RU2832226C2 - Storage battery and electric device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: electrical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to storage battery and vehicle with such battery. Technical result is achieved due to the fact that storage battery containing box-shaped housing (11), which includes electric cavity (11a), storage battery cell (20) arranged in electric cavity (11a) and equipped with pressure release mechanism (213), which is located on first wall (21a) of storage battery cell (20), is equipped with first passage (15) and second passage (16) for emissions from the storage battery in case of its thermal acceleration, wherein first passage (15) and second passage (16) are configured to communicate with the inside of storage battery cell (20) through pressure release mechanism (213) when actuating pressure release mechanism (213), wherein first passage (15) is used to release emissions released from pressure release mechanism (213) into electrical cavity (11a), and second passage (16) is used to release emissions released from pressure release mechanism (213) from electric cavity (11a).

EFFECT: higher safety of storage battery and vehicle with such battery.

31 cl, 29 dwg

Description

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of storage batteries and, in particular, to a storage battery and an electrical device.

LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY

[0002] With the continuous development of battery technology, various new energy industries are rapidly developing that use batteries as energy storage devices. In the development of battery technology, safety is also an important issue in addition to improving the performance of batteries. If the safety of a battery cannot be guaranteed, the battery cannot be used. Therefore, improving the safety of batteries is an urgent technical problem that needs to be solved in battery technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention provide a battery and an electrical device that can improve the safety of batteries.

[0004] In a first aspect, a storage battery is proposed, comprising: a box-shaped housing including an electrical cavity; a storage battery element placed in the electrical cavity and provided with a pressure relief mechanism on a first wall of the storage battery element; a first passage and a second passage configured to communicate with the interior of the storage battery element through the pressure relief mechanism when the pressure relief mechanism is actuated, wherein the first passage is used to release emissions released from the pressure relief mechanism into the electrical cavity, and the second passage is used to release emissions released from the pressure relief mechanism from the electrical cavity.

[0005] When a thermal runaway or other abnormal conditions occur in a battery cell, high temperature and high pressure emissions generated inside the battery cell are released in a direction where the battery cell is provided with a pressure relief mechanism. The power and destructive force of such emissions are usually very large, and if only one passage is provided, there is a possibility of the emissions breaking through one or more structures on or around the passage, which causes additional safety problems. Thus, for a battery according to embodiments of the present invention, a box-shaped battery housing includes an electrical cavity, wherein the battery further includes a first passage and a second passage; wherein the electrical cavity is used to accommodate the battery cell, and the first wall of the battery cell is provided with a pressure relief mechanism, wherein the first passage is used to release emissions released from the pressure relief mechanism into the electrical cavity, and the second passage is used to release emissions released from the pressure relief mechanism from the electrical cavity. In this way, the emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism can be released through two passages simultaneously, which can speed up the release and reduce the risk of battery explosion.

[0006] In some embodiments, the electrical cavity includes a second wall, wherein the first wall faces the second wall.

[0007] In this way, the pressure relief mechanism of the battery cell faces the wall of the electric cavity instead of facing other battery cells, so that it is convenient to arrange a safety structure on the wall of the electric cavity to provide a deformation prevention space for the pressure relief mechanism, which can improve the space utilization of the battery, and can also reduce the risk of thermal runaway of other battery cells caused by the battery cell with thermal runaway, and improve the safety of the battery.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first space is provided between the second wall and the first wall, and the first passage includes the first space.

[0009] The first passage is carried out through the first space. On the one hand, it is easy to implement, and there is no need to add other components, which can save space; on the other hand, the first space is provided between the first wall and the second wall, which can reduce the sealing requirements of the electrical cavity, especially the sealing requirements of the second wall, thereby reducing the complexity of processing the battery and improving the processing efficiency of the battery.

[0010] In some embodiments, the battery further comprises a connecting structure, wherein the connecting structure is located between the first wall and the second wall, and the connecting structure is used to form at least a portion of the first passage.

[0011] Implementing at least a part of the first passage through the connecting structure can, on the one hand, increase the structural stability between the first wall and the second wall, especially when the battery element does not have a thermal runaway, and the connecting structure can be used to implement relative fixation between the first wall and the second wall or can also provide sealing between the first wall and the second wall; on the other hand, by rationally selecting a specific shape and position of the connecting structure, it is possible to adjust the position of the first passage, and then implement a directed discharge of emissions through the first passage, thereby improving the safety of the battery.

[0012] In some embodiments, the connecting structure is provided with a first flow passage, wherein the first passage includes the first flow passage.

[0013] The emissions released through the pressure release mechanism can be released into the electrical cavity through the first flow channel. Thus, by rationally selecting the position of the first flow channel, it is possible to realize a targeted release of emissions and reduce the impact of emissions on individual components in the electrical cavity, thereby increasing the safety of the storage battery.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first flow channel includes through holes and/or grooves passing through the connecting structure, which not only facilitates processing, but also allows emissions to pass quickly to avoid accumulation.

[0015] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the first flow channel is less than or equal to 2 mm, and the radial direction is perpendicular to the direction of flow of emissions in the first flow channel.

[0016] In this way, it is possible to avoid the first flow passage being too large in size so as to prevent excessive emissions flowing through the first flow passage, and it is also possible to avoid the emission particles flowing through the first flow passage being too large in size, which has a filtering effect on the emissions, thereby reducing the influence of the emissions of the battery element with thermal runaway on other battery elements, and to maximally prevent thermal diffusion of the battery.

[0017] In some embodiments, the connecting structure is configured to collapse upon actuation of the pressure relief mechanism such that a second space is formed between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the first passage includes the second space.

[0018] By rationally selecting the material of the connecting structure, the connecting structure can be destroyed when the pressure release mechanism is activated, thereby forming a second space without additional processing of the connecting structure, which is more convenient, and can also ensure the sealing of the battery element in normal use.

[0019] In some embodiments, the connecting structure includes a fusible layer located between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the fusible layer is configured to melt upon actuation of the pressure release mechanism to form a second space between the first wall and the second wall.

[0020] Since the emissions discharged through the pressure release mechanism are high-temperature emissions, the fusible layer can melt during thermal runaway of the battery element to form a second space, while the battery element is not easily destroyed in normal use, which can ensure the safety and stability of the battery.

[0021] In some embodiments, the thickness of the fusible layer is from 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0022] The thickness of the fusible layer is usually greater than or equal to 0.5 mm in order to prevent the second space formed after the melting of the fusible layer from being too small or even failing to form an effective second space, thereby preventing the first passage from being too small, preventing the emission from being released, which further protects the battery from explosion. In addition, the thickness of the fusible layer is usually less than or equal to 3 mm in order to avoid that when the thickness of the fusible layer is too large, the melted portion will be too large, that is, the second space formed will be too large, which will result in the release of a large amount of emission into the electrical cavity through the second space. This may cause significant damage to the electrical cavity and, in particular, short-circuit various components of the busbar, which will affect the safety of the battery.

[0023] In some embodiments, the connecting structure is provided with a safety region corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism, wherein the safety region is used to provide a deformation space for the pressure relief mechanism when it is actuated in order to prevent the connecting structure from closing the pressure relief mechanism, causing a delayed actuation of the pressure relief mechanism, thereby ensuring a rapid release of emissions through the pressure relief mechanism.

[0024] In some embodiments, the safety region corresponds to at least two pressure relief mechanisms to facilitate processing of the safety region.

[0025] In some embodiments, the connecting structure further includes: a blocking structure located between the first wall and the second wall and located around the pressure relief mechanism. The blocking structure is used to prevent emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism from reaching the electrode terminals of the battery cell.

[0026] Since the connecting structure can be used to form at least a part of the first passage that releases emissions passing through the pressure release mechanism into the electric cavity in which the electrode terminals are also located, if the emissions are released onto the tire component connecting the electrode terminals, a short circuit of various tire components can easily be caused, which will cause secondary damage to the battery and even lead to its explosion. Thus, by providing the blocking structure, an explosion of the battery can be avoided and the safety of the battery can be improved. In addition, when the connecting structure includes a binder, the blocking structure according to the embodiment of the present invention can also be used to prevent the binder from flowing.

[0027] In some embodiments, the electrode terminal is located on the third wall of the battery cell, wherein the third wall intersects with the first wall, and the blocking structure is located on the side of the pressure relief mechanism near the electrode terminal. Thus, when the pressure relief mechanism is activated, emissions are blocked by the blocking structure, so that no emissions can pass through the blocking structure and reach the third wall (or only a very small number of them can pass through the blocking structure and reach the third wall), thereby reducing the risk of short-circuiting the bus components and increasing the safety of the battery.

[0028] In some embodiments, the connecting structure includes a thermal pad and/or a sealing gasket located between the first wall and the second wall. The connecting structure includes a thermal pad located between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the thermal pad can dissipate heat from the battery elements during use of the battery. When the connecting structure includes a sealing gasket, the tightness between the first wall and the second wall can be improved.

[0029] In some embodiments, a battery pack includes: a battery cell pack; wherein the battery cell pack includes a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction, the electrical cavity includes a fourth wall intersecting with a second wall, a third space is provided between an end surface of the battery cell pack facing the fourth wall and the fourth wall, wherein the first passage includes the third space.

[0030] Implementing at least a portion of the first pass through the third space may eliminate the need to add additional components, reduce processing complexity, and reduce sealing requirements between said end surface and the fourth wall.

[0031] In some embodiments, the battery further includes: a first separator structure located between the end surface and the fourth wall, wherein the first separator structure is used to form at least a portion of the first passage.

[0032] Implementing at least a part of the first passage through the first separating structure can, on the one hand, increase the structural stability between the end surface and the fourth wall, especially when the battery cell does not have a thermal runaway, and the first separating structure can be used to implement relative fixation between the end surface and the fourth wall or can also provide sealing between the end surface and the fourth wall; on the other hand, by rationally selecting a specific shape and position of the first separating structure, it is possible to adjust the position of the first passage, and then implement a directed discharge of emissions through the first passage, thereby improving the safety of the battery.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first separating structure is provided with a second flow channel, wherein the first passage includes the second flow channel. Emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism can be released through the second flow channel. Thus, by rationally selecting the position of the second flow channel, it is possible to implement a targeted release of emissions and reduce the impact of emissions on individual components in the electrical cavity, for example, it is possible to prevent their impact on electrode terminals and busbar components, thereby increasing the safety of the battery.

[0034] In some embodiments, the battery further includes: a second separator structure located between two adjacent battery cells, wherein the second separator structure is used to define at least a portion of the first passage.

[0035] A second separator structure located between two adjacent battery cells in a battery pack may be used to compensate for expansion and deformation of the battery cells during normal use of the battery cells; when the insulating component under the battery cells is a thermal management component, the second separator structure may also be used to block moisture generated by the thermal management component; when the battery cells of the battery pack are subject to thermal runaway, on the one hand, the second separator structure can block heat transferred between the battery cells; on the other hand, the second separator structure may be used to form at least a part of the first passage, wherein the second separator structure can ensure that a small amount of emissions are discharged into the electric cavity, which increases the emission discharge path, and therefore improves the emission discharge efficiency.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second separating structure is configured to collapse upon actuation of the pressure release mechanism so that a fourth space is formed between the two battery cells, and the first passage includes the fourth space.

[0037] Thus, by rationally selecting the material of the second separation structure, the second separation structure can be destroyed when the pressure release mechanism is operated, thereby forming a fourth space without additional processing of the second separation structure, which is more convenient, and can also ensure the sealing and stability of the battery element in normal use.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second separating structure is provided with a third flow channel, wherein the first passage includes the third flow channel. By rationally selecting the position of the third flow channel, it is possible to implement a directed release of emissions, reduce the impact of emissions on individual components in the electrical cavity, prevent thermal diffusion between the elements of the battery, and improve the safety of the battery.

[0039] In some embodiments, the second wall is provided with a pressure relief region corresponding to a pressure relief mechanism, wherein the pressure relief region is used to form at least a portion of the second passage, after which emissions can be released from the electrical cavity through the pressure relief region. For example, emissions can be released into the collection cavity through the pressure relief region.

[0040] In some embodiments, the pressure relief region is a through hole passing through the second wall in a direction perpendicular to the first wall. When the pressure relief region is a through hole, on the one hand, it is convenient for processing, and on the other hand, emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism can be quickly released.

[0041] In some embodiments, the pressure relief region satisfies the following formula:

[0042] where S is the area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region on the second wall divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms corresponding to the pressure relief region, and D is the distance between the second wall and the first wall.

