BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL APPARATUS

A battery includes a box having a top and a bottom opposite in a first direction; battery cells disposed upside down in the box and connected to the top, wherein the battery cell comprises electrode terminals, the electrode terminals being disposed back away from the top in the first direction; a busbar component for electrically connecting to the electrode terminals of at least two of the battery cells; and a protective assembly disposed between the bottom and the busbar component, wherein the protective assembly is used for supporting the battery cell and insulating the battery cell from the bottom.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the field of batteries, and in particular to a battery and an electrical apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

With the joint development of technologies in the field of vehicles and batteries, the number of driving methods for carriers in the market is gradually increasing, and the market share of electrically driven carriers is gradually increasing in order to minimize pollution and reduce costs. On this basis, in order to reduce the thickness of the chassis and increase the internal space of the electrically driven carrier, the technology of integrating the battery with the chassis has already appeared, and in the process of driving the carrier, the bottom of the battery may suffer from external impacts, which cause the battery to be deformed in the process of usage, thus leading to the potential risk of safety accidents.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a battery with high safety performance and the corresponding electrical apparatus.

SUMMARY

The present application provides a battery and an electrical apparatus, wherein the battery has a high top strength, and can thus improve the safety factor.

In a first aspect, the present application provides a battery, comprising: a box having a top and a bottom opposite in a first direction; a battery cell disposed upside down in the box and connected to the top, wherein the battery cell comprises electrode terminals, the electrode terminals being disposed back away from the top in the first direction; a busbar component for electrically connecting to the electrode terminals of at least two said battery cells; and a protective assembly disposed between the bottom and the busbar component, wherein the protective assembly is used for supporting the battery cell and insulating the battery cell from the bottom.

In the battery provided in embodiments of the present application, the battery cell is disposed upside down in the interior of the box, and by connecting a flat bottom surface of the battery cell that is not provided with electrode terminals to the top of the box and providing a protective assembly for supporting between the battery cell and the bottom of the box, collisions between components such as the electrode terminals in the battery cell and other components can be avoided when the battery is subjected to external impact, and by connecting the battery cell to the top of the box, collisions between the battery cell and the top of the box can be avoided when the battery is subjected to bottom impact, thereby effectively improving the strength of the top end of the battery to ensure the safety of the battery as a whole.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the battery cell is bonded and fixed to the top. By bonding the bottom of the battery to the top, the strength of the top of the battery can be further improved.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the top comprises a top plate and a frame, the frame being disposed surrounding multiple said battery cells, and the frame being used to connect the top plate and the bottom. The frame disposed surrounding the battery cells can provide protection on the side of the battery cell and improve safety.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly comprises a plurality of protective members extending in a second direction, the plurality of the protective members being disposed at intervals in a third direction and the battery cell being abutted against the protective members, with the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction being arranged to intersect with each other. The protective assembly may comprise a plurality of protective members that are abutted against the plurality of battery cells, respectively, so that the battery cells and the bottom of the box can maintain a certain distance from each other, thus reducing the influence of the bottom impact on the battery.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, orthographic projections of the electrode terminals to the bottom are located between orthographic projections of the protective members adjacent thereto to the bottom. After the battery cell is lifted by the protective assembly, the electrode terminals fall between the adjacent protective assemblies, thus avoiding impact damage to the electrode terminals.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the plurality of protective members comprise edge protective members, first protective members, and second protective members, wherein along the third direction, the edge protective members are disposed at edges on the two sides of an assembly of battery cells arranged in an array, and the first protective members and the second protective members are distributed alternately between two said edge protective members. By providing protective members at the edges, corners can be prevented from being damaged by collisions, and the first and second protective members, which are provided alternately, can be used in cooperation with the setting of the busbar component to form a connection loop with safe electrical performance.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, along the second direction, an extension length of the first protective members is greater than an extension length of the second protective members. Between the second protective members having the shorter extension length, a connecting element in the busbar component that is used to electrically connect the battery cells to each other may be provided, so as to provide protection for the connecting element by the protective assembly and to improve the reliability of the electrical connection.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, along the third direction, the width of the first protective members is greater than the width of the second protective members, and the width of the second protective members is greater than the width of the edge protective members. Each of the first protective members can be simultaneously abutted against two battery cells adjacent thereto to improve the machining efficiency.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, an extension length of the protective assembly in the first direction is greater than 1.5 mm. By making the protective assembly extend beyond a certain length in the first direction, it is possible to effectively improve the safety of the electrical performance inside the battery when the bottom of the battery is impacted.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly further comprises a connecting plate, the plurality of protective members being separately disposed on a surface of the connecting plate towards the top. The plurality of protective members may be all connected to the connecting plate, and by means of the connecting plate, it is possible to stabilize the relative positions between the plurality of protective members and to improve the insulating performance between the busbar component and the bottom of the box.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the frame and the top plate are disposed by means of a welding connection, a flow drill screw connection, a bonding connection, a fastener connection, or an integral molding. The frame and the top plate can be disposed in a fixed connection or an integral molding, so as to improve the connection strength of the overall structure.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly is bonded and fixed to the battery cell. The lower end of the battery cell can be bonded and fixed to the protective assembly to further improve the overall connection strength.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the battery cell further comprises a pressure relief mechanism, the pressure relief mechanism being disposed on the same side as the electrode terminals. By providing the pressure relief mechanism also on the lower side of the battery cell, it is possible to protect it together with the electrode terminals, thus improving the safety.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, an orthographic projection of the pressure relief mechanism to the bottom is located between orthographic projections of the protective members adjacent thereto to the bottom. Similarly to the electrode terminals, by disposing the pressure relief mechanism between protective members adjacent thereto, it is possible to reduce the probability of the pressure relief mechanism being subjected to collision shocks.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly is of an insulating material, or the protective assembly is coated with an insulating coating. The protective assembly enables electrical insulation between the busbar component and the bottom of the box, thereby avoiding impact on the electrical connections between the battery cells caused by external stimulation of the bottom of the box.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, the battery further comprises an adapter plate and an adapter, wherein the adapter plate is disposed on one side of the box and is disposed to protrude from the box, and the adapter plate is connected to the bottom to form an accommodating part, and the adapter is disposed in the accommodating part and is disposed to be connected to the adapter plate. By providing the adapter in the accommodating part, it is possible to protect the adapter by means of the box, thereby reducing the probability of the adapter being damaged by collision.

