1 / 6h < R < 1 / 2h.

[0176] In this embodiment, by setting the radius of the transition arc between one-sixth and one-half of the thickness of the annular boss 1142, a good balance is achieved between the structural strength and stress distribution of the annular boss 1142. Specifically, on the one hand, since R > 1 / 6h, the radius of the transition arc is not too small, which helps to make the transition smooth and reduce the possibility of stress concentration. On the other hand, since R < 1 / 2h, relatively little material can be removed from the annular boss 1142, resulting in good structural strength for the annular boss 1142.

[0177] It is understandable that a small radius of transition arc can lead to processing difficulties. In this embodiment, by designing 1 / 6h < R < 1 / 2h, the processing difficulty of the transition arc can be relatively reduced.

[0178] Of course, in other embodiments of this application, the thickness h of the annular boss 1142 and the radius R of the transition arc can satisfy the following condition: 2 / 7h < R < h. The specific design can be made according to the actual working conditions and requirements.

[0179] According to some embodiments of this application, the battery cell 11 further includes a plurality of electrode assemblies 111 housed in the housing 113. The electrode assembly 111 includes a straight section 1111 and two curved sections 1112. The two ends of the straight section 1111 along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion 1133 are respectively connected to the two curved sections 1112. A portion of the protective protrusion 1133 is located between two adjacent curved sections 1112.

[0180] This embodiment does not impose a specific limitation on the number of electrode assemblies 111, which can be 2, 3, 4, etc. As an example, as shown in FIG3, there are two electrode assemblies 111, which are stacked on top of each other, and the protective protrusion 1133 extends into the space between two adjacent curved sections 1112. Thus, the specific implementation process of S20 is roughly as follows: while aligning the electrode assembly 111 with the opening outside the housing 113, the portion of the protective protrusion 1133 is aligned between the two adjacent curved sections 1112, and then the electrode assembly 111 is moved to be housed inside the housing 113.

[0181] In this embodiment, the cooperation between the protective protrusion 1133 and the two adjacent curved sections 1112 can, on the one hand, provide positioning for the electrode assembly 111, making it easier to accurately locate the installation position of the electrode assembly 111 and thus improving installation efficiency. On the other hand, it can limit the displacement of the electrode assembly 111 along its own thickness direction, making it less likely for the electrode assembly 111 to move along its own thickness direction during the process of entering the shell, thereby improving assembly stability.

[0182] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application.

[0183] The technical solution of this application will be further described below through a specific embodiment. As shown in Figures 3 to 6, a specific embodiment of this application provides a battery cell 11, which includes: a housing 113, an electrode assembly 111, an end cap 112, and a pressure relief component 114.

[0184] The housing 113 has an opening at one end and is rectangular in shape. The housing 113 includes a first sidewall 1131, which is a sidewall with a smaller area on the housing 113. The first sidewall 1131 is provided with a pressure relief hole that penetrates its own thickness. The pressure relief hole is waist-shaped and includes a straight section and two arc-shaped sections. The straight section extends along the height direction of the housing 113, and the two arc-shaped sections are respectively connected to the two ends of the straight section.

[0185] An end cap 112 is provided to cover the opening. The end cap 112 and the housing 113 together form a sealed mounting cavity. An electrode terminal 1121 is provided on the end cap 112. The electrode assembly 111 is flat and connected to the electrode terminal 1121. Two electrode assemblies 111 are provided, and the two electrode assemblies 111 are stacked and housed in the mounting cavity. The electrode assembly 111 includes a straight section 1111 and two curved sections 1112. The two ends of the straight section 1111 along the thickness direction of the first sidewall 1131 are respectively connected to the two curved sections 1112.

[0186] The pressure relief component 114 is actuated to release internal pressure when the internal pressure of the battery cell 11 reaches a threshold. The pressure relief component 114 includes a main body 1141 and an annular boss 1142 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of one end of the main body 1141. The main body 1141 is disposed within a pressure relief hole, and the annular boss 1142 extends along a through-hole direction perpendicular to the pressure relief hole. The annular boss 1142 is located within the housing 113 and abuts against the circumferential edge of the pressure relief hole on the first sidewall 1131. The thickness of the annular boss 1142 is h. As shown in Figure 9(B), the side of the annular boss 1142 facing the electrode assembly 111 is connected to the circumferential side surface of the annular boss 1142 by a transition arc with a radius of R, where 1 / 6h < R < 1 / 2h. The pressure relief component 114 has a target axis of symmetry, with two arc segments symmetrical about the target axis of symmetry. The target axis of symmetry is perpendicular to both the axial direction of the opening and the through-hole direction of the pressure relief hole.

