Patent Application
20220021084
This application claims the priority benefit of China patent application serial no. 202010679046.6, filed on Jul. 15, 2020, and no. 202011304662.X, filed on Nov. 19, 2020. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The disclosure relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a battery and a manufacturing method of battery.
A battery typically includes an electrode assembly (body and tab) and a top cover assembly. The top cover element is connected with the tab to electrically connect the electrode assembly and an external device.
However, in the related art, the connection between the tab and the top cover element is directly achieved by welding. In order to ensure the reliable connection between the tab and the top cover element, the energy adopted for welding is typically high, but due to the limitation of the structure of the tab itself, excessive energy often causes damage to the tab during welding, which affects reliability of the connection.
The disclosure provides a battery and a manufacturing method of battery.
According to the first aspect of the disclosure, the battery is provided and includes a main body portion, and a tab arranged on the main body portion. The tab includes a first welding mark and a second welding mark, and the second welding mark covers at least a part of the first welding mark.
In the battery of the embodiment of the disclosure, a first welding mark and a second welding mark are formed on the tab, and the second welding mark covers at least a part of the first welding mark, that is, when the tab is welded with the cover element, the tab is welded twice.
According to the second aspect of the disclosure, a manufacturing method of battery is provided, including following steps. A tab on the main body portion is pre-welded to form a first welding mark on the tab. A pole of a cover element and the tab are welded to form a second welding mark on the tab, and the second welding mark is formed to cover at least a part of the first welding mark; or, a connecting portion of the cover element and the tab are welded to form a second welding mark on the tab and the second welding mark is formed to cover at least a part of the first welding mark.
In the manufacturing method of battery in the embodiment of the disclosure, a first welding mark is formed by pre-welding the tab, and the cover element and the tab are welded on the first welding mark to form a second welding mark, that is, the tab is welded twice.
For a better understanding of the disclosure, reference may be made to exemplary embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and related elements may be omitted, or in some instances proportions may have been exaggerated, so as to emphasize and clearly illustrate the features described herein. In addition, related elements or components can be variously arranged, as known in the art. Further, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate same or like parts throughout the several views.
The technical solutions in the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described clearly and explicitly in conjunction with the drawings in the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. The description proposed herein is just the exemplary embodiments for the purpose of illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, so it should be understood that and various modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specifically defined and limited, the terms “first”, “second” and the like are only used for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as expressing or implying a relative importance. The term “plurality” is two or more. The term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
In particular, a reference to “the” object or “a” and “an” object is intended to denote also one of a possible plurality of such objects. Unless otherwise defined or described, the terms “connect”, “fix” should be broadly interpreted, for example, the term “connect” can be “fixedly connect”, “detachably connect”, “integrally connect”, “electrically connect” or “signal connect”. The term “connect” also can be “directly connect” or “indirectly connect via a medium”. For the persons skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the abovementioned terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific situation.
Further, in the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that spatially relative terms, such as “above”, “below” “inside”, “outside” and the like, are described based on orientations illustrated in the figures, but are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
In the context, it should also be understood that when an element or features is provided “outside” or “inside” of another element(s), it can be directly provided “outside” or “inside” of the other element, or be indirectly provided “outside” or “inside” of the another element(s) by an intermediate element.
An embodiment of the disclosure provides a battery. Please refer to
The battery according to an embodiment of the disclosure has the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22 formed on the tab 20, and the second welding mark 22 covers at least a part of the first welding mark 21, that is, when the tab 20 is welded to the cover element, the tab 20 is welded twice, so that the energy of welding can be better controlled and damage to the tab 20 can be avoided.
It should be noted that the second welding mark 22 covers at least a part of the first welding mark 21, that is, after the first welding mark 21 is formed by the first welding, when the second welding is performed, the welding is still performed in the region of the first welding mark 21, so that the second welding mark 22 can be formed on the first welding mark 21. Certainly, the disclosure does not exclude the embodiment in which the part of the second welding mark 22 is outside the first welding mark 21.