In a second aspect, the present application provides an electrical apparatus comprising the battery of any of the embodiments in the first aspect.

In the technical solution provided in embodiments of the present application, the battery module is disposed upside down in the box, and the flat bottom surface of the battery module itself and the top of the box of the battery are connected and fixed to each other, and at the same time, a protective assembly is provided between the battery cell and the bottom of the box to support the battery cell, thereby the structural strength of the interior of the battery can be improved and the battery can be prevented from having safety problems when it is subjected to a collision or extrusion, thus improving the overall safety factor of the battery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, and therefore are only used as examples and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art belonging to the technical field of the present application; the terms used herein are intended only for the purpose of describing specific examples and are not intended to limit the present application; the terms “including” and “having” and any variations thereof in the specification and the claims of the present application and in the description of drawings above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms “first”, “second”, and the like are used only to distinguish between different objects, and are not to be understood as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, particular order, or primary and secondary relation of the technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of “a plurality of” is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically defined.

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

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term “and/or” is only an association relationship for describing associated objects, indicating that there may be three relationships, for example A and/or B may represent three situations: A exists alone, both A and B exist, and B exists alone. In addition, the character “/” herein generally means that the associated objects before and after it are in an “or” relationship.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term “a plurality of” refers to two or more (including two), and similarly, “multiple groups” refers to two or more (including two) groups, and “multiple sheets” refers to two or more (including two) sheets.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or position relationship indicated by the technical terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “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 drawings and are intended to facilitate the description of the embodiments of the present application and simplify the description only, rather than indicating or implying that the apparatus or element referred to must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore are not to be interpreted as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical terms “mount,” “join,” “connect,” “fix,” etc. should be understood in a broad sense, such as, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, an internal connection of two elements, or interaction between 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.

With the development and innovation of technologies in the field of batteries, at present, the application of power batteries in the market is more and more extensive. The power batteries are used in energy storage power source systems such as hydraulic, thermal, wind and solar power stations as well as in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles and electric cars, and military equipment and aerospace fields. With the continuous expansion of the application field of the power batteries, the market demand is also constantly expanding. Taking electric transportation as an example, because of the large space required by batteries, the existing electric vehicles usually have the batteries arranged at the chassis position, and in order to expand the space inside the vehicle, structures for integrating the battery with the chassis of the transportation, such as the CTC (cell to chassis) technology, have accordingly appeared.

The applicant notes that the existing integrated design of the battery and the chassis usually connects and fixes the bottom of the battery cell to the bottom of the box of the battery, and at the same time arranges a connecting element at the top to connect the plurality of battery cells to each other. At this time, if the bottom of the vehicle is scratched or impacted in the process of driving, there is a possibility that the top of the battery cell may collide with the top of the box of the battery, which will easily lead to problems such as damage to the battery itself and damage to the connecting element, and therefore there is a possibility of fire and explosion when the shock is large, resulting in a potential safety hazard.

Based on the above considerations, in order to improve the strength of the top of the battery and improve safety, the applicant proposes a battery, which includes a box, and there are a battery cell, a busbar component, and a protective assembly disposed sequentially in the box, where the battery cell is disposed upside down and the bottom of the battery cell is connected to the top of the box, whereby the strength of the top of the box of the battery can be effectively improved. At the same time, the battery cell and the bottom of the box is provided with a protective assembly, which can avoid collisions of the batteries and the connecting elements between the batteries with the bottom, thus further improving the safety of the battery.