[0043] If the parameter D/S is too large, for example, exceeds the above-mentioned limit, the parameter D may have a maximum value, and the parameter S may have a minimum value. In this case, the first passage into the electric cavity is large, and the second passage through which emissions are discharged from the electric cavity is relatively small. As a result, the emissions discharged due to thermal runaway are very easily returned to the electric cavity, that is, more emissions enter the electric cavity, and less emissions are discharged from the electric cavity, which is not conducive to collecting emissions by the collection cavity, but may affect the safety of the electric cavity, for example, easily causing a short circuit of the busbar components. Therefore, in order for a large part of the emissions discharged from the electric cavity to enter the collection cavity, for example, the parameter D/S should not be set too large.

[0044] Conversely, if the parameter D/S is too small, for example, exceeds the limit specified above, the parameter D may have a minimum value and S has a maximum value. In this case, the first passage into the electric cavity is small, and it is difficult for the emissions generated by thermal runaway to return to the electric cavity, and the operation of the first passage is difficult, so the pressure relief region corresponding to the parameter S may not be able to ensure the strength of the battery frame structure when a large amount of emissions are released from the electric cavity. Therefore, the parameter D/S should also not be too small.

[0045] In some embodiments, the battery further includes: a second separator structure located between two adjacent battery cells in the battery, wherein the second separator structure is used to define at least a portion of the first passage, and the pressure relief region satisfies the following formula:

[0046] where S is the area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region on the second wall divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms corresponding to the pressure relief region, and t is the distance between the two battery cells.

[0047] It should be understood that if the parameter t/S is too large, for example, exceeds the above-mentioned limit, the parameter t may have a maximum value, and S may have a minimum value. In this case, the first passage into the electric cavity is large, and the second passage through which the emissions are discharged from the electric cavity is relatively small. As a result, the emissions discharged due to thermal runaway are very easily returned to the electric cavity, i.e., more emissions enter the electric cavity, and fewer emissions exit from the electric cavity, which is not conducive to collecting emissions by the collection cavity, but may affect the safety of the electric cavity, for example, easily causing a short circuit of the busbar components. Therefore, in order for a large part of the emissions discharged from the electric cavity, for example, to enter the collection cavity, t/S should not be set too large.

[0048] Conversely, if the parameter t/S is too small, for example, exceeds the limit specified above, the parameter t may have a minimum value and S has a maximum value. In this case, the first passage into the electric cavity is small, and it is difficult for the emissions generated by thermal runaway to return to the electric cavity, and the operation of the first passage is difficult, so the pressure relief region corresponding to the parameter S may not be able to ensure the strength of the battery frame structure when a large amount of emissions are released from the electric cavity. Therefore, the parameter t/S should also not be too small.

[0049] In some embodiments, the pressure relief region is a weak portion of the second wall, and the weak portion is configured to collapse upon actuation of the pressure relief mechanism to form at least a portion of the second passage.

[0050] Selecting the pressure relief region as a weak region can make the second wall in a sealed state when the pressure relief mechanism is not activated, for example, in normal use of the battery, which effectively protects the pressure relief mechanism from being damaged by an external force and from being out of order. In addition, when the pressure relief mechanism is activated, the weak region can be destroyed, so that emissions from the battery element provided with the pressure relief mechanism pass through the weak region and exit from the electrical cavity, for example, can pass through the weak region and enter the collection cavity.

[0051] In some embodiments, the pressure relief region satisfies the following formula:

[0052] where d represents the minimum value of the thicknesses at different positions of the weak region, and D represents the distance between the second wall and the first wall.

[0053] It should be understood that when the parameter D increases, the first passage into the electric cavity increases, and the emissions released due to thermal runaway very easily return to the electric cavity, therefore, the corresponding parameter d must be designed to decrease, thereby reducing the difficulty of breaking through the pressure relief region, that is, reducing the difficulty of releasing the emissions from the electric cavity, so that the emissions can be more easily released from the electric cavity. Therefore, when the parameter d cannot be too small to meet the emission release requirements and meet the strength requirements of the battery structure, the parameter D should not be set too large, that is, the parameter D/d should not be set too large.

[0054] Conversely, when D has a minimum value, the first passage into the electric cavity is small, and it is difficult for the emissions generated by thermal runaway to return to the electric cavity, and the operation of the first passage is hindered, so a large number of emissions must be released through the pressure relief region of the second wall. The value of the parameter d must ensure that the released emissions can break through the second wall smoothly and quickly, so the value of d should also not be too large, i.e., the value of D/d should not be too small.

[0055] In some embodiments, the battery further includes: a second separator structure located between two adjacent battery cells in the battery, wherein the second separator structure is used to define at least a portion of the first passage, and the pressure relief region satisfies the following formula:

[0056] where d represents the minimum value of the thicknesses at different positions of the weak region, and t represents the distance between two battery cells.

[0057] It should be understood that when the parameter t increases, the first pass into the electric cavity increases, and the emissions released due to thermal runaway are very easy to return to the electric cavity, so the corresponding parameter d should be designed to decrease, thereby reducing the difficulty of breaking through the pressure relief region, that is, reducing the difficulty of releasing the emissions from the electric cavity, so that the emissions can be more easily released from the electric cavity. Therefore, when the parameter d cannot be too small to meet the emission release requirements and meet the strength requirements of the battery structure, the parameter t should not be set too large, that is, the parameter t/d should not be set too large.

[0058] Conversely, when t has a minimum value, the first passage into the electric cavity is small, and it is difficult for the emissions arising from thermal runaway to return to the electric cavity, and the operation of the first passage is hindered, so a large number of emissions must be released through the pressure relief region of the second wall. The value of the parameter d must ensure the possibility of a smooth and rapid breakthrough of the second wall by the released emissions, so the value of d should also not be too large, i.e., the value of t/d should not be too small.

[0059] In some embodiments, the box-shaped housing further includes: a collection cavity for collecting emissions released through the second passage when the pressure relief mechanism is activated.

[0060] The collection cavity may centrally collect and/or clean emissions and then release the emissions outside the battery. For example, the collection cavity may contain a liquid, such as a cooling medium, or a component may be provided for containing a liquid to further cool emissions entering the collection cavity.

[0061] In some embodiments, the battery further comprises: an insulating component for insulating the electrical cavity and the collection cavity. The insulating components are used to insulate the electrical cavity and the collection cavity, i.e. the electrical cavity for accommodating the battery elements and the tire components is separated from the collection cavity for collecting emissions in order to avoid mutual influence between them.

[0062] In a second aspect, an electrical device is provided comprising a storage battery according to the first aspect, wherein the storage battery is used to supply electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0063] In some embodiments, the electrical device is a vehicle, ship, or spacecraft.

DESCRIPTION OF GRAPHIC MATERIALS

[0064] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, a brief description of the graphical materials to be used in the embodiments of the present invention is given below. It is obvious that the graphical materials described below only show some examples of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also obtain other graphical materials based on the given graphical materials without any creative efforts.

[0065] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] Fig. 2 shows a structural diagram of a battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of a disassembled battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram of a battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional diagram of another battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Fig. 7 is an enlarged partial sectional view of another battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Fig. 8 is a partial block diagram of a battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] Fig. 9 is an enlarged partial structural view of a battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Fig. 10 is an enlarged partial structural view of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Fig. 11 is a partial block diagram of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Fig. 12 is a partial block diagram of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Fig. 13 is an enlarged partial structural view of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Fig. 14 is a partial block diagram of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Fig. 15 is an enlarged partial structural view of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Fig. 16 is a structural diagram of another disassembled battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional diagram of another battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Fig. 18 is a diagram of a connecting structure described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Fig. 19 is a diagram of a connecting structure and a second wall described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Fig. 20 is a structural diagram of another disassembled battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional diagram of another battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] Fig. 22 is a partial cross-sectional diagram of another battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Fig. 23 is a partial block diagram of another battery described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Figs. 24-27 are block diagrams of several second partition structures described in embodiments of the present invention, respectively.

[0089] Fig. 28 is a partial cross-sectional diagram of another battery pack described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] Fig. 29 shows a diagram of a second wall described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] The figures in the graphic materials are not drawn to actual scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

[0092] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the drawings are used to illustrate the principles of the present invention by way of example, but should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention, i.e., the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described.

[0093] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise indicated, "a plurality" means two or more; the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner" and "outer" are intended only to facilitate the description of the present invention and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the specified device or element must have a certain orientation or be constructed and operated in a certain orientation, and therefore should not be interpreted as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. "Perpendicular" does not mean strictly perpendicular, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" does not mean strictly parallel, but is within the allowable error range.

[0094] The words denoting orientation, which appear in the following description, represent the directions shown in the drawings and do not limit the specific design of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "assembly", "connection" and "connecting" should be understood in a broad sense, unless otherwise clearly indicated or defined. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present description according to the specific circumstances.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present invention, the same reference numerals designate the same components, and for brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components in different embodiments are omitted. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width and other dimensions of the various components in the embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings, as well as the overall thickness, length and width of the integrated devices, are intended for illustrative purposes only and should not impose any limitations on the present invention.

[0096] In the present invention, 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., without being limited to the embodiments of the present invention. The battery cells may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or have another shape that is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention. Battery cells are generally classified into three types depending on the packaging method: cylindrical battery cells, rectangular battery cells, and pouch cells, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0097] The battery mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention refers to one physical module containing one or more battery cells to provide a higher voltage and capacity. For example, the battery mentioned in the present invention may include a battery module, a battery pack, etc. The battery typically includes a box-shaped housing for packaging one or more battery cells. The box-shaped housing can prevent liquid or other foreign bodies from influencing the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

[0098] A battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte solution, wherein the electrode assembly is comprised of a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator. The battery cell operates primarily by moving metal ions between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer. The surface of the positive electrode current collector is coated with a positive electrode active material layer. Current collectors not coated with a positive electrode active material layer protrude from the current collector coated with a positive electrode active material layer. Current collectors not coated with a positive electrode active material layer act as positive electrode terminals. 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, ternary lithium, lithium manganate, etc. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer is applied to the surface of the negative electrode current collector, and the current collector not covered with the negative electrode active material layer protrudes from the current collector covered with the negative electrode active material layer and is used as a negative electrode terminal. The material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon, silicon, etc. In order to ensure that melting does not occur when a large current passes, there are a plurality of positive electrode terminals that are stacked together, and there are a plurality of negative electrode terminals that are stacked together. The separator may be made of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), etc. In addition, the electrode assembly may have a wound structure or a layered structure, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0099] When developing battery technology, many design factors such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, charge-discharge rate and other performance parameters should be taken into account. In addition, the safety of the battery must be taken into account. The main threat to the safety of the battery is related to the charging and discharging process. In order to improve the safety performance of the battery, a pressure relief mechanism is usually provided in the battery cell. The pressure relief mechanism is an element or component that is driven to release the internal pressure or temperature when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell reaches a predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold value can be adjusted according to various design requirements. For example, the predetermined threshold value may depend on the material of one or more of the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, the electrolyte solution and the separator in the battery cell. The pressure relief mechanism may use elements or components that are sensitive to pressure or temperature. That is, when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery element reaches a predetermined threshold value, the pressure release mechanism is activated, thereby forming a channel for releasing the internal pressure or temperature.

[0100] In the current design scheme of the pressure release mechanism, the main task is to release the high pressure and high temperature inside the battery cell, that is, to release the emissions of the battery cell to the outside of the battery cell. However, how to release the high temperature and high pressure emissions after being released from the battery cells so as not to create additional safety problems for the battery is one of the problems that urgently needs to be solved.

[0101] When a thermal runaway or other abnormal conditions occur in a battery cell, high temperature and high pressure emissions generated inside the battery cell are released in a direction where the battery cell is equipped with a pressure relief mechanism. The power and destructive force of such emissions are usually very large, and if only one passage is provided, there is a possibility of the emissions breaking through one or more structures on or around the passage, which causes additional safety problems. In view of this, the present invention provides a battery, the box-shaped housing of which includes an electrical cavity, wherein the battery further includes a first passage and a second passage; wherein the electrical cavity is used to accommodate the battery cell, and the first wall of the battery cell is provided with a pressure relief mechanism. When the pressure relief mechanism is activated, the first passage and the second passage can communicate with the inside of the battery cell through the pressure relief mechanism. The first passage is used to discharge the emissions discharged from the pressure relief mechanism into the electrical cavity, and the second passage is used to discharge the emissions discharged from the pressure relief mechanism from the electrical cavity. In this way, the emissions discharged through the pressure relief mechanism can be discharged through two passages at the same time, which can accelerate the discharge and reduce the risk of battery explosion.

