OUTPUT ELECTRODE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE, BATTERY AND POWER CONSUMING DEVICE

Provided are an output electrode protective structure, a battery and a power consuming device. The output electrode protective structure includes: an output electrode base having a mounting face; a protective cover mounted to the output electrode base, the protective cover being rotatable relative to the output electrode base to switch between an open state in which the mounting face is exposed and a closed state in which the mounting face is concealed; and a restoring member mounted to the output electrode base, the restoring member being configured to apply an acting force to the protective cover to switch same from the open state to the closed state. With the arrangement of the restoring member, an operator does not need to close the protective cover manually after completing an operation, and the protective cover can automatically return to the closed state under a restoring effect of the restoring member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular to an output electrode protective structure, a battery and a power consuming device.

BACKGROUND ART

Energy conservation and emission reduction are the key to the sustainable development of the automobile industry. Electric vehicles have become crucial for the sustainable development of the automobile industry due to advantages in energy conservation and environmental protection. For the electric vehicles, the battery technology is an important factor to their development.

In addition to battery cells, a battery further includes mechanical structures such as an end plate and a base plate. The end plate is usually provided with a connecting piece protective structure, which is configured to connect an output electrode connecting piece and provide insulation protection for the output electrode connecting piece. However, in some cases, the connecting piece protective structure is inconvenient to use due to its structural defects, and is prone to protection failure resulting in exposure of high-voltage parts, thus causing a risk of electric shock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on this, it is necessary to provide an output electrode protective structure, a battery and a power consuming device, for the problem of inconvenience in use and proneness to protection failure of the connecting piece protective structure.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present application, provided is an output electrode protective structure, including:an output electrode base having a mounting face;a protective cover mounted to the output electrode base, the protective cover being rotatable relative to the output electrode base to switch between an open state in which the mounting face is exposed and a closed state in which the mounting face is concealed; anda restoring member mounted to the output electrode base, the restoring member being configured to apply an acting force to the protective cover to switch it from the open state to the closed state.

In a technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, with the arrangement of the restoring member, when the output electrode protective structure is in a natural state, the acting force is continuously applied to the protective cover under the action of the restoring member to keep the protective cover in the closed state, and in this case, the protective cover conceals the mounting face. When an output electrode connecting piece needs to be disassembled, an operator overcomes the acting force applied to the protective cover from the restoring member to switch the protective cover to the open state for an operation. After completing the operation, the operator stops applying an acting force to the protective cover that is opposite to that of the restoring member, and the protective cover switches back to the closed state under a restoring effect of the restoring member so as to protect the output electrode connecting piece. Therefore, the operator does not need to close the protective cover manually after completing the operation, and the protective cover can automatically return to the closed state under the restoring effect of the restoring member, thereby avoiding safety hazards caused by exposing the output electrode connecting piece and other components. In addition, since the protective cover is kept in the closed state by the acting force of the restoring member, there is no need to provide additional components such as snap-fit connectors to keep the protective cover closed, and thus the protective cover can be opened quickly to improve the convenience in operation.

In some embodiments, the restoring member is restorably deformable under the action of an external force so as to apply the acting force to the protective cover. In this way, by a deformation of the restoring member under the action of the external force only, the acting force can be applied to the protective cover to switch it from the open state to the closed state. Therefore, the overall output electrode protective structure is simple and reliable, and has a low manufacturing cost.

In some embodiments, the restoring member includes at least one torsion spring unit, the torsion spring unit including:a torsion spring body, restricted to the output electrode base;a first torsion arm, connected to one end of the torsion spring body, the first torsion arm abutting against the output electrode base; anda second torsion arm, connected to the other end of the torsion spring body, the second torsion arm abutting against the protective cover.

In this way, automatic restoration of the protective cover can be achieved with the deformation of the restoring member. The overall structure is simple and reliable, and has a low production cost.

In some embodiments, the output electrode base is provided with a mounting recess at one end, the mounting recess has a recess bottom wall and a recess side wall that extends in the same direction from the recess bottom wall, the recess side wall is provided with a limiting post protruding into the mounting recess, and the torsion spring body is provided around the limiting post. With the arrangement of the mounting recess, the restoring member can be hidden between the output electrode base and the protective cover. The arrangement of the limiting post can function to restrict and support the restoring member to prevent the restoring member from falling out of the mounting recess.

