Patent Description:
A connection component is one of important components of a battery, and is used for connecting an electrode terminal of a battery cell and an electrode assembly, so as to conduct electric energy of the electrode assembly by means of the electrode terminal.

In a manufacturing process of a battery, a plurality of connection components are generally stacked in a tooling fixture, and adjacent connection components are prone to stacking sheets and material jamming, resulting in taking two or more connection components at a time when taking materials from the tooling fixture, and affecting the production efficiency of the battery. <CIT> discloses a metal current collector or plate, according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

The purpose of the present application is to provide a connection component, thereby being able to control a gap between two adjacent connection components when stacked, reducing the risk of material stuck, and improving the production efficiency.

The present application is achieved by the following technical solutions:
In the first aspect, the present application provides a connection component as defined in claim <NUM>.

In a second aspect, the present application further provides a battery cell, as defined in claim <NUM>.

In a third aspect, the present application further provides a battery, including the battery cell as described above.

In a fourth aspect, the present application further provides an electric device, including the battery described above.

In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a battery cell, as defined in claim <NUM>.

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application more clearly, the following briefly introduces the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description show merely some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art may still derive other drawings from the accompanying drawings without inventive efforts.

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

Reference signs: <NUM>-battery; <NUM> - box body; <NUM> - first portion; <NUM> - second portion; <NUM> - battery cell; <NUM> - electrode terminal; <NUM> - electrode assembly; <NUM> - positive electrode tab; <NUM> - negative electrode tab; <NUM> - connection component; <NUM> - body; <NUM> - first surface; <NUM> - second surface; <NUM> - convex portion; <NUM> - end wall; <NUM> - side wall; <NUM> - concave portion; <NUM> - gap control portion; <NUM> - first protrusion; <NUM> - groove; <NUM> - step face; <NUM> - second protrusion; <NUM> - housing; <NUM> - end opening; <NUM> - end cover; <NUM> - first mounting hole; <NUM> - insulating member; <NUM> - second mounting hole; <NUM> - motor; <NUM> - controller; <NUM> - device for manufacturing battery cell; <NUM> - first providing module; <NUM> - second providing module; <NUM> - third providing module; <NUM> - mounting module; and <NUM> - vehicle.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The detailed description of the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily explain the principle of the present application, but shall not be used to limit the scope of the present application, i.e., the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless stated otherwise, "a plurality of means two or more; The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc. is only used to facilitate describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not vertical in the strict sense, but is within the allowable range of error. "Parallel" is not parallel in the strict sense, but is within the allowable range of error.

The orientation words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the drawings, and do not limit the specific structure of the present application. In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted", "connecting" and "connected" should be understood broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; and may also be direct connections or indirect connections by means of intervening structures. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the present application, a battery cell may include a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-lithium ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, a magnesium-ion battery, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The battery cell may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or in other shapes, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The battery cells are generally divided into three types in a packaging manner: a cylindrical battery cell, a square battery cell and a pouch battery cell.

A battery as referred to in the embodiments of the present application refers to a single physical module that includes one or more battery cells so as to provide a high voltage and capacity. For example, the battery mentioned in the present application may include a battery module or a battery pack, etc. The battery generally includes a box body for packaging one or more battery cells. The box body can avoid liquids or other foreign substances affecting charging or discharging of the battery cells.

The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and the electrode assembly is composed of a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet and a separator. The battery cell mainly relies on the movement of metal ions between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet to work. A positive electrode sheet includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer, the positive electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode current collector, the positive electrode current collector uncoated with the positive electrode active material layer protrudes from the positive electrode current collector coated with the positive electrode active material layer, and the positive electrode current collector uncoated with the positive electrode active material layer serves as a positive electrode tab. Taking a lithium-ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode current collector may be aluminum, and the positive electrode active material may be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, three-dimensional lithium, lithium manganite oxide, or the like. A negative electrode sheet includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer, the negative electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode current collector, the positive electrode current collector uncoated with the negative electrode active material layer protrudes from the positive electrode current collector coated with the negative electrode active material layer, and the positive electrode current collector uncoated with the negative electrode active material layer serves as a negative electrode tab. The material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon, silicon, or the like. In order to ensure that high current is passed without fusing, there are a plurality of positive electrode tabs which are stacked together, and there are a plurality of negative electrode tabs which are stacked together. The separator may be made of PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene) or the like. In addition, the electrode assembly may be a wound structure or a laminated structure, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

