Electrode plate and rechargeable battery including the same

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrode plate and a rechargeable battery including the same, the electrode plate including: a substrate; an active material layer on at least a portion of one surface of the substrate and having a multi-stage end portion; and a protective member on at least a portion of the multi-stage end portion of the active material layer and the substrate such that the protective member does not protrude beyond the active material layer in the thickness direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to an electrode plate and a rechargeable battery including the electrode plate. Background Technology

[0002] Rechargeable batteries are manufactured in various suitable shapes, and in rechargeable batteries, pouch batteries include an electrode assembly with a separator (which is an electrical insulator) between positive and negative electrode plates, and a thin, flexible pouch in which the electrode assembly is embedded. The pouch houses the electrode assembly within its internal space.

[0003] Based on their structure, the electrode assemblies of rechargeable batteries are mainly classified into wound (or similar) and stacked (or similar) types. Stacked (or similar) types have good structural safety and excellent space utilization, and are therefore widely used in small and medium-sized batteries. Stacked (or similar) rechargeable batteries are rechargeable batteries in which multiple electrode plates and separators are stacked multiple times.

[0004] Therefore, if the thickness of the electrode plate is increased during the manufacturing process, the rechargeable battery will become too thick. If the thickness of the center and the two sides (e.g., two opposite sides) of the electrode plate is manufactured differently, the thickness of the electrode assembly will be uneven, making it difficult for the rechargeable battery to be manufactured to meet the target appearance specifications. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this disclosure overcome the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose of the embodiments of this disclosure is to provide an electrode plate that can be manufactured with uniform thickness and a rechargeable battery including the electrode plate.

[0006] However, the technical problems to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will understand from the following description other purposes not mentioned herein.

[0007] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an electrode plate comprising: a substrate; an active material layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate and having multiple ends; and a protective member having one side on at least a portion of the multiple ends of the active material layer and another side on the substrate, such that the protective member does not protrude beyond the active material layer in the thickness direction.

[0008] The active material layer may include a first active material portion and a second active material portion. The second active material portion includes: an edge portion along the edge of the first active material portion, and a surface of the protective member is disposed on the edge portion; and a multi-level portion having dimensions corresponding to the first active material portion, on the first active material portion, and being higher in height than the edge portion.

[0009] The outer surface of the protective component can be on the same line as the outer surface of the edge portion of the second active material portion.

[0010] The first active substance portion and the second active substance portion can be made of the same material.

[0011] The outer surface of the protective component may be relatively lower than the outer surface of the edge portion of the second active material portion.

[0012] The edge portion of the second active material portion may have a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the first active material portion.

[0013] The protective component can have a thin film shape.

[0014] The protective component can be laminated tape.

[0015] The edge of the active material layer can be spaced apart from the edge of the substrate.

[0016] The active material layer may include the positive electrode active material.

[0017] The active material for the positive electrode can be selected from one of the following: lithium manganese oxides, lithium nickel oxides, lithium cobalt oxides, lithium nickel manganese oxides, lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxides, lithium iron phosphate compounds, lithium manganese phosphate compounds, lithium cobalt phosphate compounds, and lithium vanadium phosphate compounds.

[0018] The active material layer may include the negative electrode active material.

[0019] The negative electrode active material can be a material capable of inserting and deintercalating lithium ions.

[0020] For example, the negative electrode active material can be selected from carbon-based materials (such as crystalline carbon, amorphous carbon, carbon composites and carbon fibers), lithium alloys, silicon (Si) and tin (Sn).

[0021] Another embodiment of this disclosure provides a rechargeable battery comprising: an electrode assembly including a plurality of electrode plates and a separator, wherein the plurality of electrode plates are stacked and the separator is located between the plurality of electrode plates; and a housing for accommodating the electrode assembly.

[0022] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the portion of the electrode plate to which the protective member is attached in the active material layer comprises multiple stages (multiple segments). Therefore, the protective member is formed such that it does not protrude relatively outward from the outermost surface of the active material layer, thereby preventing or reducing localized increases in the thickness of the protective member. Thus, the stacking flatness of the electrode plates can be significantly improved. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the embodiments of the present disclosure; therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a rechargeable battery including electrode plates according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 From Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electrode plate from which a rechargeable battery can be extracted.

[0026] Figures 3 to 5 This is a cross-sectional view showing the process of manufacturing the electrode plate.

[0027] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view is shown showing the state in which the first active material portion is disposed on the substrate.