In some embodiments, the recess bottom wall is provided with a limiting slot, and the first torsion arm is restricted in the limiting slot. In this way, the first torsion arm is restricted to the recess bottom wall of the mounting recess by means of the limiting slot, avoiding a displacement of the restoring member which affects working stability of the protective cover.

In some embodiments, the restoring member includes two torsion spring units, the two torsion spring units are arranged side by side in a direction of an axis of rotation of the protective cover, and the second torsion arms of the two torsion spring units are connected to each other. The two torsion spring units are spaced apart in a width direction of the output electrode base, and the joint of the two torsion spring units extends along the width direction of the output electrode base, so that two sides of the protective cover can be rotated simultaneously in the width direction to maintain a balanced state.

In some embodiments, the output electrode base is provided with two mounting posts spaced apart in the direction of an axis of rotation of the protective cover, the protective cover is provided with a mounting hole on each of two opposite sides in the direction of the axis of rotation thereof, and each of the mounting posts is rotatably inserted in one of the mounting holes correspondingly. With the arrangement of the mounting post and the mounting hole, the protective cover is rotatably connected to the output electrode base, the operator may apply an acting force to the end of the protective cover away from the mounting hole so as to drive the protective cover to rotate relative to the output electrode base.

In some embodiments, the protective cover is provided with a guide recess, one end of the guide recess communicates with the mounting hole, the other end of the guide recess extends in a radial direction of the mounting hole, and the mounting post is allowed to slide into the mounting hole along the guide recess. With the arrangement of the guide recess, the protective cover can fit with the output electrode base easily, improving assembly efficiency of the output electrode protective structure.

In some embodiments, the protective cover includes:a protective cover top wall;a protective cover side wall extending from the protective cover top wall toward the output electrode base; anda detachable side wall connected to the side of the protective cover side wall away from the protective cover top wall, where a break slot is disposed at the joint between the detachable side wall and the protective cover side wall.

With the arrangement of the break slot, a connection length between the detachable side wall and the protective cover side wall is significantly reduced, bringing convenience for the operator to break the detachable side wall at the corresponding position according to an outgoing direction of the output electrode connecting piece, while the remaining detachable side wall is still connected to the protective cover side wall to play a role of insulation protection.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present application, provided is a battery, including an output electrode protective structure in the foregoing embodiments.

According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present application, provided is a power consuming device, including a battery in the foregoing embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are merely intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, so they merely serve as examples, but are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used herein are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present application. The terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof in the description and the claims of the present application as well as the brief description of the accompanying drawings described above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms “first”, “second”, etc. are merely used for distinguishing different objects, and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, particular order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the phrase “a plurality of” means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically defined.

The phrase “embodiment” mentioned herein means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment can be encompassed in at least one embodiment of the present application. The phrase at various locations in the description does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, or an independent or alternative embodiment exclusive of another embodiment. Those skilled in the art understand explicitly or implicitly that the embodiment described herein may be combined with another embodiment.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term “and/or” is merely intended to describe the associated relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist, for example, A and/or B can include: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. In addition, the character “/” herein generally indicates an “or” relationship between the associated objects.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term “a plurality of” means two or more (including two), similarly the term “a plurality of groups” means two or more groups (including two groups), and the term “a plurality of pieces” means two or more pieces (including two pieces).

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or position relationship indicated by the technical terms “central”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”; “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc. are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are merely intended to facilitate and simplify the description of the embodiments of the present application, rather than indicating or implying that the apparatus or element considered must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore not to be construed as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and defined, the technical terms such as “mount”, “couple”, “connect”, and “fix” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; may be a mechanical connection or an electric connection; and may be a direct connection or an indirect connection by means of an intermediate medium, or may be communication between interiors of two elements or interaction between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

At present, from the perspective of the development of the market situation, traction batteries are used more and more widely. The traction batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, wind power plants and solar power plants, but also widely used in electric transportation means such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles and in many fields such as military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application field of traction batteries, the market demand for the traction batteries is also expanding.

