CONNECTING ASSEMBLY, BATTERY MODULE, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CONNECTING ASSEMBLY

The present application relates a connecting assembly, a battery module, an apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly is for a battery module. The battery module includes two or more secondary batteries, and the connecting assembly includes: a connecting piece configured to be electrically connected with the secondary batteries, and the connecting pieces includes a connecting portion; an insulating plate having an integrally modeled structure, the connecting portion and the insulating plate are connected in a non-detachable manner to form an integral structure, and the insulating plate is configured to restrict movement of the connecting piece. The connecting assembly provided in the present application can ensure reliable and stable connection between the connecting piece and the insulating plate, and improve the safety for using the connecting assembly.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a connecting assembly, a battery module, an apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a connecting assembly.

BACKGROUND

With the development of science and technology and the transformation of the world's energy structure, sustainable energy sources are gradually replacing traditional fossil fuels and becoming mainstream energy sources. For example, electric vehicles are gradually replacing traditional fuel vehicles. One of the core components in electric vehicles are battery modules. The battery modules are used for providing electrical power for electric vehicles. A battery module includes two or more secondary batteries, an insulating plate arranged on one side of the secondary batteries, and a connecting piece configured to electrically connect the secondary batteries. The insulating plate can be used for isolating a wiring harness. The connecting piece can be detachably connected to the insulating plate. However, the connecting piece is liable to be separated from the insulating plate, resulting in that the connecting piece is not insulated by the insulating plate, which poses a safety risk.

SUMMARY

The present application provides a connecting assembly, a battery module, an apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly can ensure reliable and stable connection between the connecting piece and the insulating plate, and improve the safety for using the connecting assembly.

In an aspect, the present application provides a connecting assembly for a battery module. The battery module includes two or more secondary batteries, and the connecting assembly includes: a connecting piece configured to be electrically connected with the secondary batteries, the connecting pieces including a connecting portion; an insulating plate having an integrally modeled structure, where the connecting portion and the insulating plate are connected in a non-detachable manner to form an integral structure, and the insulating plate is configured to restrict movement of the connecting piece.

The connecting assembly provided by the present application includes an insulating plate and a connecting piece. The insulating plate itself is an integrally modeled structure. The connecting portion of the connecting piece is embedded in the insulating plate. The connecting piece is connected with the insulating plate in an embedded manner by the connecting portion, so that the connecting piece and the insulating plate form an integral non-detachable structure. The secondary batteries may be electrically connected by the connecting piece. Since the connecting piece and the insulating plate are connected in an embedded manner to form an integral structure, the connection state between the connecting piece and the insulating plate is reliable and stable, and the connection structure is robust. Therefore, when vibration occurs during the use of the battery module, the connecting piece is effectively restricted by the insulating plate. Thus, the possibility of the connecting piece being separated from the insulating plate due to vibration stress can be reduced, and the safety of the battery module during use can be ensured.

According to an embodiment of the present application, one of the connecting portion and the insulating plate includes a protrusion, the other includes a receiving portion, and the protrusion and the receiving portion are connected with each other in an embedded manner.

According to an embodiment of the present application, a shape of the protrusion and a shape of the receiving portion match; or, the connecting portion includes a first connecting section and a second connecting section that are connected, and the first connecting section and the second connecting section are arranged offset to each other.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the receiving portion includes two or more extending sections, the two or more extending sections are arranged along a direction in which the receiving portion is recessed, and an orthographic projection of one of two adjacent extending sections lies within an orthographic projection of the other of the two adjacent extending sections.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the receiving portion is a hole or a groove.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the connecting portion includes the receiving portion, the receiving portion is an embedding through hole extending along a thickness direction of the insulating plate, the insulating plate includes the protrusion penetrating through the receiving portion, and portions of the insulating plate located on upper and lower sides of the connecting portion are connected by the protrusion.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the receiving portion is arranged in an edge region of the connecting portion.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the insulating plate includes a first region and a second region, a part of the second region is arranged as protruding from the first region, and the connecting portion is embedded inside the second region.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the connecting assembly includes two or more connecting pieces, the insulating plate includes a first buffering portion, and the first buffering portion is arranged between two adjacent connecting pieces.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the first buffering portion includes one elongated through hole, and a length direction of the through hole intersects a direction in which the two adjacent connecting pieces are arranged; or the first buffering portion includes two or more through holes, and the two or more through holes are arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the direction in which the two adjacent connecting pieces are arranged; or the first buffering portion includes an elongated arc-shaped structure, and a length direction of the arc-shaped structure intersects the direction in which the two adjacent connecting pieces are arranged.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the connecting piece includes a second buffering portion, the second buffering portion and the connecting portion are spaced from each other, the insulating plate includes a third buffering portion arranged corresponding to the second buffering portion, and a part of the second buffering portion is embedded inside the third buffering portion.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the insulating plate further includes an elongated middle receiving recess, and at least one of two opposite sides of the middle receiving recess is provided with the connecting piece.

In another aspect, the present application provides a battery module, which includes:

two or more secondary batteries; the connecting assembly as described above, where the connecting assembly is arranged above the secondary batteries, and the secondary batteries are electrically connected by the connecting piece.

In yet another aspect, the present application provides an apparatus using a battery module as a power source, where the apparatus includes the battery module as described above, and the battery module is configured to provide electrical power.

