DOUBLE WINDING-TYPED ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY

• US 20090305121A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Eun Ji, Kim, Kijae, Shin, Inchul, Yang, Heekook, Yoon, Jongmoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,277,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/94
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• 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 herein is a double winding type electrode assembly constructed in a structure in which a cathode and an anode are opposite to each other while a separator is disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the electrode assembly is manufactured by preparing a plurality of cell units, each cell unit having a cathode sheet and an anode sheet, of a predetermined size, wound, while a separator is disposed between the cathode sheet and the anode sheet, each cell unit being elliptical in section, and sequentially winding the cell units while arranging the cell units on a long separator sheet.

Claims

1. A double winding type electrode assembly constructed in a structure in which a cathode and an anode are opposite to each other while a separator is disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein

the electrode assembly is manufactured by preparing a plurality of cell units, each cell unit having a cathode sheet and an anode sheet, of a predetermined size, wound, while a separator is disposed between the cathode sheet and the anode sheet, each cell unit being elliptical in section, and sequentially winding the cell units while arranging the cell units on a long separator sheet.

2. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the separator, disposed between the cathode and the anode, extends longer than the outer winding end of each electrode.

3. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the number of winding times of each cell unit is 1 to 5 based on the number of bending times of the respective electrode sheets in the elliptical structure.

4. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein, when the winding process is performed to manufacture of each cell unit, the inside winding end of the cathode and the inside winding end of the anode are located at approximately the same winding start point, or the inside winding end of the cathode and the inside winding end of the anode are opposite to each other at the winding start point.

5. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein each cell unit is a cell unit constructed in a structure in which the upper end electrode and the lower end electrode have different polarities (A-type cell unit) or a cell unit constructed in a structure in which the upper end electrode and the lower end electrode have the same polarity (B-type cell unit).

6. The electrode assembly according to claim 5, wherein the A-type cell unit is constructed in a structure in which the outside winding end of the cathode and the outside winding end of the anode are located on the same plane or a structure in which the outside winding end of the cathode and the outside winding end of the anode are not located on the same plane.

7. The electrode assembly according to claim 6, wherein opposite round sides of each cell unit are surrounded by the anode sheet.

8. The electrode assembly according to claim 5, wherein the B-type cell unit is constructed in a structure in which the anode forms the outer winding surface or a structure in which the cathode forms the outer winding surface.

9. The electrode assembly according to claim 8, wherein the outside winding end of the anode constituting the B-type cell unit extends longer than the outside winding end of the cathode constituting the B-type cell unit.

10. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first cell unit, with which the winding process is initiated, and the second cell unit, among the cell units arranged on the separator sheet, are spaced apart, by a length sufficient such that the lower end electrode of the first cell unit is brought into contact with the upper end electrode of the second cell unit after the outer surface of the first cell unit is completely covered by the separator sheet during the winding process, from each other.

11. The electrode assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cell units are wound in a structure in which the upper end electrode of the first cell unit and the upper end electrode of the third cell unit have opposite polarities, the lower end electrode of the second cell unit and the upper end electrode of the fourth cell unit have opposite polarities, and the lower end electrode of the third cell unit and the upper end electrode of the fifth cell unit have opposite polarities.

12. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower end electrode of the last cell unit on the separator sheet (n^th cell unit) and the lower end electrode of the n−

1^th cell unit adjacent to the n^th cell unit are anodes, respectively.

13. The electrode assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first cell unit and the second cell unit are A-type cell units whose upper end electrodes are cathodes (Ac-type cell units), the third cell unit is an A-type cell unit whose upper end electrode is an anode (Aa-type cell unit), the fourth cell unit and the following cell units are sequentially disposed in a structure in which the Ac-type cell units and the Aa-type cell units are alternately arranged, and the n^th cell unit is a B-type cell unit whose outer surface is an anode (Ba-type cell unit).

14. The electrode assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first cell unit and the second cell unit are Aa-type cell units, the third cell unit is an Ac-type cell unit, the fourth cell unit and the following cell units are sequentially disposed in a structure in which the Aa-type cell units and the Ac-type cell units are alternately arranged, the n−

1^th cell unit is a Ba-type cell unit, and the n^th cell unit is an Ac-type cell unit.

15. The electrode assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first cell unit is a Ba-type cell unit, the second cell unit and the third cell unit are B-type cell units whose outer surfaces are cathodes (Bc-type cell units), the fourth cell unit and the following cell units are sequentially disposed in a structure in which the Bc-type cell units and the Ba-type cell units are alternately arranged two by two, and the n−

1^th cell unit and the n^th cell unit are Ba-type cell units, respectively.

16. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the number of cell units is 2 to 10.

17. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cell units are bonded to the separator sheet before the commencement of the winding process.

18. The electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the separator of each cell unit is coated with a binder, and the separator is bonded to the electrodes to maintain the elliptical structure in section.

19. A secondary battery including the electrode assembly according to claim 1.

20. The secondary battery according to claim 19, wherein the secondary battery is a lithium secondary battery.

21. A middle- or large-sized battery module including the secondary battery according to claim 19 as a unit cell.