[0028] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view is shown showing the state in which the second active material portion is disposed on the substrate and the first active material portion.

[0029] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view shows the state of the protective member being attached to the boundary between the active material layer and the substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the following description, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood in the specification that the terms and words used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as having their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but rather should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present disclosure, in light of the principle that the inventor may appropriately define the concepts of terms and words in order to best describe his / her own invention. Therefore, since the embodiments described in the specification and the constructions shown in the drawings are merely exemplary embodiments and constructions of the subject matter of the present disclosure, they do not represent all the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and it should be understood that various suitable equivalents and modifications are possible in place of the disclosed embodiments.

[0031] It will also be understood that if the terms “comprising,” “including,” and / or variations thereof are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps (e.g., actions or tasks), operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0032] To aid in understanding the subject matter of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale and some component dimensions may be exaggerated. In embodiments, the same reference numerals may be assigned to the same elements in different embodiments.

[0033] If two objects are described as “identical,” this means that they are “substantially identical.” Therefore, substantially identical objects can include those considered to have low deviations in the art, such as deviations within 5%. In an embodiment, if it is stated that certain parameters are uniform within a set or predetermined region, this can mean that the parameters are uniform (e.g., substantially uniform) in terms of their average value within the corresponding region.

[0034] Although the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various constituent elements, these constituent elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another, and unless stated to the contrary, a first element can be a second element.

[0035] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise stated, each element may be singular or plural.

[0036] If an element is "above" (or below) another element or "on" (or below) another element, then the element may be on the upper (or lower) surface of the other element, and an intervening element may be present between the element and the other element on (or below) the element.

[0037] In embodiments, if an element is referred to as being "on" another element, "connected to" or "integrated into" another element, then the element may be directly connected to or directly integrated into the other element. However, it should be understood that intermediary elements may exist between the elements, or the elements may be "connected," "integrated," or "linked" to each other through other elements.

[0038] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Furthermore, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of this disclosure refers to “one or more embodiments of this disclosure”.

[0039] If a statement such as “at least one of…” follows a list of elements, it modifies the entire list of elements but not individual elements within that list.

[0040] Throughout the specification, unless specifically stated to the contrary, the expression “A and / or B” means A, B, or A and B, and the expression “C to D” means C or greater and D or less.

[0041] The expressions “at least one of A, B and C (species / beings)”, “at least one of A, B or C (species / beings)” and “at least one of the groups consisting of A, B and C (species / beings)” mean only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, all of A, B and C, or variations thereof.

[0042] As used herein, the term "use" and its variations may be considered synonymous with the term "utilize" and its variations, respectively. As used herein, the terms "substantially," "about," and similar terms are used as approximations rather than terms of degree and are intended to explain the inherent variations in measured or calculated values ​​that will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0043] It will be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or portion from another element, component, region, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the first element, first component, first region, first layer, or first portion described below may be referred to as a second element, second component, second region, second layer, or second portion.

[0044] For ease of explanation, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “lower,” “below,” “above,” and “upper” are used here to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element(s) shown in the figures. It will be understood that, in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures, the spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as “below,” “under,” or “below” other elements or features will subsequently be positioned “above” said other elements or features. Therefore, the example terms “below” and “below” can both cover both above and below orientations.

[0045] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0046] In the following description, before describing the electrode plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, a rechargeable battery including the electrode plate will be described in more detail.

[0047] Figure 1 A perspective view of a rechargeable battery including electrode plates according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0048] Reference Figure 1The rechargeable battery 100 may include an electrode assembly 200 and a housing 500.

[0049] The electrode assembly 200 includes multiple electrode plates 300A and 300B and a diaphragm 400. For example, the multiple electrode plates 300A and 300B may include a first electrode plate 300A and a second electrode plate 300B.

[0050] The electrode assembly 200 may be in the form of a laminate including a first electrode plate 300A, a second electrode plate 300B and a diaphragm 400, which are repeatedly wound or stacked.

[0051] For example, electrode assembly 200 may be a stacked type (or similar) of electrode plates 300A and 300B stacked in multiple layers. In embodiments, electrode assembly 200 may be a repeatedly wound electrode core type (or similar). In this disclosure, a stacked type (or similar) electrode assembly 200 is described as an example, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0052] In the embodiments, the manufacturing process of the stacked (or similar) electrode assembly 200 typically includes a first stacking process and a second stacking process.