It should be noted that, if the part of the second welding mark 22 is located between the first welding mark 21 and the main body portion 10, damage will be caused to the tab 20 between the first welding mark 21 and the main body portion 10 (for example, the tab 20 might be torn or melted), which consequently will cause the main body portion 10 to fail to charge and discharge well, and the impedance of the battery will increase, which seriously affects the performance of the battery. However, if the part of the second welding mark 22 is located outside the first welding mark 21 away from the main body portion, it will not affect the charging and discharging performance of the main body portion 10 as well as the performance of battery. When a higher level of energy is adopted to form the second welding mark 22, the tab 20 outside the first welding mark can be cut off to shape the tab 20, which simplifies the process and reduces the cost. In an embodiment, the tab 20 includes a plurality of metal sheets. The metal sheets are thin metal sheets. The thin metal sheets may serve as a part of the current collector, or other options are available, the disclosure provides no limitation thereto. The first welding mark 21 can be formed by directly pre-welding the tab 20, that is, before the tab 20 and the cover element are welded, the tab 20 is pre-welded, so that two or more thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are combined together, which also improves the structural strength of the tab 20 to a certain extent. Certainly, if all the thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are combined together, the strength of the tab 20 is higher. Accordingly, when the tab 20 is welded to the cover element, even if the energy of welding is relatively high, due to the presence of the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22 is formed on basis of the first welding mark 21, the first welding mark 21 strengthens the tab 20, so that the probability of damage to the tab 20 during the second welding is significantly reduced.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 may perform pre-welding to the tab 20 and the cover element, that is, by performing a single welding with a relatively low welding energy, the thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are combined together. Certainly, the tab 20 and the cover element are also connected, and then by performing the second welding with relatively high welding energy, the tab 20 and the cover element are connected stably, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on the first welding mark 21. Due to the presence of the first welding mark 21, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on basis of the first welding mark 21, even if the energy of welding is relatively high, since the first welding mark 21 enhances the strength of the tab 20, when the second welding is performed, the probability of causing damage to the tab 20 is significantly reduced.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22 are sequentially formed, that is, in the process of forming the second welding mark 22, since the second welding mark 22 is performed within the first welding mark 21, even if the energy of welding is relatively high, since the first welding mark 21 increases the strength of the tab 20, damage to the tab 20 can be avoided.
In an embodiment, the second welding marks 22 are all located in the first welding mark 21, that is, damage to the tab 20 is minimized. It should be noted that the second welding marks 22 are all located in the first welding mark 21, that is, after the first welding mark 21 is formed, the second welding needs to be performed, and it is necessary to ensure that the welding region aligned with the second welding is located in the first welding mark 21. Here, the welding region of the tab 20 is the main focus, and the welding region of the cover element is not taken into consideration, that is, the tab 20 is used as a reference for welding. In fact, the second welding mark 22 is formed when the tab 20 is welded to the cover element.
In an embodiment, the second welding mark 22 is located in a middle portion of the first welding mark 21, so as to ensure that the tab 20 will not be damaged during the second welding.
It should be noted that the middle portion does not specifically refer to a center position, but is described in a sense of being relative to the outer peripheral edge of the first welding mark 21, that is, the second welding mark 22 does not intersect the outer peripheral edge of the first welding mark 21, in which case the second welding mark 22 is located in the middle portion of the first welding mark 21. The distance between the second welding mark 22 and the edge of the first welding mark 21 will affect the quality of welding. Preferably, the distance between the second welding mark 22 and the edge of the first welding mark 21 is ≥1 mm. If the distance is less than 1 mm, the energy of welding for forming the second welding mark 22 is high, which will affect the tab 20 outside the first welding mark 21 and cause damage to the tab 20 at the outside. More preferably, the distance between the second welding mark 22 and the edge of the first welding mark 21 is ≥3 mm to completely avoid damage to the tab 20 outside the first welding mark 21. Certainly, in order not to damage the tab 20 between the first welding mark 21 and the main body portion 10 (such as tearing or melting of the tab 20) and affect the performance of the battery, at least it is necessary to ensure that the distance between the second welding mark 22 and the edge of the first welding mark 21 close to the main body portion 10 is ≥1 mm, and it is more preferable that the distance between the second welding mark 22 and the edge of the first welding mark 21 close to the main body portion 10 is ≥3 mm to completely avoid damage to the tab 20 at the outside of the first welding mark 21. The inventor found through research that the size of the areas of the second welding mark 22 and the first welding mark 21 should be appropriately selected. The preferred ratio of the area of the second welding mark 22 to the area of the first welding mark 21 is 1:20 to 1:2. If the ratio of the area of the second welding mark 22 to the area of the first welding mark 21 is less than 1:20, the welding strength of the tab 20 and the cover element is weak. If the ratio of the area of the second welding mark 22 to the area of the first welding mark 21 is greater than 1:2, the energy of welding for forming the second welding mark 22 is higher and the welding time is longer, and the heat will be conducted to the cover element, leading to the failure of some parts of the cover element (for example, the failure of sealing the pole). More preferably, the ratio of the area of the second welding mark 22 to the area of the first welding mark 21 is 1:10 to 1:5, which can ensure sufficient welding strength between the tab 20 and the cover element without affecting the performance of the cover element.
