EP-4742421-A1 - BATTERY AND BATTERY PACK INCLUDING THE SAME

EP4742421A1EP 4742421 A1EP4742421 A1EP 4742421A1EP-4742421-A1

Abstract

A battery and a battery pack are disclosed. A battery includes a case, an electrode assembly accommodated in the case and including an electrode, a tab member connected to the electrode and extending from the electrode assembly, a cap assembly facing the electrode assembly and including a terminal, a connection member between the electrode assembly and the cap assembly and connected to the terminal and the tab member, and an electrode protection member between the connection member and the electrode assembly.

Inventors

JUNG, YEON HO
LIM, Hyun Yeon

Assignees

SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20251022

Claims (15)

A battery comprising: a case (100); an electrode assembly (200) accommodated in the case (100) and comprising an electrode; a tab member connected to the electrode and extending from the electrode assembly (200); a cap assembly (400) facing the electrode assembly (200) and comprising a terminal; a connection member between the electrode assembly (200) and the cap assembly (400) and connected to the terminal and the tab member; and an electrode protection member between the connection member and the electrode assembly (200).
The battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode protection member comprises a material configured to block welding energy.
The battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the welding energy is a laser beam, and the electrode protection member comprises a plastic material.
The battery as claimed in claims 2 or 3, wherein the electrode protection member is coupled to the connection member.
The battery as claimed in claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrode protection member comprises a fastening portion coupled to the connection member.
The battery as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fastening portion comprises a coupling hook, and the connection member comprises an opening (160) in which the coupling hook is inserted and coupled.
The battery as claimed in claims 2 to 6, wherein the electrode protection member comprises: a blocking member coupled to the connection member and configured to block the welding energy; and a heat dissipation layer on at least one surface of the blocking member.
The battery as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat dissipation layer comprises a thermal interface material.
The battery as claimed in claim 8, wherein the thermal interface material comprises any of silicone, epoxy, and polyimide.
A battery comprising: a case (100) having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with an opening; an electrode assembly (200) accommodated in the case (100) and comprising an electrode; a tab member connected to the electrode and extending from the electrode assembly (200); a cap assembly (400) having a plate shape, comprising a terminal, and arranged in the opening (160) to face the electrode assembly (200); a connection member arranged between the electrode assembly (200) and the cap assembly (400), and comprising a first portion joined to the terminal by welding and a second portion different from the first portion and connected to the tab member; and an electrode protection member arranged below the first portion between the connection member and the electrode assembly (200).
The battery as claimed in claim 10, wherein the electrode protection member comprises a material configured to block welding energy applied during the welding of the first portion.
The battery as claimed in claim 11, wherein the welding energy is a laser beam, and the electrode protection member comprises a plastic material.
The battery as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrode protection member comprises: a blocking member coupled to the connection member and configured to block the welding energy; and a heat dissipation layer on at least one surface of the blocking member.
The battery as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blocking member comprises a protection portion corresponding to a position of the first portion, and a fastening portion in a portion other than the protection portion and coupled to the connection member.
A battery pack comprising: a housing (10); and a plurality of batteries accommodated in the housing (10), wherein each of the batteries comprises: a case (100) having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with an opening; an electrode assembly (200) accommodated in the case (100) and comprising an electrode; a tab member connected to the electrode and extending from the electrode assembly (200); a cap assembly (400) having a plate shape, comprising a terminal, and arranged in the opening (160) to face the electrode assembly (200); a connection member between the electrode assembly (200) and the cap assembly (400), and comprising a first portion joined to the terminal by welding and a second portion different from the first portion and connected to the tab member; and an electrode protection member arranged below the first portion between the connection member and the electrode assembly (200).

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a battery and a battery pack including the same. 2. Description of the Related Art Unlike a primary battery that cannot be recharged, a secondary battery is a battery that can be recharged and discharged. A low-capacity secondary battery may be used for portable small-sized electronic devices, such as smartphones, feature phones, notebook computers, digital cameras, and camcorders, and a high-capacity secondary battery is widely used as a power source for driving a motor and a power storage battery in hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles, for example. Such a secondary battery includes electrodes including a positive electrode and/or a negative electrode, an electrode assembly including the electrodes, a case that accommodates the electrode assembly, electrode terminals connected to the electrode assembly, and the like. As technology advances, secondary batteries with high capacity are desired. Accordingly, a plurality of secondary batteries may be electrically connected and used. For example, the secondary battery may be applied to an electronic device in the form of a battery module including a plurality of secondary batteries, and/or a battery pack including a plurality of secondary battery modules. According to an embodiment, the secondary battery pack may also be configured by a plurality of secondary batteries. In this case, the electronic device is an electronic device that requires high power and/or high capacity and may include, for example, an electric vehicle or the like. A secondary battery typically includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are alternately arranged. The electrode assembly is accommodated inside a case. A plurality of positive and negative electrodes (herein referred to as "electrodes") constituting the electrode assembly are electrically connected to the outside through positive and negative electrode tabs (herein referred to as "electrode tabs"), respectively. In this case, the positive and negative electrode tabs are electrically connected to positive and negative electrode terminals (herein referred to as ("electrode terminals") installed on a cap plate, respectively, and one or more connection members may be disposed between the electrode tab and the electrode terminal. Typically, the electrode terminal may be physically joined to the connection member using metal-to-metal joining methods, such as welding. To this end, welding is performed between the electrode terminal and the connection member connected to the electrode assembly while the electrode assembly is inserted in the case. Welding processes such as heat welding and laser welding are widely used. However, due to the nature of welding processes that use high-energy heat sources or laser light sources, surrounding components, particularly the electrode assembly, are prone to damage during the welding process. The above-described information disclosed in the background technology of the present invention is provided to improve understanding of the background of the present invention and thus may include information that does not form the related art. SUMMARY According to an aspect of embodiments of the present invention, a battery and a battery pack including the same, in which damage to an electrode assembly during welding of an electrode terminal and a connection member is prevented or substantially prevented, are provided. However, aspects and problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects and problems to be solved, and other aspects and problems to be solved not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a battery includes a case, an electrode assembly accommodated in the case and including an electrode, a tab member connected to the electrode and extending from the electrode assembly, a cap assembly facing the electrode assembly and including a terminal, a connection member between the electrode assembly and the cap assembly and connected to the terminal and the tab member, and an electrode protection member between the connection member and the electrode assembly. According to one or more embodiments, the electrode protection member may include a material configured to block welding energy. In an embodiment, the welding energy may be a laser beam, and the electrode protection member may include a plastic material. According to one or more embodiments, the electrode protection member may be coupled to the connection member. In an embodiment, the electrode protection member may include a fastening portion coupled to the connection member. The fastening portion may include a coupling hook, and the connection member may include an opening into which the coupling hook is inserted and coupled. According to one or more embod