[0053] In the first stacking process, full cathodes and full anodes can be stacked. In an embodiment, the full cathode can be the remaining first electrode plates 300A among a plurality of first electrode plates 300A excluding the outermost first electrode plate 300A. In an embodiment, the full anode can be a second electrode plate 300B.

[0054] In the second stacking process, half cathodes can be stacked on one or more of the two outermost sides based on the stacking direction. In an embodiment, the half cathode can be the outermost first electrode plate 300A among the first electrode plates 300A.

[0055] For convenience, Figure 2 The electrode assembly 200 is shown in which the semi-positive electrodes are stacked at the outermost part of the upper portion of the electrode assembly 200, but the semi-positive electrodes may be stacked at the outermost part of the upper portion of the electrode assembly 200 and the outermost parts of both sides (e.g., two opposite sides).

[0056] In the embodiments, a full positive electrode and a full negative electrode are electrodes in which the active material is coated on both sides (e.g., two opposite sides) of a substrate, and a half positive electrode is a positive electrode in which the active material layer is only on one side of the substrate. The detailed descriptions of full positive electrodes, full negative electrodes, and half positive electrodes are omitted below.

[0057] A separator 400 is located between the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B. The separator 400 prevents (or reduces the likelihood or occurrence of) short circuits between the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B, and allows lithium ions to move. In an embodiment, the separator 400 may have a relatively larger size than the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B.

[0058] The diaphragm 400 may include a porous polymer membrane and / or a porous nonwoven fabric. In embodiments, the porous polymer membrane may be configured as a single layer or multiple layers comprising polyolefin polymers such as ethylene polymers, propylene polymers, ethylene / butene copolymers, ethylene / hexene copolymers, and / or ethylene / methacrylate copolymers. The porous nonwoven fabric may include polyethylene terephthalate fibers and glass fibers having a high melting point. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and in some embodiments, the diaphragm may be a ceramic-coated diaphragm (CCS) comprising ceramics.

[0059] The diaphragm 400 can be cut into unit lengths and disposed between the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B, or a strip-shaped diaphragm 400 can be zigzag-shaped between the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B. In an embodiment, the diaphragm 400 can be mounted as if wound in one direction between the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B.

[0060] Thus, the form of the diaphragm 400 is not limited to a specific form, but in this disclosure, an embodiment in which the diaphragm 400 is cut into unit lengths and disposed between the first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B will be described as an example, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0061] The housing 500 can accommodate the electrode assembly 200. The electrode assembly 200 is housed together with the electrolyte in the housing 500.

[0062] In the embodiments, the electrolyte may be a non-aqueous electrolyte. The electrolyte may contain a lithium salt and an organic solvent. The organic solvent may include at least one selected from propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), methyl propyl carbonate (MPC), dipropyl carbonate (DPC), vinylene carbonate (VC), dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile, dimethoxyethane, diethoxyethane, sulfolane, γ-butyrolactone, propylene sulfide, and tetrahydrofuran.

[0063] In embodiments, the housing 500 may be one of a bag-shaped (or similar), cylindrical (or similar), and prismatic (or similar) type. A bag-shaped (or similar) housing 500 may be manufactured by bending a sheet-like outer material to face each other, and then pressing or stretching one surface to include a recess on that surface.

[0064] The electrode assembly 200 is accommodated in the recess. A sealing portion 501 is provided on the outer periphery of the recess, and while the electrode assembly 200 is accommodated in the recess, the sealing portion 501 is sealed using a method such as heat fusion.

[0065] In this embodiment, among the plurality of electrode plates, the first electrode plate 300A can be a negative electrode, and the second electrode plate 300B can be a positive electrode, and vice versa. The first electrode plate 300A and the second electrode plate 300B can be electrically connected to or electrically coupled to the outside of the rechargeable battery 100 via strip terminals 520.

[0066] In one embodiment, insulating tape 510 may be attached to the portion of strip terminal 520 that contacts housing 500. Insulating tape 510 may prevent or reduce conductivity through or via strip terminal 520 and housing 500.

[0067] In the following, the electrode plate 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0068] Figure 2 It shows from Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electrode plates extracted from a rechargeable battery.

[0069] Reference Figure 2 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrode plate 300 includes a substrate 310, an active material layer 320, and a protective member 330.

[0070] The substrate 310 may be a current collector, and the current collector may include any suitable conductive material (e.g., an electrically conductive material) within the range that does not cause chemical reactions in the rechargeable battery (e.g., does not cause undesirable chemical reactions in the rechargeable battery). For example, the current collector may include one of stainless steel, nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), and / or alloys thereof, and may be arranged in various suitable forms such as films, sheets, and / or foils.