The technical solution described in embodiments of the present application is applicable to a battery and an electrical apparatus using the battery.

Among them, the electrical apparatus may be, but not limited to, a vehicle, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop computer, a ship, a spacecraft, an electric toy, an electric tool, and the like. The vehicle may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be an all-electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, an extended-range electric vehicle, or the like. The spacecraft includes airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, spaceships, and the like. The electric toy includes fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys and electric aircraft toys. The electric tool includes metal cutting electric tools, grinding electric tools, assembly electric tools and railway electric tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators and electric planers. No special limitation is imposed on the electrical apparatus in the embodiments of the present application.

It can be understood that the battery disclosed in embodiments of the present application can be used, but not limited to, in an electrical apparatus, such as a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft. The battery disclosed in the present application and the like can be used to form the power source system of the electrical apparatus, so that it is possible to avoid the influence of the bottom impact on the battery, and to improve the safety and reliability of the battery. On this basis, the following embodiments of the present application and the accompanying drawings will be illustrated by taking an example in which this battery is used as a power battery for a vehicle, but it should be understood that the present application is not limited to this, and that the battery provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to other scenarios in which the bottom may be shocked, and can be protected together with it.

For the convenience of illustration, the following embodiments are also illustrated using the example in which the electrical apparatus is a vehicle.

FIG.1is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided in some embodiments of the present application. As shown inFIG.1, the vehicle1000is provided with a battery2000inside, and the battery2000can be provided at the bottom or head or tail of the vehicle1000. The battery2000may be used to power the vehicle1000. For example, the battery2000may be used as an operating power source of the vehicle1000.

The vehicle1000may further comprise a controller3000and a motor4000, wherein the controller3000is used to control the battery2000to power the motor4000, for example, for the operating power demand when the vehicle1000is starting, navigating and driving.

In some embodiments of the present application, the battery2000not only can serve as an operating power source of the vehicle1000, but also can serve as a driving power source of the vehicle1000, thus replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle1000.

Referring together toFIGS.2to6, whereinFIG.2is a schematic structural diagram of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application;FIG.3is an exploded view of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;FIG.4is a schematic structural diagram of a bottom provided in an embodiment of the present application;FIG.5is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application; andFIG.6is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell provided in another embodiment of the present application.

The present application provides a battery2000, comprising a box100, a battery cell200, a busbar component300, and a protective assembly400, wherein the box100has a top10and a bottom20opposite in a first direction Z, and the battery cell200is disposed upside down in the box100and connected to the top10, and the battery cell200comprises electrode terminals30, the electrode terminals30being disposed back away from the top10in the first direction Z; the busbar component300is used for electrically connecting to the electrode terminals30of at least two battery cells200; and the protective assembly400is disposed between the bottom20and the busbar component300, and the protective assembly400is used for supporting the battery cell200and insulating the battery cell200from the bottom20.

The battery2000provided in embodiments of the present application has the box100formed by snapping together the top10and the bottom20, and there are the battery cell200, the busbar component300, and the protective assembly400disposed inside the box100sequentially in a direction pointing from the top10to the bottom20, wherein the busbar component300is disposed separately in connection with the plurality of battery cells200, and can form electrical connections between the plurality of battery cells200, and the protective assembly is disposed between the battery cells200and the bottom20, which can make the battery cells200and the bottom20maintain a certain distance from each other, and at the same time make the two electrically insulated, thereby preventing the battery cells200from being adversely affected when the bottom20is subjected to external impacts or electrical disturbances.

Among them, the box100comprises the top10and the bottom20, and in embodiments of the present application, there can be a detachable connection between the top10and the bottom20so as to facilitate the disposing of the battery cell200and other components in the interior of the box100, wherein the detachable connection can be a connection by screws, which means that through-holes penetrating through the bottom20can be provided at the positions where the bottom20is connected to the top10, and corresponding screw-holes can be provided at the corresponding positions of the top10, and that a tightening connection can be carried out by screws. Optionally, the top10can be integrally molded with components such as the carrier chassis on which the battery2000is integrated, whereby the strength of the box100can be further improved and the connection can be made stable.

It can be understood that in embodiments of the present application, the box100is used for accommodating and protecting the components disposed therein, such as the battery cell200, and on this basis, the box100can have different structures. In some optional embodiments, the top10and the bottom20may be capped with each other to collectively define a cavity for accommodating the components such as the battery cell200. Among other things, the top10may be of a hollow structure with an opening at one end, while the bottom20may be of a plate-like structure and capped on the open side of the top10to form a corresponding cavity for accommodating the components, such as the battery cell200; alternatively, the top10and the bottom20may both be of a hollow structure with an opening at one side, i.e., the interface between the top10and the bottom20may be situated in the middle of the battery cell200, in which case the open side of the top10is joined to the open side of the bottom20to form a corresponding cavity for accommodating the components, such as the battery cell200. Of course, the top10and the bottom20can be of a variety of shapes, such as cylindrical, rectangular, etc., as long as the two can be matched and connected to each other.

