Electrode plate, electrode assembly, and rechargeable battery including the same

Abstract

Disclosed are an electrode plate, an electrode assembly, and a rechargeable battery including the same. The electrode plate according to an example embodiment includes: a current collecting layer including a base layer, and a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface and a lower surface of the base layer, respectively; and an electrode plate layer disposed on at least one side of the current collecting layer, in which at least a portion of the first conductive layer and at least a portion of the second conductive layer extending beyond the base layer are bonded to each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrode plate, an electrode assembly, and a rechargeable battery including the electrode assembly. Background Art

[0002] Rechargeable batteries are manufactured in various shapes. A pouch-type battery generally includes an electrode assembly and a thin flexible pouch in which the electrode assembly is embedded, and the electrode assembly is formed of a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and an insulating separator between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate or includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and an insulating separator between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. In this case, the pouch houses the electrode assembly in an internal space.

[0003] The electrode assembly of a rechargeable battery is roughly classified into a wound type and a stacked type according to its structure. The stacked type has good structural safety and improved space utilization, and thus stacked-type rechargeable batteries are widely used in medium- and small-sized products. A stacked-type rechargeable battery is a stack of a plurality of electrode plates and separators.

[0004] A current collector layer applied to an electrode (i.e., a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a rechargeable battery) can generally be a thin film made of a conductive material such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), or stainless steel (SUS). For example, in the case of a commercially available lithium-ion battery, a copper foil current collector layer is generally used for the negative electrode, and an aluminum foil current collector layer is generally used for the positive electrode.

[0005] In some cases, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost of a rechargeable battery and reduce the weight of the rechargeable battery, the current collector layer is not entirely made of copper or aluminum, but a current collector layer having metal layers applied to both sides of a resin is also used.

[0006] In a resin-metal composite substrate, the metal layers are on both sides of the resin sheet, and the resin has low conductivity, resulting in the disadvantage that the metal layers on both sides are not conductive to each other. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure aims to solve the above disadvantages, and example embodiments include an electrode plate, an electrode assembly, and a rechargeable battery including the electrode assembly that can achieve conductivity between adjacent electrode plates.

[0008] The technical objects to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0009] An electrode plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a current collecting layer including a substrate layer, a first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer respectively located on an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate layer; and an electrode plate layer on at least one side of the current collecting layer, wherein a part of the first conductive layer extending beyond the substrate layer and a part of the second conductive layer are combined with each other.

[0010] The substrate layer may include: a main body portion; and an inclined portion integrated with the main body portion, and a thickness of the inclined portion gradually decreases toward an end portion.

[0011] The current collecting layer may include: a current collecting portion having an electrode plate layer on at least one side; and an uncoated area extending from the current collecting portion to the outside, and a part of the first conductive layer and a part of the second conductive layer may extend beyond the uncoated area, and an end portion of the first conductive layer and an end portion of the second conductive layer may be combined with each other.

[0012] The substrate layer may include at least one of the following: polyamide, polyimide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyacetylene, silicone rubber, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene glycol, polythiazyl, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyridine, cellulose, starch, protein, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, their derivatives, their substitutes, and their copolymers.

[0013] The substrate layer may further include an additive, and the additive may include one or more of a metal material and an inorganic non-metal material.

[0014] The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may contain aluminum.

[0015] The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may contain one or more of nickel, copper, iron, and an alloy containing at least nickel, copper, and iron.

[0016] The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may contain one or more of a metal material, a carbon-based conductive material, and a conductive polymer material.

[0017] An electrode assembly according to an exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of electrode plates and a separator, the plurality of electrode plates being stacked with the separator therebetween, and each of the plurality of electrode plates may include: a current collecting layer including a substrate layer, a first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer respectively on an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate layer, extending longer than the substrate layer and partially combined with each other; and an electrode plate layer on a part of the current collecting layer.

[0018] A thickness of one end portion of the substrate layer may gradually decrease.

[0019] The substrate layer may include a main body portion and an inclined portion integrated with the main body portion, and the thickness of the inclined portion gradually decreases toward the end.

[0020] The current collecting layers included in the plurality of electrode plates may be combined with each other.

[0021] The current collecting layer may include: a current collecting portion having an electrode plate layer on at least one side; and an uncoated area extending from the current collecting portion to the outside.

[0022] The plurality of electrode plates may include a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate.