[0102] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the invention are applicable to various electrical devices that use batteries.

[0103] The electric device may be, but is not limited to, a vehicle, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop, a vessel, a spacecraft, an electric toy, an electric tool, and the like. The vehicle may be a fuel-powered vehicle, a gas-powered vehicle, or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a fully electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, an extended-range electric vehicle, and the like. The spacecraft includes airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, spaceships, and the like. The electric toy includes stationary or mobile electric toys such as game consoles, toy electric cars, toy electric ships, and toy electric airplanes. The power tool includes metal cutting power tools, grinding power tools, assembly power tools and railway power tools such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric impact wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators and electric planers. The electric device is not specifically limited to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0104] In the following embodiments, for convenience of description, an electrical device that is a vehicle is given as an example for description.

[0105] For example, Fig. 1 shows a structural diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an example of the present invention. The vehicle 1 may be a fuel-powered vehicle, a gas-powered vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, wherein the new energy vehicle may be a fully electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, an extended-range electric vehicle, etc. The engine 40, the controller 30 and the battery 10 can be installed inside the vehicle 1, wherein the controller 30 is configured to control the battery 10 to supply power to the engine 40. For example, the battery 10 can be located in the lower part or the front part, or the rear part of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 can be configured to supply power to the vehicle 1, for example, the battery 10 can be used as an operating power source of the vehicle 1, which is used for the electrical circuit system of the vehicle 1, for example, to meet the operating power requirements of the vehicle 1 when starting off, navigating and driving. In another example of the present invention, the battery 10 can be used not only as an operating power source of the vehicle 1, but can also be used as a driving power source of the vehicle 1 to provide driving power to the vehicle 1 instead of or partially instead of fuel or natural gas.

[0106] In order to meet various power requirements, the battery may include a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series, in parallel, or in parallel-series, wherein the parallel-series connection refers to a combination of a series connection and a parallel connection. The battery may also be referred to as a battery pack. For example, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to first form battery modules, and then the plurality of battery modules may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to form the battery. That is, a plurality of battery cells may directly form the battery, or may first form battery modules, and then the battery modules form the battery.

[0107] Fig. 2 shows a diagram of a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the battery 10 may comprise: a box-shaped housing 11 including an electrical cavity 11a; a battery cell 20 housed in the electrical cavity 11a, wherein a first wall 21a of the battery cell 20 is provided with a pressure relief mechanism 213; a first passage 15 and a second passage 16, wherein the first passage 15 and the second passage 16 are configured to communicate with the inside of the battery cell 20 through the pressure relief mechanism 213 when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is actuated, wherein the first passage 15 is used to discharge emissions discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 213 into the electrical cavity 11a, and the second passage 16 is used to discharge emissions discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 213 from the electrical cavity 11a.

[0108] It should be understood that the pressure release mechanism 213 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an element or component that is activated to release the internal pressure or temperature when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 20 reaches a predetermined threshold value. The threshold value varies according to various design requirements. The threshold value may depend on the material of one or more of the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, the electrolyte solution, and the separator in the battery cell 20.

[0109] "Activation" referred to in this application means that the pressure release mechanism 213 performs an action or is activated to a certain state so that the internal pressure and temperature of the battery cell 20 can be released. The actions performed by the pressure release mechanism 213 may include, but are not limited to, breaking, smashing, tearing, opening, and the like of at least a portion of the pressure release mechanism 213. When the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, substances with a high temperature and high pressure inside the battery cell 20 can be released to the outside in the form of emissions from the activated portion. In this way, the pressure and temperature of the battery cell 20 can be reduced at a controlled pressure or temperature to prevent possible more serious accidents.

[0110] Emissions from the battery cell 20 mentioned in this application include, but are not limited to: electrolyte solution, dissolved or separated positive and negative electrode plates, separator fragments, high temperature and high pressure gas formed as a result of the reaction, flame, etc.

[0111] The pressure relief mechanism 213 in the embodiments of the present invention is provided on the first wall 21a of the battery cell 20. The pressure relief mechanism 213 may be a part of the first wall 21a or may be a separate structure from the first wall 21a. For example, it is fixed to the first wall 21a by welding. For example, when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is a part of the first wall 21a, then, for example, the pressure relief mechanism 213 may be formed by a cutout on the first wall 21a, and the thickness of the first wall 21a corresponding to the cutout is smaller than the thickness of other regions of the pressure relief mechanism 213 except for the cutout. The cutout is the weakest point of the pressure relief mechanism 213. When the gas generated by the battery element 20 becomes too much, so that the internal pressure of the case 211 increases and reaches a threshold value, or when the heat generated by the internal reaction of the battery element 20 causes the internal temperature of the battery element 20 to increase and reach a threshold value, the pressure release mechanism 213 may break in the notch, which leads to communication between the inside and outside of the case 211, and the pressure and temperature of the gas are released to the outside through the crack in the pressure release mechanism 213, which makes it possible to avoid an explosion of the battery element 20.

[0112] In another example, the pressure release mechanism 213 may be a structure separated from the first wall 21a. The pressure release mechanism 213 may be an explosion-proof valve, a gas valve, a pressure release valve, or a safety valve, etc., and a pressure- or temperature-sensitive element or structure may be specifically used therein. That is, when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery element 20 reaches a predetermined threshold value, the pressure release mechanism 213 performs an action or a weak structure provided in the pressure release mechanism 213 is destroyed to form an opening or a channel for releasing the internal pressure or temperature.

[0113] It should be understood that, as shown in Fig. 2, the electrical cavity 11a in the embodiments of the present invention is used to accommodate the battery cells 20, i.e., the electrical cavity 11a provides a mounting space for the battery cells 20. The electrical cavity 11a may be sealed or unsealed. The shape of the electrical cavity 11a may depend on one or more battery cells 20 and busbar components 12 accommodated therein. For example, in Fig. 2, as an example, the electrical cavity 11a is shown as a rectangular parallelepiped, however, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0114] When a thermal runaway or other abnormal conditions occur in the battery cell 20, high temperature and high pressure emissions generated inside the battery cell are released in the direction where the battery cell 20 is equipped with the pressure relief mechanism 213. The power and destructive force of such emissions are usually very large, and if only one passage is provided, there is a possibility that the emissions will break through the structure of the passage or one or more structures around the passage, which causes additional safety problems. Thus, the box-shaped housing 11 of the battery cell 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention includes an electrical cavity 11a for accommodating battery cells, and the battery cell 10 further includes a first passage 15 and a second passage 16. The first passage 15 and the second passage 16 can communicate with the inside of the battery cell 20 through the pressure relief mechanism 213 when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is actuated. The first passage 15 can provide the discharge of emissions discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 213 into the electrical cavity 11a, and the second passage 16 is used to discharge emissions discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 213 from the electrical cavity 11a. Thus, the emissions discharged through the pressure relief mechanism 213 can be discharged through two passages simultaneously, which can accelerate the discharge and reduce the risk of explosion of the storage battery 10.

[0115] It should be understood that, as shown in Fig. 2, the electrical cavity 11 in the embodiments of the present invention can also be used to accommodate the bus component 12, i.e., the electrical cavity 11a provides a mounting space for the battery cells 20 and the bus component 12. The bus component 12 is configured to implement an electrical connection between a plurality of battery cells 20, such as a parallel connection, a series connection, or a series-parallel connection. The bus component 12 can implement an electrical connection between the battery cells 20 by connecting the electrode terminals 214 of the battery cells 20. In some embodiments, the bus component 12 can be attached to the electrode terminals 214 of the battery cells 20 by welding.

[0116] The battery cell 20 may include two electrode terminals 214, wherein the electrode terminals 214 are a positive electrode terminal 214a and a negative electrode terminal 214b, respectively. The electrode terminal 214 in the embodiments of the present invention is used for electrical connection with a terminal of an electrode assembly inside the battery cell 20 to output electric power. The two electrode terminals 214 in the embodiments of the present invention may be located on the same wall or on different walls of the battery cell 20.

[0117] Optionally, as shown in Fig. 2, the box-shaped housing 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include: a collection cavity 11b for collecting and/or cleaning emissions released through the second passage 16 when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, and then releasing the emissions outside the battery 10. The collection cavity 11b is used to collect emissions and may be sealed or unsealed. In some embodiments, the collection cavity 11b may contain air or other gases. Optionally, the collection cavity 11b may contain a liquid, such as a cooling medium, or a component may be provided for accommodating a liquid for additional cooling of the emissions entering the collection cavity 11b. In addition, optionally, the gas or liquid in the collection cavity 11b may circulate.

[0118] Optionally, as shown in Fig. 2, the battery 10 in the embodiments of the present invention further includes: an insulating component 13 for isolating the electrical cavity 11a and the collection cavity 11b. The so-called "isolation" in this document refers to a separation that may not be hermetic. In particular, the electrical cavity 11a and the collection cavity 11b are isolated by the insulating component 13, i.e., the electrical cavity 11a for accommodating the battery cells 20 and the busbar component 12 are separated from the collection cavity 11b for collecting emissions.

[0119] In the embodiments of the present invention, the insulating component 13 includes a common wall of the electrical cavity 11a and the collection cavity 11b. As shown in Fig. 2, the insulating component 13 (or a part thereof) can be used directly as a common wall for the electrical cavity 11a and the collection cavity 11b, so that the distance between the electrical cavity 11a and the collection cavity 11b can be reduced as much as possible, thereby saving space and increasing the space utilization of the box body 11.

[0120] Optionally, the insulating component 13 in the embodiments of the present invention may be a thermal management component, wherein the thermal management component is used to regulate the temperature of the battery cells 20. In particular, the insulating component 13 may be used to accommodate a fluid for regulating the temperature of the battery cells 20. In the case of cooling the battery cell 20, the insulating component 13 may contain a cooling medium for regulating the temperature of the battery cell 20. In this case, the insulating component 13 may also be called a cooling component, a cooling system, or a cooling plate. In addition, the insulating component 13 may also be used for heating, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention. Optionally, the fluid in the insulating component 13 may flow in a circulating manner to provide a better temperature regulation effect.

[0121] It should be understood that the box-shaped housing 11 in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in various ways, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention. For example, in Fig. 2, as an example for the electrical cavity 11a, the box-shaped housing 11 can include a first casing 110 with an opening, wherein the insulating component 13 closes the opening of the first casing PO, so that the wall for forming the electrical cavity 11a includes the first casing PO and the insulating component 13. Among other things, the first casing 110 can also be implemented in various ways. For example, the first casing PO can be a hollow integral structure with an open end; or the first casing PO can also include a first part and a second part with openings on opposite sides, wherein the first part closes the opening on one side of the second part to form the first casing PO with an open end, and the insulating component 13 closes the opening on the other side of the second part to form the electrical cavity 11a. For the corresponding collection cavity 11b, the box-shaped housing 11 may also include: a protective element 14. The protective element 14 is used to protect the insulating component 13, wherein the protective element 14 may form the collection cavity 11b with the insulating component 13, i.e. the wall of the collection cavity 11b includes the protective element 14 and the insulating component 13.

[0122] As another example, in contrast to the above-mentioned method shown in Fig. 2, the box-shaped housing 11 may also include a closed second casing, wherein the second casing may be used to form an electrical cavity 11a; or, by arranging the insulating component 13 inside the casing, the electrical cavity 11a is isolated from the inside of the casing, and, in addition, the collection cavity 11b may also be isolated. Among other things, the second casing may also be implemented in various ways. For example, the second casing may include a third part and a fourth part, wherein one side of the fourth part has an opening to form a semi-closed structure, the insulating component 13 is provided inside the fourth part, and the third part covers the opening of the fourth part to form a closed second casing.

[0123] For simplicity of description, the present document mainly uses the case 11 shown in Fig. 2 as an example for description, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. Next, the battery pack 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0124] Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of a battery 10 in an exploded state according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 3, the battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a box-shaped case 11, wherein the box-shaped case 11 includes a first casing PO, an insulating component 13 and a protective member 14, wherein the first casing PO and the insulating component 13 may be used to form an electrical cavity 11a, and the insulating component 13 and the protective member 14 may be used to form a collection cavity 11b. In particular, as shown in Fig. 3, the first PO casing also includes a first part 111 and a second part 112 with openings on opposite sides, wherein the first part 111 is used to close the opening on one side of the second part 112 to form the first PO casing with an open end, and the insulating component 13 is used to close the opening on the other side of the second part 112 to form the electrical cavity 11a.

