Rechargeable battery having short-circuit member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9893346-B2
Application number	US-201514868416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A rechargeable battery including an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode; a case in which the electrode assembly is accommodated, the case including an opening; a first terminal electrically coupled to the first electrode; a second terminal electrically coupled to the second electrode; a cap plate coupled to the opening, the cap plate including a short-circuit hole and being electrically coupled to the first electrode; a short-circuit member in the short-circuit hole, the short-circuit member electrically coupling the cap plate and the second terminal when deformed; and an upper cover including a first barrier wall covering the short-circuit hole, the first barrier wall protruding toward the short-circuit member, the first barrier wall including a first exhaust hole, and a top surface of the upper cover including an external hole connected to the first exhaust hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rechargeable battery, comprising:
an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode;
a case in which the electrode assembly is accommodated, the case including an opening;
a first terminal electrically coupled to the first electrode;
a second terminal electrically coupled to the second electrode;
a cap plate coupled to the opening, the cap plate including a short-circuit hole and being electrically coupled to the first electrode;
a short-circuit member in the short-circuit hole, the short-circuit member electrically coupling the cap plate and the second terminal when deformed; and
an upper cover including a first barrier wall covering the short-circuit hole, the first barrier wall protruding toward the short-circuit member, the first barrier wall including a first exhaust hole, and a top surface of the upper cover including an external hole connected to the first exhaust hole.

2. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an exhaust pipe connected to the external hole is under the external hole.

3. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
a second barrier wall enclosing the first barrier wall is in the upper cover, and
a second exhaust hole connected to the first exhaust hole is in the second barrier wall.

4. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first exhaust hole is closer to the cap plate than the second exhaust hole.

5. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
a short-circuit plate is under the second terminal, and
the short-circuit plate includes a connecting hole located above the short-circuit member.

6. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
lower ends of the first and second barrier walls contact the short-circuit plate, and
a lower end of the exhaust pipe is separated from the short-circuit plate.

7. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
the short-circuit plate includes a short-circuit protrusion, and
the short-circuit protrusion encloses the connecting hole.

8. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 5 , wherein an upper insulating member insulates the short-circuit plate from the cap plate.

9. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:
the upper cover includes:
an upper plate, and
a side plate protruding toward the cap plate from a side end of the upper plate, and

the upper cover is in the upper insulating member.

10. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the upper cover has a curved surface connected to an inner surface of the first barrier wall, and
the curved surface is in an arc shape.

11. The rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit member includes:
a rim portion, and
a recess portion curved convexly downward from the rim portion.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Guen Min Hyung

Classifications

• H01M50/176

  for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/181 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/553

  Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells · CPC title

• H01M50/55

  on the same side of the cell · CPC title

• H01M2/345 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2200/20

  Pressure-sensitive devices · CPC title