A traction battery may include a plurality of battery cells in order to meet different power demands, with the plurality of battery cells being in series connection, parallel connection or series-parallel connection. The traction battery is further arranged in a power consuming device to supply electrical energy to the power consuming device. Each battery cell may be a secondary battery or a primary battery, or may be a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-ion battery, or a magnesium-ion battery, but is not limited thereto. The battery cell may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or in other shapes.

In order to realize the output of electrical energy of the battery and the series or parallel or series-parallel connection of a plurality of batteries, an output end of the battery is provided with an output electrode connecting piece for outputting electrical energy, and the output electrode connecting pieces of adjacent batteries can be electrically connected through a module connecting piece.

In order to connect the output electrode connecting piece and perform insulation protection thereon, some batteries are provided with an output electrode protective structure at the output end. The output electrode protective structure includes an output electrode base and a protective cover, and both the output electrode base and the output electrode connecting piece are provided with connecting holes. When performing connection, a bolt passes through the connecting holes of the two so that the output electrode connecting piece is fixedly connected to the base body.

The inventor noted that in order to connect the protective cover and the output electrode base reliably and facilitate the opening and closing of the protective cover, in some cases, one end of the protective cover is rotatably mounted to the output electrode base, and the other end of the protective cover is snap-fitted with the output electrode base by means of buckles, etc., and the opening and closing of the protective cover can be achieved by rotating the protective cover. However, in installation and maintenance, the operator may often forget to close the protective cover after completing an operation, and the open state of the protective cover may lead to high-voltage components such as the output electrode connecting piece exposing to an external environment, thus causing a risk of electric shock.

Based on the above considerations, in order to prevent the operator from negligently forgetting to close the protective cover and exposing the high-voltage parts, the inventor designed an output electrode protective structure after an in-depth study. The output electrode protective structure includes an output electrode base, a protective cover and a restoring member. The protective cover is rotatably mounted to the output electrode base, and the restoring member is configured to apply an acting force to the protective cover to switch it from an open state to a closed state. When an installation or maintenance operation is required, the operator can open the protective cover by overcoming the acting force of the restoring member. After the installation or maintenance operation is completed, the protective cover automatically switches from the open state to the closed state under driving of the restoring member, without the need for the operator to manually close the protective cover, thereby avoiding the risk of electric shock caused by the output electrode connecting piece being exposed to the external environment due to the operator's negligence causing the protective cover to be in the open state.

The output electrode protective structure disclosed the embodiments of the present application may be used in, but not limited to, a power consuming device such as a vehicle, ship or aircraft, and a battery disclosed in the present application may be used to constitute a power supply system of such power consuming device, thereby avoiding the risk of electric shock caused by the operator forgetting to close the output electrode protective structure.

The embodiments of the present application provide a power consuming device using a battery as a power supply. The power consuming device may be, but is not limited to, a cell phone, a tablet, a laptop, an electric toy, an electric tool, an electric scooter, an electric vehicle, a ship, a spacecraft, etc. The electric toy may include a stationary or mobile electric toy, such as a game console, an electric vehicle toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric airplane toy. The spacecraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, a spaceship, etc.

For case of description, an example in which a power consuming device according to an embodiment of the present application refers to a vehicle is used for description in the following embodiments.

Referring toFIG.1, the vehicle10000may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a battery electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, an extended-range vehicle, etc. A battery1000is arranged inside the vehicle10000, and the battery1000may be arranged at the bottom, the front or the back of the vehicle10000. The battery1000may be configured to supply power to the vehicle10000. For example, the battery1000may serve as a power supply for operating the vehicle10000. The vehicle10000may further include a controller2000and a motor3000, and the controller2000is used to control the battery1000to supply power to the motor3000, for example, to satisfy the working power requirements during the starting, navigation and driving of the vehicle10000. In some other embodiments of the present application, the battery1000can not only serve as a power supply for operating the vehicle10000, but also serve as a power supply for driving the vehicle10000, instead of or partially instead of fuel or natural gas, to provide driving power for the vehicle10000.