[0125] In the embodiments of the present invention, the electric cavity 11a has a plurality of walls, the pressure release mechanism 213 is disposed on the first wall 21a of the battery cell 20, the first wall 21a may be any wall of the battery cell 20 facing the electric cavity 11a. It should be understood that the shape of the battery cell 20 in the embodiments of the present invention can be set according to practical applications. For example, in the present invention, a rectangular battery cell 20 is mainly used as an example for description, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the battery cell 20 may also be cylindrical or have another shape. The first wall 21a is a wall of the battery cell 20.

[0126] For example, the electric cavity 11a includes a second wall 11c, and the first wall 21a faces the second wall 11c. In this way, the pressure release mechanism 213 of the battery cell 20 faces the wall of the electric cavity 11a instead of facing the other battery cells 20, so that it is convenient to arrange a safety structure on the wall of the electric cavity 11a to provide a deformation prevention space for the pressure release mechanism 213, which can improve the space utilization of the battery cell 10, and can also reduce the risk of thermal runaway of the other battery cells 20 caused by the thermal runaway of the battery cell 20, thereby improving the safety of the battery cell 10.

[0127] For example, as an example in Fig. 3, the pressure release mechanism 213 is disposed on the wall of the battery cell 20 facing the insulating component 13, i.e., the second wall 11c is the insulating component 13. In particular, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the battery 10 shown in Fig. 3, wherein the sectional view is perpendicular to the insulating component 13. Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagram of the region A shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the pressure release mechanism 213 is disposed on the first wall 21a of the battery cell 20, wherein the first wall 21a is the lower wall of the battery cell 20, the second wall 11c of the electrical cavity 11a is the insulating component 13, and the first wall 21a faces the insulating component 13.

[0128] As another example different from those shown in Figs. 3 to 5, Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a battery 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the sectional view is perpendicular to the insulating component 13. For example, the direction of the sectional view shown in Fig. 6 may be the same as that in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an enlarged diagram of the region B shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the box-shaped housing 11 further includes at least one beam 113, wherein the beam 113 is located between the plurality of battery elements 20, and the beam 113 can be used to increase the structural strength of the box-shaped housing 11. In addition, the beam 113 can also be used to divide the electrical cavity 11a into at least two electrical sub-cavities. For example, when the beam 113 is located in the box-shaped housing 11 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the beam 113 can divide the electrical cavity 11a into left and right electrical sub-cavities, then the beam 113 can also be considered as a wall of the electrical cavity 11a.

[0129] As shown in Fig. 6 and 7, the second wall 11c of the electrical cavity 11a may also be a beam 133, i.e. the pressure release mechanism 213 of the battery cell 20 faces the beam 113. In particular, the beam 113 may be a hollow structure, and said hollow structure can be used to form the collection cavity 11b, i.e. the beam 113 includes a common wall of the electrical cavity 11a and the collection cavity 11b. In particular, as shown in Fig. 6 and 7, the insulating component 13 and the protective member 14 can be used to form a part of the collection cavity 11b, and the hollow structure of the beam 113 can also be used to form a part of the collection cavity 11b. That is, a part of the collection cavity 11b formed by the insulating component 13 and the protective element 14 communicates with the hollow structure of the beam 113. Thus, when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is located in the direction of the beam 113, i.e. when the beam 113 acts as a second wall 11c facing the first wall 21a, where the pressure relief mechanism 213 is located, emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism 213 can pass through the beam 113 and enter the collection cavity 11b.

[0130] It should be understood that at least a portion of the first passage 15 in embodiments of the present invention may be located between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, and the first passage 15 may be implemented in various ways. For example, as shown in Fig. 3-5, the battery 10 further comprises a connecting structure 151, wherein the connecting structure 151 is located between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, and the connecting structure 151 is used to form at least a part of the first passage 15. Realizing at least a part of the first passage 15 through the connecting structure 151 can, on the one hand, increase the structural stability between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, especially when the battery element 20 does not have a thermal runaway, wherein the connecting structure 151 can be used to implement a relative fixation between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c or can also ensure tightness between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c; on the other hand, by rationally selecting a specific shape and position of the connecting structure 151, it is possible to adjust the position of the first passage 15, and then realize the directed discharge of emissions through the first passage 15, thereby improving the safety of the battery 10.

[0131] For another example, as shown in Fig. 6 and 7, the first space 152 is provided between the second wall 11c and the first wall 21a, and the first passage 15 includes the first space 152. The first passage 15 is realized through the first space 152. On the one hand, this is easy to implement, and there is no need to add other components, which can save space; on the other hand, the first space 152 is provided between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, which can reduce the sealing requirements of the electrical cavity 11a, especially the sealing requirements of the second wall 11c, thereby reducing the complexity of processing the battery 10 and improving the processing efficiency of the battery 10.

[0132] It should be understood that the method of implementing at least a portion of the first passage 15 through the connecting structure 151 and the method of implementing at least a portion of the first passage 15 through the first space 152 can be used separately or in combination with each other. For example, the first passage 15 can be implemented through the connecting structure 151 and the first space 152 together. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0133] Next, the connecting structure 151 of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Among other things, for convenience of description, the embodiments of the present invention mainly use the insulating component 13 as the second wall 11c as an example, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. The corresponding description also applies to the case where the beam 113 is used as the second wall 11c, which will not be repeated here for brevity.

[0134] In embodiments of the present invention, the connecting structure 151 may implement at least a part of the first passage 15 in various ways. For example, the connecting structure 151 according to embodiments of the present invention is provided with a first flow channel 1511, and the first passage 15 includes the first flow channel 1511. The emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism 213 can be released into the electrical cavity 11a through the first flow channel 1511. Thus, by rationally selecting the position of the first flow channel 1511, it is possible to implement a targeted release of emissions and reduce the impact of emissions on individual components in the electrical cavity 11a, thereby increasing the safety of the battery 10.

[0135] In particular, Fig. 8 is a partial structural diagram of a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 8 may be a partial structural diagram of the battery 10 shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a schematic top view of the battery 10; Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the region C shown in Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the region D shown in Fig. 8. As shown in Figs. 8-10, the first flow channel 1511 according to embodiments of the present invention includes through holes and/or grooves passing through the connecting structure 151, which not only facilitates processing but also allows emissions to pass quickly.

[0136] It should be understood that the size of the first flow channel 1511 in embodiments of the present invention can be selected in accordance with actual application options. For example, the radial size of the first flow passage 1511 is less than or equal to 2 mm, and the radial direction is perpendicular to the flow direction of the emissions in the first flow passage 1511, in order to prevent the first flow passage 1511 from being too large, so that excessive emissions can be avoided from flowing through the first flow passage 1511, and it is also possible to prevent emissions particles of an excessive size from flowing through the first flow passage 1511. This has a filtering effect on the emissions, thereby reducing the influence of the emissions of the battery element 10 with thermal runaway on other battery elements 20, thereby preventing, as far as possible, thermal diffusion of the battery 10. In particular, if the first flow passage 1511 is a through hole, the radial size of the first flow passage 1511 may be the maximum value of the opening of the first flow passage 1511; if the first flow channel 1511 is a groove, then the radial dimension of the first flow channel 1511 may be a maximum value of the groove depth or the groove width, however, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0137] It should be understood that fillers can be provided in the first flow channel 1511, and the fillers are used to seal the first flow channel 1511 when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is not activated, and are destroyed when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, so that the first flow channel 1511 is unblocked. In this way, when thermal runaway of the battery cell 20 does not occur, the tightness of the electrical cavity 11a can be increased to prevent impact on or damage to the battery cell 20. The filler material can be selected according to actual applications. For example, the filler material can include expanded polystyrene and/or plastic, however, embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0138] In the embodiments of the present invention, in Figs. 8-10, a first flow channel 1511 is given as an example, which is a groove formed on the connecting structure 151. As shown in Figs. 8-10, the connecting structure 151 may include a plurality of first flow channels 1511, where the plurality of first flow channels 1511 may include: grooves provided on a surface of the connecting structure 151 facing the first wall 21a (i.e., the groove opening faces the surface of the first wall 21a); and/or grooves provided on a surface of the connecting structure 151 facing the second wall 11c (i.e., the groove opening faces the second wall 11c).

[0139] In some embodiments, the connecting structure 151 is provided with a plurality of first flow channels 1511 extending in at least one direction, wherein at least one direction is parallel to the first wall 21a. That is, the plurality of first flow channels 1511 extending in one or more directions are provided on a larger surface of the connecting structure 151. The arrangement of the plurality of first flow channels 1511 can disperse the directions of emission discharge and prevent damage to components in one direction when high-temperature emissions are discharged in this direction.

[0140] It should be understood that the direction of the first flow passage 1511 in the embodiments of the present invention can be selected in accordance with actual applications. For example, in accordance with the positional relationship between the electrode terminal 214 of the battery cell 20 and the pressure release mechanism 213, the direction of the first flow passage 1511 can be rationally selected to avoid the influence of emissions on the electrode terminal 214 and the bus component 12 connected to the electrode terminal 214.

[0141] In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 8-10, if the electrode terminal 214 and the pressure relief mechanism 213 are not located on the same wall, and the wall on which the electrode terminal 214 is located does not intersect with the first wall 21a, for example, when the wall on which the electrode terminal 214 is located opposite the first wall 21a, the direction of passage of the first flow channel 1511 may not be limited. For example, the connecting structure 151 may be provided with one or more first flow channels 1511a in the X direction, extending along the first direction X; in another example, the connecting structure 151 may be provided with one or more first flow channels 1511b in the Y direction, extending along the second direction Y, wherein the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other; or the connecting structure 151 may also include first flow channels 1511 in other directions, however, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0142] In some embodiments other than those shown in Figs. 8-10, if the electrode terminal 214 is located on the third wall 21b of the battery cell 20, and the third wall 21b intersects with the first wall 21a, at least one direction includes a first direction X. The first direction X is parallel to the third wall 21b, i.e., the first direction X may not be perpendicular to the third wall 21b, in order to prevent emissions from flowing to the third wall 21b through the first flow channel 1511 and to prevent emissions from affecting the electrode terminal 214 on the third wall 21b. For example, a short circuit between various components 12 of the busbar connecting the electrode terminals 214 caused by metal chips in the emissions can be prevented, thereby improving the safety of the battery 10.

[0143] For example, Fig. 11 shows another partial structural diagram of the battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 10, compared with Fig. 8, it can be seen that the electrode terminal 214 is located on the third wall 21b of the battery cell 20 shown in Fig. 10, the connecting structure 151 does not include a first flow channel 1511b in the Y direction extending in a second direction Y, the second direction Y is perpendicular to the third wall 21b, however, the connecting structure 151 may include one or more first flow channels 1511a in the X direction extending along the first direction X, wherein the first direction X is parallel to the third wall 21b.

[0144] It should be understood that, as shown in Fig. 8-11, the connecting structure 151 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a thermal pad and/or a sealing gasket disposed between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c. In particular, the connecting structure 151 includes a thermal pad disposed between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, and the thermal pad can dissipate heat from the battery cells 20 during use of the battery cell 10. For example, when the second wall 11c is a thermal management component, the heat of the battery cell 20 can be transmitted to the thermal management component through the thermal pad to timely regulate the temperature of the battery cell 20 to ensure normal use of the battery cell 20. For example, as shown in Fig. 8-10, the connecting structure 151 may include a thermal pad, and the thermal pad may be a part provided with a plurality of first flow channels 1511b in the Y direction extending along the second direction Y shown in the figure.

[0145] In addition, when the connecting structure 151 includes a sealing gasket, the tightness between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c can be improved. For example, as shown in Fig. 8-11, the connecting structure 151 may include a sealing gasket, and the sealing gasket may be a portion with a plurality of first flow channels 1511a in the X direction extending along the first direction X shown in the figure. As shown in Fig. 8-11, the sealing gasket may be disposed on at least one side edge of the thermal gasket, for example, the sealing gasket may be respectively disposed on two opposite side edges of the thermal gasket to improve the tightness between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c.

[0146] It should be understood that the distance between the sealing gasket and the thermal gasket in embodiments of the present invention is less than or equal to 2 mm, so that the space between the sealing gasket and the thermal gasket can be used as the first flow channel 1511 for directing emissions to the outlet.

[0147] The thermal pad material and the sealing gasket material in embodiments of the present invention can be selected according to actual applications. For example, the thermal pad material may include thermal silica gel. In another example, the sealing gasket material includes at least one of the following materials: silicone rubber, polypropylene (PP), polyfluoroalkoxy (PFA), and polyimide (PI).

