Patent Application
20170346065
The present disclosure relates to the field of battery, and more particularly relates to an electric connector and a battery comprising the same.
In the related art, in a battery including a plurality of winding cores, an electrode terminal of a cover plate is connected to tabs of the winding cores via an electric connector. The electric connector is integrally formed and locally thinned and twisted to form a plurality of welding portions, as shown in
The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the above problems.
Accordingly, an electric connector is provided by the present disclosure and has a plurality of advantages, such as a convenience of welding, a simple structure, a lower process cost, a stable and reliable structure, a high security and so on.
A battery including the above electric connector is also provided.
Embodiments of a first aspect of the present disclosure provide an electric connector. The electric connector includes: a leading-out sheet, and a plurality of connecting sheets welded to the leading-out sheet, each connecting sheet comprising at least two welding portions; wherein the leading-out sheet and each connecting sheet are separate parts.
The electric connector according to embodiments of the present disclosure has a plurality of advantages, such as a convenience of welding, a simple structure, a lower process cost, a stable and credible structure, a high security and so on.
Furthermore, the electric connector according to the disclosure may have additional technical features as follow.
Each of each connecting sheet and the leading-out sheet are integrally molded.
In some embodiments, the leading-out sheet includes a bending portion, and the thickness of the bending portion is greater than or equal to that of a remained portion of the leading-out sheet.
In some embodiments, the leading-out sheet includes a horizontal portion, and a plurality of vertical portions connected to the horizontal portion.
In some embodiments, the plurality of connecting sheets is welded to the plurality of vertical portions, respectively.
In some embodiments, each vertical portion comprises a buffer part at a middle portion thereof, and the buffer part is used for matching with a tab.
In some embodiments, each vertical portion includes an arc transition at an edge thereof
In some embodiments, each vertical portion includes an arc end away from the horizontal portion.
In some embodiments, each connecting sheet is configured with an arc transition at an edge thereof.
In some embodiments, each connecting sheet has a substantially U-shaped horizontal cross section, and each connecting sheet comprises: a vertical connecting limb, a first vertical limb connected to the vertical connecting limb and welded to the leading-out sheet, and a second vertical limb connected to the vertical connecting limb and spaced apart from the first vertical limb.
In some embodiments, the first vertical limb and the second vertical limb are configured to form two welding portions.
In some embodiments, each connecting sheet has a substantially U-shaped vertical cross section, and each connecting sheet includes: a horizontal connecting limb, a third vertical limb, connected to the horizontal connecting limb and welded to the leading-out sheet, and a fourth vertical limb connected to the horizontal connecting limb, and spaced apart from the third vertical limb.
In some embodiments, the third vertical limb and the fourth vertical limb are configured to form two welding portions.
In some embodiments, each connecting sheet further comprises a horizontal supporting limb connected to an end of the fourth vertical limb away from the horizontal connecting limb, and extending towards the third vertical limb.
In some embodiments, the horizontal supporting limb is connected to the fourth vertical limb in a manner of an arc transition.
In some embodiments, two connecting sheets are provided, and each connecting sheet includes two welding portions.
Embodiments of a second aspect of the present disclosure provide a battery. The battery includes: a shell, defining an accommodating chamber therein, a cover plate mounted to the shell and configured to seal the accommodating chamber, having an electrode terminal formed thereon, a plurality of winding cores received in the accommodating chamber, and an electric connector according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The electric connector is received in the accommodating chamber, and the leading-out sheet is connected to the electrode terminal.
In some embodiments, each winding core is provided with a tab, each connecting sheet is welded to the tabs of at least two winding cores by the welding portions.
The battery according to the present disclosure shows a plurality of advantages, such as a convenience of manufacturing, a lower cost, a safe and credible performance and so on.
The connecting sheets welded to tabs and the leading-out sheet are separate parts, so the connecting sheets may be welded to the tabs at first, then the leading-out sheet may be welded to the connecting sheets, which may guarantee that a welding head does not interfere with adjacent tabs during a welding process, thus facilitating welding and avoiding damages to tabs.
Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of present disclosure will be given in part in the following descriptions, become apparent in part from the following descriptions, or be learned from the practice of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, where the same or similar elements and the elements having the same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, illustrative, and used to generally understand the present disclosure. The embodiments shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure.
An electric connector 40 according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to drawings below.
As shown in
The plurality of connecting sheets 200 are welded to the leading-out sheet 100, and the leading-out sheet and the plurality of connecting sheets are separate parts, i.e. the electric connector is not an integrated piece. Each connecting sheet 200 includes at least two welding portions 210 configured to be welded to tabs of winding cores in a battery.
According to the electric connector 40 of the present disclosure, the leading-out sheet is welded to the plurality of connecting sheets 200, and each connecting sheet 200 includes at least two welding portions 210, i.e. each connecting sheet 200 may be welded to at least two tabs, thus the electric connector 40 may be applied to the connection between any number of winding cores, which is not shown in drawings. In addition, by configuring the leading-out sheet 100 and the connecting sheets 200 into non-integrated pieces, an extending direction of the welding portions 210 of the connecting sheets 200 can be made the same as that of the tabs, thus there is no need to carry out a local thinning and twisting process on the electric connector 40. In other words, the electric connector according to the present disclosure does not include a thinned and twisted structure, which may simplify the structure of the electric connector 40 and decrease the process cost of the electric connector 40. Moreover, it may also avoid an impact on a weak part of the electric connector 40 during the welding process, preventing the electric connector from breakages, and may improve the flow capacity of the electric connector 40, to avoid high local temperature, so as to improve the security.