The battery cell further includes a connection component and an electrode terminal, and the connection component is used for connecting the electrode assembly and the electrode terminal, so as to conduct electric energy of the electrode assembly by means of the electrode terminal. Correspondingly, the electrode terminal connected to the positive electrode tab is a positive electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal connected to the negative electrode tab is a negative electrode terminal. In order to achieve the connection between a connection component and an electrode terminal, the connection component includes a convex portion, and the convex portion extends into a through-hole of an end cover of a battery cell and is fixed to the electrode terminal; or when an insulating member is provided at one side of the end cover towards the electrode assembly, the convex portion passes through the through-hole of the insulating member and extends into the through-hole of the end cover so as to be fixed to the electrode terminal, and the convex portion may also be connected to the electrode terminal in the through-hole of the insulating member. Correspondingly, the connection component is provided with a concave portion corresponding to the position of the convex portion.

In the process of manufacturing a battery, in order to reduce space occupation, a plurality of connection components are generally stacked up and down in a tooling fixture, adjacent connection components are prone to stacking sheets and materials jamming, i.e. the upper and lower connection components cannot be separated, resulting in taking two or more connection components at a time when taking materials from the tooling fixture. The inventor has found in research that the reason for staking sheets and materials jamming of the connection component is that a convex portion and a concave portion are respectively provided at two sides of the connection component, and the convex portion of the connection component corresponds to the concave portion of the adjacent connection component when stacked; when the mechanical arm takes material, due to the weight of the connection component and the lower pressure of the mechanical arm on the connection component, most of the area of the convex portion of the upper-layer connection component extends into the concave portion of the lower-layer connection component, or most of the area of the convex portion of the lower-layer connection component extends into the concave portion of the upper-layer connection component, resulting in the two connection components to be clamped together.

In view of this, the present application provides a technical solution. A connection component includes a body, a convex portion, a concave portion and a gap control portion; the body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the body; the convex portion is connected to the body and protrudes from the first surface; the concave portion is provided on the second surface and corresponds to the position of the convex portion; the gap control portion is configured to be while the connection component including the gap control portion is stacked with another connection component, the gap control portion contacts the another connection component; by means of the contact between the gap control portion and the another connection component, a gap D between the two connection components is controlled to be greater than <NUM> (H is the height of the convex portion protruding from the first surface), so that most area of the convex portion is located outside the concave portion of another connection component; as the direction of the convex portion from the first surface is parallel to the stacking direction, only a height region less than or equal to <NUM> of the convex portion is located within the concave portion of the other connection component, and the contact area between the outer surface of the convex portion and the inner surface of the concave portion of another connection component is relatively small, thereby effectively reducing the risk of material stuck between two connection components, facilitating taking materials (connection components) in the production process, and improving the production efficiency.

For the convenience of text, the stacking of the two connection components in the embodiments of the present application is the stacking in the direction of gravity.

The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are all applicable to various electric devices that use batteries, such as mobile phones, portable devices, notebook computers, battery cars, electric toys, electric tools, electric vehicles, ships and spacecraft. For example, a spacecraft includes an air plane, a rocket, a space shuttle, a spaceship, and the like.

It should be understood that, the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are not only applicable to the devices as described above, but also applicable to all devices that use batteries. For brevity of description, the following embodiments are all described by using an electric vehicle as an example.

For example, <FIG> shows a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle <NUM> may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle. The battery <NUM> is provided inside the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the battery <NUM> may be provided at the bottom or a head or a tail of the vehicle <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may be used for power supply of the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the battery <NUM> may serve as an operating power source of the vehicle <NUM> for a circuit system of the vehicle <NUM>, for example, for meeting the power consumption requirements of starting, navigation, and running of the vehicle <NUM>. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery <NUM> may not only serve as an operating power source of the vehicle <NUM>, but also serve as a driving power source of the vehicle <NUM>, instead of or in part replacing fuel oil or natural gas, so as to provide a driving force for the vehicle <NUM>.