[0023] The substrate layer may include at least one of the following: polyamide, polyimide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyacetylene, silicone rubber, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene glycol, polythiazyl, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyridine, cellulose, starch, protein, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, their derivatives, their substitutes, and their copolymers.

[0024] The substrate layer may further include an additive, and the additive may include one or more of a metal material and an inorganic non-metal material.

[0025] The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may contain aluminum.

[0026] The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may contain one or more of nickel, copper, iron, and their alloys.

[0027] The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may contain one or more of a metal material, a carbon-based conductive material, and a conductive polymer material.

[0028] The rechargeable battery according to an exemplary embodiment includes an electrode assembly and a housing that houses the electrode assembly.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the current collecting layer included in the electrode assembly, portions of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are bonded to each other. Accordingly, the plurality of electrode plates may be electrically connected to each other.

[0030] Therefore, as described above, the electrode assembly according to the exemplary embodiment does not need to perform a conduction process that requires additional folding of foils and inserting the foils one by one between the electrode plates. Therefore, not only can the manufacturing time be shortened, but also the manufacturing cost can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings attached to this specification illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the invention described later, are used to further understand the technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be construed as being limited to the matters described in these drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrode plate according to an exemplary embodiment and a rechargeable battery in which an electrode assembly including the electrode plate is installed.

[0033] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a plurality of electrode plates are combined with each other.

[0034] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a perspective view of an electrode plate of a rechargeable battery.

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a process of manufacturing a current collector layer of an electrode plate of Figure 3 the electrode plate.

[0036] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a current collector layer according to an exemplary variation.

[0037] Figure 6 and Figure 7 show a process for manufacturing an electrode assembly.

[0038] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of electrode plates positioned parallel to each other in the vertical direction.

[0039] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a process of separately welding uncoated regions of a plurality of current collector layers by ultrasonic welding. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0040] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Before the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments, terms or words used in this specification and the scope of the claims described below should not be construed as being limited to the conventional or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concept of the present disclosure based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the terms so as to best describe his / her own invention. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all the technical features of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications can replace the exemplary embodiments at the time of filing this application.

[0041] In addition, as used in this specification, "comprising", "including" and / or their variants mean that there are the recited shapes, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements and / or groups thereof, and it does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements and / or groups thereof.

[0042] In addition, to assist in understanding the invention, the drawings may not be drawn to actual scale, and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated. Further, in another embodiment, the same reference numerals may be assigned to the same components.

[0043] The statement that two comparison objects are "the same" means "substantially the same". Thus, substantial identity may include deviations that are considered low in the industry, e.g., deviations less than 5%. Additionally, the uniformity of a parameter in a given area may refer to the uniformity from an average perspective.

[0044] Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various structural elements, these components are of course not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another, and unless specifically stated to the contrary, the first component may also be the second component.

[0045] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise stated, each component may be singular or plural.

[0046] Placing any component "above (or below)" or "on top of (or at the bottom of)" a component not only means that any component can be placed in contact with the upper surface (or lower surface) of the component, but also means that other structures can be disposed between the component and any structure placed on (or below) the component.

[0047] In addition, when a component is described as being "on", "connected to", or "coupled to" another component, these components may be directly connected or directly connected to each other. However, it should be understood that other components may be "disposed" between the components, or the components may be "connected", "coupled", or "accessed" through other components.

[0048] As used in this specification, the term "and / or" includes any combination and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure".

[0049] Expressions such as "one or more" and "one or more kinds" before a list of elements modify the entire list of elements, rather than individual elements in the list.

[0050] Unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, when the expression "A and / or B" is used throughout the specification, it means A, B, or both A and B, and unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, the expression "C to D" means higher than C and lower than D.

[0051] When syntax such as "at least one selected from A, B, and C", "at least one selected from A, B, or C", "at least one in the group consisting of A, B, and C", and "at least one selected from the group consisting of A, B, or C" is used to specify a list of elements A, B, and C, this syntax can refer to any and all suitable combinations.

[0052] The term "use" can be considered synonymous with the term "utilize".

[0053] As used in this specification, "substantially", "approximately", and similar terms are used as approximating terms and not as terms of degree, and are used to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0054] In this specification, terms such as first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, but these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. The terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, first component, first region, first layer, or first part discussed below may be named the second element, second component, second region, second layer, or second part.