In order to improve the sealing performance of the top10and the bottom20after connection, in embodiments of the present application, the top10and the bottom20can be connected by flanges or, alternatively, a sealing member can be provided at the connection, for example, a sealant, a sealing ring, and so on.

In embodiments of the present application, the battery cell200is used to store and provide electrical energy, and there can be a plurality of battery cells200disposed in the box100at the same time, and the plurality of battery cells200can be arranged in an array. Optionally, in the battery2000, there may be a plurality of battery cells200. If there are a plurality of battery cells200, the plurality of battery cells200can be connected in series or parallel or in parallel-series connection, wherein the parallel-series connection means that the plurality of battery cells200are connected in both series and parallel. The plurality of battery cells200can be directly connected together in series or in parallel or in parallel-series connection, or, of course, the plurality of battery cells200can first be connected in series or in parallel or in parallel-series connection to form a battery module, and then a plurality of battery modules can be connected in series or in parallel or in parallel-series connection to form a whole and be accommodated within the box100.

In embodiments of the present application, the battery cell200is installed in an upside-down pose, that is, a flat bottom surface in the battery cell200that is on an opposite side to the top surface provided with the electrode terminals30is disposed to be interconnected with the top10, so that the electrode terminals30are positioned on the side that is away from the top10, whereby the structural strength of the top of the battery2000can be effectively improved, and by connecting the bottom of the battery cell200with the top10, the utilization rate of space inside the box100can be increased, thereby improving the energy density of the battery2000as a whole.

In embodiments of the present application, the busbar component300is disposed to be connected to the battery cell200, wherein the busbar component300can be a CCS (Cells Contact System) assembly, that is, an integrated wiring harness consisting of a flexible circuit board, plastic structural members, a busbar, etc., for forming the desired electrical connection relationship between the plurality of battery cells200, wherein the battery cell200can be charged and discharged through the busbar component300. Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the busbar component300may be welded and connected to the electrode terminals30of the battery cell200, thereby making the connection between the busbar component300and the battery cell200fixed.

Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the busbar component300may comprise a plurality of assemblies, wherein each of the assemblies is correspondingly disposed to be connected to a battery module consisting of the battery cells200, respectively, and then these assemblies are electrically connected to form the desired series/parallel/parallel-series connection relationship, or in embodiments of the present application, the busbar component300may be disposed as a whole and connected to each of the battery cells200separately through the same assembly.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly400is disposed between the bottom20and the busbar component300to support the battery cell200, that is, the upper and lower sides of the protective assembly400may be respectively abutted against a partial area of the battery cell200that is not covered by the busbar component300as well as the bottom20, so as to provide the battery cell200with a support force in the first direction Z. At the same time, the protective assembly400can enable the battery cell200and the bottom20to have a certain gap therebetween and not in contact with each other, and thus enable the busbar component300connected to the battery cell200to be also kept at a certain spacing from the bottom20, so that the busbar component300and the battery cell200are both disposed to be insulated from the bottom20, thereby preventing the exposed bottom20from being interfered with by the external environment, which may cause electrical interference to the battery cell200and the busbar component300.

Further, the protective assembly400may have a flat surface extending perpendicular to the first direction Z, such that an additional protective layer is provided on the bottom20of the box100, thereby further reducing the influence on the battery cell200and the busbar component300when the bottom20is subjected to an impact.

In the battery2000provided in embodiments of the present application, the battery cell200is disposed upside down in the interior of the box, and by connecting the flat bottom of the battery cell200that is not provided with other parts to the top10of the box100, it is possible to improve the structural strength of the top of the battery2000as a whole, and at the same time, there is also a protective assembly400disposed between the bottom20of the box100and the busbar component300, wherein the protective assembly400can function to provide support for the battery cell200, so that the battery cell200and the busbar component300are both kept at a certain spacing from the bottom20, thereby ensuring safety of the battery2000as a whole in the event of a bottom impact.

In some optional embodiments, the battery cell200is bonded and fixed to the top10.

In embodiments of the present application, the battery cell200may be fixedly connected to the top10, specifically, they may be adhesively fixed, and by means of the bonding connection, it is possible to reduce the dimensions required in the first direction Z when connecting the battery cell200to the top10, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the battery2000. By fixedly connecting the battery200to the top10, the strength of the top of the battery can be further improved.

In some optional embodiments, the top10includes a top plate11and a frame12, the frame12being disposed surrounding multiple battery cells200, and the frame12being used to connect the top plate11to the bottom20.