[0148] In embodiments of the present invention, the connecting structure 151 may also form at least a part of the first passage 15 in other ways. For example, the connecting structure 151 is configured to be destroyed when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, so that a second space is formed between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, and the first passage 15 includes the second space. By rationally selecting the material of the connecting structure 151, the connecting structure 151 can be destroyed when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, thereby forming the second space without additional processing of the connecting structure 151, which is more convenient, and can also ensure the sealing of the battery cell 20 in normal use.

[0149] In particular, in embodiments of the present invention, the destruction of the connecting structure 151 may include the destruction of at least a portion of the connecting structure 151. For example, when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, only the outer side of the connecting structure 151 may be destroyed, and a portion of the internal components of the connecting structure 151 is exposed and not destroyed; or the internal structure of the connecting structure 151 is destroyed, for example, the connecting structure 151 may be a multi-layer structure, and some structural layers in the multi-layer structure are destroyed; or the connecting structure 151 may be completely destroyed, which is not limited to embodiments of the present invention.

[0150] It should be understood that the connecting structure 151 according to embodiments of the present invention may be destroyed when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, which may be achieved in various ways. For example, the connecting structure 151 may include a region with low structural strength, so that when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, the connecting structure 151 is destroyed by the force of the impact of emissions on the connecting structure 151.

[0151] In another example, the connecting structure 151 includes a fusible layer located between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, and the fusible layer melts when the pressure release mechanism 213 is operated, so that a second space is formed between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c. Since the emissions released through the pressure release mechanism 213 are high-temperature emissions, the fusible layer can melt when the battery element 20 is thermally runaway to form the second space, and it is not easily destroyed during normal use of the battery element 20, which can ensure the safety and stability of the battery 10.

[0152] Optionally, the thickness of the fusible layer can be selected according to actual applications. For example, the thickness of the fusible layer is from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. That is, the thickness of the fusible layer is usually greater than or equal to 0.5 mm in order to prevent the second space formed after the melting of the fusible layer from being too small or even from failing to form an effective second space, thereby preventing the first passage 15 from being too small, preventing the emission from being released, which further protects the battery 10 from explosion. In addition, the thickness of the fusible layer is usually less than or equal to 3 mm in order to avoid that when the thickness of the fusible layer is too large, the melted portion will be too large, that is, the formed second space will be too large, which will result in the release of a large amount of emissions into the electric cavity 11a through the second space. This may result in significant damage to the electrical cavity 11a and, in particular, to a short circuit of various components 12 of the busbar, which will affect the safety of the battery 10.

[0153] It should be understood that the connecting structure 151 in the embodiments of the present invention may be a multilayer structure in the thickness direction, and the fusible layer may be located in any layer of the multilayer structure. For example, the fusible layer may include a binder for fixation. For example, as shown in Figs. 8-11, the connecting structure 15 may include a thermal pad, and the thermal pad may be attached to the first wall 21a of the battery cell 20 using a binder, and the binder may be destroyed when the pressure release mechanism 213 is operated to form a second space.

[0154] Optionally, the binder material in the embodiments of the present invention may be selected according to actual applications. For example, the binder material includes at least one of the following: an epoxy structural adhesive, an acrylate structural adhesive, a polyimide structural adhesive, a maleimide structural adhesive, a polyurethane structural adhesive, and an acrylic adhesive. In another example, the material of the binder layer includes a polymer adhesive and a thermally conductive material, wherein the polymer adhesive material includes at least one of the following: an epoxy resin, an organic silica gel, and a polyimide, and the thermally conductive material includes at least one of the following: Al ₂ O ₃ , ZnO, BeO, AlN, Si ₃ N ₄ , BN, SiC, B ₄ C, carbon nanotubes, and graphite nanosheets, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0155] It should be understood that the method by which the above-mentioned connecting structure 151 is provided with a first flow channel 1511 forming at least a part of the first passage 15, and the method by which the connecting structure 151 is destroyed upon actuation of the pressure release mechanism 213 to form a second space included in the first passage, can be used independently or in combination with each other, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention. For example, as shown in Figs. 8-11, the connecting structure 151 is provided with a first flow channel 1511, wherein the connecting structure 151 may also include a fusible layer, so that upon actuation of the pressure release mechanism 213, at least a part of the fusible layer melts to form the second space.

[0156] Fig. 12 is a schematic view of another partial structure of the battery 10 in an exploded state according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein Fig. 12 takes as an example the second wall 11c, which is the insulating component 13, and Fig. 12 shows that the connecting structure 151 is disposed on the first wall 21a of the battery cell 20. Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of the region E shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a schematic view of another partial structure of the battery 10 in an exploded state according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the battery 10 shown in Fig. 14 is consistent with the battery 10 shown in Fig. 12; in both cases, the second wall 11c is given as an example, which is the insulating component 13, but the difference is that Fig. 14 shows the case when the connecting structure 151 is located on the insulating component 13. Fig. 15 shows an enlarged view of the region F shown in Fig. 14.

[0157] In the embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figs. 12-15, the connecting structure 151 is provided with a safety region 1512 corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism 213, wherein the safety region 1512 is used to provide a deformation space for the pressure relief mechanism 213 when it is actuated, in order to prevent the connecting structure 151 from closing the pressure relief mechanism 213, causing a delayed actuation of the pressure relief mechanism 213, thereby ensuring a rapid release of emissions through the pressure relief mechanism 213.

[0158] It should be understood that the safety region 1512 located in the connecting structure 151 can be used to provide a deformation space for the pressure relief mechanism 213, so that after the emissions passing through the pressure relief mechanism 213 are discharged from the battery element 20, the emissions will exit through the safety region 1512, so that the safety region 1512 can be considered as at least a part of the first passage 15, and the radiations can be released into the electric cavity 11a through the safety region 1512.

[0159] As shown in Fig. 12-15, the safety region 1512 corresponds to at least two pressure release mechanisms 213. Considering that a plurality of battery cells 20 in the battery 10 are usually arranged in a certain order, the safety region 1512 may correspond to a plurality of pressure release mechanisms 213 at the same time to facilitate processing. For example, the safety region 1512 provided on the connecting structure 151 may be an open region, and said open region may correspond to a number of battery cells 20, however, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0160] It should be understood that, as shown in Fig. 12-15, similarly to the safety region 1512, the second wall 11c in the embodiments of the present invention is provided with a pressure relief region 114 corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism 213, wherein the pressure relief region 114 is used to form at least a part of the second passage 16. That is, emissions can exit from the electrical cavity 11a through the pressure relief region 114, for example, emissions can be released into the collection cavity 11b through the pressure relief region 114.

[0161] In the embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figs. 12-15, the connecting structure 151 further includes: a blocking structure 1513 disposed between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c and disposed around the pressure release mechanism 213. The blocking structure 1513 is used to prevent emissions released through the pressure release mechanism 213 from entering the electrode terminals 214 of the battery cell 20. Since the connecting structure 151 can be used to form at least a part of the first passage 15, the first passage 15 releases emissions passing through the pressure release mechanism 213 into the electrical cavity 11a, and the electrode terminals 214 are also located in the electrical cavity 11a, if the emissions are released onto the bus component 12 connecting the electrode terminals 214, it is easy to cause a short circuit of various components 12 of the bus, which will cause secondary damage to the battery 10 and even lead to an explosion of the battery 10. Thus, by providing the blocking structure 1513, an explosion of the battery 10 can be avoided and the safety of the battery 10 can be improved. In addition, when the connecting structure 151 includes a binder, the blocking structure 1513 according to the embodiment of the present invention can also be used to prevent the binder from flowing.

[0162] It should be understood that the locking structure 1513 located around the pressure relief mechanism 213 in the embodiments of the present invention may include: a locking structure 1513 located on at least one side of the pressure relief mechanism 213. For example, as shown in Figs. 12-15, the locking structure 1513 may be located on one side of the pressure relief mechanism 213, and the same locking structure 1513 may be located around the pressure relief mechanisms 213 located in one row along the first direction X, to facilitate installation.

[0163] In addition, as shown in Fig. 12 15, the locking structure 1513 may be used to form the safety region 1512. For example, the locking structure 1513 may be used to form at least one side of the safety region 1512 in order to facilitate processing and reduce the complexity of processing the connecting structure 151.

[0164] In particular, as shown in Fig. 12-15 as an example, the electrode terminal 214 is located on the third wall 21b of the battery cell 20, and the third wall 21b intersects with the first wall 21a, and the blocking structure 1513 is located on the side of the pressure release mechanism 213 near the electrode terminal 214. Thus, when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, the emissions are blocked by the blocking structure 1513 so that no emissions can pass through the blocking structure 1513 and reach the third wall 21b (or only a very small amount of emissions can pass the blocking structure 1513 and reach the third wall 21b), thereby reducing the risk of a short circuit of the components 12 of the busbar and increasing the safety of the battery 10.

[0165] Optionally, the material of the blocking structure 1513 in the embodiments of the present invention may be selected according to actual applications. For example, considering that emissions released during thermal runaway of the battery cell 20 are usually high-temperature and high-pressure emissions, the material of the blocking structure 1513 includes at least one of aluminum, steel, hard plastic, ceramic material, and mica, in order to ensure that the blocking structure 1513 is not destroyed as much as possible, thereby preventing the influence of the blocking effect of the blocking structure 1513 and avoiding failure of the blocking structure 1513.

[0166] In some embodiments, the second wall 11c according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a clamping groove 131. For example, when the second wall 11c is an insulating component 13, the surface of the insulating component 13 facing the battery element 20 may be provided with the clamping groove 131 to facilitate the installation and positioning of the locking structure 1513, thereby improving the installation efficiency.

[0167] It should be understood that in the above-mentioned drawings, the case in which the pressure release mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 of the battery cell 20 are located on different walls is mainly given as an example, but the corresponding descriptions are also applicable to the case in which the pressure release mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 are located on the same wall. In addition, in each of the above-mentioned drawings, the connecting structure 151, which is a solid structure, is mainly given as an example, but the corresponding descriptions are also applicable to a hollow structure, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0168] For example, Fig. 16 is a structural diagram of another battery 10 in an exploded view according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the second wall 11c is still used, for example, as the insulating component 13, and when comparing Fig. 16 with the previous drawings, the difference is that in Fig. 16, the pressure release mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 are located on the same wall, and accordingly, the connecting structures 151 are also different. Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the battery 10 shown in Fig. 16, wherein the sectional view is perpendicular to the insulating component 13. Fig. 18 is a diagram of the connecting structure 151 included in the battery 10 shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 19 shows a diagram of the connecting structure 151 and the insulating component 13, which are part of the storage battery 10 shown in Fig. 16.

[0169] As shown in Fig. 16-19, the battery 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a first direction X, wherein the first direction X is also a direction of arrangement of a plurality of pressure relief mechanisms 213 included in the plurality of battery cells 20. The battery cell 20 includes an electrode terminal 214 of an electrode arranged on the first wall 21a, wherein the electrode terminal 214 and the pressure relief mechanism 213 are arranged along a second direction Y, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y.

[0170] As shown in Fig. 16-19, taking into account that the pressure release mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 are located on the same wall, in order to prevent influence on the electrode terminal 214, the connecting structure 151 may be located between the two electrode terminals 214 so that the connecting structure 151 does not cover the electrode terminal 214.

[0171] Furthermore, similar to the above-mentioned connecting structure 151, the connecting structure 151 shown in Figs. 16-19 may include a plurality of first flow channels 1511 extending in at least one direction. For example, the connecting structure 151 may include a plurality of first flow channels 1511 extending along the third direction Z. In particular, the plurality of first flow channels 1511 of the connecting structure 151 may be arranged on the side wall of the connecting structure 151 perpendicular to the first direction X. For example, the first flow channels 1511 may be slits on the side wall of the connecting structure 151 in order to discharge a small portion of the emissions into the electrical cavity 11a and to prevent the emissions from influencing the busbar component 12 as much as possible.

[0172] In addition, similar to the above-mentioned connecting structure 151, as shown in Figs. 16-19, the connecting structure 151 is provided with a safety region 1512 for providing a deformation space for the pressure release mechanism 213. In addition, the wall of the connecting structure 151 forming the safety region 1512 can also be considered as a blocking structure 1513, which is used to block the flow of emissions discharged from the pressure release mechanism 213 to the electrode terminal 214 and the bus component 12.

[0173] It should be understood that the material of the connecting structure 151 in the embodiments of the present invention can be selected according to actual applications. For example, the material of the connecting structure 151 includes at least one of the following: aluminum, steel, hard plastic, ceramic material and mica, in order to ensure the strength of the connecting structure 151 so that when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, the connecting structure 151 can withstand the impact of emissions to avoid significant destruction, thereby preventing the impact of emissions on the tire component 12.