A motor <NUM> and a controller <NUM> can also be provided inside the vehicle <NUM>, and the controller <NUM> is used for controlling the battery <NUM> to supply power to the motor <NUM>, for example, for meeting the power consumption requirements of starting, navigating and running of the vehicle <NUM>.

In order to meet different power usage requirements, the battery <NUM> may include a plurality of battery cells, where the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series or in parallel or in a mixed manner, and the mixed manner refers to a mixture of connected in series and parallel. The battery <NUM> may also be referred to a battery pack. In some embodiments, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series or in parallel or in a mixed manner to form a battery module, and then a plurality of battery modules may be connected in series or in parallel or in a mixed manner to form the battery <NUM>. That is to say, the battery <NUM> may be directly formed by the plurality of battery cells, or a battery module may first be formed, and then the battery <NUM> is formed by the battery module.

<FIG> shows a schematic structural diagram of a battery <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. In <FIG>, the battery <NUM> may include a box body <NUM> and a plurality of battery cells <NUM>. The inside of the box body <NUM> is a hollow structure, and the plurality of battery cells <NUM> are accommodated inside the box body <NUM>. The box body <NUM> includes a first portion <NUM> and a second portion <NUM>, where the first portion <NUM> includes an accommodating space with an opening, and the second portion <NUM> is used for covering the opening of the accommodating space so as to be connected to the first portion <NUM> to form an accommodation cavity for accommodating a plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an exploded view of a battery cell <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. In <FIG>, the battery cell <NUM> includes an electrode terminal <NUM>, an electrode assembly <NUM>, and a connection component <NUM>. The number of provided electrode terminals <NUM> is two, and the two electrode terminals <NUM> are regarded as a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal respectively, where the positive electrode terminal is used for being connected to a positive electrode tab <NUM> of an electrode assembly <NUM>, and the negative electrode terminal is used for being connected to a negative electrode tab <NUM> of the electrode assembly <NUM>. The connection component <NUM> is used for connecting the electrode assembly <NUM> and the electrode terminal <NUM> so as to conduct electric energy of the electrode assembly <NUM> by means of the electrode terminal <NUM>. The number of the provided connection components <NUM> is two, a positive electrode terminal corresponds to one connection component <NUM>, and a negative electrode terminal corresponds to the other connection component <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the battery cell <NUM> further includes a housing <NUM> and an end cover <NUM>. The housing <NUM> has an end opening <NUM>, and the electrode assembly <NUM> and the connection component <NUM> are accommodated in the housing <NUM>. The housing <NUM> depends on the shape of one or more electrode assemblies <NUM>. For example, the housing <NUM> may be a hollow cuboid, a hollow cube or a hollow cylinder. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the housing <NUM> is a hollow cuboid. The housing <NUM> may be made of conductive metal material or plastic. Optionally, the housing <NUM> may be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

The end cover <NUM> is configured to be provided at the end opening <NUM>, so as to form a cavity for accommodating the electrode assembly <NUM> with the housing <NUM>. The electrode terminal <NUM> is provided on the end cover <NUM>, and the connection component <NUM> is located on one side of the end cover <NUM> facing the electrode assembly <NUM>. <FIG> shows a sectional view of a battery cell <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. In <FIG>, in order to facilitate connection between a connection component <NUM> and an electrode terminal <NUM>, first mounting holes <NUM> which are through holes are provided on the end cover <NUM>, and the number of the provided first mounting holes <NUM> is two; the two first mounting holes <NUM> correspond to the two electrode terminals <NUM> one by one; and the connection component <NUM> is connected to the electrode terminal <NUM> at the first mounting hole <NUM>.

