Electrode having round corner

• US 9,786,874 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Sungjin, Kim, Ki Woong, Kim, Dong-Myung
• Primary Examiner(s): AMPONSAH, OSEI K
• Application Number:
  US13/845,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20140255755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• 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 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• 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 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 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/557 Plate-shaped terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/566 by welding, soldering or brazing
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electrode assembly including two or more unit cells, each of which includes a cathode, an anode, and a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, electrode tabs protruding from the respective electrodes, wherein the unit cells are stacked in a height direction on the basis of a plane, at least two of the unit cells having different planer sizes, and one or more corners of each of the unit cells, which do not tangent to one side of each of the unit cells at which the electrode tabs are formed, are round.

Claims

1. A battery cell comprising:

an electrode assembly including;

two or more unit cells, each of which comprises a cathode, an anode, and a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, electrode tabs protruding from the respective electrodes,

wherein each unit cell has a length along one side thereof in a direction in which the electrode tabs protrude therefrom, and a width along one side thereof in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the electrode tabs protrude therefrom,

wherein the unit cells are stacked in a height direction on the basis of a plane, at least two of the unit cells having different planer sizes defined at least by different widths,

wherein one or more corners of each of the unit cells, which are not tangent to one side of each of the unit cells at which the electrode tabs are formed, are round, and

wherein the one or more corners of each of the unit cells is defined by a round corner of at least one of the cathode and the anode;

wherein the electrode assembly is mounted in a battery case in a sealed state such that the electrode assembly is impregnated with an electrolyte,

wherein the battery case is formed of a laminate sheet comprising a resin layer and a metal layer or a metal container,

wherein the battery case is provided with a receiving part having an internal structure corresponding to an external structure of the electrode assembly,

wherein a radius of curvature of each of the round corners of the unit cells is equivalent to 5% to 45% the length of each of the unit cells,

wherein the electrode tabs of the unit cells constituting the electrode assembly are coupled to an electrode lead to form an electrode terminal,

wherein a width of the electrode lead is equivalent to 50 to 90% that of each of the electrode tabs, and

wherein, in a case in which the electrode assembly comprises n unit cells, the electrode tabs of an n-th unit cell and the electrode tabs of an (n−

1)-th unit cell are formed at the same position despite said unit cells having different widths.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, wherein, in a case in which the electrode assembly comprises n unit cells, a size of an n-th unit cell located at an uppermost end of the electrode assembly is equivalent to more than 1% and less than 100% that of an (n−

1)-th unit cell adjacent to the n-th unit cell.

3. The battery cell according to claim 2, wherein a minimum difference between the width or the length of the n-th unit cell and the width or the length of the (n−

1)-th unit cell is 0.5 mm.

4. The battery cell according to claim 3, wherein the minimum difference between the width or the length of the n-th unit cell and the width or the length of the (n−

1)-th unit cell is 1 mm.

5. The battery cell according to claim 3, wherein a minimum difference between the width or the length of a first unit cell located at a lowermost end of the electrode assembly and the width or the length of a second unit cell adjacent to the first unit cell is 2 mm.

6. The battery cell according to claim 5, wherein the minimum difference between the width or the length of the first unit cell located at the lowermost end of the electrode assembly and the width or the length of the second unit cell adjacent to the first unit cell is 3 mm.

7. The battery cell according to claim 2, wherein a minimum difference between a radius of curvature of each round corner of the n-th unit cell and a radius of curvature of each round corner of the (n−

1)-th unit cell is 0.5 mm.

8. The battery cell according to claim 7, wherein the minimum difference between the radius of curvature of each round corner of the n-th unit cell and the radius of curvature of each round corner of the (n−

1)-th unit cell is 1 mm.

9. The battery cell according to claim 7, wherein a minimum difference between a radius of curvature of each round corner of a first unit cell located at a lowermost end of the electrode assembly and a radius of curvature of each round corner of a second unit cell adjacent to the first unit cell is 2 mm.

10. The battery cell according to claim 9, wherein the minimum difference between the radius of curvature of each round corner of the first unit cell located at the lowermost end of the electrode assembly and the radius of curvature of each round corner of the second unit cell adjacent to the first unit cell is 3 mm.

11. The battery cell according to claim 1, wherein, in a case in which the electrode assembly comprises n unit cells, a minimum distance between each of the electrode tabs and a corresponding end of an n-th unit cell located at an uppermost end of the electrode assembly in a lateral direction is 4 mm.

12. The battery cell according to claim 11, wherein, in a case in which the electrode assembly comprises the n unit cells, the minimum distance between each of the electrode tabs and a corresponding end of the n-th unit cell located at the uppermost end of the electrode assembly in the lateral direction is 4.4 mm.

13. The battery cell according to claim 11, wherein the electrode tabs of a first unit cell located at a lowermost end of the electrode assembly to an (n−

1)-th unit cell adjacent to the n-th unit cell are formed at the same positions in plane as the electrode tabs of the n-th unit cell.

14. The battery cell according to claim 11, wherein a minimum distance between the cathode tab and the anode tab is 10 mm.

15. A battery pack comprising a battery cell according to claim 1 as a unit battery.

16. A device comprising a battery cell according to claim 1 as a power source.

17. A device comprising a battery pack according to claim 15 as a power source.