[0174] In the embodiments of the present invention, since a material with high bond strength is usually used in the connecting structure 151, a compressible foam 1514 may also be provided between the connecting structure 151 and the battery element 20, which, on the one hand, can be used to perform fixation between the connecting structure 151 and the battery element 20, and, on the other hand, can also compensate for the installation tolerance between the connecting structure 151 and the battery element 20.

[0175] The above mainly describes an embodiment of at least a portion of the first passage 15 through the connecting structure 151, and other embodiments of at least a portion of the first passage 15 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0176] In particular, Fig. 20 is a structural diagram of a battery 10 in an exploded state according to another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 21 is a schematic sectional view of the battery 10 shown in Fig. 20, wherein the sectional view is perpendicular to the height direction Z of the battery 10; Fig. 22 is an enlarged view of the region G shown in Fig. 21. As shown in Figs. 20-22, in the embodiments of the present invention, the battery 10 includes: a battery cell assembly 201, wherein the battery cell assembly 201 includes a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a first direction X.

[0177] As shown in Fig. 20-22, in embodiments of the present invention, the electrical cavity 11a includes a fourth wall 11d intersecting with the second wall 11c, wherein the end surface 2011 of the battery cell assembly 201 facing the fourth wall 11d and the fourth wall 11d may be configured to form at least a portion of the first passage 15 therebetween. In particular, the fourth wall 11d may be any wall of the electrical cavity 11a that intersects with the second wall 11c. For example, if the second wall 11c is an insulating component 13, the fourth wall 11d can be any wall of the second part 112 of the box-shaped housing 11 or the fourth wall 11d can be a beam 113. At least a part of the first passage 15 is formed by the fourth wall 11d and the end surface 2011 of the battery cell assembly 201, which, based on at least a part of the first passage 15 formed between the second wall 11c and the first wall 21a, further lengthens the first passage 15 and increases the emission discharge path, so that the emissions can be further cooled and filtered, and the safety of the battery 10 is increased.

[0178] It should be understood that at least a part of the first passage 15 can be formed between the fourth wall 11d and the end surface 2011 of the battery cell unit 201 in various ways. For example, a third space is provided between the end surface 2011 of the battery cell pack 201 facing the fourth wall 11d and the fourth wall 11d, and the first channel 15 includes the third space, so that at least a part of the first channel 15 is realized through the third space, and there is no need to add additional components, which reduces the complexity of processing, and can also reduce the requirements for sealing between the end surface 2011 and the fourth wall 11d.

[0179] In another example, as shown in Fig. 20-22, the battery 10 further includes: a first separation structure 153 located between the end surface 2011 and the fourth wall 11d, wherein the first separation structure 153 is used to form at least a part of the first passage 15. Realizing at least a part of the first passage 15 through the first separation structure 153 can, on the one hand, increase the structural stability between the end surface 2011 and the fourth wall 11d, especially when the battery cell 20 does not have a thermal runaway, wherein the first separation structure 153 can be used to implement relative fixation between the end surface 2011 and the fourth wall 11d or can also provide sealing between the end surface 2011 and the fourth wall 11d; on the other hand, by rationally selecting the specific shape and position of the first separating structure 153, it is possible to adjust the position of the first passage 15, and then realize the directed discharge of emissions through the first passage 15, thereby improving the safety of the battery 10.

[0180] It should be understood that the method of implementing at least a portion of the first passage 15 through the first partition structure 153 and the method of implementing at least a portion of the first passage 15 through the third space can be used separately or in combination with each other, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For ease of description, the first partition structure 153 is mainly described in detail herein with reference to the drawings.

[0181] It should be understood that the first separation structure 153 in the embodiments of the present invention can implement at least a part of the first passage 15 in various ways. For example, as shown in Figs. 20-22, the first separation structure 153 is provided with a second flow channel 1531, wherein the first passage 15 includes the second flow channel 1531. The emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism 213 can be released through the second flow channel 1531. Thus, by rationally selecting the position of the second flow channel 1531, it is possible to implement a targeted release of emissions and reduce the influence of emissions on individual components in the electrical cavity 11a, for example, it is possible to prevent them from influencing the electrode terminals 214 and the components 12 of the busbar, thereby increasing the safety of the battery 10.

[0182] In particular, the second flow channel 1531 in the embodiments of the present invention may be a through hole and/or a groove passing through the first separation structure 153, which is not only convenient for processing but also allows emissions to pass quickly. For example, as shown in Figs. 20-22, the second flow channel 1531 is exemplified as a through hole passing through the first separation structure 153, that is, the first separation structure 153 may be a porous structure, for example, the first separation structure 153 may be a honeycomb structure.

[0183] It should be understood that the size of the second flow channel 1531 in embodiments of the present invention can be selected in accordance with actual application options. For example, the radial size of the second flow channel 1531 is less than or equal to 2 mm, and the radial direction is perpendicular to the flow direction of the emissions in the second flow channel 1531, in order to prevent the second flow channel 1531 from being too large, to avoid excessive emissions from flowing through the second flow channel 1531, and to prevent large-sized emission particles from flowing through the second flow channel 1531. The second flow channel 1531 has a filtering effect on the emissions and can filter out large-sized particles, so that the emissions that are eventually returned to the electric cavity 11a contain smaller high-temperature particles, and the gas temperature is lower, thereby reducing the influence of the emissions of the battery cell 10 with thermal runaway on other battery cells 20 and, as far as possible, avoiding thermal diffusion in the battery 10, so that the components inside the battery 10 are hardly damaged. In particular, if the second flow channel 1531 is a through hole, the radial size of the second flow channel 1531 may be a maximum value of the opening of the second flow channel 1531; if the second flow channel 1531 is a groove, the radial size of the second flow channel 1531 may be a maximum value of the groove depth or the groove width, however, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0184] In embodiments of the present invention, fillers may be provided in the second flow channel 1531, and the fillers are used to seal the second flow channel 1531 when the pressure release mechanism 213 is not actuated, and are destroyed when the pressure release mechanism 213 is actuated, so that the second flow channel 1531 is unblocked. In this way, when thermal runaway of the battery cell 20 does not occur, the tightness of the electrical cavity 11a can be increased to prevent impact on or damage to the battery cell 20. The filler material may be selected according to actual applications. For example, the filler material may include expanded polystyrene and/or plastic, however, embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0185] In embodiments of the present invention, the first separation structure 153 may be provided with a plurality of second flow channels 1531 extending in at least one direction. In particular, the direction of the second flow channel 1531 in embodiments of the present invention may be selected in accordance with actual applications. For example, in accordance with the positional relationship between the electrode terminal 214 of the battery cell 20 and the pressure relief mechanism 213, the direction of passage of the second flow passage 1531 can be rationally selected in order to avoid the influence of emissions on the electrode terminal 214 and the bus component 12 connected to the electrode terminal 214. For example, as shown in Figs. 20-22, where the pressure relief mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 are on two opposite walls as an example, the first separation structure 153 can be provided with a plurality of flow passages 1531 extending along a third direction Z, wherein the third direction Z is perpendicular to the second wall 11c, so that emissions pass through the second flow passage 1531 to provide a directional discharge, which also makes it possible to prevent them from influencing the electrode terminal 214 and the bus component 12 connected to the electrode terminal 214.

[0186] Optionally, the material of the first separation structure 153 in the embodiments of the present invention may be selected according to actual applications. For example, considering that the first separation structure 153 provides the functions of filtering, absorbing heat, cooling and partially capturing emissions, in order to prevent the failure of the first separation structure 153 and prevent significant destruction of the first intermediate structure 153 by emissions, the material of the first separation structure 153 may include at least one of the following: metal, ceramic, silicone rubber and plastic.

[0187] It should be understood that in embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the first passage 15 may also be implemented in other ways. Fig. 23 is a partial structural diagram of a battery 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 23, the battery 10 further includes: a second separator structure 154 located between two adjacent battery cells 20, wherein the second separator structure 154 is used to form at least a portion of the first passage 15. The second separator structure 154 located between two adjacent battery cells 20 in the battery 10 may be used to compensate for the expansion and deformation of the battery cells 20 during normal use of the battery cells 20; when the insulating component 13 below the battery cells 20 is a thermal management component, the second separator structure may also be used to block moisture generated by the thermal management component; when the battery cells 20 of the storage battery are subject to thermal runaway, on the one hand, the second separating structure can block heat transferred between the battery cells 20; on the other hand, the second separating structure 154 can be used to form at least a part of the first passage 15, wherein the second separating structure 154 can ensure the outlet of a small amount of emissions into the electric cavity 11a, which increases the emission discharge path and improves the emission discharge efficiency.

[0188] It should be understood that the second separating structure 154 in the embodiments of the present invention can form at least a part of the first passage 15 in various ways. In some embodiments, the second separating structure 154 is configured to be destroyed upon actuation of the pressure release mechanism 213, so that a fourth space is formed between the two battery cells 20, and the first passage 15 includes the fourth space. Thus, with a rational selection of the material of the second separating structure 154, the second separating structure 154 can be destroyed upon actuation of the pressure release mechanism 213, thereby forming the fourth space without further processing of the second separating structure 154, which is more convenient and can also ensure the tightness and stability of the battery cell 20 in normal use.

[0189] In particular, in embodiments of the present invention, the destruction of the second separation structure 154 may include the destruction of at least a portion of the second separation structure 154. For example, when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, only the outer side of the second separation structure 154 may be destroyed, and a portion of the internal components of the second separation structure 154 is exposed and not destroyed; or the internal structure of the second separation structure 154 is destroyed, for example, the second separation structure 154 may be a multi-layer structure, and some structural layers in the multi-layer structure are destroyed; or the second separation structure 154 may be completely destroyed, which is not limited to embodiments of the present invention.

[0190] It should be understood that the second separation structure 154 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be destroyed when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, which may be achieved in various ways. For example, the second separation structure 154 may include a region of low structural strength, so that when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, the second separation structure 154 is destroyed by the force of the impact of emissions on the second separation structure 154.

[0191] In another example, the second separator structure 154 is a multilayer structure, and the multilayer structure includes a fusible layer configured to melt when the pressure release mechanism 213 is actuated, so that a fourth space is formed between the two battery cells 20. Since the emissions released through the pressure release mechanism 213 are high-temperature emissions, the arrangement of the fusible layer prevents the battery cell 20 from being easily destroyed during normal use, which can ensure the safety and stability of the battery 10.

[0192] It should be understood that the fusible layer may be located in any layer of the second separator structure 154. For example, the fusible layer may be the outermost layer of the second separator structure 154, so that the fusible layer can be in direct contact with the battery cells 20 and melt in a timely manner.

[0193] Fig. 24 and Fig. 25 respectively show two possible configurations of the second separation structure 154 according to embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 24 and Fig. 25, in some embodiments, the second separation structure 154 may also include a first region 1541 and a second region 1542, wherein the melting temperature of the first region 1541 is higher than the melting temperature of the second region 1542, and the second region 1542 is configured to melt when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, so that a fourth space is formed between the two battery cells 20. Thus, the second separation structure 154 includes a first region 1541 resistant to a high temperature and a second region 1542 not resistant to a high temperature, and when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, emissions can melt the second region 1542 to form the first passage 15; wherein the first region 1541 of the second separating structure 154 cannot be substantially destroyed in order to ensure blocking of heat transfer between the elements 20 of the battery and preventing thermal diffusion.

[0194] It should be understood that the positions and distribution of the first region 1541 and the second region 1542 in the embodiments of the present invention can be selected according to actual applications. For example, as shown in Figs. 24 and 25, the first region 1541 may be a central region to facilitate thermal insulation, and the second region 1542 is generally an edge region so as to have a small effect on thermal insulation after the second region 1542 is destroyed; or, as shown in Fig. 25, the second region 1542 may also include a part of the middle region to increase the distribution area of the second region 1542, thereby increasing the emission rate.

[0195] In some embodiments, the area of the first region 1541 is greater than the area of the second region 1542 so that the area of the first region 1541 for blocking heat is greater than 50% to prevent thermal diffusion.

[0196] In some embodiments, the materials of the first region 1541 and the second region 1542 may be selected in accordance with actual applications. For example, the material of the second region 1542 includes rubber and/or plastic to prevent destruction of the second region 1541 by high-temperature emissions.