In yet another aspect, the present application provides a method for manufacturing a connecting assembly, which includes: placing a connecting piece including a connecting portion in a predetermined mold; integrally forming an insulating plate around the connecting piece by a high-speed injection molding process, where the connecting portion and the insulating plate are connected to each other in a non-detachable manner to form an integral structure, and the connecting piece and the insulating plate constitute the connecting assembly.

According to an embodiment of the present application, before the placing a connecting piece including a connecting portion in a predetermined mold, the method according to the embodiments further includes forming an embedding through hole in the connecting portion of the connecting piece.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the integrally forming an insulating plate around the connecting piece by a high-speed injection molding process includes: forming a protrusion of the insulating plate penetrating through the embedding through hole, and making portions of the insulating plate located on upper and lower sides of the connecting portion connected by the protrusion.

In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to actual scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Implementations of the present application are described in further detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. The detailed description and drawings of the following embodiments are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the present application instead of limiting the scope of the present application. That is, the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise specified, “multiple” means two or more. The terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer” indicate an orientation or positional relationship that is only for ease of describing the to present application and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must be in a particular orientation, or constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, and so on, are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. “Vertical” dose not refer to strictly vertical, and instead, a tolerance of error is allowed. “Parallel” dose not refer to strictly parallel, and instead, a tolerance of error is allowed.

The orientation terms appearing in the following description all refer to orientations shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structures in the present application. In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly defined and specified, the terms “installation”, “coupled”, and “connection” should be understood in a broad sense. For example, those terms may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; those terms may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above-mentioned terms in the present application can be understood in accordance with specific conditions.

After the applicant noted the problem that the connecting piece and the insulating plate are liable to separate from each, the applicant conducted research and analysis on the structure of the battery module. In the related art, the connecting piece and the insulating plate are in a detachably connected manner. The connection stability between the connecting piece and the insulating plate is poor. During the use of the battery module, the battery module may vibrate. When the battery module vibrates, the connecting piece is subjected to vibration stress, so that the connecting piece will be loosened from the insulating plate, which makes the connecting piece be liable to be separated from the insulating plate.

Based on the above technical problems, the applicant made improvements to the connecting assembly used in the battery module.

For a better understanding of the present application, the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction withFIG. 1toFIG. 29.

The embodiments of the present application provide an apparatus using a battery module as a power source. The apparatus may be, but not limited to, a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft. Referring toFIG. 1, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle1including a vehicle body and a battery module. The battery module is provided in the vehicle body. The vehicle1may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a range-extended vehicle. The vehicle body is provided with a driving motor electrically connected to the battery module. The battery module provides electrical power to the driving motor. The driving motor is connected to wheels on the vehicle body through a transmission mechanism to drive the vehicle to travel. In an example, the battery module may be horizontally arranged at the bottom of the vehicle body.

As shown inFIG. 2, the battery module may be a battery pack10. The battery pack10may be arranged in a variety of manners. In some optional embodiments, the battery pack10includes a casing body and a battery module20arranged in the casing body. The number of battery modules20is one or more. The one or more battery modules20are arranged in a casing body. The type of casing body is not limited. The casing body may be a frame-shaped casing body, a disk-shaped casing body, or a box-shaped casing body. In an example, the casing body may include a lower casing body configured to receive the battery module20and an upper casing body covering the lower box. The upper casing body and the lower casing body are closed with each other to form a receiving portion configured to receive the battery module20.

It should be understood that, the battery module may be the battery module20, that is, the battery module20is directly provided on the vehicle body.

As shown inFIG. 3, the battery module20in this embodiment of the present application includes multiple battery cells30and a connecting assembly40arranged on the side where the battery cells30are provided. The connecting assembly40is arranged above the battery cells30. The connecting assembly40includes a connecting piece41and an insulating plate42. The insulating plate42itself is an integrally modeled structure. Here, the integrally modeled structure refers to a structure formed by one-time processing, rather than a structure formed by splicing two or more structural parts through hot pressing, welding, or other mechanical connecting processing. The battery module20may be arranged in a variety of manners. In an embodiment, the battery module20includes a receiving part and two or more battery cells30arranged side by side in the receiving part. The receiving part may be arranged in a variety of manners. For example, the receiving part includes side plates and end plates connected with one another in an enclosing manner. In some other embodiments, the receiving part includes a housing and a cover plate covering the housing.

Still referring toFIG. 3, each battery cell30includes two secondary batteries31arranged in parallel. Two adjacent battery cells30are connected in series with each other through a connecting piece41in the connecting assembly40. The number of secondary batteries31included in each battery cell30is not limited to two, and each battery cell30may include one or three or more secondary batteries31, which will not be limited here. In this embodiment, the outermost battery cell30includes a total output electrode. The battery module20includes an electrode output plate99connected to the total output electrode. One connecting piece41in the connecting assembly40is connected to the total output electrode of the battery module20, and the electrode output plate99is connected to the connecting piece41.

The secondary battery31in this embodiment of the present application includes a casing, an electrode assembly arranged in the casing, a top cover plate coupled with the casing in a sealing manner, and two electrode terminals311arranged on the top cover plate and drawn from a same side. The connecting assembly40is arranged on the side of the secondary battery31where the electrode terminals311are provided. One of the two electrode terminals311serves as a positive electrode, and the other serves as a negative electrode. The two electrode terminals311are arranged at intervals along a width direction Y of the insulating plate42. When the battery cells30are arranged side by side along a length direction X of the insulating plate42, the two electrode terminals311of each secondary battery31are arranged to form two columns of electrode terminal groups, and a receiving gap extending along the length direction X exists between the two columns of electrode terminal groups. In an example, the electrode terminals311of the secondary battery31has a columnar structure.

