Battery assembly having single electrode terminal connection part

• US 9,640,792 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Jun Hee, Kim, Sooryoung, Choi, Jong Woon, Moon, Jung Oh, Roh, Tae Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTIN, ANGELA J
• Application Number:
  US14/542,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/10 Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 50/178 for pouch or flexible bag cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/533 characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/548 on opposite sides 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: 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: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery assembly including at least two battery cells connected in series or in parallel. Each of the battery cells includes an electrode assembly including a cathode, an anode and a separator interposed between the cathode and the anode and a battery case in which the electrode assembly is mounted. An electrode terminal of a first battery cell and an electrode terminal of a second battery cell are formed as a single member at a series or parallel connection portion between the first and second battery cells.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising at least two battery cells connected in series or in parallel, each of the battery cells comprising an electrode assembly comprising a cathode, an anode and a separator interposed between the cathode and the anode and a battery case in which the electrode assembly is mounted, wherein an electrode terminal of a first one of the battery cells and an electrode terminal of a second one of the battery cells are formed as a single member at a series or parallel connection portion between the first and second battery cells,

wherein each of the battery cells is structured such that electrode tabs extending respectively from electrode plates of the electrode assembly are physically coupled to a single electrode lead, and the first battery cell and the second battery cell are structured such that electrode tabs of the first battery cell and electrode tabs of the second battery cell are physically coupled to the same single electrode lead at a series or parallel connection portion between the first and second battery cells.

2. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the battery cells is a plate-shaped battery cell.

3. The battery assembly according to claim 2, wherein the plate-shaped battery cell is structured such that a case formed of a laminate sheet comprising a metal layer and a resin layer is sealed around a perimeter of the case by thermal welding after an electrode assembly is mounted in the case.

4. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly is configured in a wound structure, a stacked structure or a stacked/folded structure.

5. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein electrode terminals of each of the battery cells comprise a cathode terminal formed of aluminum and an anode terminal formed of a nickel-plated copper.

6. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the battery cells is structured such that cathode and anode terminals of the battery cell face opposite ends of the battery case, respectively.

7. A battery module comprising one or more battery assemblies according to claim 1.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein each of the battery assemblies of the battery module comprises two battery cells.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the battery cells of each of the battery assemblies are arranged in a stacked configuration and electrode terminals of the battery cells are bent at a series or parallel connection portion between the battery cells to achieve the stacked configuration.

10. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein outer surfaces of the battery cells stacked in each of the battery assemblies are covered with a pair of cell covers that are coupled to each other.

11. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein electrical connection between the battery assemblies is achieved by direct coupling between an electrode terminal of a battery cell of a first one of the battery assemblies and an electrode terminal of a battery cell of a second one of the battery assemblies.

12. A device comprising the battery module according to claim 11.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device is an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a power storage device.