Battery cell of stair-like structure

• US 9,548,517 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dong-Myung, Kim, Young Hun, Kwon, Sungjin, Ahn, Soonho, Kim, Ki Woong, Ryu, Seungmin
• Primary Examiner(s): APICELLA, KARIE O
• Application Number:
  US15/053,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20160181667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 429/152, 429/163, 296/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0463 Cells or batteries with horizontal or inclined electrodes
• 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 10/0585 of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/105 Pouches or flexible bags
• 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 50/186 characterised by the disposition of the sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/627 Filling ports
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 including sealing

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery cell configured to have a structure in which an electrode assembly including a separator disposed between a cathode and an anode is mounted in a battery case, wherein the battery case includes an upper case and a lower case, the upper case and/or the lower case being provided with a receiving part, in which the electrode assembly is mounted, the electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes or unit cells stacked in a height direction on the basis of a plane, two or more of the electrodes or the unit cells having different planar sizes, and the receiving part of the battery case is provided with stair-like steps corresponding to an external appearance of the electrode assembly.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a battery cell having stair-like steps, the method comprising:

manufacturing a battery case having a receiving part to receive an electrode assembly;

stacking a plurality of electrodes or unit cells comprising two or more electrodes or unit cells having different planar sizes in a height direction on the basis of a plane to manufacture an electrode assembly;

placing the electrode assembly in the receiving part of the battery case and sealing an outer circumference of the battery case except one side of the outer circumference;

injecting an electrolyte into the battery case through the one side of the outer circumference, which is not sealed, of the battery case to impregnate the electrode assembly with the electrolyte;

applying a vacuum through the one side of the outer circumference, which is not sealed, of the battery case to remove a surplus space defined between the battery case and the electrode assembly; and

sealing the battery case.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

charging and discharging the battery cell once or more to activate the battery cell; and

removing gas generated during activation of the battery cell, wherein

the step of charging and discharging the battery cell and the step of removing gas are performed after the step of impregnating the electrode assembly with the electrolyte.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of removing gas and the step of applying the vacuum to remove the surplus space defined between the battery case and the electrode assembly are simultaneously performed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the vacuum through the one side of the outer circumference, which is not sealed, of the battery case to remove the surplus space defined between the battery case and the electrode assembly comprises pressing the receiving part of the battery case using a stair-like press member having a structure corresponding to an external appearance of the electrode assembly and applying a vacuum into the battery case.

5. A method of manufacturing a battery cell having stair-like steps, the method comprising:

manufacturing a battery case having a receiving part to receive an electrode assembly;

stacking a plurality of electrodes or unit cells comprising two or more electrodes or unit cells having different planar sizes in a height direction on the basis of a plane to manufacture an electrode assembly;

placing the electrode assembly in the receiving part of the battery case and sealing an outer circumference of the battery case except one side of the outer circumference;

applying a vacuum through the one side of the outer circumference, which is not sealed, of the battery case to remove a surplus space defined between the battery case and the electrode assembly;

injecting an electrolyte into the battery case through the one side of the outer circumference, which is not sealed, of the battery case to impregnate the electrode assembly with the electrolyte; and

sealing the battery case.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

charging and discharging the battery cell once or more to activate the battery cell; and

removing gas generated during activation of the battery cell, wherein

the step of charging and discharging the battery cell and the step of removing gas are performed after the step of impregnating the electrode assembly with the electrolyte.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of removing gas and the step of applying the vacuum to remove the surplus space defined between the battery case and the electrode assembly are simultaneously performed.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of applying the vacuum through the one side of the outer circumference, which is not sealed, of the battery case to remove the surplus space defined between the battery case and the electrode assembly comprises pressing the receiving part of the battery case using a stair-like press member having a structure corresponding to an external appearance of the electrode assembly and applying a vacuum into the battery case.