Referring toFIG. 3toFIG. 6, the connecting piece41in the embodiment of the present application includes a connecting portion411and a terminal connecting portion412. The terminal connecting portion412is configured to be connected with the electrode terminals311of the secondary battery31. The insulating plate42includes a through hole421extending in a thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42. A position of the connecting piece41is arranged corresponding to a position of the through hole421. The connecting piece41is embedded in the insulating plate42by the connecting portion411, so that the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41is embedded inside the insulating plate42, and therefore, the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are connected in an embedded manner to form an integral structure. Here, the integral structure refers to a non-detachable integral structure formed by the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42when they are connected in an embedded manner . When the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42required to be separated, the structural integrity of one of them have to be broken. The insulating plate42can restrict the movement of the connecting piece41. The connecting portion411of the connecting piece41is embedded inside the insulating plate42, that is, the insulating plate42encloses at least a part of the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41. In some embodiments, the insulating plate42encloses the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41so that the connecting portion411cannot be seen by naked eyes when the connecting assembly40is viewed from the outside. An orthographic projection of the terminal connecting portion412in the thickness direction Z is within an orthographic projection of a hole wall of the through hole421in the thickness direction Z, so that the terminal connecting portion412is exposed to the external environment, and the terminal connecting portion412is not covered by the insulating plate42, which facilitates the connection between the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminals311. In the assembling of the connecting assembly40and the battery cell30, the connecting assembly40is placed on one side of the battery cell30, and the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311are arranged correspondingly in the thickness direction Z, and then the electrode terminal311and the terminal connecting portion412are connected. In an example, the electrode terminal311and the terminal connecting portion412are connected by welding.

The connecting assembly40in this embodiment of the present application includes an insulating plate42and a connecting piece41. The insulating plate42itself is an integrally modeled structure. The connecting portion of the connecting piece41is embedded in the insulating plate42. The connecting piece41is connected with the insulating plate42in an embedded manner by the connecting portion411, so that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42form a non-detachable integral structure. The insulating plate42includes a through hole421, and the terminal connecting portion412of the connecting piece41is arranged corresponding to the through hole421, so that the terminal connecting portion412is exposed to the external environment, which facilitates the fixed connection between the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311of the secondary battery31. Two adjacent battery cells30may be electrically connected by the connecting piece41. Since the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are connected in an embedded manner to form an integral structure, the connection state between the connecting piece and the insulating plate is reliable and stable, and the connection structure is robust. Therefore, when vibration occurs during the use of the battery module20, the connecting piece41is effectively restricted by the insulating plate42. Thus, the possibility of the connecting piece41being separated from the insulating plate42due to vibration stress can be reduced, and the safety of the battery module20during use can be ensured. In addition, during the transportation of the connecting assembly40, the connecting piece41is not liable to fall off from the insulating plate42, which reduces the possibility of the connecting piece41being lost or damaged. Since the connecting piece41is fixedly connected to the insulating plate42so that the position of the connecting piece41is fixed, the possibility that the connecting piece41is difficult to connect to the electrode terminal311due to the deviation of the connecting piece41from the predetermined assembly position can also be reduced, which helps to improve assembly quality and assembly efficiency.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 4toFIG. 6, along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, each of two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412is provided with connecting portions411, that is, each of the two opposite ends of the connecting piece41is provided with one connecting portion411. The connecting piece41is embedded in the insulating plate42by the two connecting portions411. The connecting portion411has a flat plate-shaped structure. It can be understood that, an arrangement of the connecting portion411on one of the two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412can also realize that the insulating plate42restricts the connecting piece41.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 7andFIG. 8, the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41is provided with a receiving portion50, and the insulating plate42is provided with a protrusion60. The protrusion60of the insulating plate42is embedded in the receiving portion50of the connecting portion411, thereby helping to further improve the connection strength between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42and reducing the possibility of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being liable to be separated from each other. The shape of the protrusion60matches the shape of the receiving portion50. When the secondary battery31swells, the connecting piece41is subject to tensile stress along the length direction X of the insulating plate42. When the secondary battery31vibrates in the length direction X of the insulating plate42, the connecting piece41is subject to tensile or compressive stress along the length direction X of the insulating plate42. When the connecting piece41is subject to the tensile or compressive stress along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, the protrusion60can effectively restrict the displacement of the connecting piece41by the receiving portion50, so that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to be displaced and the adjoining surfaces of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to split and separate from each other. The number of the receiving portions50and the number of the protrusions60are provided in one-to-one correspondence. The shape of the receiving portion50matches the shape of the protrusion60. In an example, along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, each of the two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412is provided with a connecting portion411, that is, the two opposite ends of the connecting piece41each includes a connecting portion411. Each connecting portion411is provided with two receiving portions50. The two receiving portions50are arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. It can be understood that, the number of receiving portions50provided on each connecting portion411is not limited to two, and may also be three or more.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 8, the receiving portion50is an embedding through hole extending in the thickness direction Z. The protrusion60penetrates through the receiving portion50, so that portions of the insulating plate42on the upper and lower sides of the connecting portion411can be connected by the protrusion60. In the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42, when the upper surface and the lower surface of the connecting piece41each are disconnected from the insulating plate42, the protrusion60can still restrict the connecting piece41by the receiving portion50, and thus the possibility of the connecting piece41falling off from the insulating plate42or position shifting of the connecting piece41can be reduced.