[0055] As shown in the drawings, for ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "beneath", "below", "lower (bottom)", "above", "upper (top)", etc. may be used in this specification to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another (other) element or feature. Except for the directions depicted in the figures, spatial relative positions will be understood to encompass different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, when the device in the figures is flipped over, an element described as "beneath" or "bottom" of another element is understood to be "above" or "top" of another element. Thus, the term "beneath" can encompass both upward and downward directions.

[0056] The terms used in this specification are intended to describe the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0057] Hereinafter, before describing the electrode plate according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a rechargeable battery including the electrode plate will be described in detail.

[0058] Figure 1is a perspective view of an electrode plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and a rechargeable battery in which an electrode assembly including the electrode plate may be installed, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a plurality of electrode plates are combined with each other.

[0059] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the rechargeable battery 100 may include an electrode assembly 200 and a case 300.

[0060] The electrode assembly 200 includes a plurality of electrode plates 210, 220 and a separator 230. More specifically, the plurality of electrode plates 210, 220 may include a first electrode plate 210 and a second electrode plate 220.

[0061] The electrode assembly 200 may be or include a laminate that includes the first electrode plate 210, the second electrode plate 220, and the separator 230 and is repeatedly wound or stacked.

[0062] For example, the electrode assembly 200 may be a stacked-type electrode assembly in which the electrode plates 210, 220 are arranged to be stacked in multiple layers. Alternatively, the electrode assembly 200 may be a wound core type that is repeatedly wound. In the exemplary embodiment, as an example, the electrode assembly 200 is a stacked type.

[0063] Meanwhile, the manufacturing process of the stacked-type electrode assembly 200 generally includes a primary stacking process and a secondary stacking process.

[0064] In the primary stacking process, a full positive electrode and a full negative electrode may be stacked. Here, the full positive electrode may be or include the first electrode plate 210 except for the outermost first electrode plate 210A. In addition, the full negative electrode may be the second electrode plate 220.

[0065] In the secondary stacking process, a semi-positive electrode may be stacked on one or more of its two outermost sides using the stacking direction as a reference. For example, the semi-positive electrode may be or include the outermost first electrode plate 210A among the first electrode plates 210.

[0066] For ease of description, in Figure 2 , the electrode assembly 200 includes a semi-positive electrode stacked on the outermost side of the electrode assembly 200, and it may also be possible that the semi-positive electrodes are stacked on the outermost sides of the upper part and the lower part of the electrode assembly 200, respectively.

[0067] Here, the full positive electrode and the full negative electrode are electrodes in which an active material is applied to both sides of a substrate, and the semi-positive electrode is an electrode in which an electrode layer is only located on one side of a current collector layer. Here, the electrode plate layer may be or include an active material layer. A detailed description of such a full positive electrode, full negative electrode, and semi-positive electrode will be omitted.

[0068] The separator 230 can be positioned between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220. The separator 230 can reduce or prevent a short circuit between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 and enable the movement of lithium ions. To this end, the separator 230 can be relatively larger in size than the first electrode plate 210 or the second electrode plate 220.

[0069] The material of the separator 230 can be or include at least one of, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, and a composite film of polyethylene and polypropylene, but is not limited thereto.

[0070] The separator 230 can be cut into unit lengths and placed between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220, or a single separator 230 having a belt shape can be placed between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 in a zigzag pattern. Optionally, the separator 230 can be wound in one direction between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220. The configuration of the separator 230 is not limited to a specific configuration.

[0071] The housing 300 can accommodate or include the electrode assembly 200. The above-mentioned electrode assembly 200 can be accommodated or included in the housing 300 together with an electrolyte solution.

[0072] The above-mentioned housing 300 can be one of a pouch-type, cylindrical, and square housing. The pouch-type housing 300 can be manufactured by bending a plate-shaped outer material to face each other, then pressing or stretching one side, and forming a recess on one side.

[0073] The electrode assembly 200 is accommodated or included in a recess (not shown). A sealing portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the recess, and when the electrode assembly 200 is accommodated in the recess, the sealing portion is sealed using a method such as heat coalescence as an example.

[0074] Meanwhile, among the plurality of electrode plates 210, 220, the above-mentioned first electrode plate 210 can be or include a negative electrode, and the second electrode plate 220 can be or include a positive electrode, and vice versa. The first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 can be electrically connected to the outside of the rechargeable battery 100 through a bar-shaped terminal 250. In addition, an insulating tape 240 can be attached to a portion of the bar-shaped terminal 250 that contacts the housing 300. The insulating tape 240 can prevent or hinder the electrical connection between the bar-shaped terminal 250 and the housing 300.

