Battery module, battery pack, and battery-powered apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12002994-B2
Application number	US-202117488437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2021
Priority date	Apr 3, 2020
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

The present application provides a battery module, a battery pack, and a battery-powered apparatus. The battery module includes a plurality of battery units and a busbar assembly. The plurality of battery units are arranged in a horizontal direction, where each battery unit includes a plurality of batteries stacked in a vertical direction, the plurality of batteries include a first battery and a second battery, the first battery and the second battery each include a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal, and an explosion-proof piece. A busbar assembly electrically connects the plurality of battery units, where the busbar assembly includes a first busbar connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal. In a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the first busbar includes a first weak zone that at least partially overlaps with the explosion-proof piece of the first battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery module comprising:
a plurality of battery units arranged in a horizontal direction, wherein each battery unit comprises a plurality of batteries stacked in a vertical direction, the plurality of batteries comprise a first battery and a second battery stacked in a vertical direction, the first battery and the second battery each comprise a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal, and an explosion-proof piece located between the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal; and
a busbar assembly, configured to electrically connect the plurality of battery units, wherein the busbar assembly comprises a first busbar connected to the first electrode terminal of the first battery and the second electrode terminal of the second battery; wherein
in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the first busbar comprises a first weak zone and a second weak zone, wherein the first weak zone is configured to fracture when an explosion-proof piece of the first battery is burst, to cause an open circuit between the first battery and the second battery, the second weak zone is configured to fracture when an explosion-proof piece of the second battery is burst, to cause an open circuit between the first battery and the second battery;
in the first direction, the first weak zone at least partially overlaps with the explosion-proof piece of the first battery and does not overlap with the explosion-proof piece of the second battery, the second weak zone at least partially overlaps with the explosion-proof piece of the second battery and does not overlap with the explosion-proof piece of the first battery.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first busbar further comprises:
a first connection portion, connected to the first electrode terminal of the first battery; and
a transition portion, wherein the first weak zone is connected to the first connection portion and the transition portion, and the transition portion has a buffer zone,
wherein the buffer zone is configured to: flexibly deform when a distance in the horizontal direction between the first electrode terminal of the first battery and the second electrode terminal of the second battery changes; and/or flexibly deform when a distance in the vertical direction between the first electrode terminal of the first battery and the second electrode terminal of the second battery changes.

3. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the first busbar further comprises:
a second connection portion, connected to the second electrode terminal of the second battery; and
the second weak zone is connected to the transition portion and the second connection portion.

4. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the buffer zone is provided obliquely relative to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

5. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the buffer zone is located between the explosion-proof piece of the first battery and the explosion-proof piece of the second battery in the vertical direction.

6. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the buffer zone comprises a plurality of arched structures.

7. The battery module according to a claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal of the first battery are arranged in the horizontal direction;
the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal of the second battery are arranged in the horizontal direction; and
the first electrode terminal of the first battery and the first electrode terminal of the second battery are oppositely disposed in the vertical direction, and the second electrode terminal of the first battery and the second electrode terminal of the second battery are oppositely disposed in the vertical direction.

8. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein a size of the battery module in the horizontal direction is greater than a size of the battery module in the vertical direction.

9. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein:
each battery further comprises a housing and an electrode assembly, wherein the first electrode terminal, the second electrode terminal, and the explosion-proof piece are disposed at the housing, the electrode assembly is accommodated in the housing, the electrode assembly comprises a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator separating the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate, the first electrode plate is electrically connected to the first electrode terminal, and the second electrode plate is electrically connected to the second electrode terminal; and
the electrode assembly is a flat-shaped winding structure, wherein an outer surface of the electrode assembly comprises two flat surfaces, and the two flat surfaces are opposite each other in the vertical direction; or the electrode assembly is a laminated structure, wherein the first electrode plate, the separator, and the second electrode plate are laminated in the vertical direction.

10. A battery pack comprising:
a box body; and
the battery module according to claim 1 , accommodated in the box body.

11. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein
the first busbar further has a first through hole, the first weak zone comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion and the second portion are respectively located on two sides of the first through hole;
in the first direction, the first portion at least partially overlaps with the explosion-proof piece of the first battery, and the second portion at least partially overlaps with the explosion-proof piece of the first battery.

12. The battery module according to claim 11 , wherein the explosion-proof piece of the first battery has an exposed zone, and the exposed zone is not covered by the first busbar in the first direction.

13. The battery module according to claim 12 , wherein the exposed zone comprises a first exposed portion facing toward the first through hole.

14. The battery module according to claim 13 , wherein the exposed zone further comprises a second exposed portion, and the second exposed portion is spaced apart from the first exposed portion.

15. A battery module comprising:
a plurality of battery units arranged in a horizontal direction, wherein each battery unit comprises a plurality of batteries stacked in a vertical direction, the plurality of batteries comprise a first battery and a second battery stacked in a vertical direction, the first battery and the second battery each comprise a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal, and an explosion-proof piece located between the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal; and
a busbar assembly, configured to electrically connect the plurality of battery units, wherein the busbar assembly comprises a first busbar connected to the first electrode terminal of the first battery and the second electrode terminal of the second battery; wherein
in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the first busbar comprises a first weak zone that at least partially overlaps with an explosion-proof piece of the first battery and does not overlap with an explosion-proof piece of the second battery, wherein the first weak zone is configured to fracture when an explosion-proof piece of the first battery is burst, to cause an open circuit between the first battery and the second battery; the first busbar further comprises:
a first connection portion, connected t

Assignees

• Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Xingdi
• Xie Mingdi
• You Kaijie
• Wang Peng
• Tang Yu
• Wang Yongguang

Classifications

• H01M50/507 Primary

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M10/0585

  of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators · CPC title

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/553

  Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title