In another embodiment, as shown inFIG. 9, the receiving portion50is a groove extending along the thickness direction Z. The connecting piece41includes two opposite end faces in the length direction X of the insulating plate42. The groove is recessed from the end surface in a direction approaching the terminal connecting portion412. A part of the insulating plate42extends into the groove to form a protrusion60. When the connecting piece41is subject to the tensile or compressive stress along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, the protrusion60can effectively restrict the connecting piece41by the receiving portion50, so that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to be displaced along the width direction Y of the insulating plate and the adjoining surfaces of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to split and separate from each other.

In an embodiment, the receiving portion50includes two or more extending sections51. Two or more extending sections51are arranged along the direction in which the receiving portion50is recessed. An orthographic projection of one of two adjacent extending sections51is within an orthographic projection of the other. There is a transitioning region between two adjacent extending sections51. In an example, as shown inFIG. 8, the receiving portion50is an embedding through hole extending in the thickness direction Z. The embedding through hole is a stepped hole. The embedding through hole includes two extending sections51arranged along the thickness direction Z. In another example, as shown inFIG. 9, the receiving portion50is a groove extending along the thickness direction Z. For example, the groove is a stepped groove (not shown), so that the groove includes two extending sections51arranged along the thickness direction Z.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 9, the receiving portion50is arranged in an edge region of the connecting portion411. The edge region of the connecting portion411includes a side surface411cof the connecting portion411and a region close to the side surface411c. The side surface411cof the connecting portion411refers to a surface parallel to the thickness direction Z.

In an embodiment, the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41is provided with a protrusion60, and the insulating plate42is provided with a receiving portion50, which can also achieve the effect of improving the connection strength between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 10andFIG. 11, the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41includes a curved section411aand a straight section411b.The straight section411bof the connecting portion411is connected to the terminal connecting portion412. The curved section411aof the connecting portion411forms a recessed space, and a part of the insulating plate42extends into the recessed space, thereby helping to further improve the connection strength between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42. When the connecting piece41is subjected to tensile or compressive stress along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, the part of the insulating plate42extending into the recessed space can effectively restrict the connecting piece41by the curved section411a,so that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to be displaced along the length direction X of the insulating plates42and the adjoining surfaces of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to split or separated from each other. In an example, the number of curved sections411ais one or two or more. When the number of the curved sections411ais two or more, the two or more curved sections411amay be arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. For example, the curved section411ahas a circular arc-shaped structure. In an example, as shown inFIG. 12, the curved section411ais provided with a receiving portion50, and the insulating plate42is correspondingly provided with a protrusion60, so that the connection strength and connection stability between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42can be further improved. For example, the receiving portion50may be a straight hole or a stepped hole, or a groove. It can be understood that, the curved section411ais provided with the protrusion60, and the insulating plate42is correspondingly provided with the receiving portion50, which can also realizes the fixed connection between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 13andFIG. 14, the connecting portion411includes a first connecting section4111, a middle transitioning section4112, and a second connecting section4113that are connected. The first connecting section4111and the second connecting section4113are arranged offset to each other in the thickness direction Z, so that the connecting portion411has a stepped structure as a whole. The connecting portion411is connected with the terminal connecting portion412by the second connecting section4113. When the connecting piece41is subjected to tensile or compressive stress along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, the insulating plate42can effectively restrict the connecting piece41by the middle transitioning section4112, so that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to be displaced along the length direction X of the insulating plates42and the adjoining surfaces of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are not liable to split or separated from each other. In an example, both of the first connecting section4111and the second connecting section4113extend along the length direction X of the insulating plate42and are arranged in parallel, and the middle transitioning section4112extends along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42and is perpendicular to the first connecting section4111and the second connecting section4113. In an example, as shown inFIG. 15, the first connecting section4111is provided with a receiving portion50, and the insulating plate42is correspondingly provided with a protrusion60, so that the connection strength and connection stability between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42can be further improved. For example, the receiving portion50may be a straight hole or a stepped hole, or a groove. It can be understood that, the first connecting section4111is provided with the protrusion60, and the insulating plate42is correspondingly provided with the receiving portion50, which can also realizes the fixed connection between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 16andFIG. 17, along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, the two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412are respectively provided with connecting portions411, which can also realize that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are connected to form an integral structure, and the connection strength between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42is improved. It can be understood that, along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, one of the two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412is provided with a connecting portion411, which can also ensure that the insulating plate42restricts the connecting piece41. For example, the connecting piece41has a rectangular structure.

In an example, along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, the two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412are respectively provided with connecting portions411, and along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, the two opposite sides of the terminal connecting portion412are also respectively provided with connecting portions411, so that the four connecting portions411are enclosed to form a ring structure, and the terminal connecting portion412is surrounded by the four connecting portions411.

