# US 10,770,696 B2 · Top cover assembly of secondary battery and secondary battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,696 B2 - Document ID: US10770696B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/950,617 - Filed: 2018-04-11 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-20 - Assignees: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited - Applicants: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited - Inventors: Baisong Chen; Peng Wang; Kai Wu; Zhiyu Wang; Xiaobo Chen; Taosheng Zhu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770696B2 ## CPC - H01M 50/581: in response to temperature - H01M 50/147: Lids or covers - H01M 50/15: for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/153 takes precedence) - H01M 50/50: Current conducting connections for cells or batteries - H01M 50/55: on the same side of the cell - H01M 50/553: Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells - H01M 50/578: in response to pressure - H01M 50/593: Spacers; Insulating plates - H01M 2200/103: Fuse - H01M 2200/20: Pressure-sensitive devices - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Provided are a top cover assembly and a secondary battery containing the same. The top cover assembly includes a first electrode terminal, a conduction member, a second electrode terminal, and a top cover plate insulated from the first electrode terminal and electrically connected to the second electrode terminal, the secondary battery further comprises a contact plate which is attached to the top cover plate, the conduction member is insulated from the top cover plate and comprises an electrode terminal connection portion, a first fuse member, a contact plate connection portion, and a connection layer, the first fuse member has a melting point lower than the electrode terminal connection portion and the contact plate connection portion; the first fuse member is connected to the electrode terminal connection portion via the connection layer, and/or the first fuse member is connected to the contact plate connection portion via the connection layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A top cover assembly of a secondary battery, comprising: a first electrode terminal, a conduction member, a second electrode terminal, and a top cover plate, wherein the top cover plate is insulated from the first electrode terminal, and the top cover plate is electrically connected to the second electrode terminal, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a contact plate, and the contact plate is attached to the top cover plate, and the conduction member is insulated from the top cover plate, wherein the conduction member comprises an electrode terminal connection portion, a first fuse member, and a contact plate connection portion, wherein the electrode terminal connection portion is electrically connected to the first electrode terminal, the first fuse member is electrically connected between the electrode terminal connection portion and the contact plate connection portion, and a melting point of the first fuse member is lower than a melting point of the electrode terminal connection portion and a melting point of the contact plate connection portion, wherein the contact plate is configured to deform under an internal pressure of the secondary battery and to be electrically connected to the contact plate connection portion when the internal pressure of the secondary battery exceeds a reference pressure, for forming an electric connection path passing through the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal, and wherein the conduction member further comprises a connection layer, wherein the first fuse member is electrically connected to the electrode terminal connection portion via the connection layer, and the connection layer is configured to enhance a connection strength between the first fuse and the electrode terminal connection portion; and/or the first fuse member is electrically connected to the contact plate connection portion via the connection layer, and the connection layer is configured to enhance a connection strength between the first fuse and the contact plate connection portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The top cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrode terminal connection portion and/or the contact plate connection portion is made of a first metal material, the first fuse member is made of a second metal material, and the connection layer is made of a third metal material, wherein a bonding force formed between the third metal material and the first metal material and a bonding force formed between the third metal material and the second metal material are both greater than a bonding force formed between the first metal material and the second metal material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The top cover assembly according to claim 2, wherein the third metal material is nickel, nickel alloy, tin, tin alloy, bismuth, or bismuth alloy, the first metal material is aluminum or aluminum alloy, the second metal material is a metal comprising one or more elements selected from a group consisting of bismuth, tin, lead, zinc, and indium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The top cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein a number of the connection layer is two, wherein one of the two connection layers is connected to the electrode terminal connection portion, the other one of the two connection layers is connected to the first fuse member, and the two connection layers are welded to each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The top cover assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an insulation member, wherein the conduction member is insulated from the top cover plate by the insulation member, and wherein a first through hole is defined in the insulation member, and the contact plate deformed contacts the contact plate connection portion through the first through hole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The top cover assembly according to claim 5, wherein the insulation member comprises a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion, wherein the first portion is fixed between the electrode terminal connection portion and the top cover plate, and the second portion surrounds the contact plate connection portion, wherein the first through hole is defined in the second portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The top cover assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a thermo-expandable portion made of an insulative and thermally expandable material, wherein the first fuse member and the thermo-expandable portion are arranged along a thickness direction of the conduction member, the thermo-expandable portion is located above the first fusing portion, and the thermo-expandable portion is respectively laminated to the electrode terminal connection portion and the contact plate connection portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The top cover assembly according to claim 7, further comprising an insulation member, wherein the conduction member is insulated from the top cover plate via the insulation member, and the insulation member and the thermo-expandable portion are formed as an integral structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A secondary battery comprising the top cover assembly according to claim 1, a housing and an electrode assembly, wherein the top cover assembly is connected to an opening of the housing and forms a packaging space, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode terminal is electrically connected to the first electrode, and the second electrode terminal is electrically connected to the second electrode; and wherein the electrode assembly is packaged in the packaging space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The secondary battery according to claim 9, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a second fuse member, and the first electrode terminal is electrically connected to the first electrode via the second fuse member, and/or the secondary battery further comprises a third fuse member, and the second electrode terminal is electrically connected to the second electrode via the third fuse member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The secondary battery according to claim 9, wherein the electrode terminal connection portion and/or the contact plate connection portion is made of a first metal material, the first fuse member is made of a second metal material, and the connection layer is made of a third metal material, wherein a bonding force formed between the third metal material and the first metal material and a bonding force formed between the third metal material and the second metal material are both greater than a bonding force formed between the first metal material and the second metal material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The secondary battery according to claim 11, wherein the third metal material is nickel, nickel alloy, tin, tin alloy, bismuth, or bismuth alloy, the first metal material is aluminum or aluminum alloy, the second metal material is a metal comprising one or more elements selected from a group consisting of bismuth, tin, lead, zinc, and indium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The secondary battery according to claim 9, wherein a number of the connection layer is two, wherein one of the two connection layers is connected to the electrode terminal connection portion, the other one of the two connection layers is connected to the first fuse member, and the two connection layers are welded to each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The secondary battery according to claim 9, wherein the top cover assembly further comprises an insulation member, wherein the conduction member is insulated from the top cover plate by the insulation member, and wherein a first through hole is defined in the insulation member, and the contact plate deformed contacts the contact plate connection portion through the first through hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The secondary battery according to claim 14, wherein the insulation member comprises a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion, wherein the first portion is fixed between the electrode terminal connection portion and the top cover plate, and the second portion surrounds the contact plate connection portion, wherein the first through hole is defined in the second portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The secondary battery according to claim 9, wherein the top cover assembly further comprises a thermo-expandable portion made of an insulative and thermally expandable material, wherein the first fuse member and the thermo-expandable portion are arranged along a thickness direction of the conduction member, the thermo-expandable portion is located above the first fusing portion, and the thermo-expandable portion is respectively laminated to the electrode terminal connection portion and the contact plate connection portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The secondary battery according to claim 16, wherein the top cover assembly further comprises an insulation member, wherein the conduction member is insulated from the top cover plate via the insulation member, and the insulation member and the thermo-expandable portion are formed as an integral structure.