Patent Publication Number: US-2022238973-A1

Title: Battery and electric apparatus with such battery

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of international patent application PCT/CN2021/081374 filed on Mar. 17, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates to a battery and an electric apparatus with such battery. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A battery usually includes a cell, a housing configured to accommodate the cell, and a top cover mounted to the housing. The top cover is usually provided with an injection opening, and an electrolyte is injected into the housing from the injection opening. The cell includes electrode plates and tabs connected to the electrode plates, where the tabs are configured to achieve electronic conduction. 
     However, because the injection opening is located on the top of the cell, the electrolyte is impeded by the electrode plates and the tabs dining injection, resulting in low injection efficiency, which in turn affects infiltration efficiency of the electrolyte to the electrode plates. 
     SUMMARY 
     In order to address the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, it is necessary to provide a battery that can improve injection efficiency, so as to improve infiltration efficiency of an electrolyte to electrode plates. 
     This application provides a battery, including a laminated cell, a first housing configured to accommodate the laminated cell, and a second housing mounted to the first housing, where the laminated cell includes an electrode assembly and a first tab. The electrode assembly includes a first side face, where the first tab is connected to the first side face, and the first housing, the first tab, and the first side face together define an injection space. The second housing is provided with an injection opening, where a projection of the injection space onto the second housing covers at least part of the injection opening. 
     In some embodiments of this application, a central axis of the injection opening is located inside the injection space. 
     In some embodiments of this application, the first tab includes a first face closer to the laminated cell, a second face farther away from the laminated cell, and a second side face connected between the first face and the second face. The first side face includes a flat region and a cambered region connected to the flat region, where the flat region, the second side face, and the first housing together define the injection space. 
     In some embodiments of this application, a distance between the second side face and a joint of the flat region and the cambered region is defined as L, and a distance between the central axis of the injection opening and the second side face is less than or equal to 0.5L. 
     In some embodiments of this application, the distance between the central axis of the injection opening and the second side face ranges from 0.4 mm to 1 mm. 
     In some embodiments of this application, a sealing piece is provided in the injection opening. 
     In some embodiments of this application, the injection opening, the sealing piece, and the second housing are all rounded, where a distance between a center of the injection opening and a center of the second housing is defined as M, a radius of the second housing is defined as R 1 , a radius of the sealing piece is defined as R 2 , and M, R 1 , and R 2  satisfy M=R 1 −R 2 −0.2 nm. 
     In some embodiments of this application, the second housing is further provided with a through hole, where a pole electrically insulated from the second housing is provided in the through hole. 
     In some embodiments of this application, the electrode assembly includes a first electrode plate, a separator, and a second electrode plate, where the first tab is connected to the first electrode plate, a second tab is connected to the second electrode plate, the second tab is electrically connected to the pole, and the first tab is electrically connected to the first housing or the second housing. 
     In some embodiments of this application, the first housing is provided with a through hole, where a pole electrically insulated from the first housing is provided in the through hole, and the first tab is electrically connected to the pole. 
     This application further provides an electric apparatus, where the electric apparatus includes the foregoing battery. 
     In this application, the projection of the injection space onto the second housing covers at least part of the injection opening, so that during injection, electrolyte can bypass the laminated cell and directly flow into the injection space from the injection opening. Therefore, this application can improve injection efficiency, thereby improving infiltration efficiency of the electrolyte to the electrode plates. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic structural exploded view of a battery according to an embodiment of this application. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the battery shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the battery shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the battery shown in  FIG. 1  without a second housing. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic structural exploded view of a battery according to another embodiment of this application. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the battery shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a battery according to another embodiment of this application. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic structural diagram of an electric apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE SIGNS OF MAIN COMPONENTS 
     
         
         