In embodiments of the present application, the box100includes the top10and the bottom20that are snapped with each other, and on this basis, the top10can be composed of two parts: the top plate11and the frame12, where the top plate11may extend along a plane perpendicular to the first direction Z, and the top plate11may be integrated into a component such as a chassis to which the battery2000is to be connected; and the frame12is disposed parallel to the first direction Z and surrounding the component such as the battery cell200, and at the same time, the frame12may be fixedly connected or detachably connected to the top plate11. Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the frame12may extend in the first direction Z by a distance greater than the distances that the battery cell200, the busbar component300, and the protective assembly400extend in the first direction Z, in which case the bottom20may be capped over the lower end of the frame12. The frame12disposed surrounding the battery cell200can provide protection for the battery cell200on the side edges, which improves its safety and makes it easier to perform machining.

Referring together toFIGS.7through9, whereinFIG.7is a schematic cross-sectional view of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application,FIG.8is an enlarged diagram of area A inFIG.7, andFIG.9is a schematic structural diagram of a protective assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application.

In some optional embodiments, the protective assembly400comprises a plurality of protective members40extending in a second direction X, the plurality of protective members40being disposed at intervals in a third direction Y and the battery cell200being abutted against the protective members40, with the first direction Z, the second direction X, and the third direction Y intersecting with each other.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly400can include a plurality of protective members40, wherein these protective members40are abutted against the plurality of battery cells200, respectively, so that the battery cells200and the bottom20of the box100can maintain a certain distance from each other, thus reducing the influence of the impact on the bottom20on the battery2000.

Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the protective member40can be abutted against the surface of the battery cell200that is provided with the electrode terminals30, specifically, it can be abutted against a partial area, which is capable of being subjected to a force, of the surface of each battery cell200that is provided with the electrode terminals30except for the area in which the electrode terminals30are located, that is, be abutted against “shoulders” in that surface in the first direction Y on two sides of the electrode terminals30. On this basis, it is needed to dispose the protective members40in positions corresponding to the battery cells200, and in embodiments of the present application, the plurality of battery cells200may be arranged in an array, and correspondingly, the protective members40may extend along the second direction X and arranged along the third direction Y to form spaced-apart parallel disposed strip-like structural bodies. Except for the protective members40located at the edges, the other protective members40can be provided at the positions where the adjacent battery cells200adjoin, i.e., each protective member40may be abutted against two battery cells200that are disposed adjacent to each other in the third direction Y at the same time.

Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the first direction Z, the second direction X and the third direction Y may be perpendicular to each other in pairs to form a relatively regular structure that is easy to machine.

In some optional embodiments, orthographic projections of the electrode terminals30to the bottom20are located between orthographic projections of the protective members40adjacent thereto to the bottom20.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly400comprises a plurality of protective members40, these protective members40being abutted against the battery cells200, where the orthographic projections of the electrode terminals30in the battery cell200to the bottom20may be located between those of the protective members40adjacent thereto. At this time, the protective members40are abutted against the shoulders of the battery cell200, which can allow the connections between the electrode terminals30and the busbar component300to be unobstructed by the protective assembly400, and allow the electrode terminals30to fall between adjacent protective members40after the battery cell200has been lifted by the protective assembly400, so that the force generated by an impact can be dispersed to a plurality of battery cells200, thereby avoiding the electrode terminals30from being damaged by the impact.

In some optional embodiments, the plurality of protective members40comprise edge protective members41, first protective members42, and second protective members43, wherein along the third direction Y, the edge protective members41are disposed at edges on the two sides of an assembly composed of battery cells200arranged in an array, and the first protective members42and the second protective members43are distributed alternately between two edge protective members41.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective members40may include three types of protective members separately disposed at different positions, where the edge protective members41are disposed at the edge positions of the battery cell200, and the first protective members42and the second protective members43are disposed alternately between the edge protective members41. The first protective members42and the second protective members43may be of different sizes to match a variety of different connecting elements in the busbar component300and to provide the desired space for connections between adjacent battery cells200.

Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the protective members40may include a plurality of different sizes, and the size of each protective member40may be adjusted accordingly based on the length of the battery cell200and the positions of the electrode terminals30and the pressure relief mechanism60thereon, and when each protective member40is abutted against a plurality of battery cells200, each protective member40may be abutted between two adjacent battery cells200. In this case, the spacings between the first protective members42and the second protective members43may be approximate to the length of the battery cell200itself, and the first protective members42and the second protective members43arranged alternately can be coordinated with the arrangement of the busbar component300to form a safe and reliable electrical connection loop.

In some optional embodiments, along the second direction X, an extension length of the first protective members42is greater than an extension length of the second protective members43.

