Pouch-type rechargeable battery and its method of manufacture

• US 20080311469A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Kwangsup
• Granted Patent: US 8,524,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/185
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/119 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/124 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/129 with two or more layers of only organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/178 for pouch or flexible bag cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 including sealing

Abstract

A pouch-type rechargeable battery and its method of manufacture includes: an electrode assembly having a resin layer attached to the outer surface of an electrode tap, and a pouch having a sealing part formed on the ends of the top and bottom thereof, housing the electrode assembly. The resin layer is positioned inside the sealing part and sealed by heat and pressure for preventing it from being exposed outside the sealing part. Thus, the pouch-type rechargeable battery is adapted to seal the resin layer in the sealing part, instead of exposing it outside the sealing part so as to reduce the longitudinal length of the battery, thereby improving the capacity of the battery.

Claims

1. A pouch-type rechargeable battery comprising:

an electrode assembly including a resin layer arranged on a surface portion of an electrode tap; and

a pouch, including the electrode assembly drawn out through a sealing part arranged on one end thereof, housing the electrode assembly;

wherein the resin layer does not extend beyond a straight line crossing the electrode tap and passing a front end of the pouch.

2. The pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 1, further comprising a groove, arranged on a region corresponding to the resin layer of the sealing part, to expose a portion of the resin layer outside.

3. The pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 2, wherein a distance in which the groove is set apart from the straight line is greater than that of the exposed portion of the resin layer.

4. The pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein a front end of a pouch membrane, on a part in which the electrode tap is drawn out, is folded inside the pouch along a folding line to seal opposite sides of ends of the folded pouch membrane.

5. The pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 4, wherein the pouch membrane comprises an insulation layer covering upper and lower surface of a metal foil layer.

6. The pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 5, wherein the insulation layer has a melting point in a range of from 90°

C. to 160°

C.

7. The pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 5, wherein the insulation layer comprises a polyolefin resin layer, CPP (Casted Polypropylene).

8. A method of manufacturing a pouch-type rechargeable battery, the method comprising:

manufacturing an electrode assembly including a resin layer formed on a surface portion of an electrode tap;

arranging ends of a top and bottom of a pouch on a top and bottom of the resin layer to be overlapped with at least a portion of the resin layer, the top and bottom of the pouch being arranged in the opposite direction to the electrode assembly with which the resin layer is formed;

forming a sealing part by heating the ends of the top and bottom of the pouch;

bending the top and bottom of the pouch toward the electrode assembly along the sealing part to expose an end of the electrode tap and to cover the electrode assembly with the top and bottom of the pouch; and

sealing an opening flange part of the top and bottom of the pouch.

9. The method of manufacturing the pouch-type rechargeable battery according to claim 8, wherein the top and bottom of the pouch adjusts the width of the sealing part so that the sealing part covers an edge of the end of the electrode tap of the resin layer upon forming the sealing part.