In an embodiment, along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42, the terminal connecting portion412is arranged in the through hole421, and the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41penetrates the hole wall of the through hole421and is embedded into the insulating plate42, so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the insulating plate42in the thickness direction Z protrude from the upper surface and the lower surface of the terminal connecting portion412, respectively. The lower surface of the terminal connecting portion412is configured to be electrically connected with the electrode terminal311of the secondary battery31.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 3, the insulating plate42includes a middle receiving recess422. The middle receiving recess422extends along the length direction X of the insulating plate42. When the connecting assembly40is applied to the battery module20, the electrode output plate99can be at least partially received in the middle receiving recess422, thereby reducing the space occupancy by the electrode output plate99and improving the structural compactness of the battery module20, which improves the energy density of the secondary battery31. In an example, when the connecting assembly40is applied to the battery module20, the middle receiving recess422is recessed toward a direction approaching the secondary battery31. Along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, the two opposite sides of the middle receiving recess422are provided with through holes421. Each of the two opposite sides of the middle receiving recess422is provided with two or more through holes421. The two or more through holes421located on the same side are arranged at intervals along the length direction X of the insulating plate42. One connecting piece41is provided corresponding to each through hole421. In other embodiments, one of the two opposite sides of the middle receiving recess422is provided with a through hole421.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 5, the connecting piece41includes a second buffering portion413. The second buffering portion413can absorb and buffer external stress through its own deformation. The number of terminal connecting portions412is two or more. A second buffering portion413is arranged between two adjacent terminal connecting portions412. After the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311are fixedly connected, when the secondary battery31swells and deforms, two adjacent terminal connecting portions412tend to move away from each other, thereby applying tensile stress to the second buffering portion413. When the second buffering portion413is subjected to tensile stress, it will be elongated to buffer the tensile stress, thereby reducing the tensile stress received between the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311, and reducing the possibility of the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311being cracked and separated from each other due to overly large tensile stress received therebetween, and the possibility of the joint between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being cracked and separated from each other due to overly large external stress received between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42can also be reduced. In another embodiment, a second buffering portion413is provided between the terminal connecting portion412and the connecting portion411. When the secondary battery31swells and deforms, two adjacent terminal connecting portions412tend to move away from each other, and the terminal connecting portion412and the connecting portion411tend to approach each other, so that the second buffering portion413between the terminal connecting portion412and the connecting portion411is subject to compressive stress. When the second buffering portion413is subjected to the compressive stress, it will be compressed to buffer the compressive stress, thereby reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being cracked and split due to overly large external stress received between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42. In an example, the second buffering portion413is an arc-shaped structure protruding along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42. In some embodiments, the second buffering portion413has a circular arc-shaped structure.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 18, the insulating plate42includes a first region42aand a second region42b.A part of the second region42bprotrudes from the first region42a,so that rigidity of the first region42ais less than rigidity of the second region42b,and therefore elastic deformation ability of the first region42ais better than that of the second region42b.The portion of the second region42bprotruding from the first region42aforms a boss. The connecting portion411is embedded inside the second region42b.Along the thickness direction Z, the connecting portion and the second region42bare correspondingly arranged. In an example, the second region42bis arranged around the through hole421.

Referring toFIG. 19, the embodiments of the present application further provide a method for manufacturing a connecting assembly40, which includes:

placing a connecting piece41including a terminal connecting portion412in a predetermined mold;

integrally forming an insulating plate42around the connecting piece41by a high-speed injection molding process, where the connecting portion411and the insulating plate42are connected to each other in a non-detachable manner to form an integral structure, and the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42constitute the connecting assembly40.

In an embodiment, the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are connected with each other in an embedded manner to form an integral structure. The connecting piece41and the insulating plate42constitute the connecting assembly40. A region of the insulating plate42corresponding to the connecting piece41includes a through hole421. An orthographic projection of the terminal connecting portion412in the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42is within an orthographic projection of the hole wall of the through hole421in the thickness direction Z.

In an embodiment, the part of the connecting piece41embedded in the insulating plate42forms the connecting portion411. The connecting piece41is an integrally modeled structure. The connecting piece41may be modeled by casting or stamping. The material of the connecting piece41may be a conductive material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy. The insulating plate42is an integrally modeled structure. In an example, the insulating plate42is an injection molded structure molded by a high-speed injection molding process. By the high-speed injection molding process, the insulating plate42can be injection-molded on the outside of the connecting piece41at one time, so that the insulating plate42has high rigidity and the structure of the insulating plate42is not easily damaged. The thickness of the insulating plate42formed by the high-speed injection molding process may be controlled to be 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, which helps to lighten the overall structure of the connecting assembly40, and helps to increase the energy density of the battery module20. In the process of manufacturing the insulating plate42, the requirements of high-speed injection molding process are the follows: a molding rate is greater than or equal to 200 m/s; a molding temperature is greater than or equal to 250° C., so that the plastic is heated to a fluid state. For example, the material of the insulating plate42may be polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), engineering plastic alloy (PC+ABS), etc. with high fluidity.

In an embodiment, before the placing a connecting piece41including a connecting portion411in a predetermined mold, the method according to the embodiments further includes forming an embedding through hole in the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41.

In an embodiment of the present application, the integrally forming an insulating plate42around the connecting piece41by a high-speed injection molding process includes: forming a protrusion60of the insulating plate42penetrating through the embedded through hole, and making portions of the insulating plate42located on upper and lower sides of the connecting portion411connected by the protrusion60.

In the method for manufacturing the connecting assembly40according to the embodiments of the present application, a high-speed injection molding process is performed to form the insulating plate42around the connecting piece41at one time, and to make a part of the connecting piece41embedded inside the insulating plate42, so that the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are connected in an embedded manner to form an integral structure, which ensures that the connection state between the connecting piece and the insulating plate is reliable and stable, and the connection structure is robust. Therefore, when vibration occurs during the use of the battery module20, the connecting piece41is effectively restricted by the insulating plate42. Thus, the possibility of the connecting piece41being separated from the insulating plate42due to overly big vibration stress received by the connecting piece41can be reduced, and the safety of the battery module20during use can be ensured.