[0071] In an embodiment, substrate 310 may include a current collector and an uncoated area.

[0072] The active material layer 320 can be applied to at least one surface of the current collector. The active material layer 320 can be applied to the remaining portion of the current collector except for the edge regions. In an embodiment, the edge regions of the current collector can be uncoated areas where the active material layer 320 is not applied.

[0073] The active material layer 320 is on at least a portion of one surface of the substrate 310 and has multiple levels of ends. The edges of the active material layer 320 may be spaced apart from the edges of the substrate 310. Therefore, the protective member 330, which will be further described below, can be attached to the boundary portion between the active material layer 320 and the substrate 310.

[0074] The method of depositing the active material layer 320 on the substrate 310 can be, for example, using a slot coater, but is not limited thereto, and various suitable slurry (active material) coating methods can be used. In embodiments, it is possible to attach the active material layer 320 in the form of a film to the substrate 310.

[0075] In an embodiment, the active material layer 320 may further include an adhesive and a conductive material (e.g., an electrically conductive material).

[0076] The binder mediates the bonding between the substrate 310 and the active material, thereby improving mechanical stability. For example, the binder can be an organic binder or a water-based binder, and can be used in conjunction with a thickener such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). In embodiments, the organic binder can be selected from vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-co-HFP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile, and polymethyl methacrylate, and the water-based binder can be styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), but the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0077] Conductive materials can improve the conductivity of rechargeable batteries. Conductive materials can include metallic materials. In embodiments, the conductive material can include any suitable carbon-based conductive material. In embodiments, the conductive material can include one selected from graphite, carbon black, graphene, and carbon nanotubes. In some embodiments, the conductive material can include carbon nanotubes, but is not limited thereto.

[0078] A protective member 330 is attached to the boundary between the substrate 310 and the active material layer 320 to prevent or reduce movement or deformation of the active material layer 320 relative to the substrate 310. For this purpose, one side of the protective member 330 is disposed on at least a portion of the multi-stage ends of the active material layer 320, and the other side of the protective member is on the substrate 310. The protective member 330 is configured not to protrude beyond the active material layer 320 (e.g., not protruding from the substrate 310 above the active material layer 320 in the thickness direction).

[0079] As described above, the protective member 330 can be attached to the boundary portion between the active material layer 320 and the substrate 310. The protective member 330 can have a thin film shape. The protective member 330 can be, for example, a laminated tape.

[0080] As described above, the electrode plate 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure as described above includes an active material layer 320 with multiple terminal segments, and a protective member 330 is attached to the multiple terminal segments of the active material layer 320. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or reduce the protective member 330 from protruding from the active material layer 320 to the outside.

[0081] The active material layer 320 for this purpose may include, for example, a first active material portion 321 and a second active material portion 322.

[0082] The first active substance portion 321 may be on a portion of the substrate 310.

[0083] The second active material portion 322 may include an edge portion 323 and a multi-level portion 324.

[0084] Edge portion 323 runs along the edge of the first active material portion 321. A portion of the protective member 330 is on edge portion 323. Edge portion 323 of the second active material portion 322 may have a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the first active material portion 321.

[0085] In an embodiment, the width of the edge portion 323 may be approximately 2 mm. For example, the edge portion 323 may run along the entire edge of the first active material portion 321 and have a width of 2 mm.

[0086] The multi-level portion 324 has dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the first active material portion 321 and is located on the first active material portion 321. The multi-level portion 324 is positioned at a higher height relative to the edge portion 323. As described above, the edge portion 323 is located at the edge of the first active material portion 321, and the multi-level portion 324 is located on the first active material portion 321. Therefore, the vertical cross-sections of the edge portion 323 and the multi-level portion 324 can have a stepped shape.

[0087] One side of the aforementioned protective member 330 can be attached to the multi-level end between the multi-level portion 324 and the edge portion 323.

[0088] In an embodiment, if the protective member 330 and the multi-level portion 324 are manufactured to have the same thickness, the outer surface of the protective member 330 may be on the same line as the outer surface of the edge portion 323 of the second active material portion 322.

[0089] In an embodiment, the protective member 330 may be manufactured to be thinner than the multi-level portion 324, such that the outer surface of the protective member 330 is set relatively lower than the outer surface of the edge portion 323 of the second active material portion 322.

[0090] In the embodiments, the first active material portion 321 and the second active material portion 322 may be made of the same material.

