Battery cell, semi-finished laminated battery cell structure, and positioning method thereof

Abstract

To provide a battery cell, a semi-finished laminated battery cell structure, and a positioning method thereof.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a battery cell, a semi-finished laminated battery cell structure, and a positioning method thereof. The battery cell includes a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode current collector, each of which includes an active material coating region, a glue frame adhesion region, an electrical output region, and a remaining region regarded as an ineffective region. At least two through-holes are disposed in the ineffective region. The battery cells are positioned by inserting the positioning pins into the through holes of the plurality of stacked battery cells. After welding the positive and negative electrical output regions, the inactive regions are cut to maximize the energy density of the stacked battery cell.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority from Taiwan Patent Application No. 113126387, filed with the Taiwan Patent Office on July 15, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a positioning method and structure for stacking battery cells. [Background technology]

[0003] New energy vehicles are gradually becoming popular in the market and are being put into practical use. Power batteries are one of the three core technologies of new energy electric vehicles. Therefore, the structural protection and thermal management of the power battery is considered to be a very important part of new energy vehicles. Furthermore, in order to extend the driving range of new energy electric vehicles, it is necessary to design them lighter and improve their energy density.

[0004] As illustrated in FIG. 1, current stacking processes for large battery cells require that the stacked battery cells be positioned so that the subsequent welding of the tabs 111 proceeds smoothly. As shown, after stacking the first battery cell 11 and the second battery cell 12, vertical positioning and alignment is typically performed using visual images from both sides. The angular misalignment is then compensated for by rotating the center point. However, as the length and width of the battery cells increase, the difficulty of positioning the stacked battery cells increases. In particular, alignment by rotation of the center point tends to amplify edge misalignment by several times due to angular errors.

[0005] To address this issue, common solutions include using a more accurate calibration platform or increasing the number of visual images and calibration cycles. However, these methods not only increase costs, but also significantly slow down the stacking and alignment of battery cells, and increase manufacturing costs. On the other hand, although there are solutions on the market that utilize clamping fixtures for positioning, the mechanisms required to accommodate such clamping fixtures occupy a certain volume, which in turn negatively impacts the energy density of the assembled battery module.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a battery cell, a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure, and a positioning method to reduce or avoid the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a battery cell, a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure, and a method for positioning the same. That is, the present invention provides a battery cell, a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure, and a positioning method therefor, which can achieve a simple and highly accurate positioning mechanism through the cooperation of a through hole and a positioning pin, and can improve the energy density of a battery module that is subsequently assembled by cutting off the ineffective area of ​​the through hole after welding the tab. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention discloses a battery cell including a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode current collector, and at least two through-holes. The positive electrode current collector includes a positive electrode active material coating region, a positive electrode adhesive frame contact region that completely surrounds the positive electrode active material coating region, a positive electrode electrical output region located outside the positive electrode adhesive frame contact region, and a first frame region located outside the positive electrode adhesive frame contact region and not overlapping with the positive electrode electrical output region. The negative electrode current collector includes a negative electrode active material coating region, a negative electrode adhesive frame contact region that completely surrounds the negative electrode active material coating region, a negative electrode electrical output region located outside the negative electrode adhesive frame contact region, and a second frame region located outside the negative electrode adhesive frame contact region and not overlapping with the negative electrode electrical output region. The first frame region and the second frame region are defined as ineffective regions. The through-holes are located in the ineffective regions and penetrate the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector.

[0009] Thus, at least two locating pins can be introduced for insertion into the through-holes of a plurality of stacked battery cells stacked along a single axis. The battery cells are arranged to form a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure. This structure is configured to allow subsequent welding between the electrical output regions of the positive and negative electrodes. After welding, the inactive regions are cut off to increase the energy density of the subsequently assembled battery module.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention provides providing a plurality of the aforementioned battery cells; providing at least two locating pins corresponding to the through holes; Inserting positioning pins into through holes of the battery cells and stacking the battery cells in order; welding the positive and negative electrical output areas of the battery cell together; and cutting the void area containing the through-hole.