As shown inFIG.2, the battery1000includes a frame structure100and a plurality of battery cells200received within the frame structure100. The plurality of battery cells200are stacked on top of each other along a length direction to form a battery cell arrangement structure. The frame structure100may include end plates, side plates, a top cover, and a base plate. The top cover and the base plate are disposed facing each other. There are two end plates and two side plates. The two end plates are respectively arranged on opposite sides of a stacking direction of the battery cells200. The two side plates are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the two end plates.

Further, the end plate is provided with an output electrode protective structure300. An output electrode of the battery cell200is connected to the output electrode protective structure300through an output electrode connecting piece, thereby realizing the output and input of the electrical energy of the battery1000, and realizing insulation protection for the output electrode connecting piece through the output electrode protective structure300.

As shown inFIG.3andFIG.4, according to some embodiments of the present application, the present application provides an output electrode protective structure300, including an output electrode base31, a protective cover32, and a restoring member33. The output electrode base31has a mounting face. The protective cover32is mounted to the output electrode base31. The protective cover32is rotatable relative to the output electrode base31to switch between an open state in which the mounting face is exposed and a closed state in which the mounting face is concealed. The restoring member33is mounted to the output electrode base31, the restoring member33being configured to apply an acting force to the protective cover32to switch it from the open state to the closed state.

The output electrode base31is mounted to one end plate of the battery1000. The output electrode base31is a hollow cube shell-like structure, including a base top wall311and a base side wall312that extends in the same direction from an edge of the base top wall311. The base top wall311forms the mounting face of the output electrode base31. A threaded hole3111is disposed at the center of the mounting face. A connecting hole is disposed at one end of the output electrode connecting piece. A bolt passes through the connecting hole of the output electrode connecting piece to be in threaded connection with the threaded hole3111, so that the output electrode connecting piece is fixedly connected to the output electrode base31.

The output electrode base31is required to be made of an insulating material, which in some embodiments may be an injection molded plastic structure or a plastic structure, and is therefore capable of providing insulation protection for the output electrode connecting piece. As a preferred embodiment, the output electrode base31is made of PA6 nylon plastic (also known as polyamide 6), which has good insulating property, toughness and durability.

As shown inFIG.3, the direction X in the figure is a length direction of the output electrode base31, the direction Y is a width direction of the output electrode base31, and the direction Z is a thickness direction of the output electrode base31.

The protective cover32is of a shell-like structure. The protective cover32is made of the same or different insulating material as the output electrode base31, which may be, for example, an injection molded plastic structure or a plastic structure, and is therefore capable of providing insulation protection for the output electrode connecting piece. As a preferred embodiment, the protective cover32is made of the same PA6 nylon plastic (also known as polyamide 6) as the output electrode base31, which has good insulating property, toughness and durability.

The open state in which the mounting face is exposed means that one end of the protective cover32is rotated in a direction away from the output electrode base31to form an angle of a certain size with the output electrode base31, in this case, the mounting face is at least partially exposed to the external environment. Then the operator can operate the components such as the output electrode connecting piece on the mounting face. The closed state in which the mounting face is concealed means that one end of the protective cover32is rotated in a direction close to the output electrode base31to form an angle of a minimum value with the output electrode base31, in this case, the mounting face is completely covered by the protective cover32. With the blocking of the protective cover32, the operator cannot operate the components between the mounting face and the protective cover32.

The restoring member33is a component of any shape that can apply an acting force to the protective cover32to switch it from the open state to the closed state without the need for additional artificially applied force.

With the arrangement of the restoring member33, as shown inFIG.3, when the output electrode protective structure300is in a natural state, the acting force is continuously applied to the protective cover32under the action of the restoring member33to keep the protective cover32in the closed state, and in this case, the protective cover32conceals the mounting face. As shown inFIG.4, when the output electrode connecting piece needs to be disassembled, the operator overcomes the acting force applied to the protective cover32from the restoring member33to switch the protective cover32to the open state for an operation. After completing the operation, the operator stops applying an acting force to the protective cover32that is opposite to that of the restoring member33, and the protective cover32switches back to the closed state under a restoring effect of the restoring member33. Therefore, the operator does not need to close the protective cover32manually after completing the operation, and the protective cover32can automatically return to the closed state under the restoring effect of the restoring member33, thereby avoiding safety hazards caused by exposing the output electrode connecting piece and other high-voltage components. In addition, since the protective cover32is kept in the closed state by the acting force of the restoring member33, there is no need to provide additional components such as snap-fit connectors to keep the protective cover32closed, and thus the protective cover32can be opened quickly to improve the convenience in operation.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the restoring member33is restorably deformable under the action of an external force so as to apply the acting force to the protective cover32.