In addition, by manufacturing the insulating plate42using a high-speed injection molding process, the thickness of the insulating plate42can be controlled to be 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm on the premise that the rigidity requirements of the insulating plate42are met, which helps to lighten the overall structure of the connecting assembly40and increase the energy density of the battery module20.

In an embodiment, the number of connecting pieces41is two or more. The insulating plate42includes a first buffering portion424. A first buffering portion424is provided between two adjacent connecting pieces41. Further, referring toFIG. 20, the insulating plate42according to the embodiments of the present application further includes a partitioning portion423and a first buffering portion424. Two adjacent through holes421may be grouped into a set of through holes421. The partitioning portion423partitions two adjacent through holes421. The partitioning portion423is provided with a first buffering portion424. When the first buffering portion424is subjected to an external force, it can be stretched or compressed to buffer the external stress. The rigidity of the region where the first buffering portion424is arranged is reduced, which makes the region more flexible and easy to deform. Since the connecting piece41is connected to the insulating plate42in an embedded manner, the connecting piece41may be manufactured first in the process of manufacturing the connecting assembly, and then the connecting piece41may be placed in a predetermined position, and the insulating plate42may be manufactured around the connecting piece41. In the manufactured connecting assembly, the connecting piece41itself cannot move, so the relative position of the connecting piece41with the insulating plate42cannot be adjusted by moving the position of its own. In the process of manufacturing the connecting assembly, the position of the connecting piece41itself may deviate from the predetermined position, which causes the position of the connecting piece41to deviate from the predetermined position when the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42form an integral structure. When the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311of the secondary battery31are subsequently connected, the connecting position between the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311deviates from the predetermined position because the connecting piece41deviates from the predetermined position. However, since the partitioning portion423in the embodiments of the present application is provided with the first buffering portion424, during the connection process of the connecting piece41with the electrode terminal311, the first buffering portion424can be stretched or compressed to make two adjacent connecting pieces41move away from or approach each other so as to adjust the positions of two adjacent connecting pieces41, so that the position error of the connecting piece41during the manufacturing process can be compensated for, which makes it easy to adjust the connecting piece41to a predetermined position and fixedly connect the connecting piece41to the electrode terminal311. In addition, because of the provision of the first buffering portion424, the position of the connecting piece41can be flexibly adjusted later. Therefore, in the process of manufacturing the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42, the position precision of the connecting piece41and the position of the connecting piece41and the manufacturing tolerance requirements of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42are reduced, which helps to reduce the manufacturing difficulty of the connecting assembly.

In an embodiment, during use of the battery module20, the secondary battery31in the battery cell30may swell and deform. When the secondary battery31swells and deforms, two adjacent connecting pieces41may be far away from each other, so that tensile stress is applied to the first buffering portion424between the two adjacent connecting pieces41. The first buffering portion424can absorb and buffer the tensile stress by deforming itself, which reduces the stress received by the joint between the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311, and thereby reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311being cracked and split due to overly large stress received by the joint. Similarly, when two adjacent connecting pieces41are close to each other, the two adjacent connecting pieces41applies compressive stress to the first buffering portion424. The first buffering portion424can absorb and buffer the compressive stress through its own deformation, which reduces the stress received by the joint between the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311, and thereby reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311being cracked and split due to overly large stress received by the joint, so that the safety and reliability of the battery module20are improved. In addition, the structural design of the first buffering portion424to absorb and buffer tensile or compressive stress by its own deformation can also reduce the stress received by the joint between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42, and thereby reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being cracked and split due to overly large stress received by the joint.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 20, the insulating plate42is provided with two columns of through holes421. The two columns of through holes421are arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. In each column of through holes421, the partitioning portion423between two adjacent through holes421is provided with one first buffering portion424. The direction in which the two through holes421are arranged is the same as the length direction X of the insulating plate42. The direction in which the battery cells30are arranged is the same as the length direction X of the insulating plate42. In the use of the battery module20, the secondary battery31may swell and deform along the length direction X. Along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, when two adjacent connecting pieces41are moving away from or close to each other, the two connecting pieces41applies tensile or compressive stress to the first buffering portion424. In this embodiment, the direction in which the two adjacent connecting pieces41are arranged is the same as the length direction X of the insulating plate42.

In an embodiment, the number of through holes421is seven. The number of connecting pieces41is also seven. The seven through holes421are arranged in two columns along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. One of the column includes four through holes421arranged at intervals along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, and the other of the columns includes three through holes421arranged at intervals along the length direction X of the insulating plate42. It can be understood that, the number of through holes421and the number of connecting pieces41are not limited to the above-mentioned numbers. The number of through holes421and the number of connecting pieces41can be adjusted according to actual product requirements.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 22, the first buffering portion424includes one elongated through hole424a.The length direction of the through hole424aintersects the direction in which the two adjacent connecting pieces41are arranged. In this embodiment, the length direction of the through hole424ais the same as the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. The through hole424aextends along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42, so that the region of the through hole424aforms a hollow structure. The rigidity of the region where the through hole424ais arranged is lower than the rigidity of the region surrounding the through hole424a,so that the region where the through hole424ais arranged is more flexible and easier to be deformed by force. In this way, when two adjacent connecting pieces41apply tensile or compressive stress to the partitioning portion423, the tensile or compressive stress squeezes the region of the through hole424a,so that the through hole424ais widen or narrowed in the length direction X of the insulating plate42, so that it is easy to realize the stress buffering through deformation.