[0011] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. However, the following detailed description and specific examples are merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and various changes and modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these should also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description set forth below. The following detailed description is by way of example only and is therefore not intended to be limiting of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for alignment correction of conventional stacked battery cells. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a positive electrode current collector of a battery cell of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a negative electrode current collector of a battery cell of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a battery cell of the present invention. [Figure 3B] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a battery cell of the present invention. [Figure 4A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery cell having a through hole of the present invention. [Figure 4B] 1 is a schematic view of a through-hole with an elastic member inserted inside a battery cell according to the present invention; [Figure 5A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a stacked battery cell of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 1 is a schematic diagram of a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure of the present invention showing the elimination of dead areas. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes.

[0015] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the general inventive concept. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. Furthermore, it will be understood that terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0016] Throughout this specification, a reference to "one embodiment" or "a particular embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "a particular embodiment" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure.

[0017] 3A, a battery cell according to the present invention is described that includes a positive current collector 41 and a negative current collector 42. The positive electrode active material 51 , the separator 52 , and the negative electrode active material 53 are sandwiched in this order between the positive electrode current collector 41 and the negative electrode current collector 42 , and the periphery thereof is surrounded and sealed using an adhesive frame 54 . 2A and 2B, the positive electrode current collector 41 has a generally rectangular thin plate shape, and one end (left side in the figure) of the positive electrode current collector 41 extends outward to form a positive electrode electrical output region 413. The central portion of the positive electrode current collector 41 is a positive electrode active material coating region 411 used for coating the positive electrode active material 51 . The positive electrode adhesive frame contact area 54 a completely surrounds the positive electrode active material coating area 411 . The remaining area of ​​the positive electrode current collector 41 excluding the positive electrode active material coating area 411, the positive electrode adhesive frame contact area 54a, and the positive electrode electrical output area 413 is defined (defined) as a first frame area 412 in the present invention. As shown in the figure, the first frame region 412 is located substantially outside the positive electrode adhesive frame contact region 54 a and does not overlap with the positive electrode electrical output region 413 .

[0018] Similarly, the negative electrode current collector 42 corresponds to the positive electrode current collector 41 and has a generally rectangular thin plate shape. One end (the right side in the figure) of the negative electrode current collector 42 extends outward to form a negative electrode electrical output region 423 . The central portion of the negative electrode current collector 42 is a negative electrode active material coating region 421 , which is used for coating the negative electrode active material 53 . The negative electrode adhesive frame contact area 54b completely surrounds the negative electrode active material coating area 421. In the present invention, the remaining area of ​​the negative electrode current collector 42 excluding the negative electrode active material coating area 421 , the negative electrode adhesive frame contact area 54 b , and the negative electrode electrical output area 423 is defined as a second frame area 422 . As shown in the figure, the second frame region 422 is located substantially outside the negative electrode adhesive frame contact region 54 b and does not overlap with the negative electrode electrical output region 423 . 4A, a first frame region 412 and a second frame region 422 are defined as invalid regions 22.

[0019] The adhesive frame 54 is sandwiched between the positive electrode current collector 41 and the negative electrode current collector 42 . The upper surface of the adhesive frame 54 is bonded to the positive electrode adhesive frame contact area 54 a of the positive electrode current collector 41 , and surrounds the positive electrode active material 51 . The lower surface of the adhesive frame 54 is bonded to the negative electrode adhesive frame contact area 54 b of the negative electrode current collector 42 , and surrounds the periphery of the negative electrode active material 53 .

[0020] Please refer now to Figures 3B and 4A. In the positive electrode current collector 41 and the negative electrode current collector 42 of the present invention, the positive electrode active material coating region 411 and the negative electrode active material coating region 421 where the positive electrode active material 51 and the negative electrode active material 53 are arranged, the positive electrode adhesive frame contact region 54a, the negative electrode adhesive frame contact region 54b, the positive electrode electrical output region 413, and the negative electrode electrical output region 423 are defined as effective regions. On the other hand, the first frame area 412 and the second frame area 422 are defined as the invalid area 22 . The battery cell 20 of the present invention has a length of 300 mm or more and a width of 90 mm or more. The positive and negative electrical output regions 413 and 423 are located on different sides of the battery cell 20 . As illustrated in the figure, the positive and negative electrical output areas 413 and 423 are located on the left and right sides of the battery cell 20, respectively. The ineffective areas 22 are located above and below the battery cell 20 .