The restoring member33can be deformed under the action of an external force, and when the external force disappears, the restoring member33is automatically restored to its initial shape. When a force-applying component applies a certain acting force to the restoring member33, the shape of the restoring member33may be changed under the acting force. Since forces always act in pairs, the restoring member33applies a reacting force to the force-applying component while trying to restore to the original shape. When the acting force applied to the restoring member33is reduced or eliminated, the change in shape of the restoring member33is reduced or the restoring member is restored to its original shape, and at the same time, the reacting force of the restoring member on the force-applying component is reduced or disappears.

In this way, by a deformation of the restoring member33under the action of the external force only, the acting force can be applied to the protective cover32to switch it from the open state to the closed state. Therefore, the overall output electrode protective structure300is simple and reliable, and has a low manufacturing cost.

With reference toFIG.3,FIG.4andFIG.5, according to some embodiments of the present application, the restoring member33includes at least one torsion spring unit331, the torsion spring unit331including a torsion spring body3311, a first torsion arm3312and a second torsion arm3313. The torsion spring body3311is restricted to the output electrode base31. The first torsion arm3312is connected to one end of the torsion spring body3311, and the first torsion arm3312abuts against the output electrode base31. The second torsion arm3313is connected to the other end of the torsion spring body3311, and the second torsion arm3313abuts against the protective cover32.

The torsion spring unit331may be formed by bending a metal wire having a certain degree of toughness. The middle of the wire spirally bends and extends in a direction to form the torsion spring body3311. One end of the metal wire extends linearly in a tangent direction of the torsion spring body3311to form the first torsion arm3312, and the other end of the metal wire extends linearly in another tangent direction of the torsion spring to form the second torsion arm3313. When the first torsion arm3312and the second torsion arm3313rotate about the central axis of the torsion spring body3311, the torsion spring body3311deforms to produce a torque that attempts to pull the first torsion arm3312and the second torsion arm3313back to their initial positions.

Abutting refers to an abutting contact, where two ends of the restoring member33abut against the base and protective cover32, respectively, thereby applying an acting force to the base and the protective cover32.

When the protective cover32is in the closed state, the first torsion arm3312and the second torsion arm3313rotate to a certain degree relative to their natural states; the torsion spring body3311deforms to produce a torque that attempts to pull the first torsion arm3312and the second torsion arm3313back to their natural positions, and the second torsion arm3313abuts against the protective cover32by the torque so as to keep the protective cover32in the closed state. When the output electrode connecting piece needs to be disassembled, the operator overcomes the acting force applied to the protective cover32from the second torsion arm3313to switch the protective cover32to the open state. In this case, the torsion spring body3311deforms to a greater extent so that the second torsion arm3313applies a greater acting force to the protective cover32. After completing the operation, the operator releases the protective cover32, and the second torsion arm3313rotates to the initial state by the torque of the torsion spring body3311, so as to drive the protective cover32to switch to the closed state again.

In this way, automatic restoration of the protective cover32can be achieved using the deformation of the restoring member33. The overall structure is simple and reliable, and has a low production cost.

With reference toFIG.6, according to some embodiments of the present application, the output electrode base31is provided with a mounting recess3131at one end, the mounting recess3131has a recess bottom wall3131aand a recess side wall3131bthat extends in the same direction from an edge of the recess bottom wall3131a, the recess side wall3131bis provided with a limiting post3131dprotruding into the mounting recess3131, and the torsion spring body3311is provided around the limiting post3131d.