In an embodiment, the second welding mark 22 is located at the center of the first welding mark 21.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 may have multiple shapes, such as a rectangle, and correspondingly, the second welding mark 22 may have multiple shapes, such as a rectangle.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 may be circular, oval, or irregular in shape, and correspondingly, the second welding mark 22 may be circular, oval, or irregular in shape. The disclosure provides no limitation to the specific shapes of the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22, and their shapes can be selected according to actual requirements.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 accounts for at least a part of the tab 20, and the tab 20 is utilized to perform pre-welding to form the first welding mark 21, that is, before the tab 20 is connected with the cover element, the tab 20 is preprocessed through welding so that the multiple thin metal sheets forming the tab 20 are reliably connected.
Specifically, the tab 20 includes a thin metal sheet. In the related art, when the tab 20 and the cover element are welded, multiple thin metal sheets are laminated together. However, because there is no fixed connection between the adjacent thin metal sheets, when the tab 20 is welded to the cover element, due to the high level of energy, damage will be caused to the thin metal sheets. In the embodiment, by performing pre-welding to the thin metal sheets, a stable connection is formed between the adjacent thin metal sheets, thereby enhancing the strength of the tab 20.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22 are formed by different welding methods, and the tab 20 includes a thin metal sheet with thinner thickness. The thin metal sheet is pre-welded by the first welding method, such that a stable connection is formed between adjacent thin metal sheets, and the strength of the tab 20 is enhanced, thus avoiding the damage to the tab 20. Then, the second welding method is adopted to weld the tab 20 and the cover element, which enhances the connection strength between the tab 20 and the cover element and avoids damage to the tab 20 as well. Different welding methods can mean different types of welding energy, and can mean the same type of welding energy with different strengths.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22 are both laser welding marks; or, the first welding mark 21 and the second welding mark 22 are both ultrasonic welding marks; or, the first welding mark 21 is an ultrasonic welding mark, and the second welding mark 22 is a laser welding mark; or, the first welding mark 21 is a laser welding mark, and the second welding mark 22 is an ultrasonic welding mark.
Specifically, the first welding mark 21 is formed by the first welding, and the second welding mark 22 is formed by the second welding. The first welding method can be performed by adopting any one of ultrasonic welding and laser welding. Correspondingly, the second welding method can be performed by adopting any one of ultrasonic welding and laser welding, as long as the stability of the connection can be ensured and the tab 20 will not be damaged during the first welding.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 is an ultrasonic welding mark, and the second welding mark 22 is a laser welding mark. Specifically, the first welding mark 21 is formed by the first welding, and the second welding mark 22 is formed by the second welding. The first welding method adopts ultrasonic welding. The multiple thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are combined into a whole through ultrasonic effect. It can be considered that the multiple thin metal sheets are formed as a whole to become a thick metal plate, thereby enhancing the strength of the tab 20 and avoiding damage to the tab 20. Correspondingly, the second welding method is performed by adopting laser welding, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on the first welding mark 21. The cover element is welded to the metal plate formed by the first welding. Through the effect of laser, the metal plate formed by the first welding and the cover element are fixedly connected together, which enhances the strength of the connection.