[0187] The first sidewall 1131 is stamped using a stamping process, causing a portion of the first sidewall 1131 to arch inward into the housing 113, forming a protective protrusion 1133 and a protrusion 1136. The protective protrusion 1133 is located between the end cap 112 and the annular boss 1142, and the protrusion 1136 is located between the annular boss 1142 and the bottom plate of the housing 113. The protective protrusion 1133 and the protrusion 1136 have the same structure and are symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry. Correspondingly, a groove 1135 and a recess 1137 are formed on the first sidewall 1131 corresponding to the position of the protective protrusion 1133.

[0188] From the top to the bottom of the housing 113, the protective protrusion 1133 includes an inclined section 11332 and a straight section 11333. The top and bottom of the inclined section 11332 extend towards the electrode assembly 111. The top of the inclined section 11332 is connected to the first sidewall 1131, and the bottom is connected to the top of the straight section 11333. The bottom of the straight section 11333 is connected to the first sidewall 1131 and has a rounded transition. The inner surface of the straight section 11333 is a plane 1138 parallel to the axis of the opening. The inner surface of the inclined section 11332 is an inclined surface 1134A. The connection between the inclined surface 1134A and the inner surface of the first sidewall 1131 is rounded, and the connection between the inclined surface 1134A and the plane 1138 is also rounded. The side of the protective protrusion 1133 facing away from the pressure relief component 114 is formed as the scratch-resistant surface 1134. The scratch-resistant surface 1134 includes an inclined surface 1134A, and the inclined surface 1134A and the plane 1138 are connected by an arc. The protrusion height of the straight section 11333 relative to the first sidewall 1131 is H, that is, the maximum protrusion height of the protective protrusion 1133 is H, 0.1mm < Hh < 0.3mm.

[0189] The protective protrusion 1133 extends along a predetermined curved path, and the center of curvature of the protective protrusion 1133 is concentric with the center of curvature of an arc segment located above it. The inner sidewall of the protective protrusion 1133 facing the housing 113 is covered with an anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer. As shown in Figure 9(A), a guide groove 11331 is provided at the top edge of the protective protrusion 1133. The guide groove 11331 is an open groove with a groove depth of B. The thickness of the first sidewall 1131 is equal everywhere and is D. The normal distance between the inner and outer sidewalls of the protective protrusion 1133, which is integrally formed with the first sidewall 1131, is also D, where 1 / 5D < B < 1 / 3D.

[0190] In this embodiment, the protective protrusion 1133 protrudes further from the inner surface of the first sidewall 1131 than the annular protrusion 1142 of the pressure relief component 114. This makes the protective protrusion 1133 act as a physical barrier, covering the annular protrusion 1142 in the axial direction of the opening. Due to the obstruction of the protective protrusion 1133, the possibility of the electrode assembly 111 being scratched by contact with the edge of the annular protrusion 1142 during the insertion of the casing is significantly reduced.

[0191] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This 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 having an opening, the housing including a first sidewall, the first sidewall being provided with a pressure relief component; An end cap is provided over the opening, and the first sidewall is disposed adjacent to the end cap; Electrode assembly, housed within the housing; The first sidewall also includes a protective protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly, the protective protrusion being at least partially disposed on the side of the pressure relief component near the end cap.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective protrusion facing away from the wall of the pressure relief component is a scratch-resistant surface. The scratch-resistant surface extends smoothly from the first end near the end cap to the second end near the pressure relief component and gradually approaches the electrode assembly. The second end is arc-shaped.

3. The battery cell according to claim 2, characterized in that, The scratch-resistant surface extends in a curved manner from the first end to the second end; The scratch-resistant surface is a portion of an arc surface, or the scratch-resistant surface is formed by connecting multiple curved surfaces with different curvatures in sequence, and any two adjacent curved surfaces transition continuously.

