Nonaqueous electrolyte battery and production method therefor

• US 20030134190A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Keisuke, Ishida, Sumihito, Watanabe, Shoichiro, Kaiya, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,201,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0585 of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/105 Pouches or flexible bags
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/119 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/133 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/178 for pouch or flexible bag cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/12 with flat electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/181 with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Disclosed is a non-aqueous electrolyte battery comprising: a flat outer jacket comprising a metal sheet and having two primary flat portions facing each other; two active material layers of a first polarity respectively carried on inner surfaces of the flat portions; an electrode plate of a second polarity disposed in a position facing with each of the active material layers; and a separator layer interposed between each of the active material layers and the electrode plate of a second polarity, with the outer jacket serving as a current collector of the active material layers.

Claims

1. A non-aqueous electrolyte battery comprising:

an outer jacket comprising a metal sheet and having two primary flat portions facing each other;

two active material layers of a first polarity respectively carried on inner surfaces of said flat portions;

an electrode plate of a second polarity disposed in a position facing with each of said active material layers; and

a separator layer interposed between each of said active material layers and said electrode plate of a second polarity,

said outer jacket serving as a current collector of said active material layers.

2. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an additional electrode plate of a first polarity disposed adjacent to said electrode plate of a second polarity with a separator layer interposed therebetween; and

an additional electrode plate of a second polarity disposed adjacent to said additional electrode plate of a first polarity with a separator layer interposed therebetween in a double-stacked form.

3. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a lead electrically connected to said electrode plate of a second polarity, one end of said lead protruding outside from said outer jacket, and said lead being insulated from said outer jacket with resin.

4. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 3, wherein said lead is provided with an overcurrent breaking device sealed with resin at a portion thereof sandwiched between peripheral portions of said outer jacket.

5. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said separator layer and said active material layers contain a polymer electrolyte.

6. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 5, wherein said polymer electrolyte is a gel electrolyte comprising a liquid non-aqueous electrolyte and a polymer retaining the same.

7. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outer jacket comprises a pair of metal sheets having flat portions facing each other or a single metal sheet folded so as to have two flat portions facing each other, and peripheral portions facing each other of said pair of metal sheets or peripheral portions facing each other of said single metal sheet are joined.

8. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 7, wherein said peripheral portions facing each other are joined by laser welding or ultrasonic welding.

9. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 1, wherein said metal sheet has a thickness of 10 to 100 μ

m.

10. A method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery comprising the steps of:

(1a) forming an active material layer of a first polarity on a flat portion of one surface of a metal sheet except for a peripheral portion thereof, thereby producing an outer electrode plate;

(2a) producing an electrode plate of a second polarity;

(3a) preparing a pair of outer electrode plates, disposing one of the outer electrode plates and the other outer electrode plate so as to face each other, with said active material layers disposed facing inwardly, and sandwiching said electrode plate of a second polarity by said pair of outer electrode plates facing each other, with a separator layer interposed therebetween; and

(4a) joining peripheral portions of said pair of outer electrode plates facing each other.

11. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 10,

wherein, in the step (1a), a plurality of active material layers of a first polarity are intermittently formed on a flat portion of one surface of a band-shaped metal sheet except for a peripheral portion thereof, thereby producing an outer electrode plate assembly comprising a plurality of outer electrode plate units aligned in a row and,

in the step (3a), a pair of said outer electrode plate assemblies are prepared, each outer electrode plate unit of one of said outer electrode plate assemblies and each outer electrode plate unit of the other outer electrode plate assembly are successively disposed so as to face each other, with active material layers thereof disposed facing inwardly, and said electrode plate of a second polarity is successively sandwiched by a pair of outer electrode plate units facing each other, with a separator layer interposed therebetween.

12. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 10,

wherein, in the step (3a), an additional electrode plate of a first polarity is disposed adjacent to said electrode plate of a second polarity, with a separator layer interposed therebetween, and an additional electrode plate of a second polarity is disposed adjacent to said additional electrode plate of a first polarity, with a separator layer interposed therebetween.

13. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 10,

wherein, in the step (3a), a paste comprising a starting material of said separator layer is applied on said active material layer of a first polarity or said electrode plate of a second polarity to form said separator layer.

14. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 13, wherein said starting material of said separator layer contains a gel-forming agent.

15. A method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery comprising the steps of:

(1b) preparing a metal sheet provided with a crease line or an imaginary crease line at which said sheet is to be folded so as to have two flat portions facing each other;

(2b) forming a pair of active material layers of a first polarity on said flat portions, symmetrical with respect to said crease line or imaginary crease line, of one surface of said metal sheet except for peripheral portions thereof, thereby producing an outer electrode plate;

(3b) producing an electrode plate of a second polarity;

(4b) folding said outer electrode plate at said crease line or imaginary crease line to sandwich said electrode plate of a second polarity by said pair of active material layers with a separator layer interposed therebetween; and

(5b) joining peripheral portions of said outer electrode plate facing each other.

16. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 15,

wherein, in the step (1b), a band-shaped metal sheet is prepared, which is provided with a crease line or an imaginary crease line parallel with a longitudinal direction,

in the step (2b), plural pairs of active material layers of a first polarity are intermittently formed on flat portions, symmetrical to said crease line or imaginary crease line, of one surface of said band-shaped metal sheet except for peripheral portions thereof, thereby producing an outer electrode plate assembly comprising a plurality of outer electrode plate units aligned in a row and,

in the step (4b), said electrode plate of a second polarity is successively sandwiched by a pair of active material layers of each outer electrode plate unit, with said separator layer interposed therebetween.

17. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 15,

wherein, in the step (4b), an additional electrode plate of a first polarity is disposed adjacent to said electrode plate of a second polarity with a separator layer interposed therebetween, and an additional electrode plate of a second polarity is disposed adjacent to said additional electrode plate of a first polarity with a separator layer interposed therebetween.

18. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 15,

wherein, in the step (4b), a paste comprising a starting material of said separator layer is applied on said active material layer of a first polarity or said electrode plate of a second polarity, thereby forming said separator layer.

19. The method of producing a non-aqueous electrolyte battery in accordance with claim 18,

wherein said starting material of said separator layer contains a gel-forming agent.