The battery cell <NUM> can also include an insulating member <NUM>, and the insulating member <NUM> is provided at one side of the end cover <NUM> close to the electrode assembly <NUM> and is used for isolating the end cover <NUM> and the connection component <NUM>; the insulating member <NUM> is provided with a second mounting hole <NUM> which is a through hole; the second mounting hole <NUM> is provided coaxially with the first mounting hole <NUM>; the connection component <NUM> passes through the second mounting hole <NUM> and extends into the first mounting hole <NUM> so as to be fixed to the electrode terminal <NUM>; or the connection component <NUM> is connected to the electrode terminal <NUM> in the second mounting hole <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a partial sectional view of two connection components <NUM> in a stacked state according to an embodiment of the present application; <FIG> shows a structural diagram of the connection component <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. In <FIG>, the connection component <NUM> includes a body <NUM>, a convex portion <NUM>, a concave portion <NUM>, and a gap control portion <NUM>. The body <NUM> includes a first surface <NUM> and a second surface <NUM> opposite to each other in a thickness direction thereof, and the thickness direction of the body <NUM> is the X direction in the figure. In a state in which the connection component <NUM> is assembled to the battery cell <NUM>, the first surface <NUM> is configured to be away from the electrode assembly <NUM>, the second surface <NUM> is configured to face the electrode assembly <NUM>, and the second surface <NUM> of the body <NUM> is used for being connected to the electrode assembly <NUM>. The convex portion <NUM> is connected to the body <NUM> and protrudes from the first surface <NUM>, i.e. the convex portion <NUM> protrudes from the first surface <NUM> in the X direction, and the height direction of the convex portion <NUM> is the X direction. When the convex portion <NUM> is assembled to the end cover <NUM>, at least a part of the convex portion <NUM> may be configured to extend into the first mounting hole <NUM> to be connected to the electrode terminal <NUM>, or when an insulating member <NUM> is provided at a side of the end cover <NUM> close to the electrode assembly <NUM>, at least a part of the convex portion <NUM> may also be configured to extend into the second mounting hole <NUM> to be connected to the electrode terminal <NUM>, or at least a part of the convex portion <NUM> may also be configured to extend through the second mounting hole <NUM> to be connected to the electrode terminal <NUM> in the first mounting hole <NUM>. The concave portion <NUM> is provided on the second surface <NUM> and corresponds to the position of the convex portion <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the gap control portion <NUM> is configured to be in contact with a connection component <NUM> of upper layer when a connection component <NUM> of lower layer is stacked with the connection component <NUM> of upper layer, so as to control a gap D between the two connection components <NUM> to be greater than <NUM>, where H is the height of the convex portion <NUM> protruding from the first surface <NUM>. In other words, a region of the convex portion <NUM> exceeding <NUM> is located outside the concave portion <NUM>.

It should be noted that the gap D between the two stacked connection components <NUM> may be a distance between the bodies <NUM> of the two connection components <NUM> in the stacking direction (X direction). In the embodiments of the present application, the stacking direction of the connection components <NUM> is described by taking the up and down direction as an example, and the convex portion of the connection components <NUM> are provided downwards, that is, the stacking direction is the X direction in the figure, and the X direction may be the thickness direction of the connection components <NUM>. For example, as shown in <FIG>, taking the example that the two connection components <NUM> are stacked in the direction of gravity and the convex portion <NUM> is provided downwards, the gap D between the two connection components <NUM> may be the distance between the second surface <NUM> of the lower connection component <NUM> and the first surface <NUM> of the upper connection component <NUM>.

The concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> corresponds to the convex portion <NUM>, that is, the concave portion <NUM> is formed on the second surface <NUM> while the convex portion <NUM> is formed on the first surface <NUM>. When the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer corresponds to concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer.

According to the connection component <NUM> of the embodiments of the present application, the connection component <NUM> is provided with a gap control portion <NUM>, and when the two connection components <NUM> are stacked up and down, the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer corresponds to the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, and the gap control portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer is in contact with the connection component <NUM> of upper layer, or the gap control portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer is in contact with the connection component <NUM> of lower layer. By means of the gap control portion <NUM>, the gap D between the two connection components <NUM> can be controlled to be greater than <NUM>, so that most of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer is located outside the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, thereby reducing the overlapping area between the two connection components <NUM>, reducing the contact area between the outer surface of the convex portion <NUM> and the inner surface of the concave portion <NUM>, effectively reducing the risk of material stuck between the stacked two connection components <NUM>, convenient for picking up only one connection component <NUM> when taking materials (the connection components <NUM>) during production, and improving the production efficiency. It should be noted that, the inner surface of the concave portion <NUM> refers to a surface enclosing the concave portion <NUM>; and the outer surface of the convex portion <NUM> refers to a surface of the convex portion <NUM> away from the concave portion <NUM>, that is, a surface of the convex portion <NUM> exposed to a surface of the body <NUM> on the side of the first surface <NUM>.