4. The battery cell according to claim 2, characterized in that, From the first end to the second end, a portion of the scratch-resistant surface extends obliquely; The scratch-resistant surface includes a single inclined surface, or the scratch-resistant surface includes multiple inclined surfaces. From the first end to the second end, the slopes of the multiple inclined surfaces change from small to large, and any two adjacent inclined surfaces transition into a circular arc.

5. The battery cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The protective protrusion facing the interior of the housing also includes a plane, which is parallel to the axial direction of the opening, and one end of the plane near the end cap is connected to the second end of the scratch-resistant surface.

6. The battery cell according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the root of the protective protrusion is closed.

7. The battery cell according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner wall of the protective protrusion is connected to the inner surface of the first sidewall, and the outer wall of the protective protrusion is connected to the outer surface of the first sidewall, together defining the groove. The protective protrusion and the first sidewall are separate structures that are assembled and connected together, or the protective protrusion and the first sidewall are integrally formed.

8. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion, the pressure relief component extends beyond the protective protrusion, or the top of the protective protrusion is flush with the axial end face of the pressure relief component at one end of the housing, and the orthographic projection of the end of the pressure relief component inside the housing onto the end cover falls within the orthographic projection of the protective protrusion onto the end cover.

9. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The protective protrusion is covered with an anti-corrosion and wear-resistant layer on the inner wall facing the electrode assembly.

10. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The protective protrusions are arranged around the entire outer periphery of the pressure relief component.

11. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The pressure relief component has a target axis of symmetry, and the extension direction of the target axis of symmetry is perpendicular to both the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion and the axial direction of the opening. One end of the housing is open, the protective protrusion is located on the side of the pressure relief component near the end cap, the first sidewall is also provided with a protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly, the protrusion is located on the side of the pressure relief component opposite to the protective protrusion, and the protrusion and the protective protrusion are symmetrically arranged about the target axis of symmetry.

12. The battery cell according to claim 11, characterized in that, The protective protrusion extends along a preset straight path, and the extension direction of the protective protrusion is perpendicular to both the protrusion direction of the protective protrusion and the axial direction of the opening. Alternatively, the first sidewall is provided with a pressure relief hole that penetrates its own thickness, and the pressure relief component is provided in the pressure relief hole. The pressure relief hole is waist-shaped, and the hole wall of the pressure relief hole includes two arc segments symmetrically arranged about the axis of symmetry of the target. The protective protrusion extends along a preset curved path, and the curvature center of the protective protrusion and the curvature center of one of the two adjacent arc segments are concentric.

13. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The protective protrusion is provided with a guide groove, which is an open groove. The bottom of the guide groove extends from the opening to the protrusion of the protective protrusion and penetrates the inner wall of the protective protrusion. The guide groove also penetrates the protective protrusion along the axial direction of the opening.

14. The battery cell according to claim 13, characterized in that, The depth of the guide groove is B, and the normal distance between the inner and outer walls of the protective protrusion is D, where B < 1 / 2D.

15. The battery cell according to claim 14, characterized in that, 1 / 5D < B < 1 / 3D.

16. The battery cell according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that, The first sidewall is provided with a pressure relief hole that extends through its own thickness, and the pressure relief component is disposed in the pressure relief hole; the end of the pressure relief component facing the electrode assembly is provided with an annular boss, the annular boss overlaps with at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the pressure relief hole on the first sidewall, and the thickness of the annular boss is h; The protective protrusion has a maximum protrusion height at the second end, and the maximum protrusion height is H, where 0.1mm < Hh < 0.3mm.

17. The battery cell according to claim 16, characterized in that, The axial end face of the annular boss facing away from the first sidewall is connected to the circumferential side face of the annular boss by a transition arc.

18. The battery cell according to claim 17, characterized in that, The thickness of the annular boss is h; the radius of the transition arc is R, where 1 / 6h < R < 1 / 2h.

19. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that, The battery cell also includes a plurality of electrode assemblies housed within the housing. Each electrode assembly includes a straight section and two curved sections. The two ends of the straight section along the protruding direction of the protective protrusion are respectively connected to the two curved sections. A portion of the protective protrusion is located between two adjacent curved sections.

20. A battery device, characterized in that, Includes the battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, The electrical device includes a battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 19, or the electrical device includes a battery device according to claim 20.

22. An energy storage device, characterized in that, The energy storage device comprises a battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 19, or the energy storage device comprises a battery device according to claim 20.

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