[0075] Hereinafter, the electrode assembly 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0076] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a plurality of electrode plates are combined with each other, Figure 3 is Figure 1 a perspective view of an electrode plate of the rechargeable battery.

[0077] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment, the electrode assembly 200 includes a plurality of electrode plates 210, 220, and each of the plurality of electrode plates 210, 220 includes a current collector layer 201A and an electrode plate layer 204 provided on a part of the current collector layer 201A. In this example, the electrode plate layer 204 may be or include an electrode active material layer used in a general rechargeable battery, and thus its detailed description is omitted.

[0078] Using the internal structure as a reference, the current collector layer 201A includes a substrate layer E, a first conductive layer F1 and a second conductive layer F2 on the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate layer E, respectively.

[0079] The substrate layer E may include, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0080] Optionally, the substrate layer E may include at least one of the following, for example: polyamide, polyimide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyacetylene, silicone rubber, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene glycol, polythiazyl, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyridine, cellulose, starch, protein, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, derivatives of the above materials, substitutes for the above materials, and copolymers of the above materials.

[0081] In the example, the substrate layer E may further include additives. The additives may include one or more of a metal material and an inorganic non-metallic material.

[0082] For example, the metal material additive may be or include one or more of aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, iron, iron alloy, silver, and silver alloy.

[0083] In addition, the inorganic non-metallic material additive is or includes, for example, one or more of carbon-based materials, alumina, silica, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, boron nitride, silicate, and titanium oxide, and one or more of glass materials, ceramic materials, and ceramic composite materials. The carbon-based material additive may be or include, for example, one or more of graphite, superconducting carbon, acetylene black, carbon black, Ketjen black, carbon dots, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon nanofibers.

[0084] Meanwhile, the additives may further include carbon-based materials coated with a metal material. For example, the carbon-based material may be or include one or more of graphite powder coated with nickel and carbon fiber coated with nickel.

[0085] In the example, the first conductive layer F1 and the second conductive layer F2 may include aluminum. For example, the first conductive layer F1 and the second conductive layer F2 may include one or more of metal materials such as nickel, copper, iron, and their alloys, carbon-based conductive materials, and conductive polymer materials.

[0086] As Figure 3 shown, using the appearance shape as a reference, the current collector layer 201A may include a current collecting portion 202 and an uncoated region 203.

[0087] The electrode plate layer 204 is on at least one side of the current collecting portion 202. The current collecting portion 202 may have a plate shape such as a quadrilateral shape. As Figure 3 shown in the example, the electrode plate layer 204 may be in the remaining portion of the current collecting portion 202 except for the edge region of the current collecting portion. Optionally, although not shown in the drawings, the electrode plate layer 204 may be located throughout the current collecting portion 202.

[0088] The uncoated region 203 extends outward from the current collecting portion 202. The uncoated region 203 may be a portion where the electrode plate layer 204 is not located. The uncoated region 203 may have a strip shape, for example.

[0089] In the example, the plurality of electrode plates 210, 220 include a first electrode plate 210 and a second electrode plate 220, and a part of the first conductive layer F1 and a part of the second conductive layer F2 extend beyond the base layer E and are joined to each other at the ends of the respective current collector layers 201A of the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220. As Figure 2 shown, a part of the first conductive layer F1 and a part of the second conductive layer F2 extend beyond the uncoated region 203, and the end of the first conductive layer F1 and the end of the second conductive layer F2 are joined to each other.

[0090] Therefore, when the current collector layers 201A of the plurality of first electrode plates 210 are combined with each other, the plurality of first electrode plates 210 can be electrically connected. Additionally, when the current collector layers 201A of the plurality of second electrode plates 220 are combined with each other, the plurality of second electrode plates 220 can also be electrically connected.

[0091] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of manufacturing the Figure 3 current collector layer of the electrode plate.

[0092] Referring to Figure 4 , the base layer E included in the current collector layer 201A may include a main body portion E1 and an inclined portion E2.

[0093] Unlike the inclined portion E2 to be described later, the main body portion E1 has a substantially uniform thickness. The main body portion E1 can be disposed in substantially the entire current collector portion 202 and in a part of the uncoated area 203. In another example, although not shown in the drawings, it is possible that the main body portion E1 is only located in the current collector portion 202.