           
             electric apparatus  1   
             laminated cell  10   
             electrode assembly  11   
             first electrode plate  11   a    
             second electrode plate  11   b    
             first tab  12   
             second tab  13   
             first housing  20   
             second housing  30   
             injection opening  31   
             sealing piece  32   
             through hole  33   
             pole  34   
             battery  100 ,  200 ,  300   
             injection space  101   
             first side face  111   
             first adapting piece  120   
             first face  121   
             second face  122   
             second side face  123   
             second adapting piece  130   
             flat region  1110   
             cambered region  1111   
             central axis A 
             distance L, M 
             radius R 1 , R 2   
           
         
       
    
     This application will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the following specific embodiments. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The following clearly describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Apparently, the described embodiments are only some rather than all of the embodiments of this application. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein shall have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are merely intended to describe specific embodiments but not intended to limit this application. 
     The following describes in detail some embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings. In absence of conflicts, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , an embodiment of this application provides a battery  100 , including a laminated cell  10 , a first housing  20  configured to accommodate the laminated cell  10 , and a second housing  30  mounted to the first housing  20 . The laminated cell  10  includes an electrode assembly  11  and a first tab  12 . 
     The electrode assembly  11  includes a first side face  111 , where the first tab  12  is connected to the first side face  111 . The first housing  20 , the first tab  12 , and the first side face  111  together define an injection space  101  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). The second housing  30  is provided with an injection opening  31 , where a projection of the injection space  101  onto the second housing  30  covers at least part of the injection opening  31 . 
     In this application, the projection of the injection space  101  onto the second housing  30  covers at least part of the injection opening  31 , so that during injection, electrolyte can bypass the laminated cell  20  and directly flow into the injection space  101  from the injection opening  31 . Therefore, this application can improve injection efficiency, thereby improving infiltration efficiency of the electrolyte to electrode plates. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in an embodiment, a central axis A of the injection opening  31  is located inside the injection space  101 . The injection opening  31  may be in a geometrically symmetric shape, such as a rounded, elliptic, square, or hexagonal shape. The central axis A of the injection opening  31  is located inside the injection space  101 , such that the projection of the injection space  101  onto the second housing  30  and the injection opening  31  have a larger overlapping area, further ensuring that the electrolyte is not impeded by the laminated cell  10  during injection. 
     It can be understood that, in other embodiments, the injection opening  31  may be in other asymmetric shapes, which is not limited in this application. The injection opening  31  may be formed by stamping, mechanical cutting, or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in an embodiment, the first tab  12  includes a first face  121  closer to the laminated cell  10 , a second face  122  farther away from the laminated cell  10 , and a second side face  123  connected between the first face  121  and the second face  122 . The first side face  111  includes a flat region  1110  and a cambered region  1111  connected to the flat region  1110 , where the flat region  1110 , the second side face  123 , and the first housing  20  together define the injection space  101 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a cross section of the injection space  101  is roughly triangular. Therefore, a region of the injection space  101  closer to the first tab  12  is larger than a region of the injection space  101  farther away from the first tab  12 . 
     In an embodiment, a distance between the second side face  123  and a joint of the flat region  1110  and the cambered region  1111  is defined as L, and a distance between the central axis A of the injection opening  31  and the second side face  123  is less than or equal to 0.5L. In this way, the central axis A of the injection opening  31  is closer to the first tab  12 , such that electrolyte flows into a region with a larger cross section in the injection space  101  during injection, further ensuring that the electrolyte is not impeded by the laminated cell  10  during injection. 