It should be noted that in the X direction, when a region of the convex portion <NUM> with a height greater than <NUM> extends into the concave portion <NUM>, the risk of material stuck between the two connection components <NUM> is high; that is to say, when a region of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection components <NUM> of upper layer with a height larger than <NUM> extends into the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, the probability that the outer surface of convex portion <NUM> is in contact with the inner surface of concave portion <NUM> is large, which facilitates the material being stuck between the two connection components. Therefore, the gap control portion <NUM> in the present application is configured to control a region less than or equal to <NUM> of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer to protrude into the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, that is, to control the gap D between the connection component <NUM> of upper layer and the connection component <NUM> of lower layer to be greater than <NUM>.

Preferably, the gap control portion <NUM> is configured to control the gap D between the two connection components <NUM> to be equal to or greater than <NUM>.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the convex portion <NUM> includes an end wall <NUM> and a side wall <NUM>, the side wall <NUM> is provided surrounding a periphery of the end wall <NUM>, the side wall <NUM> is connected to the body <NUM>, the end wall <NUM> and the side wall <NUM> encircle and form the concave portion <NUM>. In other words, the side wall <NUM> is located between the end wall <NUM> and the body <NUM>, that is, the side wall <NUM> is connected to the end wall <NUM> and the body <NUM>; and one end of the side wall <NUM> connected to the body <NUM> is an opening end of the concave portion <NUM>, and the end wall <NUM> is a closed end of the concave portion <NUM>. The end wall <NUM> is used to be connected to the electrode terminal <NUM>.

According to some embodiments of the application, an included angle α between the side wall <NUM> and the end wall <NUM> is greater than <NUM>°. That is to say, in the X direction, the cross-sectional dimension of the convex portion <NUM> is gradually reduced in a direction from one end close to the first surface <NUM> towards the end wall <NUM>; in other words, the convex portion <NUM> has a tapered structure. It should be noted that the cross-sectional dimension of the convex portion <NUM> refers to the dimension of the cross-section of the convex portion <NUM> perpendicular to the X direction. The arrangement method as mentioned above, on the one hand, the first mounting hole <NUM> adapted to the end cover <NUM>, to facilitate the end wall <NUM> of the convex portion <NUM> extending into the first mounting hole <NUM> of the end cover <NUM>; on another hand, an included angle α between the side wall <NUM> and the end wall <NUM> is set to be an obtuse angle, thereby facilitating the processing and manufacturing, for example, facilitating the demolding.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the body <NUM>, the convex portion <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM> are integrally formed. For example, the connection component <NUM> is a stamping-formed component, and after the convex portion <NUM> is stamped on the first surface <NUM> of the body <NUM>, the second surface <NUM> of the body <NUM> forms a concave portion <NUM>, facilitating the processing.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the gap control portion <NUM> may be provided on the convex portion <NUM>. In this case, the gap D between the two connection components <NUM> may be embodied by a depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, that is, the gap D is a depth of the convex portion <NUM> protruding from the first surface <NUM> subtracted by a depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer. The gap control component <NUM> is used for controlling the depth of the convex component <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave component <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, thereby reducing or avoiding the risk of material stuck between the two overlapped connection components <NUM>, improving the production efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in <FIG>, the gap control portion <NUM> may include a first protrusion <NUM>, and the first protrusion <NUM> may be provided at a connecting portion between the convex portion <NUM> and the body <NUM> and exposed to the second surface <NUM>, that is, the first protrusion <NUM> is located at an opening end of the concave portion <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, when the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the first protrusion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer is in contact with the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer. The above-mentioned embodiments have simple structure. The first protrusion <NUM> is provided, being able to limit the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer to enter the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer when the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, reducing the overlapping area of the two connection components <NUM>, providing a good effect of gap controlling, reducing or avoiding the risk of material stuck between the two connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in <FIG>, the first protrusion <NUM> is an annular-shaped protrusion extending in a circumferential direction of the convex portion <NUM>. When the first protrusion <NUM> is an annular-shaped protrusion and the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the first protrusion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer has a relatively large contact area with the connection component <NUM> of upper layer, thereby ensuring the stacking of the two connection components <NUM> is stably supported, and further effectively controlling the depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, reducing the risk of material stuck between the two connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