[0094] The inclined portion E2 can be integral with the main body portion E1, and the thickness of the inclined portion E2 gradually decreases toward the end. The shape of the vertical cross-section of the inclined portion E2 can be, for example, triangular. The inclined portion E2 can extend from the main body portion E1 to a portion adjacent to the end of the uncoated area 203. Optionally, the end of the inclined portion E2 can be at the middle portion of the uncoated area 203, and the remaining portion of the uncoated area 203 can be configured to combine the first conductive layer F1 and the second conductive layer F2.

[0095] As described above, the regions in the current collector layer 201A where each of the main body portion E1 and the inclined portion E2 is located can vary according to the design of the electrode assembly 200, and thus this region is not limited to a specific position. In an example, in order to increase the rigidity of the current collector layer 201A, it can be advantageous for the main body portion E1 to be located in most of the current collector layer 201A.

[0096] In an example, the above-mentioned first conductive layer F1 and second conductive layer F2 are located on both sides of the main body portion E1 and the inclined portion E2, and a part of the ends of the first conductive layer F1 and the second conductive layer F2 are joined to each other, and thus the first conductive layer F1 is electrically connected to the second conductive layer F2.

[0097] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a current collector layer according to an example variant.

[0098] Referring to Figure 5 and, different from the example current collector layer 201A shown in Figure 4 , the current collector layer 201B according to the example variant can include only the main body portion E1 and not include the inclined portion E2. The current collector layer 201B according to the example variant can have a manufacturing process that is simpler than that of the above-mentioned current collector layer 201A.

[0099] Returning to refer to Figure 2 , a plurality of electrode plates 210, 220 can be combined with each other in the vertical direction between adjacent uncoated areas 203 respectively.

[0100] In an example, when the electrode assembly 200 is a stacked-type electrode assembly, the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 can be alternately stacked with the separator 230 disposed therebetween. A plurality of the first electrode plates 210 and the second electrode plates 220 can be provided. Although Figure 2Three first electrode plates 210 and three second electrode plates 220 are shown, but the number of the first electrode plates 210 and the number of the second electrode plates 220 may vary according to the design of the rechargeable battery 100.

[0101] In the electrode assembly 200 according to the exemplary embodiment, the uncoated regions 203 of the first electrode plates 210 are positioned side by side in the vertical direction, and the uncoated regions 203 of the second electrode plates 220 are positioned side by side in the vertical direction. Although not shown in the drawings, the uncoated regions 203 of the first electrode plates 210 may be spaced apart from the uncoated regions 203 of the second electrode plates 220 in the horizontal direction or the lateral direction.

[0102] In an example, the above uncoated regions 203 may be joined together by, for example, welding. For example, a plurality of uncoated regions 203 may be collected and joined by a welding method such as laser, resistance welding, and ultrasonic welding as examples.

[0103] In an example, the length of the uncoated region 203 is not limited to a specific value, and any length that allows the uncoated regions 203 to be combined with each other may be sufficient. Since the length of the uncoated region 203 may vary according to the design of the electrode assembly 200, the length is not limited to a specific value.

[0104] Because the electrode plates included in the foregoing electrode assembly 200 include a current collector layer 201A in which portions of the first conductive layer F1 and the second conductive layer F2 are combined with each other, a plurality of electrode plates 210, 220 may be electrically connected by welding the uncoated regions 203 together. For example, they may be connected only by welding the uncoated regions 203 together.

[0105] A manufacturing process of the electrode assembly 200 according to the above exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0106] Figure 6 and Figure 7 A process for manufacturing an electrode assembly is shown.

[0107] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly having electrode plates positioned parallel to each other in the vertical direction.

[0108] Referring Figure 6 , the first electrode plates 210 and the second electrode plates 220 are stacked, or arranged in a stacked configuration. The first electrode plates 210 and the second electrode plates 220 may be stacked with the separator 230 disposed therebetween, for example, stacked in sequence.

[0109] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a process of welding uncoated regions of a plurality of current collector layers by ultrasonic welding.

[0110] Reference Figure 7 , multiple second electrode plates 220 can be welded in the uncoated area 203 by a welding tip T commonly used in ultrasonic welding. In this example, since the first conductive layer F1 and the second conductive layer F2 of the current collector layer 201A of the multiple second electrode plates 220 are electrically connected to each other, substantially all of the second electrode plates 220 can be electrically connected. Additionally, although not shown in the drawings, substantially multiple first electrode plates 210 can also be electrically connected to each other.