     Further, the distance between the central axis A of the injection opening  31  and the second side face  123  ranges from 0.4 mm to 1 mm. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in an embodiment, a sealing piece  32  is provided in the injection opening  31 . After injection is completed, the injection opening  31  is sealed by using the sealing piece  32 , preventing the injected electrolyte from spilling over or preventing external impurities from entering the battery  100 . The sealing piece  32  is made of elastic materials. The sealing piece  32  is fastened into the injection opening  31  through elastic deformation force generated by stress. In other embodiments, the sealing piece may alternatively be a sealing nail made of weldable materials (such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy). After the sealing nail is inserted into the injection opening  31 , the sealing nail is fastened to the second housing  30  by laser welding. In this way, the injection opening  31  can be reliably sealed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in an embodiment, the injection opening  31 , the sealing piece  32 , and the second housing  30  are all rounded, where a distance between a center of the injection opening  31  and a center of the second housing  30  is defined as M, a radius of the second housing  30  is defined as R 1 , a radius of the sealing piece  32  is defined as R 2 , and M, R 1 , and R 2  satisfy M=R 1 −R 2 −0.2 mm (0.2 mm is wall thickness of the first housing  20 , and according to the relational formula, the sealing piece  32  does not affect welding of the first housing  20  and the second housing  30 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , in an embodiment, the second housing  30  is further provided with a through hole  33 , where a pole  34  electrically insulated from the second housing  30  is provided in the through hole  33 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the pole  34  may be located at the center of the second housing  30 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the electrode assembly  11  includes a first electrode plate  11   a , a second electrode plate  11   b , and a separator (not shown in the figure) located between the first electrode plate  11   a  and the second electrode plate  11   b  that are stacked, where the first tab  12  is connected to the first electrode plate  11   a . A second tab  13  is connected to the second electrode plate  11   b , the first tab  12  is electrically connected to the pole  34 , and the second tab  13  is electrically connected to the first housing  20  or the second housing  30 . 
     Specifically, the first tab  11   a  includes a first current collector and a first active material layer provided on a surface of the first current collector, where the first tab  12  may be electrically connected to the first current collector by welding, and electrically connected to the pole  34  by using a first adapting piece  120 . The second electrode plate  11   b  includes a second current collector and a second active material layer provided on a surface of the second current collector, where the second tab  13  may be electrically connected to the second current collector by welding, and electrically connected to the first housing  20  or the second housing  30  by using a second adapting piece  130 . 
     More specifically, the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  may be made of metal. For example, the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  may be made of steel alloy, aluminum alloy, iron alloy, copper alloy, nickel alloy, or the like. 
     By electrically connecting the first tab  12  to the pole  34 , the pole  34  can present the same polarity as the first electrode plate  11   a . By electrically connecting the second tab  13  to the first housing  20  or the second housing  30 , when the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  are fastened by welding, the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  can generally present the same polarity as the second electrode plate  11   b ; when the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  are fastened by using an insulating pad, the first housing  20  or the second housing  30  can present the same polarity as the second electrode plate  11   b.    
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the battery  100  in this embodiment is a button cell, and the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  are both made of stainless steel. When preparation, the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  may be made into required shapes by laser cutting, machine tool processing, or other processes. The first housing  20  may alternatively be made into a scour hole by stamping forming, so as to accommodate the laminated cell  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , some other embodiments of this application further provide a battery  200 . The difference from the battery  100  is that the pole  34  electrically connected to the first tab  12  is located on the first housing  20 . The pole  34  is electrically insulated from the first housing  20 . 
     More specifically, the pole  34  may be located on a side wall of the first housing  20 . The first tab  12  is electrically connected to the pole  34 . The second tab  13  is electrically connected to the first housing  20  or the second housing  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , another embodiment of this application further provides a battery  300 . The difference from the battery  100  is that no pole is provided on the first housing  20  and the second housing  30 . The first housing  20  and the second housing  30  are fastened by using a sealing ring (not shown in the figure), that is, the first housing  20  and the second housing  30  are electrically insulated by using the sealing ring. The first tab  12  is electrically connected to the second housing  30 , and the second tab  13  is electrically connected to the first housing  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , this application further provides an electric apparatus  1 , where the electric apparatus  1  includes the foregoing battery  100  (or the battery  200  or  300 ). The electric apparatus  1  may be a consumer electronic product (such as a mobile communications apparatus, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer), an electric tool, an unmanned aerial vehicle, an energy storage apparatus, a power apparatus, or the like. Referring to  FIG. 8 , in an embodiment, the electric apparatus  1  is an electric vehicle. 
     The foregoing descriptions are merely preferable embodiments of this application, but are not intended to limit this application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made without departing from the spirit and principle of this application shall fall within the protection scope of this application.