In another embodiment, referring toFIG. 23, the first buffering portion424includes two or more through holes424a.The two or more through holes424aare arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the direction in which two adjacent through holes421are arranged. The direction in which the two through holes421are arranged is the same as the length direction X of the insulating plate42. The direction in which two adjacent connecting pieces41are arranged is the same as the length direction X of the insulating plate42. In this embodiment, the two or more through holes424aare arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. In an example, the cross-section of the through hole424ais circular, oval, racetrack-shaped, or regular polygon. In an embodiment where the cross-section of the through hole424ais circular, oval, or racetrack-shaped, there is smooth transition between regions of the inner wall of the through hole424a,which reduces the possibility of occurrence of a stress concentration region, thereby reducing the possibility of occurrence of local cracks or local fractures on the inner wall during the deformation process. In an embodiment where the cross section of the through hole424ais a regular polygon, the cross section of the through hole424ais a regular hexagon. In this embodiment, the cross section of the through hole424amay be selected to be racetrack-shaped or oval.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 24, the first buffering portion424includes an arc-shaped structure424bprotruding along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42. The arc-shaped structure424bis elongated, and the length direction of the arc-shaped structure424bintersects the direction in which two adjacent connecting pieces41are arranged. When the connecting pieces41on the two sides of the first buffering portion424are moving away from each other, the first buffering portion424is subject to tensile stress. With the tensile stress, the curvature of the arc-shaped structure424bof the first buffering portion424will be reduced, so that the arc-shaped structure424bis elongated in the arrangement direction, so as to absorb and buffer the tensile stress. Correspondingly, when the connecting pieces41on the two sides of the first buffering portion424is moving close to each other, the first buffering portion424is subject to compressive stress. With the compressive stress, the curvature of the arc-shaped structure424bof the first buffering portion424will be increased, so that the arc-shaped structure424bis shorted in the arrangement direction, so as to absorb and buffer the compressive stress. In an example, the arc-shaped structure424bsmoothly transitions to other parts of the partitioning portion423, which reduces the possibility of stress concentration. In some embodiments, the arc structure424bis a circular arc-shaped structure.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 25, the arc-shaped structure424bis provided with a through hole424a,so that the overall rigidity of the first buffering portion424can be further reduced, which helps to further improve the deformability and buffering ability of the first buffering portion424. For example, the arc-shaped structure424bis provided with four through holes424a.The four through holes424aare arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. It can be understood that, the number of through holes424ais not limited to four, and the number can be flexibly adjusted according to product requirements.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 20, along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, a first buffering portion424is arranged between two columns of through holes421. Along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, when the connecting piece41in one of the columns and the connecting piece41in the other of the columns are moving away from each other or moving close to each other, the first buffering portion424can absorb and buffer the tensile or compressive stress applied by the connecting piece41to the first buffering section424. In an example, along the length direction X of the insulating plate42, the first buffering portion424extends through the entire insulating plate42. In an example, the first buffering portion424is an arc-shaped structure. The side of the arc-shaped structure being away from the secondary battery31forms a receiving space. The electrode output plate99can be at least partially received in the receiving space, so that the structural compactness and space utilization of the battery module20can be improved, and the energy density of the battery module20can be improved. In another example, the first buffering portion424includes one through hole424aor two or more through holes424a.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 5, the connecting piece41includes two or more terminal connecting portions412and a second buffering portion413. A second buffering portion413is arranged between two adjacent terminal connecting portions412. The second buffering portion413can absorb and buffer external stress through its own deformation. After the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311are fixedly connected, when the secondary battery31swells and deforms, two adjacent terminal connecting portions412tend to move away from each other, thereby applying tensile stress to the second buffering portion413. When the second buffering portion413is subjected to tensile stress, it will be stretched to buffer the tensile stress, thereby the tensile stress received between the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311can be reduced, which reduces the possibility of the terminal connecting portion412and the electrode terminal311being cracked and separated from each other due to overly large tensile stress received therebetween, and reduces the possibility of the joint between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being cracked and separated from each other due to overly large external stress received between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42. In this way, the first buffering portion424and the second buffering portion413can cooperate with each other to further effectively improve the ability of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42to absorb and buffer stress.

In another embodiment, referring toFIG. 5, a second buffering portion413is provided between the terminal connecting portion412and the connecting portion411. When the secondary battery31swells and deforms, two adjacent terminal connecting portions412tend to move away from each other, and the terminal connecting portion412and the connecting portion411tend to approach each other, so that the second buffering portion413between the terminal connecting portion412and the connecting portion411is subject to compressive stress. When the second buffering portion413is subjected to the compressive stress, it will be compressed to buffer the compressive stress, thereby reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being cracked and split due to overly large external stress received between the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42.

In an example, the second buffering portion413is an arc-shaped structure protruding along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42. In some embodiments, the second buffering portion413has a circular arc-shaped structure.