Alternatively, <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a plurality of first protrusions <NUM> of a connection component <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application, and <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a plurality of first protrusions <NUM> of a connection component <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, there are a plurality of first protrusions <NUM>, and the plurality of first protrusions <NUM> are distributed in the circumferential direction of the convex portion <NUM> at intervals. When there are a plurality of first protrusions <NUM> and the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the plurality of first protrusions <NUM> can increase the contact positions of the two connection components <NUM> in the circumferential direction of the convex portion <NUM>, so as to form a plurality of positions for stacking support of the connection components <NUM>, thereby ensuring the stability of the stacking support of the two connection components <NUM>, effectively controlling the depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, reducing the risk of material stuck between the two connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

It should be noted that, when there are a plurality of first protrusions <NUM> and the plurality of first protrusions <NUM> are distributed in the circumferential direction of the convex portion <NUM> at intervals, as shown in <FIG>, the first protrusion <NUM> may be a block-shaped structure, or, as shown in <FIG>, the first protrusion <NUM> may also be a strip-shaped structure extending in the circumferential direction of the convex portion <NUM>.

According to some embodiments of the present application, <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a groove of a connection component <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. <FIG> is a partial sectional view of a stacked state of two connection components. As shown in <FIG>, a gap control portion <NUM> may include a groove <NUM>, where the groove <NUM> is provided on an outer surface of a convex portion <NUM> and is located at a connection portion between an end wall <NUM> and a side wall <NUM>, the groove <NUM> is an annular-shaped groove disposed surrounding the end wall <NUM>, and the groove <NUM> forms an annular-shaped step face <NUM> on the side wall <NUM>. When the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the groove <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer is matched with the body <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, that is, the step face <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer is in contact with the second surface <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, controlling the depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, being able to effectively control the gap between two adjacent stacked connection components <NUM>, reducing or avoiding the risk of material stuck, and improving the production efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the gap control portion <NUM> may also be provided on the body <NUM>. In this case, when the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, through the body <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer contacting the gap control portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer, and/or the gap control portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer contacting the body <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer, the gap D between the two connection components <NUM> is controlled to be greater than <NUM>, that is, the depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer is controlled to be less than <NUM>, thereby reducing or avoiding the risk of material stuck between the stacked two connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the gap control portion <NUM> includes a second protrusion, and the second protrusion is provided on the body <NUM> and protrudes from the first surface <NUM> and/or the second surface <NUM>. For example, the second protrusion <NUM> may protrude from the first surface <NUM> and the second surface <NUM>. In this case, there are a plurality of second protrusions <NUM>. A part of the second protrusions <NUM> protrude from the first surface <NUM>, and another part of the second protrusions <NUM> protrude from the second surface <NUM>. When the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the second protrusion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer protruding from the first surface <NUM> is in contact with the second surface <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, and the second protrusion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer protruding from the second surface <NUM> is in contact with the first surface <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer. Alternatively, <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a second protrusion <NUM> of a connection component <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the second protrusion <NUM> may only protrude from a first surface <NUM>, and the second protrusion <NUM> of a connection component <NUM> of upper layer protruding from the first surface <NUM> is in contact with a second surface <NUM> of a connection component <NUM> of lower layer. Still alternatively, <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a second protrusion <NUM> of a connection component <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the second protrusion <NUM> may only protrude from a second surface <NUM>, and the second protrusion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer protruding from the second surface <NUM> is in contact with the first surface <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer. The second protrusion <NUM> is provided on the body <NUM>, and the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, being able to effectively control the gap between the two connection components <NUM>, reducing or avoiding the risk of material stuck between the two stacked connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in <FIG>, the second protrusion <NUM> protrudes from the first surface <NUM> and is provided oblique towards the convex portion <NUM>; or, as shown in <FIG>, the second protrusion <NUM> protrudes from the second surface <NUM> and is provided oblique towards the concave portion <NUM>. When the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, as the second protrusion <NUM> is provided oblique towards the convex portion <NUM>, the second protrusion <NUM> subjected to the gravity of the other connection component <NUM> or external force may drive the second protrusion <NUM> to deform towards the convex portion <NUM>, the second protrusion <NUM> itself inclines towards the convex portion <NUM>, and the second protrusion <NUM> has larger difficulty in deformation, thereby being able to effectively control the depth of the convex portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of upper layer entering the concave portion <NUM> of the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, and reducing the risk of material stuck.