[0091] The first active material portion 321 and the second active material portion 322 may be made of the same material, but are not limited thereto; the first active material portion 321 and the second active material portion 322 may be made of different materials. In an embodiment, the first active material portion 321 may be a material that has relatively greater adhesion to the substrate or relatively greater conductivity (e.g., electrical conductivity) compared to the second active material portion 322.

[0092] For example, the first active material portion 321 includes a carbon-based conductive material (e.g., a carbon-based electrically conductive material). The carbon-based conductive material included in the first active material portion 321 may be selected from carbon-based conductive materials included in the active material layer. The first active material portion 321 may include the same carbon-based conductive material as the second active material portion 322. Because the first active material portion 321 includes a carbon-based conductive material, the first active material portion 321 may be, for example, a conductive layer (e.g., an electrically conductive layer). The first active material portion 321 may be, for example, a conductive layer including a binder and a carbon-based conductive material (e.g., a carbon-based electrically conductive material).

[0093] The adhesive included in the first active material portion 321 can increase the adhesion between the substrate 310 and the second active material portion 322. The adhesive included in the first active material portion 321 is, for example, a conductive adhesive or a non-conductive adhesive (e.g., an electrically insulating adhesive and / or an ionicly insulating adhesive).

[0094] Conductive adhesives are, for example, ionicly conductive adhesives and / or electronically conductive adhesives. Adhesives possessing both ionic and electronic conductivity can be included in ionicly conductive adhesives or electronically conductive adhesives.

[0095] Ionically conductive binders can be, for example, polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), poly(methyl methacrylate), polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT), polypyrrole (PPY), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyaniline, and / or polyacetylene, etc. Ionically conductive binders may include polar functional groups. Ionically conductive binders including polar functional groups can be, for example, Nafion, Aquivion, Flemion, Gore, Aciplex, Morgane, etc. ADP, sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK), sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone sulfone) (SPAEKKS), sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone) (SPAEK), poly[bis(benzimidazolidinebenzisoquinolinone)] (SPBIBI), poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), and / or lithium 9,10-diphenylanthracene-2-sulfonate (DPASLi) + )wait.

[0096] The electronically conductive binder may be, for example, polyacetylene, polythiophene, polypyrrole, poly(p-phenylene), poly(phenylene vinylidene), poly(phenylene sulfide), and / or polyaniline. The first active material portion 321 may be, for example, a conductive layer (e.g., an electrically conductive layer and / or an ionicly conductive layer) comprising a conductive polymer (e.g., an electrically conductive polymer and / or an ionicly conductive polymer).

[0097] The binder included in the first active material portion 321 may be selected from the binder included in the second active material portion 322. For example, the first active material portion 321 may include the same binder as the second active material portion 322. The binder included in the first active material portion 321 may be, for example, a fluorinated binder, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

[0098] In an embodiment, if the electrode plate 300 is a positive electrode plate, the active material layer 320, including the first active material portion 321 and the second active material portion 322, may include a positive electrode active material. The positive electrode active material may be a material in which lithium (Li) ions can be inserted and extracted.

[0099] The positive electrode active material can be a lithium metal oxide. For example, the positive electrode active material can be selected from lithium manganese oxides, lithium nickel oxides, lithium cobalt oxides, lithium nickel manganese oxides, lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxides, lithium iron phosphate compounds, lithium manganese phosphate compounds, lithium cobalt phosphate compounds, and lithium vanadium phosphate compounds, but is not limited to specific examples.

[0100] Conversely, if the electrode plate 300 is a negative electrode plate, the active material layer 320 may include a negative electrode active material. The negative electrode active material may be a material in which lithium ions can be inserted and extracted. For example, the negative electrode active material may be selected from carbon-based materials (such as crystalline carbon, amorphous carbon, carbon composites, and carbon fibers), lithium alloys, silicon (Si), and tin (Sn). In some embodiments, the negative electrode active material may be natural graphite and / or artificial graphite, but is not limited to specific examples.

[0101] The manufacturing process of the electrode plate 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as described above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0102] Figures 3 to 5 This is a cross-sectional view showing the process of manufacturing the electrode plate. For example, Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing the state of the first active material portion on the substrate is shown.

[0103] Reference Figure 3 This allows the first active material portion 321 to be located on the substrate 310. The method for forming the first active material layer 320 on the substrate 310 can be, for example, by coating the substrate 310 with a slurry using a coating device (such as a slot coater). In embodiments, it is possible to attach the first active material portion 321, in the form of a film, to the substrate 310.

