Negative-electrode terminal for cell

• US 9,017,871 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd., Neomax Materials Co., Ltd. (Proterial Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd., Neomax Materials Co., Ltd. (Proterial Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oda, Yoshimitsu, Ishio, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): EGGERDING, ALIX ECHELMEYER
• Application Number:
  US14/236,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20140178755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• US Class Current: 429/211
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/176 for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• 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 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/566 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A negative-electrode terminal for a cell in which separation between a first metal layer and a second metal layer hardly takes place is provided by suppressing excess formation of an intermetallic compound on a bond interface between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. This negative-electrode terminal for a cell includes a clad portion formed by bonding a first metal layer made of Al or an Al alloy and a second metal layer containing Ni and Cu and consisting of one or a plurality of layers to each other. The first metal layer includes a connected region connected with a cell terminal connecting plate and a stacked region adjacent to the connected region on the side of the same surface, while the second metal layer is bonded to the first metal layer in the stacked region and configured to be connectable to cell negative electrodes of cells.

Claims

1. A negative-electrode terminal for a cell comprising a clad portion formed by bonding a first metal layer made of Al or an Al alloy and a second metal layer containing Ni and Cu and consisting of one or a plurality of layers to each other, wherein

the first metal layer includes a connected region connected with a cell terminal connecting plate for connecting cell terminals of a plurality of cells with each other and a stacked region adjacent to the connected region on the side of the same surface

the second metal layer is bonded to the first metal layer in the stacked region, and configured to be connectable to cell negative electrodes of the cells, and

the second metal layer is stacked on the first metal layer in the stacked region which is separate from the connected region, in a direction in which the cell negative electrodes extend.

2. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the first metal layer is configured to be connectable to the cell terminal connecting plate made of Al or an Al alloy, and the second metal layer is configured to be connectable to the cell negative electrodes made of Cu or a Cu alloy.

3. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the connected region and the stacked region of the first metal layer are arranged on a side opposite to the cells.

4. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the second metal layer is arranged to extend in the stacked region from one end portion up to another end portion in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in which the connected region and the stacked region are adjacent to each other on the same surface.

5. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the second metal layer is constituted of an Ni—

Cu alloy layer containing Ni and Cu.

6. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 5, wherein the content of Ni in the Ni—

Cu alloy layer of the second metal layer is at least 2 mass %.

7. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 6, wherein the content of Ni in the Ni—

Cu alloy layer of the second metal layer is at least 10 mass %.

8. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the second metal layer includes a clad portion at least having a third metal layer made of Ni and a fourth metal layer made of Cu, and the third metal layer is arranged on a bonded portion to the first metal layer.

9. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 8, wherein the thickness of the fourth metal layer is larger than the thickness of the third metal layer.

10. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 8, wherein the second metal layer consists of the clad portion having the third metal layer and the fourth metal layer and an Ni-plated layer formed on a side of the fourth metal layer opposite to the third metal layer.

11. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 8, wherein the second metal layer consists of the clad portion having the third metal layer and the fourth metal layer as well as a fifth metal layer made of Ni arranged on a side of the fourth metal layer opposite to the third metal layer.

12. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 11, wherein the thickness of the fourth metal layer is larger than the thickness of the fifth metal layer.

13. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the fourth metal layer is at least the total thickness of the thickness of the third metal layer and the thickness of the fifth metal layer.

14. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein a groove portion is formed in the stacked region of the first metal layer, and the second metal layer is bonded to the first metal layer in a state embedded in the groove portion of the first metal layer.

15. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the first metal layer in the connected region and the surface of the second metal layer bonded to the first metal layer in the stacked region are connected with each other in the form of planar surfaces.

16. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the second metal layer is not more than the thickness of the first metal layer in the stacked region.

17. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 16, wherein the thickness of the second metal layer is at least 10% and not more than 50% of the total thickness of the thickness of the first metal layer in the stacked region and the thickness of the second metal layer.

18. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein the clad portion is configured, in a state insulated from lids of cell cases of the cells, to be arrangeable on the upper surfaces of the lids of the cell cases.

19. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the first metal layer in the connected region is provided in the form of a planar surface to be weldable to the cell terminal connecting plate in the form of a flat plate.

20. The negative-electrode terminal for a cell according to claim 1, wherein a notch portion is formed in the stacked region of the first metal layer, and the second metal layer is bonded to the first metal layer in a state arranged in the notch portion of the stacked region.