The output electrode base31is provided with a mounting portion313at one end in a direction of the upper portion. The mounting portion313protrudes from the base top wall311in a height direction of the output electrode base31. The mounting portion313and the base top wall311together enclose to form the mounting recess3131. The recess bottom wall3131aof the mounting recess3131is formed by one end of the base top wall311and refers to the surface of the mounting recess3131perpendicular to the height direction of the output electrode base31. The recess side wall3131brefers to the surface of the mounting recess3131parallel to the height direction of the output electrode base31. The recess side wall3131bis provided with a limiting post3131don each of two sides in the width direction of the output electrode base31. The limiting post3131dhas a cylindrical structure with a central axis parallel to the width direction of the output electrode base31. The limiting post3131dhas an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the torsion spring body3311of the restoring member33, so that the torsion spring body3311can be provided around the limiting post3131dto be restricted in the mounting recess3131.

With the arrangement of the mounting recess3131, the restoring member33can be hidden between the output electrode base31and the protective cover32. The arrangement of the limiting post3131dcan function to restrict and support the restoring member33to prevent the restoring member33from falling out of the mounting recess3131.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the recess bottom wall3131ais provided with a limiting slot3131c, and the first torsion arm3312is restricted in the limiting slot3131c.

A length direction of the limiting slot3131cextends along the length direction of the output electrode base31. The end of the first torsion arm3312away from the torsion spring body3311extends into the limiting slot3131c. The first torsion arm3312abuts against the bottom surface of the limiting slot3131cperpendicular to the height direction of the output electrode base31. Sides of the limiting slot3131cmay prevent the first torsion arm3312from moving in a direction perpendicular to the height direction of the output electrode base31.

In this way, the first torsion arm3312is restricted to the recess bottom wall3131aof the mounting recess3131by means of the limiting slot3131c, avoiding a displacement of the restoring member33which affects working stability of the protective cover32.

Referring further toFIG.5, according to some embodiments of the present application, the restoring member33includes two torsion spring units331, the two torsion spring units331are arranged side by side in a direction of an axis of rotation of the protective cover32, and the second torsion arms3313of the two torsion spring units331are connected to each other.

The interconnected ends of the second torsion arms3313of the two torsion spring units331of the same restoring member33extend in the width direction of the output electrode base31to be connected to each other. In some embodiments, the two torsion spring units331of the same restoring member33are formed by bending the same metal wire. It is to be understood that the shape of the restoring member33is not limited to this and may be set to match the shapes of the output electrode base31and the protective cover32as needed. Accordingly, in order to restrict each of the two torsion spring units331, two limiting slots3131care disposed in the recess bottom wall3131a. The two limiting slots3131care spaced apart at two ends of the recess bottom wall3131ain the width direction of the output electrode base31.

The two torsion spring units331are spaced apart in the width direction of the output electrode base31, and the joint of the two torsion spring units331extends in the width direction of the output electrode base31, so that two sides of the protective cover32can be rotated simultaneously in the width direction to maintain a balanced state.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the output electrode base31is provided with two mounting posts3132spaced apart in the direction of an axis of rotation of the protective cover32, the protective cover32is provided with a mounting hole3221on each of two opposite sides in the direction of the axis of rotation thereof, and each of the mounting posts3132is rotatably inserted in one of the mounting holes3221correspondingly.

The mounting post3132has a cylindrical structure. The direction of axis of rotation of the protective cover32is the width direction of the output electrode base31. The mounting post3132has a central axis parallel to the width direction of the output electrode base31. The mounting hole3221has a bore diameter matching that of the mounting post3132, so that the mounting post3132can be inserted in the mounting hole3221and rotated in the mounting hole3221.

With the arrangement of the mounting post3132and the mounting hole3221, the protective cover32is rotatably connected to the output electrode base31, the operator may apply an acting force to the end of the protective cover32away from the mounting hole3221so as to drive the protective cover32to rotate relative to the output electrode base31.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the protective cover32is provided with a guide recess3222, one end of the guide recess3222communicates with the mounting hole3221, the other end of the guide recess3222extends in a radial direction of the mounting hole3221, and the mounting post3132is allowed to slide into the mounting hole3221along the guide recess3222.

