Search

EP-4742422-A1 - COLLECTOR, BATTERY COMPRISING COLLECTOR, BATTERY PACK COMPRISING BATTERY AND VEHICLE COMPRISING BATTERY PACK

EP4742422A1EP 4742422 A1EP4742422 A1EP 4742422A1EP-4742422-A1

Abstract

A current collector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is configured to electrically connect a first terminal and an electrode assembly provided in a battery, may include: a first coupling portion configured to be coupled to the first terminal; a second coupling portion configured to be electrically connected to the first coupling portion and coupled to the electrode assembly; and one or more slits formed to extend and surround at least a portion of the second coupling portion such that at least a portion of the second coupling portion is connected to the first coupling portion in a radial direction of the current collector.

Inventors

  • PARK, Rea-Sun
  • KIM, HEE-JAE
  • LEE, JE-JUN

Assignees

  • LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20250618

Claims (13)

  1. A current collector configured to electrically connect a first terminal and an electrode assembly provided in a battery, the current collector comprising: a first coupling portion configured to be coupled to the first terminal; a second coupling portion configured to be electrically connected to the first coupling portion and coupled to the electrode assembly; and one or more slits formed to extend and surround at least a portion of the second coupling portion such that at least a portion of the second coupling portion is connected to the first coupling portion in a radial direction of the current collector.
  2. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the second coupling portion comprises a welding portion configured to be welded to the electrode assembly.
  3. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling portion is provided in a substantially central area of the current collector.
  4. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the second coupling portion is provided outward from the first coupling portion in a radial direction of the current collector.
  5. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the slit is formed to extend in an area excluding a straight path connecting the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion.
  6. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the slit is formed to extend in the form of a loop that is open at least in a portion between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion along a radial direction of the current collector.
  7. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the second coupling portion and the slit are provided in plurality, and wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of second coupling portions is surrounded by the plurality of slits.
  8. The current collector according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of second coupling portions are disposed to be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the current collector.
  9. The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the slit is provided in plurality, and wherein at least some of the plurality of slits are disposed symmetrically with respect to the second coupling portion.
  10. The current collector according to claim 2, wherein the second coupling portion comprises a bending portion cut by the slit and configured to be bendable, and wherein at least a portion of the welding portion is provided in the bending portion.
  11. A battery comprising: a current collector of any one of claims 1 to 10; an electrode assembly electrically connected to the current collector; and a terminal electrically connected to the current collector.
  12. A battery pack comprising a battery of claim 11.
  13. A vehicle comprising a battery pack of claim 12.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a current collector, a battery including the current collector, and a battery pack and vehicle including the battery. This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0079879, filed on June 19, 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. BACKGROUND ART Reducing resistance may be an important technical challenge in batteries. In particular, when applying secondary batteries to devices, minimizing the resistance of the battery itself may be effective in securing a fast charging speed and/or securing excellent output characteristics. For example, when secondary batteries are applied to devices such as electric vehicles, output improvement and/or charging speed improvement are important factors. In order to realize such output improvement and/or charging speed improvement, it is required to increase the cross-sectional area of the component in the area where the current passes and/or to reduce the current path length. For example, in secondary batteries, a current collector may be applied for electrical connection between the electrode assembly and other components, but the current path may be lengthened by providing a structure for facilitating the circulation of electrolyte through the current collector and/or a structure for buffering impact applied to the welds between the current collector and other components. Such an increase in the current path may not be desirable for reducing the resistance of the battery, so a method for reducing the current path of the components applied to the battery is required. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to reducing the current path inside a current collector applied to a battery. However, the technical problems that the present disclosure seeks to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. Technical Solution In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a current collector configured to electrically connect a first terminal and an electrode assembly provided in a battery, which includes: a first coupling portion configured to be coupled to the first terminal; a second coupling portion configured to be electrically connected to the first coupling portion and coupled to the electrode assembly; and one or more slits formed to extend and surround at least a portion of the second coupling portion such that at least a portion of the second coupling portion is connected to the first coupling portion in a radial direction of the current collector. In addition, the second coupling portion may include a welding portion configured to be welded to the electrode assembly. In addition, the first coupling portion may be provided in a substantially central area of the current collector. In addition, the second coupling portion may be provided outward from the first coupling portion in a radial direction of the current collector. In addition, the slit may be formed to extend in an area excluding a straight path connecting the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion. In addition, at least a portion of the slit may be formed to extend in the form of a loop that is open at least in a portion between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion along a radial direction of the current collector. In addition, the second coupling portion and the slit may be provided in plurality, and at least a portion of each of the plurality of second coupling portions may be surrounded by the plurality of slits. In addition, the plurality of second coupling portions may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the current collector. In addition, the slit may be provided in plurality, and at least some of the plurality of slits may be disposed symmetrically with respect to the second coupling portion. In addition, the second coupling portion may include a bending portion cut by the slit and configured to be bendable, and the welding portion may be provided in the bending portion. In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including a current collector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a battery. In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including a current collector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery, and/or a battery pack. Advantageous Effects According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the current path inside the current collector applied to the battery, thereby reducing the internal resistance of the battery. According to a