Electrode assembly, battery, and battery pack and vehicle including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12308378-B2
Application number	US-202418680144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2024
Priority date	Nov 19, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

An electrode assembly, a battery, a battery pack and a vehicle including the same are provided. In the electrode assembly, the uncoated portion of an electrode includes a segment region divided into a plurality of segments, and the segment region includes a plurality of segment groups separated by a group separation pitch along a winding direction. One end of the electrode assembly includes a plurality of segment alignments. In winding turns corresponding to the plurality of segment alignments, group separation pitches of segment groups disposed in a same winding turn are substantially identical, and separation pitches of the segment groups is greater in a winding turn of a region adjacent to the outer circumference of the electrode assembly than in a winding turn of a region adjacent to the core of the electrode assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator interposed therebetween, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator being wound in a winding direction about a winding axis to define a core and an outer circumference of the electrode assembly,
wherein the first electrode includes a first active material portion coated with an active material layer along the winding direction and a first uncoated portion not coated with an active material layer, the first uncoated portion protruding beyond the separator, the first uncoated portion including a segment region divided into a plurality of independently bendable segments by a plurality of cut grooves along the winding direction, the segment region including a plurality of segment groups separated by a group separation pitch along the winding direction,
wherein a first end of the electrode assembly includes a plurality of segment alignments in which the plurality of segment groups are aligned to be overlapped along a radial direction of the electrode assembly, the segments included in each segment alignment are bent along the radial direction to form a bending surface region, and
wherein, in winding turns corresponding to the plurality of segment alignments, separation pitches of the segment groups is greater in a winding turn of a region adjacent to the outer circumference of the electrode assembly than in a winding turn of a region adjacent to the core of the electrode assembly.

2. The electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each segment alignment includes a radial region in which the group separation pitch increases stepwise or gradually from the winding turn of the region adjacent to the core of the electrode assembly toward the winding turn of the region adjacent to the outer circumference.

3. The electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bending surface region of each segment alignment partially defines a surface of the first end of the electrode assembly, and
wherein the bending surface region of each segment alignment approximately has a shape of a geometric figure.

4. The electrode assembly according to claim 3 , wherein widths in the winding direction of segment groups located within the geometric figure increase stepwise or gradually along the radial direction of the electrode assembly.

5. The electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an electrolyte impregnation portion is defined between adjacent bending surface regions in a circumferential direction of the electrode assembly, whereby an end of the first active material portion is recessed inward from the first end of the electrode assembly relative to an end of the separator such that the end of the first active material portion is exposed between the winding turns of the separator.

6. The electrode assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of segment alignments extend radially based on a center of the core of the electrode assembly, and
wherein each of the electrolyte impregnation portions extend radially based on the center of the core of the electrode assembly.

7. The electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein, when a line connecting a center of the core of the electrode assembly and a geometric center of a figure approximately corresponding to each bending surface region is defined as an angle measurement line, angles between adjacent angle measurement lines of adjacent bending surface regions in a circumferential direction of the electrode assembly are substantially identical.

8. The electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the group separation pitch increases stepwise or gradually as the number of winding turns increases.

9. The electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode includes a second active material portion coated with an active material layer along the winding direction and a second uncoated portion not coated with an active material layer, the second uncoated portion including a segment region divided into a plurality of independently bendable segments by a plurality of cut grooves provided along the winding direction, the segment region of the second uncoated portion including a plurality of segment groups separated by a group separation pitch along the winding direction,
wherein a second end of the electrode assembly includes a plurality of segment alignments in which the plurality of segment groups of the second uncoated portion are aligned along the radial direction of the electrode assembly, the segments included in each segment alignment of the second uncoated portion are bent along the radial direction of the electrode assembly to form a bending surface region, and
wherein, in winding turns corresponding to the plurality of segment alignments of the second uncoated portion, separation pitches of the segment groups of the second uncoated portion is greater in a winding turn of a region adjacent to the outer circumference of the electrode assembly than in a winding turn of the region adjacent to the core of the electrode assembly.

10. The electrode assembly according to claim 9 , wherein, in winding turns corresponding to the plurality of segments alignments of the second uncoated portion, group separation pitches of segment groups disposed in a same winding turn are substantially identical.

11. The electrode assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of segment alignments included in the first end of the electrode assembly and the plurality of segment alignments included in the second end of the electrode assembly are disposed to be plane-symmetrical to each other.

12. A battery, comprising:
the electrode assembly according to claim 1 ;
a battery housing configured to accommodate the electrode assembly therein, the battery housing having an open end, the battery housing being electrically connected to one of the first electrode and the second electrode to have a first polarity;
a sealing body configured to seal the open end of the battery housing; and
a terminal having a surface exposed outside the battery housing, the terminal being electrically connected to another of the first electrode and the second electrode to have a second polarity.

13. The battery according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a beading portion at the open end of the battery housing;
a current collecting plate electrically coupled to the bending surface regions; and
an insulator configured to cover the current collecting plate, the insulator having an edge interposed and fixed between an inner circumference of the beading portion and the current collecting plate.

14. The battery according to claim 12 , wherein the electrode assembly has a cavity at the core of the electrode assembly, the cavity not being blocked by the bending surface region such that the cavity is exposed to outside the electrode assembly.

15. The battery according to claim 12 , wherein the sealing body includes a cap plate configured to seal the open end of the battery housing, and a gasket configured to surround an edge of the cap plate and crimped to the open end of the battery housing, and
wherein the terminal having the second polarity is the cap plate.

16. The battery according to claim 12 , further comprising a current collecting plate electrically connected to the uncoated portion of the second electrode having the first polarity, at least a part of an edge of the current collection plate being coupled to a sidewall of the battery housing,
wherein the sealing body includes a cap plate with no polarity and a gasket configured to surround an ed

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jae-Eun
• Park Jong-Sik
• Kim Hak-Kyun
• Lee Je-Jun
• Lim Jae-Won
• Choe Yu-Sung
• Lee Byoung-Gu
• Ryu Duk-Hyun
• Lee Kwan-Hee

Classifications

• H01M50/559

  Terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round, elliptic or button cells (H01M50/553 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/586

  inside the batteries, e.g. incorrect connections of electrodes · CPC title

• H01M50/188

  the sealing members being arranged between the lid and terminal · CPC title

• H01M50/533 Primary

  characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs · CPC title

• H01M50/591

  Covers · CPC title