RECESSED TAB FOR HIGHER ENERGY DENSITY AND THINNER BATTERIES

• US 20130101896A1
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rich, David Gerard, Sutarwala, Taha Shabbir Husain
• Granted Patent: US 10,446,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/211
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/13 Electrodes for accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte, e.g. for lithium-accumulators; Processes of manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/139 Processes of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/70 characterised by shape or form
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 including adhesively bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

Various embodiments are described herein for an electrode assembly for a battery and a method of making the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly comprises an active material layer having a recess formed therein at an outer surface of the active material layer, the recess extending from a side facet of the active material layer toward an interior portion of the active material layer; a current collector layer supported on and in electrical contact with the outer surface of the active material layer; and a tab element supported partially within the recess and in electrical contact with at least one of the active material layer and the current collector layer, the tab element being adapted to provide an electrical connection for the electrode assembly.

Claims

1. An electrode assembly for a battery, the electrode assembly comprising:

an active material layer having a recess formed therein at an outer surface of the active material layer, the recess extending from a side facet of the active material layer toward an interior portion of the active material layer;

a current collector layer supported on and in electrical contact with the outer surface of the active material layer; and

a tab element supported partially within the recess and in electrical contact with at least one of the active material layer and the current collector layer, the tab element being adapted to provide an electrical connection for the electrode assembly.

2. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the current collector layer is supported between the active material layer and the tab element within the recess.

3. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the tab element is supported between the active material layer and the current collector layer within the recess.

4. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the recess is formed in the active material layer spaced apart from an end facet of the active material layer.

5. The electrode assembly of claim 4, wherein the recess extends away from the side facet generally parallel to the end facet.

6. The electrode assembly of claim 4, wherein the active material layer comprises a ridge portion between the recess and the end facet, the ridge portion having a top that is generally planar with the outer surface of the active material layer.

7. The electrode assembly of claim 6, wherein the top of the ridge portion is at a generally higher elevation than a floor portion of the recess.

8. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the recess comprises a floor portion, an end wall generally opposing the side facet and adjoining the floor portion to the outer surface of the active material, and spaced apart side walls extending between the end wall and the side facet and adjoining the floor portion to the outer surface of the active material.

9. The electrode assembly of claim 8, wherein the spaced apart side walls are sloped inwardly toward the floor portion.

10. The electrode assembly of claim 8, wherein the end wall is sloped inwardly toward the floor portion.

11. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the current collector layer comprises a metal deposition onto the outer surface.

12. The electrode assembly of claim 11, wherein the metal deposition is substantially continuous throughout the current collector layer.

13. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the active material layer comprises an electrolyte polymer.

14. The electrode assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrolyte polymer is mechanically self-stabilizing at ambient temperatures.

15. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the tab element has a first thickness and the current collector layer has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

16. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the tab element is bonded to the current collector layer to provide ohmic contact therebetween.

17. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the tab element and the recess have complementary surface profiles.

18. The electrode assembly of claim 17, wherein a top surface of the tab element is substantially planar with the outer surface of the active material layer.

19. A method of producing an electrode assembly for a battery, wherein the method comprises:

providing an active material layer on a backing substrate;

forming a recess in the active material layer at an outer surface of the active material layer, the recess extending from a side facet of the active material layer toward an interior portion of the active material layer;

removing the active material layer from the backing substrate;

applying a current collector layer to the outer surface of the active material layer; and

securing a tab element partially within the recess.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising stabilizing the active material layer on the backing substrate prior to removing the active material layer from the backing substrate.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the current collector layer is applied to the outer surface of the active material layer prior to the tab element being secured, and the tab element is secured to the current collector layer.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the current collector layer is applied to the outer surface of the active material layer after the tab element is secured, and the current collector layer is applied over the tab element within the recess.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the current collector layer is applied to the outer surface of the active material layer as a metal deposition.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the metal deposition is substantially continuous throughout the current collector layer.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising bonding the tab element to the current collector layer to provide ohmic contact therebetween.