JP-2026514364-A - Current collectors, battery cells, battery packs, and automobiles including the same

JP2026514364AJP 2026514364 AJP2026514364 AJP 2026514364AJP-2026514364-A

Abstract

The current collector according to the present invention includes a first coupling portion coupled to a first terminal, a second coupling portion coupled to an electrode assembly, a plurality of legs connecting the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion, and a plurality of melting guide portions provided for each of the plurality of legs and covering at least a portion of the area of the leg.

Inventors

ソ－ヨン・イ
ソン－ミン・イム
ヨン－ハン・キム
ビュン－グ・イ

Assignees

エルジーエナジーソリューションリミテッド

Dates

Publication Date: 20260511
Application Date: 20240808
Priority Date: 20230808

Claims (15)

A first coupling portion coupled to the first terminal, A second coupling portion that is coupled to the electrode assembly, Multiple legs connecting the first joint and the second joint, A current collector comprising: a plurality of cutting guide portions provided for each of the plurality of legs, each covering at least a portion of the area of the leg;
The aforementioned cutting induction section is The current collector according to claim 1, having thermal insulation properties.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is The current collector according to claim 1, provided as a tape surrounding the leg portion.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the current collector is positioned closer to the center of the current collector than to the outer circumference of the current collector.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is The current collector according to claim 4, wherein the current collector is positioned closer to the center of the current collector, with reference to the midpoint between the outer circumference of the current collector and the center of the current collector.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is The current collector according to claim 4, wherein the leg portion is disposed at the end on the side of the first coupling portion.
The aforementioned leg portion is The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the width in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction toward the first joint is formed to be constant in the direction toward the first joint.
The aforementioned leg portion is The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the cross-section, with respect to the direction toward the first joint, is formed to be constant in the direction toward the first joint.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is A first cutting guide portion is positioned relatively close to the first joint portion, It has a second cutting guide portion positioned relatively far from the first joint portion, The thickness of the first cutting guide portion is The current collector according to claim 1, provided to be thicker than the thickness of the second cutting induction portion.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is A first cutting guide portion is positioned relatively close to the first joint portion, It has a second cutting guide portion positioned relatively far from the first joint portion, The first cutting guide section and the second cutting guide section are, It is provided in the form of a tape that surrounds the leg portion, The first cutting guide section is, The current collector according to claim 1, provided in a form in which more tapes overlap than the second cutting guide portion.
The aforementioned cutting induction section is A first cutting guide portion is positioned relatively close to the first joint portion, It has a second cutting guide portion positioned relatively far from the first joint portion, The first cutting guide section and the second cutting guide section are, It has thermal insulation properties, The thermal insulation performance of the first cutting induction section is, The current collector according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation performance is higher than that of the second cutting induction section.
The aforementioned current collector is It has a slit for forming the first joint, the second joint, and the leg portion, The aforementioned cutting induction section is The current collector according to claim 1, provided on at least one of the two surfaces of the current collector.
A battery cell comprising a current collector according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
A battery pack comprising at least one battery cell as described in claim 13.
An automobile comprising at least one battery pack as described in claim 14.

Description

This invention relates to a current collector, a battery cell, a battery pack, and an automobile including the same. More specifically, it relates to a current collector, a battery cell, a battery pack, and an automobile including the same, which include a fuse induction section that allows for easy and accurate adjustment of the position where fuse occurs, prevents the generation of foreign matter during fuse, and prevents the reconnection of current after fuse. This application claims priority under Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0103450, filed on August 8, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0103868, filed on August 5, 2024. All information disclosed in the specifications and drawings of those applications is incorporated herein. Rechargeable batteries, with their high applicability across product lines and superior electrical properties such as high energy density, are commonly used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electric drive sources. Such rechargeable batteries offer not only the primary advantage of dramatically reducing fossil fuel use, but also the benefit of producing no by-products from energy use. Therefore, they are attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency. Currently, widely used types of rechargeable batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of a single rechargeable battery cell is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, multiple battery cells may be connected in series to form a battery pack. Furthermore, depending on the required charge and discharge capacity of the battery pack, multiple battery cells may be connected in parallel to form a battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery pack can be set in various ways depending on the required output voltage and/or charge and discharge capacity. On the other hand, if an event occurs in a battery cell and a current exceeding the allowable current flows, the temperature of the battery cell may rise abnormally, potentially leading to disassembly and explosion of the battery cell. To prevent this, battery cells can have a so-called fusing function that cuts off the high current when a current exceeding the allowable current flows. Conventional battery cells sometimes had a fusing section on the current collector to perform this fusing function. However, the fused section in conventional battery cells was difficult to position accurately during the manufacturing process of the current collector. This resulted in significant positional fluctuations of the fused section, making it difficult for the fused section to perform its function properly. Furthermore, it was difficult to prevent the generation of foreign matter during fusion, and even after fusion, it was difficult to prevent the reconnection of current. In addition, conventional current collectors had a low current tolerance at the fused section, making them unsuitable for high-output battery cells. On the other hand, various experiments, such as external short-circuit tests, can be performed to confirm the safety of battery cells, especially cylindrical battery cells. One important criterion in these tests is whether or not the battery cell explodes. Conventional battery cells could limit the application of current by using a CID (Cold Isolation Discharge) method. However, recently, instead of the CID method, current collectors can have a fused section. When conducting safety confirmation experiments as described above, it is particularly important to position the fused section precisely to prevent the generation of foreign matter and the reconnection of current. On the other hand, safety verification experiments, such as external short-circuit tests, are important tests not only for international certification but also in the safety evaluation criteria of each major customer. This is a perspective view showing the overall external shape of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.This is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the internal structure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.This is a perspective view showing a current collector relating to one embodiment of the present invention.This is a plan view showing a current collector according to one embodiment of the present invention.This is a perspective view showing a current collector according to a modified example of one embodiment of the present invention.This is a plan view showing the first width and second width of a current collector according to one embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area of a current collector accor