[0104] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view showing the state of the second active material portion on the substrate and the first active material portion is shown.

[0105] Reference Figure 4 As described above, after the first active material portion 321 is provided on the substrate 310, the second active material portion 322 is provided on the substrate 310 and the first active material portion 321.

[0106] In one embodiment, the slurry for forming the second active material portion 322 is applied to the substrate 310 over an area relatively larger than that of the first active material portion 321. In another embodiment, a portion of the second active material portion 322 may be on the first active material portion 321 to form a multi-level portion 324, and the remaining portion may be disposed on the substrate 310 along the edge of the first active material portion 321 to form an edge portion 323.

[0107] In the embodiments, the method of providing the first active material portion 321 and the second active material portion 322 on the substrate 310 is not limited to a specific method, and any suitable method can be used, as long as the second active material portion 322 can be separated into an edge portion 323 and a multi-level portion 324.

[0108] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view shows the state of the protective member being attached to the boundary between the active material layer and the substrate.

[0109] Reference Figure 5 One end of the protective member 330 is ultimately positioned adjacent to the end of the multi-level portion 324 of the second active material portion 322, and the protective member 330 is attached to the edge portion 323 and the substrate 310.

[0110] As described above, the electrode plate 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has multiple levels of ends of the active material layer 320, to which a protective member is attached. Therefore, the protective member 330 is configured such that it does not protrude relative to the outermost surface of the active material layer 320, thereby preventing or reducing localized increases in the thickness of the protective member 330. Thus, the stacking flatness of the electrode plate 300 can be significantly improved.

[0111] Although several embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, and although the subject matter of this disclosure has been described in conjunction with what is now considered to be actual embodiments, it will be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to cover various suitable modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various suitable modifications and other equivalent embodiments of this disclosure are possible. Consequently, the true technical scope of this disclosure must be determined based on the technical features of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0112] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 100: Rechargeable battery 200: Electrode assembly 300: Electrode plate 310: Base 320: Active substance layer 321: First active substance part 322: Second active substance portion 323: Edge section 324: Multilevel Parts 330: Protective components 400: Diaphragm 500: Housing.

Claims

1. An electrode plate, the electrode plate comprising: Base; An active material layer is disposed on at least a portion of one surface of the substrate and has multiple levels of ends; as well as A protective member having one side on at least a portion of the multi-level ends of the active material layer and another side on the substrate, such that the protective member does not protrude beyond the active material layer in the thickness direction.

2. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein: The active substance layer includes a first active substance portion and a second active substance portion, wherein the second active substance portion includes: An edge portion, along the edge of the first active material portion, and one surface of the protective member is disposed on the edge portion; and a multi-level portion, having a size corresponding to the first active material portion, on the first active material portion, and being higher in height than the edge portion.

3. The electrode plate according to claim 2, wherein: The outer surface of the protective member is on the same line as the outer surface of the edge portion of the second active material portion.

4. The electrode plate according to claim 2, wherein: The first active substance portion and the second active substance portion are made of the same material.

5. The electrode plate according to claim 2, wherein: The outer surface of the protective member is relatively lower than the outer surface of the edge portion of the second active material portion.

6. The electrode plate according to claim 2, wherein: The edge portion of the second active material portion has a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the first active material portion.

7. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein: The protective component has a thin film shape.

8. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein: The protective component is a laminated tape.

9. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein: The edge of the active material layer is spaced apart from the edge of the substrate.

10. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein: The active material layer includes a positive electrode active material.

11. The electrode plate according to claim 10, wherein: The positive electrode active material is selected from one of the following: lithium manganese oxides, lithium nickel oxides, lithium cobalt oxides, lithium nickel manganese oxides, lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxides, lithium iron phosphate compounds, lithium manganese phosphate compounds, lithium cobalt phosphate compounds, and lithium vanadium phosphate compounds.

12. The electrode plate according to claim 1, wherein, The active material layer includes a negative electrode active material.

13. The electrode plate according to claim 12, wherein: The negative electrode active material is a material capable of inserting and deintercalating lithium ions, and The negative electrode active material is selected from carbon materials such as crystalline carbon, amorphous carbon, carbon composites and carbon fibers, lithium alloys, silicon and tin.

14. A rechargeable battery, said rechargeable battery comprising: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrode plates and a diaphragm, wherein the plurality of electrode plates are stacked and the diaphragm is located between the plurality of electrode plates; and Housing, housing the electrode assembly Each of the plurality of electrode plates is an electrode plate according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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