[0197] Fig. 26 and Fig. 27 respectively show two more possible embodiments of the second separation structure 154 according to the embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 26 and 27, the second separation structure 154 is provided with a third flow channel 1543, and the first passage 15 includes the third flow channel 1543. The emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism 213 can be released into the electrical cavity 11a through the third flow channel 1543. Thus, by rationally selecting the position of the third flow channel 1543, it is possible to realize a directed release of emissions, reduce the impact of emissions on individual components in the electrical cavity 11a and prevent thermal diffusion between the elements 20 of the battery, thereby increasing the safety of the battery 10.

[0198] In the embodiments of the present invention, the second separation structure 154 may be provided with a plurality of third flow channels 1543 extending in at least one direction. In particular, the direction of the third flow channel 1543 in the embodiments of the present invention may be selected according to actual applications. For example, as shown in Figs. 26-27, the second separation structure 154 may be provided with a plurality of third flow channels 1543 extending along a third direction Z, wherein the third direction Z is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two battery cells 20 clamping the second separation structure 154, and the third direction Z is also perpendicular to the second wall 11c of the electrical cavity 11a, so that emissions pass through the third flow channel 1543 so as to realize a directional discharge and prevent high-temperature emissions from influencing the two adjacent battery cells 20.

[0199] In embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of third flow channels 1543 may include: through holes passing through the second separator structure 154 and/or grooves located on the surface of the second separator structure facing at least one battery element 20 of the two battery elements 20 to facilitate processing. For example, as shown in Fig. 26, the plurality of third flow channels 1543 may include a plurality of through holes arranged parallel to each other, wherein each through hole passes through the second separation structure 154 along the third direction Z. As another example, as shown in Fig. 27, the plurality of third flow channels 1543 may include a plurality of grooves, wherein the plurality of grooves may include grooves with openings facing at least one battery cell 20 of the two battery cells 20 clamping the second separation structure 154. In Fig. 27, as an example, the plurality of third flow channels 1543 include grooves with openings facing opposite sides, wherein in Fig. 27 the plurality of third flow channels 1543 are parallel to each other and uniformly distributed, which is convenient for processing and ensures relative dispersion of emissions passing through the third flow channel 1543 to prevent a problem of excessive emissions in a local area, caused by the accumulation of emissions in order to ensure the safety of the elements 20 of the storage battery and the storage battery 10.

[0200] In embodiments of the present invention, fillers may be provided in the third flow channel 1543, wherein the fillers are used to seal the third flow channel 1543 when the pressure release mechanism 213 is not activated, and are destroyed when the pressure release mechanism 213 is activated, so that the third flow channel 1543 is unblocked. Thus, it can be used to block heat transfer between the battery cells 20 when the battery cells 20 do not have thermal runaway. The filler material may be selected according to actual applications. For example, the filler material may include expanded polystyrene and/or plastic, however, embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0201] It should be understood that the first passage 15 in the embodiments of the present invention may provide for the discharge of emissions discharged through the pressure release mechanism 213 into the electrical cavity 11a; furthermore, a first equalizing valve may be provided on the wall of the box-shaped case 11 of the battery 10, and the first equalizing valve is used to discharge emissions passing through the first passage 15 from the box-shaped case 11 to prevent thermal diffusion caused by the accumulation of emissions in the box-shaped case 11 and to improve the safety of the battery 10. In particular, the first equalizing valve may be disposed on the wall for forming the electrical cavity 11a to discharge emissions from the electrical cavity 11a in a timely manner.

[0202] Similarly, the second passage 16 can provide for the discharge of emissions discharged through the pressure relief mechanism 213 from the electrical cavity 11a. For example, the emissions can be discharged into the collection cavity 11b, but the space of the collection cavity 11b is limited, therefore, a second equalizing valve can be provided on the wall of the box-shaped housing 11. The second equalizing valve serves to discharge the emissions discharged through the second passage 16 from the box-shaped housing 11. For example, the emissions can be discharged from the battery 10 from the collection cavity 11b to prevent thermal diffusion or an explosion caused by the accumulation of emissions in the collection cavity 11b of the box-shaped housing 11 and to improve the safety of the battery 10. In particular, the second equalizing valve can be arranged on the wall for forming the collection cavity 11b to discharge the emissions from the collection cavity 11b in a timely manner.

[0203] When a thermal runaway or other abnormal condition occurs in the battery cell 20, high temperature and high pressure emissions generated inside the battery cell are released in the direction where the battery cell 20 is equipped with the pressure release mechanism 213. The power and destructive force of such emissions are usually very large, and if only one passage is provided, there is a possibility that the emissions will break through the passage structure or one or more structures around the passage, which causes additional safety problems. Thus, in the battery 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention, the emissions discharged from the pressure release mechanism 213 can be led out to the electrical cavity 11a by installing the first passage 15, and the emissions discharged from the pressure release mechanism 213 can be discharged from the electrical cavity 11a by installing the second passage 16. The emissions discharged through the pressure release mechanism 213 can be discharged through two passages at the same time, which can accelerate the discharge and reduce the risk of explosion of the battery 10.

[0204] It should be understood that the battery pack 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention has been described in detail above mainly from the viewpoint of the structure, and the corresponding dimensional parameters of the battery pack 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For ease of description, Fig. 28 shows a partial sectional view of the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The sectional view is perpendicular to the insulating component 13 of the battery pack 10, for example, the sectional view is perpendicular to the second direction Y. In Fig. 28, as an example, the insulating component 13 is used as the second wall 11c, and also as an example, the pressure release mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 of the battery cell 20 are disposed on two opposite walls, but the corresponding descriptions are also applicable to other situations, which will not be repeated here for brevity. Fig. 29 shows a diagram of the surface of the second wall 11c facing the battery element 20, according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the second wall 11c can be any wall of the electrical cavity 11a.

[0205] As shown in Fig. 28 and 29, the second wall 11c according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a pressure relief region 114 corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism 213, wherein the pressure relief region 114 is used to form at least a part of the second passage 16, i.e. the pressure relief region 114 can be used to release emissions from the electrical cavity 11a, for example, can provide for the release of emissions into the collection cavity 11b. For example, in Fig. 28, as an example, the second wall 11c is shown as an insulating component 13, wherein the insulating component 13 includes the pressure relief region 114.

[0206] It should be understood that each pressure relief region 114 provided on the second wall 11c may correspond to one or more pressure relief mechanisms 213. For example, the second wall 11c is provided with a plurality of pressure relief regions 114, wherein the plurality of pressure relief regions 114 correspond to the pressure relief mechanisms 213 of a plurality of battery cells 20 in order. In another example, the second wall 11c is provided with one or more pressure relief regions 114, wherein each pressure relief region 114 corresponds to a plurality of pressure relief mechanisms 213. As an example, only one pressure relief region 114 is shown in Fig. 29, wherein the pressure relief region 114 includes 6 regions 213', wherein the region 213' is an orthogonal projection of the pressure relief mechanism 213 of the battery cell 20 on the surface of the second wall 11c. Thus, the pressure relief region 114 shown in Fig. 29 corresponds to 6 pressure relief mechanisms 213, however, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0207] In some embodiments, the pressure relief region 114 is a through hole passing through the second wall 11c in a direction perpendicular to the first wall 21a. For example, in Fig. 28, the pressure relief region 114 is shown as an example, which is a through hole passing through the second wall 11c, and the passing direction is perpendicular to the first wall 21a, i.e., the passing direction is the Z direction. When the pressure relief region 114 is a through hole, on the one hand, it is convenient for processing, and on the other hand, the emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism 213 can be quickly released.

[0208] When the pressure relief region 114 is a through hole, the pressure relief region 114 satisfies the following formula (1):

[0209] where S is the area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region 114 on the second wall 11c divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms 213 corresponding to the pressure relief region 114, and D is the distance between the second wall 11c and the first wall 21a. In particular, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29, the parameter S in the embodiments of the present invention may represent the total area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region 114 on the second wall 11c divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms 213 corresponding to the pressure relief region 114 (for example, the number 6 in Fig. 29). For example, S may approximately correspond to the area of the hatched portion shown in Fig. 29. D is the distance between the second wall 11c and the first wall 21a. For example, taking only the connecting structure 151 located between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c in Fig. 28 as an example, D may be the thickness of the connecting structure 151; or, if a first space 152 is further provided between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, D is the sum of the thickness of the connecting structure 151 and the thickness of the first space 152. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c are parallel to each other. Conversely, if the first wall 21a is not parallel to the second wall 11c, the parameter D may be an average value of the distance between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c, or may be an average, maximum, or minimum value of the distance between the first wall 21a and the second wall 11c in the region around the pressure relief mechanism 213, however, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0210] It should be understood that if the parameter D/S is too large, for example, exceeds the limit according to the formula (1), the parameter D may have a maximum value, and the parameter S may have a minimum value. In this case, the first passage 15 into the electrical cavity 11a is large, and the second passage 16 through which the emissions are discharged from the electrical cavity 11a is relatively small. As a result, the emissions discharged due to thermal runaway very easily return to the electrical cavity 11a, i.e., more emissions enter the electrical cavity 11a, and fewer emissions exit from the electrical cavity 11a, which is not conducive to collecting the emissions by the collecting cavity 11b, but may affect the safety of the electrical cavity 11a, for example, easily leading to a short circuit of the bus components 12. Therefore, in order for a large part of the emissions discharged from the electrical cavity 11a to enter the collecting cavity 11b, for example, the parameter D/S should not be set too large.

[0211] Conversely, if the parameter D/S is too small, for example, exceeds the limit of the formula (1), the parameter D may have a minimum value, and S has a maximum value. In this case, the first passage 15 into the electric cavity 11a is small, and it is difficult for the emissions generated due to thermal runaway to return to the electric cavity 11, and the operation of the first passage 15 is hindered, so the pressure relief region 114 corresponding to the parameter S may not be able to ensure the strength of the frame structure of the battery 10 when a large amount of emissions are released from the electric cavity 11a. Therefore, the parameter D/S should also not be too small.

[0212] Similarly, when the pressure relief region 114 is a through hole, if the second separation structure 154 is located between two adjacent battery cells 20 in the battery, the second separation structure 154 is used to form at least a part of the first passage 15, and the pressure relief region 114 satisfies the following formula (2):

[0213] where S is the area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region 114 on the second wall 11c divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms 213 corresponding to the pressure relief region 114, and t is the distance between the two battery cells 20. In particular, the parameter S has the same meaning as in formula (1), and the parameter t is the distance between the two battery cells 20. For example, as shown in Fig. 28, if only the second separator structure 154 is provided between the two battery cells 20, the parameter t is also equal to the thickness of the second separator structure 154. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the surfaces of the two battery cells 20 supporting the second separator structure 154 are parallel to each other. Conversely, if the surfaces of the two battery cells 20 are not parallel or, in other words, the thickness of the second separator structure 154 is not uniform, the parameter t may represent the average distance between the two battery cells 20 or the average thickness of the second separator structure 154.

[0214] It should be understood that if the parameter t/S is too large, for example, exceeds the limit according to the formula (2), the parameter t may have a maximum value, and the parameter S has a minimum value. In this case, the first passage 15 into the electrical cavity 11a is large, and the second passage 16, through which the emissions are discharged from the electrical cavity 11a, is relatively small. As a result, the emissions discharged due to thermal runaway very easily return to the electrical cavity 11a, i.e., more emissions enter the electrical cavity 11a, and fewer emissions exit from the electrical cavity 11a, which is not conducive to collecting the emissions by the collecting cavity 11b, but can affect the safety of the electrical cavity 11a, for example, easily leading to a short circuit of the bus components 12. Therefore, in order for a large part of the emissions discharged from the electrical cavity 11a, for example, to enter the collecting cavity 11b, the parameter t/S should not be set too large.

[0215] Conversely, if the parameter t/S is too small, for example, exceeds the limit of the formula (2), the parameter t may have a minimum value, and S has a maximum value. In this case, the first passage 15 into the electric cavity 11a is small, and it is difficult for the emissions generated due to thermal runaway to return to the electric cavity 11, and the operation of the first passage 15 is hindered, so the pressure relief region 114 corresponding to the parameter S may not be able to ensure the strength of the frame structure of the battery 10 when a large amount of emissions are released from the electric cavity 11a. Therefore, the parameter t/S should also not be too small.

[0216] In embodiments of the present invention, the pressure relief region 114 may not be formed as a through hole. For example, the pressure relief region 114 is a weak region of the second wall 11c, and said weak region is destroyed when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated to form at least a part of the second passage 16. In addition, when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is activated, the weak region may be destroyed so that emissions from the battery cell 20 provided with the pressure relief mechanism 213 pass through the weak region and exit from the electrical cavity 11a, for example, may pass through the weak region and enter the collection cavity 11b. Selecting the pressure relief region 114 as a weak region can make the second wall 11c into a sealed state when the pressure relief mechanism 213 is not operated, for example, during normal use of the battery 10, which effectively protects the pressure relief mechanism 213 from damage by external force and failure.

