Electrochemical cells with one or more segmented current collectors and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12068486-B2
Application number	US-202117339326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2021
Priority date	Jun 4, 2020
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to electrochemical cells with one or more current collectors divided into segments, and methods of producing the same. A current collector divided into segments comprises a substantially planar conductive material including a connection region and an electrode region. The electrode region includes one or more dividers defining a plurality of electron flow paths. The plurality of electron flow paths direct the flow of electrons from the electrode region to the connection region. In some embodiments, the current collector includes a fuse section disposed between the electrode region and the connection region. In some embodiments, the fuse section can include a thin strip of conductive material, such that the thin strip of conductive material melts at a melting temperature and substantially prevent electron movement between the electrode region and the connection region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a substantially planar conductive material including a connection region and an electrode region, the electrode region including a divider defining a plurality of electron flow paths, the plurality of electron flow paths including a first electron flow path and a second electron flow path, the plurality of electron flow paths configured to direct the flow of electrons from the electrode region to the connection region; and
a fuse section disposed between the electrode region and the connection region, the fuse section defining an opening in the conductive material, the opening adjoined to an end of the divider,
wherein the device is configured to transition from a first configuration in which the first electron flow path and the second electron flow path are parts of the same piece of material to a second configuration in which the first electron flow path and the second electron flow path are not parts of the same piece of material.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fuse section includes a thin strip of conductive material.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the thin strip of the conductive material melts at temperatures greater than about 200° C.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the melting of the thin strip of the conductive material at least partially inhibits electron flow between the connection region and the electrode region.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the thin strip of conductive material has widths between about 50 μm and about 1 mm.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar conductive material has an x-axis and a y-axis, and the plurality of dividers substantially prohibits the movement of electrons in the x-direction with a constant y-value.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein an average temperature of the device increases by less than about 25° C. during a short circuit event.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electron flow paths are on a sub-region of the electrode region, each of the sub-regions not directly coupled to each other.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrode region includes a plurality of dividers.

10. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
an anode current collector having a connection region, an electrode region, the electrode region including a divider, the divider dividing the electrode region into a plurality of sub-regions, the plurality of sub-regions including a first sub-region and a second sub-region, the anode current collector further including a fuse section, the fuse section including a thin strip of conductive material and defining an opening, the opening adjoined to the divider such that the thin strip of conductive material is continuous with the first sub-region;
an anode disposed on the anode current collector;
a cathode current collector having a left side and a right side;
a cathode disposed on the cathode current collector; and
a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode,
wherein the anode current collector is configured to transition from a first configuration in which the first sub-region is coupled to the second sub-region to a second configuration in which the first sub-region is not coupled to the second sub-region.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the connection region is directly coupled to the plurality of sub-regions.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the fuse section adjoins the connection region and the electrode region.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the thin strip of the conductive material melts at temperatures greater than about 200° C.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein an average temperature of the device increases by less than about 25° C. during a short circuit event.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the electrode region includes a plurality of dividers.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the divider is continuous.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the divider is continuous.

18. A device, comprising:
a substantially planar conductive material, the substantially planar conductive material including:
a connection region;
an electrode region including a continuous divider defining a first electron flow path and a second electron flow path, the first electron flow path and the second electron flow path configured to direct the flow of electrons from the electrode region to the connection region; and
a fuse section including a thin strip of conductive material, the fuse section defining an opening in the substantially planar conductive material, the opening adjoined to the continuous divider such that the first electron flow path includes the thin strip of conductive material.

19. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a fuse section disposed between the electrode region and the connection region.

Assignees

• 24M Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lawrence Ryan Michael
• Ota Naoki

Classifications

• H01M50/583

  in response to current, e.g. fuses · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/0585

  of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title