Furthermore, since the electric connector 40 is of a non-integrated structure, during the welding process, the connecting sheets 200 may be welded to the tabs first, then the leading-out sheet 100 may be welded to the connecting sheets 200, which may reduce the difficulty of ultrasonic welding, thus improving the production efficiency and ensuring the welding quality.
Thus, the electric connector 40 according to the present disclosure shows a plurality of advantages, such as a convenience of welding, a simple structure, a lower process cost, a stable and credible structure, a high security and so on.
The electric connector 40 according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to drawings.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, two connecting sheets 200 are provided, and each connecting sheet 200 includes two welding portions 210, which is very suitable for the welding of four winding cores. If the four winding cores (including a first core, a second core, a third core, and a fourth core) are assembled into a battery, a distance between the cores is very small, the winding cores must be firmly welded without damage to the tabs during the welding process. Since a leading-out sheet 100 and the plurality of connecting sheets 200 of the electric connector 40 according to the present disclosure are separate parts, two connecting sheets 200 may be welded to the tabs of two cores (i.e. the first core and the second core) first, respectively, the welding is applied to the welding portions 210 of the two connecting sheets 200, i.e. the second vertical limb 250 or the fourth vertical limb 280. Then the two cores (i.e. the first core and the second core) may be superposed together, in which the two connecting sheets 200 are disposed on outer sides of the two cores, respectively. Each of the above two cores (i.e. the first core and the second core) is further superposed with another core (i.e. the third core or the fourth core) at the outer side thereof, and a tab of the further superposed core (i.e. the third core or the fourth core) may be welded to the other welding portion 210 of each connecting sheet 200, i.e. the first vertical limb 240 or the third vertical limb 270. Then, the leading-out sheet 100 also extends into the two connecting sheets 200 and may be welded to the other welding portions 210 of the two connecting sheets 200, i.e. the first vertical limb 240 or the third vertical limb 270. A welding head will not interfere with adjacent tabs during the welding process, thus facilitating welding and avoiding damages to the tabs.
In some embodiments, each of the connecting sheets 200 and the leading-out sheet 100 may be integrally formed. In some embodiments, the leading-out sheet 100 and the connecting sheets 200 may be prepared by stamping molding, which may simplify production processes of the leading-out sheet 100 and the connecting sheets 200 and improve the structural stability and performance stability of the leading-out sheet 100 and the connecting sheets 200.
In some embodiments, the leading-out sheet 100 includes a bending portion. A thickness of the bending portion is greater than or equal to that of a remaining portion of the leading-out sheet 100. In other words, the bending portion of the leading-out sheet 100 is formed by bending with thickening, which may ensure the strength and flow capacity of the bending portion of the leading-out sheet 100 with no loss, so as to further improve the security.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In other embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
A battery 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to drawings below.
As shown in
The shell 10 defines an accommodating chamber 11 therein. The cover plate 20 is mounted to the shell 10 and configured to seal the accommodating chamber 11. The cover plate 20 has an electrode terminal formed thereon, which is not shown in drawings. The plurality of winding cores is received in the accommodating chamber 11. The electric connector is the electric connector 40 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The electric connector 40 is received in the accommodating chamber 11, and the leading-out sheet 100 is connected to the electrode terminal. In some embodiments, each winding core is provided with a tab 30, and each connecting sheet 200 is welded to the tabs 30 of at least two winding cores by the welding portions 210.
The battery 1 according to the present disclosure, with the electric connector 40 according to the present disclosure, shows a plurality of advantages, such as a convenience of manufacturing, a lower cost, a safe and credible performance and so on.
Other structures and operations of the battery 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure are known to those skilled in the art, and thus will not be described in detail here.
In the specification, it is to be understood that terms such as “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer”, “clockwise”, and “counter clockwise” should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the present disclosure be constructed or operated in a particular orientation, thus shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure.
In addition, terms such as “first” and “second” are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance or to imply the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined with “first” and “second” may include one or more of this feature. In the description of the present disclosure, “a plurality of” means at least two, e.g. two, three and so on, unless specified otherwise.
In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “supported,” “connected,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass such as permanent connection, detachable connection, or integrally connection; mechanical or electric mountings, connections and couplings; direct connection or indirect connection via intermediary; also can be inner mountings, connections and couplings of two components, which can be understood by those skilled in the art according to the detail embodiment of the present disclosure.
In the present invention, unless specified or limited otherwise, a first feature disposed “above” or “below” a second feature may include the first and second features are in direct contact, and may also include the first and second features are in contact not directly but through an additional feature between them. Further, the first feature located “above”, “top” and “upper” the second features includes the first feature located directly and/or obliquely above the second feature, or simply represents a horizontal height of the first feature is more than that of the second feature. The first feature located “under”, “below” and “lower” the second feature includes the first feature located directly and/or obliquely below the second feature, or simply represents a horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “some embodiments,” “an embodiment”, “a specific example,” or “some examples,” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated that the above embodiments are explanatory and cannot be construed to limit the present disclosure, and changes, alternatives, and modifications can be made in the embodiments without departing from scope of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201520188443.8 | Mar 2015 | CN | national |
This application is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/CN2016/077994, filed on Mar. 31, 2016, which is based on and claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application No. 201520188443.8, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of the People's Republic of China on Mar. 31, 2015. The entire contents of the above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CN2016/077994 | Mar 2016 | US |
| Child | 15682263 | US |