As previously described, in embodiments of the present application, the first protective member42and the second protective member43may have different lengths in their own extension directions, and gaps between second protective members43adjacent may be provided between battery cells200to form a rigid connecting element, such as a busbar, for electrical connection, and two battery cells200adjacent in the third direction Y are electrically connected by this connecting element, that is, by adjusting the length of the second protective members43and the spacing between the second protective members43adjacent in the second direction X, the rigid connecting element in the busbar component300is avoided.

Optionally, depending on the positions at which the connecting elements between the battery cells200are disposed, the extension length of the first protective members42along the second direction X may be the same as the length of the inner cavity of the box100in that direction, that is, they extend integrally and completely inside the box100, or the first protective members42may be provided with broken openings in the second direction X, so that the corresponding connecting elements are disposed at the broken openings. By disposing the connecting elements located in the busbar component300at the broken openings of the protective members40, it is possible to keep the connecting elements also at a certain spacing from the bottom20, so as to create protection against shocks and to maintain the insulation.

In some optional embodiments, along the third direction Y, the width of the first protective members42is greater than the width of the second protective members43, and the width of the second protective members43is greater than the width of the edge protective members41.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective members40may include the edge protective members41disposed at the edges and the first protective members42and the second protective members43disposed alternately between the edge protective members41, wherein the edge protective members41are each abutted against only one battery cell200, and thus their width may be smaller than those of the first protective members42and the second protective members43, and the first protective members42and the second protective members43may be disposed at the connections of the neighboring battery cells200and are abutted against a plurality of battery cells200at the same time. By making each first protective member42to be abutted against two adjacent battery cells200at the same time, it is possible to reduce the number of protective members40required, thereby increasing the production efficiency.

Optionally, in the battery2000provided in embodiments of the present application, the width and position of each protective member40in the protective assembly400can be designed based on the position and size of a partial area of the battery cell200that is not capable of being disposed in an overlapping manner with the protective assembly400. Specifically, the width of the protective members40can be selected according to the magnitude of the pressure intensity that the battery cell200is capable of carrying and the magnitude of the shock that is expected to possibly occur, and then the positions at which the protective members40are disposed can be selected according to the positions of the electrode terminals30and the pressure relief mechanism60.

In some optional embodiments, an extension length of the protective assembly400in the first direction Z is greater than 1.5 mm.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly400needs to extend in the first direction Z by a certain dimension, i.e., each protective member40needs to have a certain thickness, and the protective assembly400is used to provide the battery cell200with protection against impacts from below, so the relationship between the thickness of the protective assembly400itself and the shock energy has a large influence on whether or not there will be a fire and explosion of the battery2000or other safety issues. On this basis, the protective assembly400needs to have a certain basic thickness to provide a corresponding strength of protection, and exemplarily, the overall thickness of the protective assembly400may be greater than 1.5 mm in embodiments of the present application.

In some optional embodiments, the protective assembly400further comprises a connecting plate50, the plurality of protective members40being separately disposed on a surface of the connecting plate50towards the top10.

In embodiments of the present application, the plurality of protective members40can all be connected to the same connecting plate50, and the connecting plate50is disposed close to the bottom20. By means of the connecting plate50, the relative positions between the plurality of protective members40can be stabilized, thus avoiding misalignment thereof after being impacted. At the same time, the connecting plate50may be disposed extending in the same direction as the bottom20and abutted against the bottom20, and may be further position-limited by grooves or the like disposed on the bottom20, and the connecting plate50is disposed between the protective members40and the bottom20and extends to cover a large area, whereby the performance of insulation of the busbar component300and the battery cell200from the bottom20of the box100can be improved. Optionally, in order to provide the desired strength of protection, the thickness of the connecting plate50may be greater than 0.5 mm.

In some optional embodiments, the frame12and the top plate11are disposed by means of a welding connection, a flow drill screw connection, a bonding connection, or an integral molding.

In embodiments of the present application, the box100may include the top plate11, the frame12, and the bottom20, wherein the frame12is disposed surrounding the circumference of the battery cell200. At the same time, in order to improve the overall strength of the box100, there may be a fixed connection between the frame12and the top plate11, and at this connection, there may be a welding connection, an FDS (flow drill screw) connection, or a bonding connection, and the present application does not impose any specific limitations in this regard as long as it is ensured that there is sufficient connection strength between the top plate11and the frame12.

In some optional embodiments, the protective assembly400is bonded and fixed to the battery cell200.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly400is abutted against the shoulders of the battery cell200, at which time the two can be bonded and fixed together to further improve the overall strength and the stability of the connection, thereby avoiding misalignment between the protective assembly400and the battery cell200when subjected to a shock. Optionally, in the protective assembly400, each of the protective members40may be separately bonded to a corresponding position on the battery cell200, or at least some of the protective members40may be bonded to the battery cell200, which may include the edge protective members41.