<FIG> shows a partial sectional view of two connection components <NUM> in a stacked state according to an embodiment of the present application; and <FIG> shows a structural diagram of the connection component <NUM> of <FIG>. According to some embodiments of the present application, there are a plurality of second protrusions <NUM>, and the plurality of second protrusions <NUM> are provided surrounding the concave portion <NUM> at intervals. As shown in <FIG>, taking the second protrusion <NUM> protruding from the second surface <NUM> as an example, the plurality of second protrusions <NUM> are provided surrounding the concave portion <NUM> at intervals, so as to form a plurality of support positions around the concave portion <NUM>. The plurality of second protrusions <NUM> is provided, thereby achieving the two connection components <NUM> being in contact at the plurality of support positions, ensuring stable stacking support, improving the effect of gap control between the stacked two connection components <NUM>, reducing or avoiding material stuck between the stacked two connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in <FIG>, the convex portion <NUM> is located on the width center line L of the connection component <NUM>, and the plurality of second protrusions <NUM> are symmetrically distributed with respect to the width center line L. For example, as shown in <FIG>, when the plurality of second protrusion <NUM> are provided, a part of the second protrusions <NUM> extend in the Y direction, and another part of the second protrusions <NUM> extend in the Z direction, and the Z direction in the figure indicates a length direction of the connection component <NUM>. The plurality of second protrusions <NUM> are symmetrically distributed, thereby ensuring stable stacking support of the two connection components <NUM> when the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, and facilitating the gap control between the two connection components <NUM>. It should be noted that the Y direction in the figure indicates a width direction of the connection component <NUM>, and a width center line L of the connection component <NUM> indicates a center line in the Y direction of the connection component <NUM>.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one second protrusion <NUM> is provided at an edge of the body <NUM>, facilitating the processing and manufacturing.

For example, as shown in <FIG>, all of the second protrusions <NUM> are provided at an edge of the body <NUM>. When the second protrusion <NUM> and the body <NUM> are integrally formed, for example, when the connection component <NUM> is stamping-formed, the second protrusion <NUM> may be formed by bending the edge of the body <NUM>.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the second protrusion <NUM> is provided between the edge of the body <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM>, thereby effectively controlling the gap D between the two connection components <NUM> when the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, reducing or avoiding the risk of material stuck between the stacked two connection components <NUM>, and improving the production efficiency.

When the second protrusion <NUM> is integrally formed on the body <NUM>, a through groove is formed between an edge of the body <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM>, one end of the second protrusion <NUM> is connected to a groove wall, and another end of the second protrusion <NUM> extends in a direction away from the body <NUM>; alternatively, when the second protrusion <NUM> is provided separately from the body <NUM>, the second protrusion <NUM> is fixed between the edge of the body <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM> by means of welding or riveting.