In an embodiment, there are at least two first welding marks 21, and adjacent first welding marks 21 are arranged at intervals, that is, during pre-welding, at least two first welding marks 21 are formed by separate welding. The number of second welding mark 22 can be one or at least two, that is, the second welding mark 22 can correspond to the first welding mark 21 one by one, or can be less than the first welding mark 21, that is, part of the first welding mark 21 is not covered by the second welding mark 22.
In an embodiment, the battery further includes an insulating layer, and at least a part of the insulating layer is disposed on the tab 20. The tab 20 includes a joint portion connected to the main body portion 10. The joint portion can be considered as the root of the tab 20. The first end of the first welding mark 21 is close to the joint portion of the tab 20, and the insulating layer extends from the first end of the first welding mark 21 in a direction away from the first welding mark 21.
Specifically, one end of the insulating layer is docked with one end of the first welding mark 21 close to the root of the tab 20, and the insulating layer extends in a direction away from the first welding mark 21, so that the other end of the insulating layer is spaced apart from the first welding mark 21, so that the insulating layer will not cover the first welding mark 21. In this manner, it can be ensured that when the second welding is performed, the insulating layer will not directly form a part of the welding, thus preventing the insulating layer from interfering with the welding connection (such as the situation of virtual welding, missing welding, etc.).
In an embodiment, as shown in
Specifically, the first insulating layer 50 is located on the outside of the tab 20, one end of the first insulating layer 50 is docked with the first welding mark 21, and the other end of the first insulating layer 50 is located on the main body portion 10, that is, the first insulating layer 50 covers a part of the main body portion 10. Such arrangement can improve the effect of insulating the tab 20 from other components, for example, reduce the creepage distance between the tab 20 and the housing, and enhance the effect of insulating the tab 20 from the housing. Certainly, the disclosure does not exclude the embodiment in which the first insulating layer 50 does not cover the main body portion 10.
Specifically, one end of the second insulating layer 60 is docked with the first welding mark 21, and the other end of the second insulating layer 60 is located on the main body portion 10, that is, the second insulating layer 60 covers a part of the main body portion 10. Certainly, the disclosure does not exclude an embodiment in which the second insulating layer 60 does not cover the main body portion 10.
In an embodiment, the insulating layer may be an insulating tape.
In an embodiment, as shown in
It should be noted that the pole 30 and the tab 20 are directly welded, which eliminates the need for an adapter sheet required in related technologies, thereby reducing material costs, and simplifying the process.
In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, the battery is composed of a main body portion 10, two tabs 20 connected to both ends of the main body portion 10, and two poles 30 respectively connected to the two tabs 20, and the two tabs 20 are respectively connected to the two poles 30.
In an embodiment, the battery is composed of two main body portions 10, two pairs of tabs 20 connected to both ends of the main body portion 10, and two poles 30 respectively connected to the two pairs of tabs 20. The two poles 30 are respectively connected to the two pairs of tabs 20.
In an embodiment, the two tabs 20 of the main body portion 10 are respectively ultrasonically welded to form two first welding marks 21, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, the battery is composed of a main body portion 10, two tabs 20 connected to both ends of the main body portion 10, and two connecting portions 40 respectively connecting the two tabs 20. The two tabs 20 are respectively connected to the two poles 30 through the two connecting portions 40.
In an embodiment, the battery is composed of two main body portions 10, two pairs of tabs 20 connected at both ends of the main body portion 10, and two connecting portions 40 respectively connecting the two pairs of tabs 20. The two connecting portions 40 are respectively connected to the two pairs of tabs 20.