As shown inFIG.6, in some optional embodiments, the battery cell200further comprises a pressure relief mechanism60, wherein the pressure relief mechanism60is disposed on the same side as the electrode terminals30.

In embodiments of the present application, the battery cell200may further have the pressure relief mechanism60, wherein the pressure relief mechanism60can form a weak point when high pressure and expansion are generated inside the battery cell200, so that internal pressure exceeding a certain threshold can be relieved through this point, thereby avoiding serious safety problems such as explosion of the battery cell200as a whole. On this basis, the pressure relief mechanism60should be prevented from collision as much as possible, and the pressure relief mechanism60is also arranged at the lower side of the battery cell200, so that it can be protected together with the electrode terminals30to avoid collision with the box100and the like, thereby improving the overall safety and reliability of the battery2000.

In some optional embodiments, an orthographic projection of the pressure relief mechanism60to the bottom20is located between orthographic projections of the protective members40adjacent thereto to the bottom20.

As previously described, in embodiments of the present application, the battery cell200further comprises the pressure relief mechanism60, and when the battery cell200is cooperating with the protective assembly400, the pressure relief mechanism60can be disposed to be located between the areas where adjacent protective members40and the battery cell200are abutted against each other, i.e., the pressure relief mechanism60is disposed on a side close to the bottom20and does not come into contact with the protective assembly400, whereby in the event of an external shock, the impact force will be dispersed over the shoulders of the battery cell200to prevent damage of the pressure relief mechanism60due to a collision, thus improving the safety of the battery2000.

In some optional embodiments, the protective assembly400is of an insulating material, or the protective assembly400is coated with an insulating coating.

In embodiments of the present application, the protective assembly400is disposed between the busbar component300and the bottom20to support the battery cell200and insulate both the battery cell200and the busbar component300from the bottom20, so as to avoid electrical interference from the external environment. On this basis, the protective assembly400can be made of an insulating material as a whole, which can ensure a good insulating effect; alternatively, the protective assembly400can be made by applying an insulating coating to a conductive material having a certain strength, which can improve the strength of the protective assembly400itself and optimize the protection effect, thus improving the bearing capacity of the battery2000as a whole against bottom impacts.

Referring toFIG.10.FIG.10is a schematic structural diagram of a battery provided in yet another embodiment of the present application. In some optional embodiments, the battery2000further comprises an adapter plate70and an adapter80, wherein the adapter plate70is disposed on one side of the box100and is disposed to protrude from the box100, and the adapter plate70is connected to the bottom20to form an accommodating part90, the adapter80is disposed in the accommodating part90and being connected to the adapter plate70.

In embodiments of the present application, the battery2000may further comprise the adapter plate70and the adapter80, wherein the adapter plate70is disposed to be connected to the box100, and the box100has the top10and the bottom20opposite in the first direction Z, and the battery cell200, the busbar component300, and the protective assembly400are disposed in the box100in sequence. The adapter plate70is disposed to protrude from one side of the box100in the third direction Y and is connected to the top10in the first direction Z with a step difference to form the accommodating part90. The adapter80is disposed to be connected to the adapter plate70in the accommodating part90, and the adapter80is not beyond the extension surface of the bottom20in the third direction Y.

In embodiments of the present application, the adapter plate70is a boss protruding from one side of the box100in the third direction Y, which is connected to the bottom20with a step difference in the first direction Z. This means, specifically, that the adapter plate70has a difference in the first direction Z from the box100in terms of the extension dimension. The accommodating part90is a space generated by this thickness difference and formed by the side where the adapter plate70adjoins the box100in order for the adapter80to be provided therein, and the extension dimension of the adapter80in the first direction Z is less than or equal to the extension dimension of the box100.

In embodiments of the present application, the adapter plate70can be perpendicular to or have an angle with the extension direction of the side wall of the box100, but can not extend parallel to the box100so that the adapter80is disposed within the accommodating part90between the adapter plate70and the box100.

In the third direction Y, the adapter plate70protrudes beyond the box100from one side of the box100and is connected to the bottom20of the box100with a step difference in the first direction Z to form the accommodating part90, i.e., the accommodating part90is an accommodating space formed by the adapter plate70and the box100together. The adapter80is disposed in the accommodating part90which can function to protect the adapter80, thus reducing the shock force on the adapter80in a collision. Moreover, the adapter80may not be beyond the extension dimension of the box100in the first direction Z, so that the adapter80is located entirely within the accommodating part90in order to avoid contact with external apparatuses located in the circumference of the battery100, thereby reducing the influence caused by external shocks in the process of electrically connecting the battery cell200to the external apparatuses by the adapter80.