In an example, referring toFIG. 20, the insulating plate42further includes a third buffering portion425arranged corresponding to the second buffering portion413. When the second buffering portion413is subject to stress and plays a buffering role, the third buffering portion425will be deformed synchronously with the second buffering portion413. The second buffering portion413and the third buffering portion425can cooperate with each other to help to further improve the ability of buffering stress. In an example, the second buffering portion413and the third buffering portion425have a same structure. The second buffering portion413and the third buffering portion425are correspondingly arranged along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. For example, the second buffering portion413and the third to buffering portion425are both arc-shaped structures. In an example, along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, the first buffering portion424and the third buffering portion425of the insulating plate42are correspondingly arranged. When the first buffering portion424is subject to stress and plays a buffering role, the third buffering portion425will be deformed synchronously with the first buffering portion424. For example, the first buffering portion424and the third buffering portion425are both arc-shaped structures.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 22toFIG. 25, one partitioning portion423is provided with one first buffering portion424. The width of the orthographic projection of the first buffering portion424in the arrangement direction of two adjacent through holes421is greater than or equal to the width of the orthographic projection of the connecting piece41in the arrangement direction, so that the first buffering portion424can cover the entire connecting piece41in the width direction Y. When the connecting piece41applies external stress to the partitioning portion423, the external stress will be completely transferred to the first buffering portion424and absorbed and buffered by the first buffering portion424, thereby reducing the possibility of the external stress being transferred to the region outside the first buffering portion424and compromising the buffering effect.

In an embodiment, referring toFIG. 26andFIG. 27, one partitioning portion423is provided with two first buffering portions424. The two first buffering portions424are arranged at intervals along the direction in which two adjacent through holes421are arranged. In this way, the two first buffering portions424can better absorb the external stress applied to the insulating plate42. In an example, as shown inFIG. 26, each of the two first buffering portions424includes one through hole424a.The through hole424aextends in the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 27, each of the two first buffering portions424includes two or more through holes424a.The two or more through holes424aare arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. In some other examples, one of the two first buffering portions424may include one through hole424a,and the other may include two or more through holes424aIn an example, the total width of the orthographic projection of the two first buffering portions424in the arrangement direction of the two adjacent through holes421is greater than or equal to the width of the orthographic projection of the connecting piece41in the arrangement direction. It can be understood that, the number of the first buffering portions424provided on one partitioning portion423is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

In an example, orthographic projections of two adjacent first buffering portions424in the arrangement direction of the through holes421overlap each other. In an example, in an embodiment where the first buffering portion424includes a through hole424a,the center of each through hole424aincluded in one first buffering portion424is aligned with the center of each through hole424aincluded in another first buffering portion424along the arrangement direction.

In another example, referring toFIG. 26andFIG. 27, the orthographic projections of two adjacent first buffering portions424in the arrangement direction are partially overlapped. In an example, in an embodiment where the first buffering portion424includes a through hole424a,the center of each through hole424aincluded in one first buffering portion424is offset from the center of each through hole424aincluded in another first buffering portion424along the arrangement direction.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 28, two columns of through holes421are arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. The first buffering portion424is provided only between the two columns of through holes421. Along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42, when the connecting piece41in one of the columns and the connecting piece41in the other of the columns are moving away from each other or moving close to each other, the first buffering portion424can absorb and buffer the tensile or compressive stress applied by the connecting piece41to the first buffering section424. The number of through holes421in each column is two. It can be understood that, the number of through holes421in each column is not limited to two, and may also be one or three or more.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 29, two or more through holes421are arranged in a column along the length direction X of the insulating plate42. The partitioning portion423between two adjacent through holes421ais provided with the first buffering portion424. It can be understood that, two or more through holes421are arranged side by side in a column along the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. The direction of the through holes421are arranged is the same as the width direction Y of the insulating plate42. The partitioning portion423between two adjacent through holes421ais provided with the first buffering portion424.

In an embodiment, according to product manufacturing requirements, each through hole421may be provided with one or two or more connecting pieces41. The two or more connecting pieces41are distributed along the direction in which the two through holes421are arranged.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 21, along the thickness direction Z of the insulating plate42, the terminal connecting portion412is arranged in the through hole421, and the connecting portion411of the connecting piece41penetrates the hole wall of the through hole421and is embedded into the insulating plate42, so that the upper surface and the lower surface of42in the thickness direction Z protrude from the upper surface and the lower surface of the terminal connecting portion412, respectively. The lower surface of the terminal connecting portion412is configured to be electrically connected with the electrode terminal311of the secondary battery31.

The connecting assembly according to the embodiments of the present application includes an insulating plate42and a connecting piece41. The connecting assembly is applied to the battery module20. The insulating plate42is provided with a through hole421, a partitioning portion423separating two adjacent through holes421, and a first buffering portion424provided on the partitioning portion423. The connecting piece41is connected to the insulating plate42in an embedded manner by the connecting portion411. The connecting piece41is arranged corresponding to the through hole421. When the first buffering portion424is subject to external stress, it can absorb and buffer the external stress through its own deformation. In this way, on the one hand, when a position error occurs during the manufacturing process of the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42, the position of the connecting piece41needs to be adjusted during the process of assembling the connecting assembly and the battery cells30. Because of the provision of the first buffering portion424, in the adjustment of the connecting piece41, the first buffering portion424will be stretched or compressed to compensate for the adjustment displacement of the connecting piece41, so that it is easy to adjust the connecting piece41to a predetermined position and fixedly connected to the electrode terminal311of the secondary battery31. On the other hand, in the use of the battery module20, the secondary battery31may swell and deform, which applies tensile stress to the connecting piece41connected to the secondary battery31. Because of the provision of the first buffering portion424, the connecting piece41can apply external stress to the first buffering portion424, and the first buffering portion424can absorb and buffer the external stress through its own deformation, thereby reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting piece41and the electrode terminal311being cracked and split due to overly large external stress received by the joint, reducing the stress received by the joint between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42, and reducing the possibility of the joint between the connecting piece41and the insulating plate42being cracked and split due to overly large external stress received by the joint, so that the safety and the reliability of the battery module20is improved.

Although the present application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components thereof may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any manner. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, instead, it includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.