[0217] It should be understood that when the pressure relief region 114 is a weak region, the weak region may have various parameters to facilitate destruction by ejections, which is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention, and will be described with examples below. For example, the pressure relief region 114 may be a region with a thinner thickness on the second wall 11c, so that the strength of the pressure relief region 114 is thinner, thereby forming a weak region. In addition to using a weak region with a thinner thickness, a material with a low melting point may also be used to form the weak region to facilitate melting by ejections. That is, the weak region may have a lower melting point than the rest of the second wall 11c. For example, the material used in the weak region has a melting point below 400°C.

[0218] It should be understood that when the pressure relief region 114 is a weak region, the weak region may have the characteristics of both materials with a low melting point and a smaller thickness at the same time. In other words, the above two embodiments may be implemented separately or in combination, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0219] When the pressure relief region 114 is a weak region, the pressure relief region 114 satisfies the following formula (3):

[0220] where d is a minimum value of the thicknesses at various positions of the weak region, and D is a distance between the second wall 11c and the first wall 21a. In particular, the parameter D has the same meaning as in the above formula (1). The parameter d is a minimum value of the thickness in the pressure relief region 114. When the pressure relief region 114 is a weak region, there may be various arrangements for the weak region so that the thickness of the weak region may be less than or equal to the thickness of the second wall 11c. For example, as shown in Fig. 28, if the thickness of the second wall 11c where the pressure relief region 114 is located is d', the minimum value of the thicknesses at various positions of the weak region, denoted by the parameter d, is less than or equal to the thickness d'.

[0221] It should be understood that when the parameter D increases, the first passage 15 into the electric cavity 11a increases, and the emissions released due to thermal runaway very easily return to the electric cavity 11a, therefore, the corresponding parameter d should be designed to decrease, thereby reducing the difficulty of breaking through the pressure relief region 114, that is, reducing the difficulty of discharging the emissions from the electric cavity 11a, so that the emissions can be more easily discharged from the electric cavity 11a. Therefore, when the parameter d cannot be too small to meet the emission release requirements and meet the structural strength requirements of the battery 10, the parameter D should not be set too large, that is, the parameter D/d should not be set too large.

[0222] Conversely, when D has a minimum value, the first passage 15 into the electrical cavity 11a is small, and it is difficult for the emissions arising due to thermal runaway to return to the electrical cavity 11a, and the operation of the first passage 15 is hindered, so a large number of emissions must exit through the pressure relief region 114 of the second wall 11c. The value of the parameter d must ensure the possibility of a smooth and rapid breakthrough of the second wall 11c by the released emissions, so the value of d must also not be too large, i.e. the value of D/d must not be too small.

[0223] Similarly, when the pressure relief region 114 is a weak region, if the second separation structure 154 is located between two adjacent battery cells 20 in the battery, the second separation structure 154 is used to form at least a part of the first passage 15, and the pressure relief region 114 satisfies the following formula (4):

[0224] where d represents the minimum value of the thicknesses at different positions of the weak region, and t represents the distance between the two elements 20 of the battery. In particular, the parameter d has the same meaning as in the above formula (3); the parameter t has the same meaning as in the above formula (2).

[0225] It should be understood that when the parameter t increases, the first passage 15 into the electric cavity 11a increases, and the emissions released due to thermal runaway very easily return to the electric cavity 11a, therefore, the corresponding parameter d should be designed to decrease, thereby reducing the difficulty of breaking through the pressure relief region 114, that is, reducing the difficulty of discharging the emissions from the electric cavity 11a, so that the emissions can be more easily discharged from the electric cavity 11a. Therefore, when the parameter d cannot be too small to meet the requirements for discharging the emissions and meet the strength requirements of the structure of the battery 10, the parameter t should not be set too large, that is, the parameter t/d should not be set too large.

[0226] Conversely, when t has a minimum value, the first passage 15 into the electrical cavity 11a is small, and it is difficult for the emissions arising due to thermal runaway to return to the electrical cavity 11a, and the operation of the first passage 15 is hindered, so a large number of emissions must exit through the pressure relief region 114 of the second wall 11c. The value of the parameter d must ensure the possibility of a smooth and rapid breakthrough of the second wall 11c by the released emissions, so the value of d must also not be too large, i.e. the value of t/d must not be too small.

[0227] Thus, for the battery pack 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention, the size ratio between the first passage 15 and the second passage 16 can be adjusted by optimizing the above-mentioned parameters, and then the proportion of emissions entering the electrical cavity 11a can be adjusted so that a smaller portion of the emissions discharged through the pressure release mechanism 213 enters the electrical cavity 11a, while a larger portion of the emissions can exit from the electrical cavity 11a. In this way, it is possible to reduce the emission discharge pressure from the electrical cavity 11a, reduce the sealing requirements of the electrical cavity 11a and the second passage 16, and maximize the safety of the electrical cavity 11a. This prevents a large amount of emissions from entering the electrical cavity 11a, which may affect the busbar component 12, etc. and lead to a short circuit or even an explosion, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack 10.

[0228] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various improvements may be made thereto and equivalents may be substituted for its components without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, the technical features mentioned in various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no constructive conflict. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims (53)

1. A battery containing: a box-shaped housing (11) comprising an electrical cavity (11a); a battery element (20) located in an electrical cavity (11a), wherein the first wall (21a) of the battery element (20) is provided with a pressure release mechanism (213); and a first passage (15) and a second passage (16), wherein the first passage (15) and the second passage (16) are configured to communicate with the interior of the battery element (20) via a pressure relief mechanism (213) when the pressure relief mechanism (213) is actuated; wherein the first passage (15) can be used to release emissions released from the pressure relief mechanism (213) into the electrical cavity (11a), and the second passage 16 is used to release emissions released from the pressure relief mechanism (213) from the electrical cavity (11a). 2. The storage battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrical cavity (11a) contains a second wall (11c), wherein the first wall (21a) faces the second wall (11c). 3. The storage battery according to item 2, characterized in that a first space (152) is provided between the second wall (11c) and the first wall (21a), wherein the first passage (15) includes the first space (152). 4. A storage battery according to paragraph 2 or 3, characterized in that the storage battery additionally contains: a connecting structure (151), wherein the connecting structure (151) is located between the first wall (21a) and the second wall (11c), and the connecting structure (151) is used to form at least a part of the first passage (15). 5. The storage battery according to claim 4, characterized in that the connecting structure (151) is provided with a first flow channel (1511), wherein the first passage (15) includes the first flow channel (1511). 6. The storage battery according to claim 5, characterized in that the first flow channel (1511) contains a through hole and/or groove passing through the connecting structure (151). 7. A storage battery according to item 5 or 6, characterized in that the radial size of the first flow channel (1511) is less than or equal to 2 mm, and the radial direction is perpendicular to the direction of the flow of emissions in the first passage (1511). 8. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs. 4-7, characterized in that the connecting structure (151) is designed with the possibility of destruction upon activation of the pressure release mechanism (213), so that a second space is formed between the first wall (21a) and the second wall (11c), wherein the first passage (15) includes the second space. 9. The storage battery according to claim 8, characterized in that the connecting structure (151) comprises a fusible layer located between the first wall (21a) and the second wall (11c), wherein the fusible layer is designed with the possibility of melting when the pressure release mechanism (213) is activated, so that a second space is formed between the first wall (21a) and the second wall (11c). 10. A storage battery according to item 9, characterized in that the thickness of the fusible layer is from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. 11. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs. 4-10, characterized in that the connecting structure (151) is provided with a safety region (1512) corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism (213), wherein the safety region (1512) is used to provide a deformation space for the pressure relief mechanism (213) when it is triggered. 12. The storage battery according to claim 11, characterized in that the safety region (1512) corresponds to at least two pressure relief mechanisms (213). 13. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 4-12, characterized in that the connecting structure (151) additionally contains: a blocking structure (1513) located between the first wall (21a) and the second wall (11c) and around the pressure relief mechanism (213), wherein the blocking structure (1513) is used to prevent emissions released through the pressure relief mechanism (213) from reaching the electrode terminal (214) of the battery cell (20). 14. The storage battery according to claim 13, characterized in that the electrode terminal (214) is located on the third wall (21b) of the element (20) of the storage battery, wherein the third wall (21b) intersects with the first wall (21a), and the locking structure (1513) is located on the side of the pressure release mechanism (213) next to the electrode terminal (214). 15. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 4-14, characterized in that the connecting structure (151) includes a thermal gasket and/or a sealing gasket located between the first wall (21a) and the second wall (11c). 16. A storage battery according to any of paragraphs 2-15, characterized in that the storage battery contains: a block (201) of battery cells; wherein the block (201) of battery cells includes a plurality of battery cells (20) arranged along a first direction, the electric cavity (11a) includes a fourth wall (11d) intersecting with the second wall (11c), a third space is provided between the end surface (2011) of the block (201) of battery cells facing the fourth wall (11d) and the fourth wall (11d), wherein the first passage (15) includes the third space. 17. The storage battery according to item 16, characterized in that the storage battery additionally contains: a first separating structure (153) located between the end surface (2011) and the fourth wall (11d), wherein the first separating structure (153) is used to form at least a portion of the first passage (15). 18. The storage battery according to claim 17, characterized in that the first separating structure (153) is provided with a second flow channel (1531), wherein the first passage (15) includes the second flow channel (1531). 19. A storage battery according to any of paragraphs 2-18, characterized in that the storage battery additionally contains: a second separating structure (154) located between two adjacent elements (20) of the storage battery, wherein the second separating structure (154) is used to form at least a portion of the first passage (15). 20. The storage battery according to claim 19, characterized in that the second separating structure (154) is designed to be destroyed when the pressure release mechanism (213) is activated, so that a fourth space is formed between the two elements (20) of the storage battery, wherein the first passage (15) includes the fourth space. 21. The storage battery according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the second separating structure (154) is provided with a third flow channel (1543), wherein the first passage (15) includes the third flow channel (1543). 22. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 2-21, characterized in that the second wall (11c) is provided with a pressure relief zone (114) corresponding to a pressure relief mechanism (213), wherein the pressure relief zone (114) is used to form at least part of the second passage (16). 23. The storage battery according to claim 22, characterized in that the pressure relief region (114) is a through hole passing through the second wall (11c) in a direction perpendicular to the first wall (21a). 24. The storage battery according to item 23, characterized in that the pressure relief region (114) satisfies the following formula: , where S is the area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region (114) on the second wall (11c) divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms (213) corresponding to the pressure relief region (114), and D is the distance between the second wall (11c) and the first wall (21a). 25. A storage battery according to paragraph 23 or 24, characterized in that the storage battery additionally contains: a second separating structure (154) located between two adjacent battery elements (20) in the battery, wherein the second separating structure (154) is used to form at least a portion of the first passage (15), and the pressure relief region (114) satisfies the following formula: where S is the area of the orthogonal projection of the pressure relief region (114) on the second wall (11c), divided by the number of pressure relief mechanisms (213) corresponding to the pressure relief region (114), and t is the distance between the two elements (20) of the battery. 26. The storage battery according to claim 22, characterized in that the pressure relief region (114) is a weak region of the second wall (11c), wherein said weak region is designed to be destroyed when the pressure relief mechanism (213) is activated to form at least part of the second passage (16). 27. The storage battery according to item 26, characterized in that the pressure relief region (114) satisfies the following formula: where d represents the minimum value of the thicknesses at different positions of the weak region, and D represents the distance between the second wall (11c) and the first wall (21a). 28. A storage battery according to item 26 or 27, characterized in that the storage battery additionally contains: a second separating structure (154) located between two adjacent battery elements (20) in the battery, wherein the second separating structure (154) is used to form at least a portion of the first passage (15), and the pressure relief region (114) satisfies the following formula: where d represents the minimum value of the thicknesses at different positions of the weak region, and t represents the distance between two elements (20) of the battery. 29. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 1-28, characterized in that the box-shaped housing (11) additionally contains: a collection cavity (11b) used to collect emissions released through the second passage (16) when the pressure relief mechanism (213) is activated. 30. The storage battery according to item 29, characterized in that the storage battery additionally contains: an insulating component configured to insulate the electrical cavity (11a) and the collection cavity (11b). 31. A vehicle containing: a storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 1-30, wherein the storage battery is designed with the possibility of supplying electrical energy to the vehicle.

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