In some embodiments of the present application, the surface on the side of the adapter plate70backing away from the accommodating part90may be located at the same horizontal plane as the surface on the side of the top plate11backing away from the frame12, i.e., the adapter plate70may be located at the same horizontal plane as the top surface of the box100, and when the adapter plate70is integrally disposed with the box, the adapter plate70may be formed by horizontally stretching the top plate of the box100outwardly, and when the battery2000is integrally disposed with the external apparatus such as the carrier chassis, the adapter plate70and the top plate11may be fixed to the same surface of the external apparatus, or the adapter plate70and the top plate11may be integrally disposed with the same external apparatus. By arranging the surfaces on the respective sides of the adapter plate70and the top plate11to be located at the same horizontal plane, it is possible to increase the strength of the bearing force of both of them as described before, thereby further improving the bearing force and the strength of the top of the battery2000.

Optionally, the adapter plate70has a certain thickness in the first direction Z. When the bottom or side of the battery2000is subjected to a collision, the surface on the side of the adapter plate70backing away from the box100may be subjected to a certain shock force. On this basis, by arranging the adapter plate70to have a certain thickness, the stiffness of the adapter plate70itself can be enhanced, which in turn can play a better protective role for the adapter80by means of the accommodating part90that is supported by the adapter plate70and the box100together.

Optionally, the adapter plate70may be disposed in an integrally molded manner with the box100, or the adapter plate70may be positioned and connected with the box100by means of a fixed connection approach, such as a welding connection, a bonding connection, or an FDS connection, and the present application does not impose any specific limitations in this regard.

In embodiments of the present application, the adapter plate70has a first surface facing the accommodating part90, while the box100has a second surface facing the accommodating part90, wherein the first surface and the second surface may be perpendicular to each other, i.e., the surface on the side of the adapter plate70on which the adapter80is provided may be perpendicular to the side wall of the box100. By making the first surface and the second surface perpendicular to each other, it is possible to maximize the accommodating part90sandwiched therebetween, thereby expanding the mounting space for the adapter80.

Further, the adapter80is connected to the first surface and disposed spaced apart from the second surface, i.e., the adapter80may start from the adapter plate70and extend along the first direction Z, so that it is overhanging in the accommodating part90without coming into contact with the second surface, thereby reducing the likelihood that the adapter80will be subjected to a shock in a collision, and at the same time, the adoption of such a structure can facilitate the electrical connections between the adapter80and other external apparatuses and, in comparison to the disposing of the adapter80in the horizontal direction, such a structure can enable the adapter80to have a better force-bearing performance.

In some optional embodiments, the box100may also have cooling channels embedded in its interior, and based on the connection arrangement of the battery cell200to the top10of the box100, the bottom of the battery cell200and the top10may be in contact with each other for heat transfer. In order to further improve the performance of the battery2000, a cooling channel may be embedded in the top10at a position where it is connected to the battery cell200, and a gas or liquid required for cooling flows therein, so as to achieve an exchange of heat with the battery2000when it is working, and to play the role of cooling down the battery, thereby extending the overall service life of the battery2000and enabling it to be applied to a wider range of usages.

Further, in some optional embodiments, the cooling channel may also be provided as a plurality of cooling panels in the battery cell200or between the battery cell200and the box100, and the inlets and outlets of these cooling panels for circulating the cooling medium may be uniformly connected and connected to other components for storage, circulation, and heat release of the cooling medium via through holes provided on the box100, and the present application does not impose any specific limitations in this regard.

As shown inFIG.3, embodiments of the present application provide a battery2000that comprises a box100, wherein the box100has a top10and a bottom20that are snapped with each other, and inside the box100, a battery cell200, a busbar component300, and a protective assembly400are provided in sequence in a direction pointing from the top10to the bottom20. The battery cell200is disposed upside down in the box100and is disposed to be connected to the top10, the electrode terminals30and the pressure relief mechanism60for a plurality of battery cells200arranged in an array are all disposed on a side proximate to the bottom20, the busbar component300is electrically connected to at least two of the electrode terminals30, and the protective assembly400is used to support the battery cell200and to insulate it from the bottom20. The protective assembly400comprises edge protective members41provided on both sides thereof in the third direction Y as well as first protective members42and second protective members43provided alternately between the edge protective members41, and along the second direction X, an extension dimension of the second protective members43is less than or equal to an extension dimension of the first protective members42, while along the third direction Y, a width of the first protective members42is greater than or equal to a width of the second protective members43, which is greater than or equal to a width of the edge protective members41.

In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide an electrical apparatus comprising the battery2000of any of the embodiments in the first aspect. As previously described, the battery2000may be used as a driving power source or a control power source for the electrical apparatus.

The electrical apparatus provided in embodiments of the present application has all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned battery2000, for which the reference can be made specifically to the specific description of the battery2000in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here in this embodiment.

Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely used for illustrating rather than limiting the technical solutions of the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above various embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions specified in the above various embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features therein can be equivalently substituted; and such modifications or substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application, which shall fall within the scope of the claims and the specification of the present application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but rather includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.