Still alternatively, <FIG> shows a schematic structural diagram of a connection component <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, one second protrusion <NUM> is provided at an edge of a body <NUM>, and two second protrusions <NUM> are provided between the edge of the body <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM>.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the second protrusion <NUM> may be integrally formed on the body <NUM>, or the second protrusion <NUM> may also be provided separately from the body <NUM>, and the second protrusion <NUM> is fixed to the body <NUM>, for example, the second protrusion <NUM> is welded, riveted, or adhered by a conductive adhesive to the body <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a structural diagram of the connection component <NUM> according to still an embodiment of the present invention. According to some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in <FIG>, the gap control portion <NUM> may also be provided on the convex portion <NUM> and the body <NUM>, that is, the gap control portion <NUM> further includes a first protrusion <NUM> and a second protrusion <NUM>. When the two connection components <NUM> are stacked, the gap between the two connection components <NUM> is controlled by the first protrusion <NUM> and the second protrusion <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a battery cell <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the method may include:.

It should be noted that, the order of step "<NUM>, providing an electrode assembly <NUM>", step "<NUM>, providing an electrode terminal <NUM>" and step "<NUM>, providing a connection component <NUM>" is not limited, for example, step "<NUM>, providing an electrode terminal <NUM>", step "<NUM>, providing an electrode assembly <NUM>" and step "<NUM>, providing a connection component <NUM>" may be performed sequentially, and step "<NUM>, providing a connection component <NUM>", step "<NUM>, providing an electrode assembly <NUM>" and step "<NUM>, providing an electrode terminal <NUM>" may also be performed sequentially.

<FIG> is a schematic block diagram of a device <NUM> for manufacturing a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the device for manufacturing a battery cell <NUM> may include a first providing module <NUM>, a second providing module <NUM>, a third providing module <NUM>, and a mounting module <NUM>.

The first providing module <NUM> is used for providing an electrode assembly <NUM>. The second providing module <NUM> is used for providing an electrode terminal <NUM>. The third providing module <NUM> is used for providing a connection component <NUM>; the connection component <NUM> includes a body <NUM>, a convex portion <NUM>, a concave portion <NUM> and a gap control portion <NUM>; the body <NUM> includes a first surface <NUM> and a second surface <NUM> opposite to each other in a thickness direction thereof; the convex portion <NUM> is connected to the body <NUM> and protrudes from the first surface <NUM>, and the concave portion <NUM> is provided on the second surface <NUM> and corresponds to the position of the convex portion <NUM>; the gap control portion <NUM> is configured to be in contact with the connection component <NUM> of upper layer when the connection component <NUM> of lower layer is stacked with the connection component <NUM> of upper layer, and/or the gap control portion <NUM> is configured to be in contact with the connection component <NUM> of lower layer when the connection component <NUM> of upper layer is stacked with the connection component <NUM> of lower layer, so as to control a gap D between the two connection components <NUM> to be greater than <NUM>, where H is the height of the convex portion <NUM> protruding from the first surface <NUM>.

The mounting module <NUM> is used for connecting the body <NUM> with the electrode assembly <NUM>, and is used for connecting the convex portion <NUM> with the electrode terminal <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A connection component (<NUM>) for connecting an electrode assembly (<NUM>) and an electrode terminal (<NUM>), wherein the connection component (<NUM>) comprises:
a body (<NUM>), comprising a first surface (<NUM>) and a second surface (<NUM>) opposite to each other in a thickness direction thereof;
a convex portion (<NUM>), connected to the body (<NUM>) and protruding from the first surface (<NUM>);
a concave portion (<NUM>), provided on the second surface (<NUM>) and corresponding to the position of the convex portion (<NUM>); characterized by
a gap control portion (<NUM>), configured to be while the connection component (<NUM>) including the gap control portion (<NUM>) is stacked with another connection component (<NUM>), the gap control portion (<NUM>) contacts the another connection component (<NUM>), so as to control a gap D between the two connection components (<NUM>) to be greater than <NUM>, wherein H is the height of the convex portion (<NUM>) protruding from the first surface (<NUM>);
wherein the gap control portion (<NUM>) comprises a second protrusion (<NUM>), and the second protrusion (<NUM>) is provided on the body (<NUM>) and protrudes from the first surface (<NUM>) and/or the second surface (<NUM>);
wherein the second protrusion (<NUM>) protrudes from the first surface (<NUM>) and is provided oblique towards the convex portion (<NUM>);
or, the second protrusion (<NUM>) protrudes from the second surface (<NUM>) and is provided oblique towards the concave portion (<NUM>).