The inner surface of the protective cover32communicating with the mounting hole3221is recessed inwardly to form the guide recess3222. One end of the guide recess3222communicates with the mounting hole3221, and the other end of the guide recess3222extends to an edge of the protective cover32in the height direction of the output electrode base31. When mounting the protective cover32, the guide recess3222of the protective cover32is first aligned with the mounting post3132, then a pressure is applied to the protective cover32in the height direction of the output electrode base31to move the mounting post3132along the guide recess3222, and finally the mounting post3132slides into the mounting hole3221. Since the protective cover32is made of a material with a certain degree of toughness such as PA6 nylon plastic, the protective cover can elastically deform to a certain extent, which allows the mounting post3132to slide into the mounting hole3221.

With the arrangement of the guide recess3222, the protective cover32can fit with the output electrode base31easily, improving assembly efficiency of the output electrode protective structure300.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the protective cover32includes a protective cover top wall321, a protective cover side wall322and a detachable side wall323. The protective cover side wall322extends from the protective cover top wall321toward the output electrode base31. The detachable side wall323is connected to the side of the protective cover side wall322away from the protective cover top wall321. A break slot324is disposed at the joint between the detachable side wall323and the protective cover side wall322.

The protective cover top wall321refers to an outer wall in the protective cover32that is perpendicular to the height direction of the output electrode base31. The protective cover side wall322refers to an outer wall in the protective cover32that extends in the height direction of the output electrode base31. The detachable side wall323may be connected to the protective cover side wall322at different positions. Specifically in one embodiment, the protective cover32includes two detachable side walls323, one of the detachable side walls323is connected to the end of the protective cover side wall322away from the restoring member33in the length direction of the output electrode base31, and the other detachable side wall323is connected to the side of the protective cover side wall322in the width direction of the output electrode base31.

The break slot324runs through the joint between the detachable side wall323and a part of the protective cover side wall322in a thickness direction, that is, a part of the break slot324is located at the edge of the detachable side wall323and the other part of the break slot is located at an edge of the protective cover side wall322. There is no limit to the number of break slots324. In some embodiments, only one break slot324may be provided at the joint between the detachable side wall323and the protective cover side wall322, the break slot324extending in the length direction of the output electrode base31. In some other embodiments, a plurality of break slot324may be provided at the joint between the detachable side wall323and the protective cover side wall322, the plurality of break slot324being spaced apart in the length direction of the output electrode base31.

With the arrangement of the break slot324, a connection length between the detachable side wall323and the protective cover side wall322is significantly reduced, bringing convenience for the operator to break the detachable side wall323at the corresponding position according to an outgoing direction of the output electrode connecting piece, while the remaining detachable side wall323is still connected to the protective cover side wall322to play a role of insulation protection.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a battery1000, the battery1000including the output electrode protective structure300described in any one of the above solutions.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a power consuming device, including the battery1000described in any one of the above solutions. The battery1000is configured to provide electrical energy for the power consuming device.

The power consuming device may be any one of the foregoing devices or systems using the battery1000.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application provides an output electrode protective structure300, including an output electrode base31, a protective cover32and a restoring member33. A base top wall311of the output electrode base31forms a mounting face for connecting an output electrode connecting piece. The protective cover32is rotatably mounted to the output electrode base31. The protective cover32is rotatable relative to the output electrode base31to switch between an open state in which the mounting face is exposed and a closed state in which the mounting face is concealed. The restoring member33is mounted to the output electrode base31. The restoring member33includes two interconnected torsion spring units331. The restoring member33is restorably deformable under the action of an external force so as to apply an acting force to the protective cover32to switch it from the open state to the closed state. When the operator releases the protective cover32in the open state, the protective cover32can automatically return to the closed state under driving of the restoring member33, thereby preventing the components such as the output electrode connecting piece from being exposed to the external environment. In addition, the protective cover32has a detachable side wall323connected to the protective cover side wall322, and the operator can break the corresponding detachable side wall323according to an outgoing direction of the output electrode connecting piece to meet different requirements.

The various technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any manner, and in order to simplify the description, not all possible combinations of the various technical features of the above embodiments are described. However, the technical features should be considered to be within the scope of the description in the specification, as long as there is no conflict between the combinations of the technical features.

The embodiments described above merely illustrate several implementations of the present application and are described relatively specifically and in detail, but should not be construed as limiting the patent scope of the present application. It should be noted that several variations and improvements may also be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the concept of the present application, and should fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be defined by the appended claims.