Sealing apparatus for secondary battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420489-B2
Application number	US-202118017966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Aug 11, 2020
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A sealing apparatus for a secondary battery is disclosed, the sealing apparatus configured to seal a battery case of the secondary battery with an electrode assembly therein. The sealing apparatus comprises: a pair of sealing blocks which press the outer circumferential surface of the battery case; and a heating unit which is provided in the pair of sealing blocks and heat the pair of sealing blocks. The pair of sealing blocks comprise: lead sealing regions configured to press the lead sealing portion of the battery case; and case sealing regions configured to press the case sealing portion of the battery case. The heating unit heats the lead sealing regions and the case sealing regions of the pair of sealing blocks at different temperatures.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sealing apparatus for a secondary battery, the sealing apparatus configured to seal a battery case of the secondary battery with an electrode assembly therein, the sealing apparatus comprising:
a pair of sealing blocks configured to simultaneously press an entirety of an outer circumferential surface of the battery case; and
a heating unit provided in the pair of sealing blocks, the heating unit being configured to heat the pair of sealing blocks,
wherein the pair of sealing blocks comprise:
lead sealing regions configured to press a lead sealing portion of the outer circumferential surface of the battery case in which an electrode lead connected to the electrode assembly extends to an outside of the battery case; and
case sealing regions configured to press a case sealing portion of the outer circumferential surface of the battery case which is a remainder of the battery case outside of the lead sealing portion that does not have the electrode lead extending therethrough,
wherein the case sealing regions include a first portion adjacent to a first side of the lead sealing regions and a second portion adjacent to a second side of the lead sealing regions, the first portion having a larger surface area than the second portion,
wherein the heating unit is configured to heat the lead sealing regions and the case sealing regions of the pair of sealing blocks at different temperatures.

2. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit is configured to perform heating such that temperatures of the lead sealing regions are higher than temperatures of the case sealing regions in the pair of sealing blocks.

3. The sealing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heating unit is configured to heat the case sealing regions and the lead sealing regions of the pair of sealing blocks such that the temperatures of the case sealing portion and the lead sealing portion of the battery case become uniform when the battery case is pressed.

4. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of sealing blocks are configured to press the lead sealing portion and the case sealing portion of the battery case at different pressures.

5. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of sealing blocks are configured to press the lead sealing portion of the battery case at a higher pressure than the case sealing portion.

6. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of sealing blocks are configured to press the lead sealing portion and the case sealing portion of the battery case at a same pressure.

7. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit comprises:
case sealing heaters located at the case sealing regions of the pair of sealing blocks; and
lead sealing heaters located at the lead sealing regions of the pair of sealing blocks.

8. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of sealing blocks comprise an upper sealing block configured to be located above the battery case and a lower sealing block configured to be located below the battery case, each of the upper sealing block and the lower sealing block is formed as a respective single body, and each of the upper sealing block and the lower sealing block further comprises a heat insulator that blocks heat transfer between the case sealing regions and the lead sealing regions of the respective sealing block.

9. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of sealing blocks comprise an upper sealing block configured to be located above the battery case and a lower sealing block configured to be located below the battery case, and each of the upper sealing block and the lower sealing block is divided into the lead sealing regions and the case sealing regions of the respective sealing block.

10. The sealing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the upper sealing block comprises an upper case block that forms an upper part of the respective case sealing regions and an upper lead block that forms an upper part of the respective lead sealing regions, and the lower sealing block comprises a lower case block that forms a lower part of the respective case sealing regions and a lower lead block that forms a lower part of the respective lead sealing regions.

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Wi Yoon Bong
• Jang Eung Jin
• Park Sin Young
• Kang Tae Won
• Park Dong Hyeuk

Classifications

• H01M10/0409

  for cells with wound electrodes · CPC title

• B29L2031/7146

  Battery-cases · CPC title

• B29C66/83221

  cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis · CPC title

• B29C66/433

  Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam (for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261) · CPC title

• H01M50/188

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