Battery Cell Connecting Member With Reinforced Bend Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The issue of crease deflection during the bending process of connecting members in batteries, which complicates the installation of electrode assemblies into battery shells and can damage the connecting member, tab, and electrode terminal, affecting battery performance.
Innovation Solution
A connecting member with a reinforcing structure in the connecting portion, enhancing its bending strength relative to the bending portion, allowing smoother installation and improved structural stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the connecting member is made with uniform thickness and hardness, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the bending portion cannot bend smoothly causing crease deflection
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member employs local quality by making the bending portion thinner and/or softer than the connecting portion. This creates a gradient structure where the bending portion has reduced thickness or adjusted material properties, enabling smooth bending without crease deflection while the connecting portion maintains sufficient strength for electrical connection.
2Ease of operation
If the connecting member is made thinner to facilitate bending, then the bending process is smoother, but the bending strength is reduced affecting structural stability
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member employs local quality by making the bending portion thinner and/or softer than the connecting portion. This creates a gradient structure where the bending portion has reduced thickness or adjusted material properties, enabling smooth bending without crease deflection while the connecting portion maintains sufficient strength for electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting member uses composite materials or material gradients where different portions have different material properties. The bending portion may use a softer or thinner material composition compared to the connecting portion, allowing the structure to bend smoothly while maintaining overall structural integrity and electrical conductivity.
3Strength
If the connecting member is made with higher bending strength, then the structural stability is improved, but the bending portion becomes difficult to bend causing installation issues
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member employs local quality by making the bending portion thinner and/or softer than the connecting portion. This creates a gradient structure where the bending portion has reduced thickness or adjusted material properties, enabling smooth bending without crease deflection while the connecting portion maintains sufficient strength for electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting member is segmented into distinct functional zones: a connecting portion with higher strength for electrical connection and a bending portion with reduced thickness or adjusted properties for flexible installation. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
4Productivity
If forcible installation is used to install the electrode assembly, then the installation process is faster, but the connecting member, tab, and electrode terminal are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member is pre-formed with a bending portion that has reduced thickness or adjusted material properties, preparing it in advance to bend smoothly during installation. This preliminary structuring eliminates the need for forcible installation, allowing the electrode assembly to be installed gently without damaging the connecting member, tab, or electrode terminal.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide a connecting member, a battery cell, a battery, and an electric apparatus. The connecting member is for use in a battery cell. The connecting member includes a connecting portion and a bending portion. The connecting portion is connected to the bending portion. The connecting portion has a reinforcing structure, and the reinforcing structure is configured to make a bending strength of the connecting portion greater than a bending strength of the bending portion. In the connecting member provided in the embodiments of this application, the bending strength of the connecting portion of the connecting member is greater than the bending strength of the bending portion of the connecting member.