[0111] In a conventional rechargeable battery including a resin-metal composite substrate, since the uncoated area only contacts one side of the metal layer, it is challenging to weld the uncoated area of the electrode. To overcome this challenge, the manufacturing process may need to perform an additional operation of a conduction process to achieve conduction through the metal layer.

[0112] As described above, even without performing a separate conduction process, the electrode assembly 200 according to the exemplary embodiment can electrically connect the first electrode plates 210 to each other and the second electrode plates 220 to each other using the ultrasonic welding method.

[0113] In the example, the electrode assembly 200 according to the exemplary embodiment does not need to perform a conduction process that requires additional folding of the foil and separately inserting the foil between the electrode plates. Therefore, not only can the manufacturing time be shortened, but also the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0114] Although the present invention has been described in connection with what is currently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the exemplary embodiments are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many variations and other equivalent exemplary embodiments based thereon are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the examples of the present invention should be determined by the technical concept of the scope of the appended patent claims.

[0115] <Description of Symbols> 100: Rechargeable battery 200: Electrode assembly 201A, 201B: Current collector layer 202: Current collector portion 203: Uncoated area 204: Electrode plate layer 210: First electrode plate 220: Second electrode plate 230: Separator 300: Housing E: Substrate layer E1: Main body portion E2: Tilted portion F1: First conductive layer F2: Second conductive layer.

Claims

1. An electrode plate, the electrode plate comprising: A current collecting layer, including a substrate layer and a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer respectively disposed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate layer; And An electrode plate layer, on at least one side of the current collecting layer; Wherein, at least a part of the first conductive layer and at least a part of the second conductive layer that extend beyond the substrate layer are combined with each other.

2. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate layer includes: A main body portion; and An inclined portion, integrated with the main body portion, and the thickness of the inclined portion gradually decreases toward the end of the inclined portion.

3. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, The current collecting layer includes: A current collecting portion, wherein the electrode plate layer is disposed on at least one side of the current collecting portion; and An uncoated area, extending to an outer portion of the current collecting portion, and A part of the first conductive layer and a part of the second conductive layer extend beyond the uncoated area, and the ends of the first conductive layer and the ends of the second conductive layer are combined with each other.

4. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein The substrate layer includes at least one of the following: polyamide, polyimide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyacetylene, silicone rubber, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene glycol, polythiazyl, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyridine, cellulose, starch, protein, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, their derivatives, their substitutes and their copolymers.

5. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate layer further includes an additive, wherein the additive includes one or more of a metal material and an inorganic non-metallic material.

6. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes aluminum.

7. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer include one or more of nickel, copper, iron and their alloys.

8. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer include one or more of a metal material, a carbon-based conductive material and a conductive polymer material.

9. An electrode assembly, the electrode assembly including a plurality of electrode plates and a separator, the plurality of electrode plates being stacked with the separator located between the plurality of electrode plates, Among them, At least one of the plurality of electrode plates includes: A current collecting layer, including a substrate layer, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer being respectively disposed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate layer, extending longer than the substrate layer, and at least partially combined with each other; and An electrode plate layer, on a part of the current collecting layer.

10. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The thickness of one end of the substrate layer gradually decreases.

11. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The substrate layer includes: A main body portion; and An inclined portion, integrated with the main body portion, wherein the thickness of the inclined portion gradually decreases toward the end of the inclined portion.

12. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The current collecting layers included in the plurality of electrode plates are combined with each other.

13. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The current collecting layer includes: A current collecting portion, the electrode plate layer being disposed on at least one side of the current collecting portion; and An uncoated area, extending to an outer portion of the current collecting portion.

14. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The plurality of electrode plates include a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate.

15. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The substrate layer includes at least one of the following: polyamide, polyimide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyacetylene, silicone rubber, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene glycol, polythiazyl, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyridine, cellulose, starch, protein, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, their derivatives, their substitutes, and their copolymers.

16. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The substrate layer further includes additives, wherein the additives include one or more of metallic materials and inorganic non-metallic materials.

17. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, At least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes aluminum.

18. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein, At least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes one or more of nickel, copper, iron, and their alloys.

19. The electrode assembly according to claim 9, wherein At least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes one or more of metallic materials, carbon-based conductive materials, and conductive polymer materials.

20. A rechargeable battery, the rechargeable battery comprising: An electrode assembly; And A housing containing the electrode assembly according to claim 9.

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