In an embodiment, the two tabs 20 of the main body portion 10 are respectively welded through ultrasonic welding to form at least two first welding marks 21, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
An embodiment of the disclosure further provides a manufacturing method of battery, and the manufacturing method includes following steps. Pre-welding the tab 20 on the main body portion 10 to form a first welding mark 21 on the tab 20. Welding the pole 30 of the cover element to the tab 20 to form a second welding mark 22 on the tab 20, and the second welding mark 22 is formed to cover at least a part of the first welding mark 21; or, welding the connecting portion 40 of the cover element to the tab 20 to form a second welding mark 22 on the tab 20, and the second welding mark 22 is formed to cover at least a part of the first welding mark 21.
The manufacturing method of battery in an embodiment of the disclosure forms the first welding mark 21 by pre-welding the tab 20, and the cover element and the tab 20 are welded on the first welding mark 21 to form a second welding mark 22, that is, the tab 20 is welded twice, so that the energy of welding can be better controlled and damage to the tab 20 can be avoided.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 is formed by directly pre-welding the tab 20, that is, before the tab 20 and the cover element are welded, the tab 20 is pre-welded, so that all the thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are bonded together, which also improves the structural strength of the tab 20 to a certain extent. In this manner, when the tab 20 and the cover element are welded, even if the energy of welding is relatively high, due to the presence of the first welding mark 21, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on basis of the first welding mark 21, the first welding mark 21 enhances the strength of the tab 20, so that the probability of damage to the tab 20 is significantly reduced during the second welding.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 is formed by pre-welding the tab 20 and the cover element, that is, by performing a single welding with relatively low welding energy, all the thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are bonded together. Certainly, the tab 20 and the cover element are also connected, and then a second welding with a relatively high welding energy is performed, so that the tab 20 and the cover element are stably connected, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on the first welding mark 21. Due to the presence of the first welding mark 21, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on basis of the first welding mark 21, even if the energy of welding is relatively high, since the first welding mark 21 enhances the strength of the tab 20, the probability of causing damage to the tab 20 is significantly reduced during the second welding.
In an embodiment, after forming the first welding mark 21, a first insulating layer 50 is formed on the tab 20, one end of the first insulating layer 50 is docked with the first welding mark 21, and the other end of the first insulating layer 50 is located on the main body portion 10.
In an embodiment, after the first insulating layer 50 is formed on the tab 20, a second insulating layer 60 is provided on one side of the tab 20 away from the first insulating layer 50, one end of the second insulating layer 60 is docked with one end of the first welding mark 21 close to the root of the tab 20, and the other end of the second insulating layer 60 is located on the main body portion 10. By providing insulating layers on both sides of the tab 20, the effect of insulating the tab 20 from other components is enhanced.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 is formed by the first welding, and the second welding mark 22 is formed by the second welding. The first welding method can be performed by adopting any one of ultrasonic welding and laser welding. Correspondingly, the second welding method can be performed by adopting any one of ultrasonic welding and laser welding, as long as the stability of the connection can be ensured and the tab 20 will not be damaged during the first welding.
In an embodiment, the first welding mark 21 is an ultrasonic welding mark, and the second welding mark 22 is a laser welding mark. Specifically, the first welding mark 21 is formed by the first welding, and the second welding mark 22 is formed by the second welding. The first welding method adopts ultrasonic welding. The multiple thin metal sheets of the tab 20 are combined into a whole through ultrasonic effect. It can be considered that multiple thin metal sheets are formed as a whole to become a thick metal plate, which enhances the strength of the tab 20 and avoids the damage to the tab 20. Correspondingly, the second welding method adopts laser welding, and the second welding mark 22 is formed on the first welding mark 21. The cover element is welded to the metal plate formed by the first welding. Through the effect of laser, the metal plate formed by the first welding and the cover element are fixedly connected together, which enhances the strength of the connection. In an embodiment, the manufacturing method of battery is adopted to form the battery described above.
In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
Those skilled in the art will derive other embodiments of the disclosure after considering the description and practicing the disclosure disclosed herein. The disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptive changes of the disclosure. These variations, uses or adaptive changes follow the general principles of the disclosure and include common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed by the disclosure. The description and the exemplary embodiments are to be regarded as exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the disclosure are specified by the claims.
It should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is only limited by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202010679046.6 | Jul 2020 | CN | national |
| 202011304662.X | Nov 2020 | CN | national |
