RECHARGEABLE BATTERY

• US 20150044526A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: GUEN, Minhyung, SEO, Yongchul
• Granted Patent: US 9,768,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/61
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/528 Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/533 characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/536 characterised by the method of fixing the leads to the electrodes, e.g. by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/538 Connection of several leads or tabs of wound or folded electrode stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable battery including an electrode assembly; a terminal; and a current collector electrically connecting the electrode assembly and the terminal, the current collector including a first fuse for a first current and a second fuse for a second current, the first current being different from the second current.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery, comprising:

an electrode assembly;

a terminal; and

a current collector electrically connecting the electrode assembly and the terminal, the current collector including a first fuse for a first current and a second fuse for a second current, the first current being different from the second current.

2. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current collector includes:

a terminal connection part coupled with the terminal,

an electrode connection part coupled with the electrode assembly, and

a connecting part connecting between the terminal connection part and the electrode connection part.

3. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first fuse is on the terminal connection part of the current collector.

4. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second fuse is on the connecting part of the current collector.

5. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first fuse includes a fuse hole penetrating the terminal connection part, the fuse hole reducing a cross sectional area of a region of the terminal connection part of the current collector.

6. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the current collector has an inverted-L shape such that the terminal connection part is perpendicular to the electrode connection part and the connecting part.

7. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuse includes fuse cut-outs, the fuse cut-outs reducing a certain cross sectional area of the connecting part of the current collector relative to other regions of the connecting part.

8. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fuse cut-outs include:

a first fuse-cut out at one side of the connecting part, and

a second fuse cut-out at another side of the connecting part, the other side of the connecting part being opposite to the one side of the connecting part.

9. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first fuse-cut out has a size and shape that are about the same as a size and shape of the second fuse cut-out.

10. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first fuse-cut out has a size and shape that are different from a size and shape of the second fuse cut-out.

11. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first fuse-cut out has an area that is greater than an area of the second fuse cut-out.

12. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fuse cut-outs are grooves extending inwardly from respective outer side edges of the connecting part.

13. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second fuse further includes a fuse protrusion between the fuse cut-outs, the fuse protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly.

14. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second fuse further includes a fuse recess on the current collector and opposite to the fuse protrusion.

15. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein melting of the second fuse detaches the electrode assembly from the terminal and drops the electrode assembly away from the terminal.

16. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

another terminal; and

another current collector, the other current collector including another first fuse.

17. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuse is electrically connected between the first fuse and the electrode assembly.

18. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuse has a larger cross sectional area than the first fuse.

19. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fuse is meltable in response to a lower current relative to a current in response to which the first fuse is meltable.

20. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of remaining portions of the current collector at the first fuse is less than a width of remaining portions of the current collector at the second fuse.