[0021] At least two through holes 23 are formed in the ineffective area 22 of the battery cell 20. The position of the through-hole 23 must avoid the area where the adhesive frame 54 is in close contact. This is to prevent the adhesive frame 54 from being damaged during subsequent cutting and affecting the sealing of the battery cells 20 . This is explained in detail below. The through holes 23 are designed for subsequent stack alignment purposes. Therefore, at least two through holes 23 are provided to achieve basic positioning. As shown, the battery cell 20 is generally rectangular. Therefore, at least one through hole 23 is provided in each of the upper and lower dead zones 22 . Of course, to achieve optimal alignment, the through holes 23 can be formed at the four corners, ie, at both ends of the upper and lower dead zones 22, respectively. In particular, it should be noted that, as previously mentioned, the invalid area 22 is located outside the adhesive area of ​​the adhesive frame 54 . 3B. The through-holes 23 penetrate the positive electrode current collector 41 and the negative electrode current collector 42 and are located outside the adhesive frame 54. In other words, the positive electrode current collector 41 and the negative electrode current collector 42 extend outward beyond the adhesive frame 54, i.e., the upper and lower sides in the figure, at least along the sides corresponding to the ineffective area 22, thereby forming the through holes 23. Further, see Fig. 4B. An elastic member 24 may be provided inside the through-hole 23. The elastic member 24 has a generally ring-like shape with a central opening, and is inserted into the through-hole 23 to improve hole fitting and alignment accuracy during subsequent lamination. This is explained in detail below.

[0022] Please refer now to Figures 5A and 5B. The base 31 is provided with positioning pins 32 in positions and in numbers corresponding to the through holes 23 described above. The tip of the positioning pin 32 is formed with a guide inclined surface to facilitate insertion of the battery cell 20 . During placement, the through holes 23 of the battery cells 20 are aligned with the corresponding locating pins 32 , and the locating pins 32 pass through the central holes of the elastic members 24 disposed within the through holes 23 . The elastic member 24 is made of an elastic material, and the central hole is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the positioning pin 32. Therefore, when the battery cell 20 is inserted, the elastic member 24 generates an elastic force, automatically aligning and positioning the battery cell 20. In this manner, the battery cells 20 are stacked vertically one after the other to form a semi-finished stacked battery cell structure including a plurality of stacked battery cells 20 . This approach utilizes a combination of structural relative positioning and the design of the elastic member 24, allowing misalignment in the semi-finished stacked battery cell structure to be controlled within design tolerances, significantly improving positioning accuracy.

[0023] The stacking structure of the battery cells 20 described above can be varied depending on the desired electrical connection design. For example, adjacent stacked battery cells 20 may have current collectors with the same polarity aligned to form a parallel connection, or with opposite polarity aligned to form a series connection. In the overall semi-finished stacked battery cell structure, the battery cells 20 may be connected in full series, full parallel, or a combination of series and parallel connections. The positive and / or negative electrical output regions 413, 423 of adjacent battery cells 20 are then welded together to establish an electrical connection between the adjacent battery cells 20.

[0024] After welding, there is no longer any risk of relative displacement or misalignment between the battery cells 20 . Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the dead area 22 can be removed along with the through hole 23 therein. The removal method can be appropriately selected based on the thickness and material properties of the battery cell 20 . Removal methods may include stamping, laser cutting, rotary cutting, or other techniques. As previously mentioned, the dead zone 22 is located outside the adhesive frame 54 . See also Figures 2A, 2B, and 3B. Even if this invalid area 22 is removed, the normal operation of the battery cell 20 is not affected. After the ineffective area 22 is removed, the energy density of the battery cell 20 can be maximized. Furthermore, depending on the design requirements or structural constraints of the battery cell 20, only one side or a portion of the dead area 22 may be removed as needed.

[0025] Therefore, the battery cell, the semi-finished stacked battery cell structure, and the positioning method thereof according to the present invention have the following advantages: The present invention provides at least two through holes within the ineffective area of ​​a battery cell, places an elastic member inside the through holes, and uses a positioning pin, thereby making it possible to control the positional deviation of the battery cells during stacking within an acceptable range, thereby significantly improving positioning accuracy and significantly reducing equipment costs. After the electrical output area is welded, the dead area can be cut along with the through hole. This maximizes the energy density of the subsequently assembled battery device. Additionally, the structure of the present invention allows for the transportation of aligned, semi-finished, laminated battery cell structures between process stations within a manufacturing plant. This allows for greater flexibility in the allocation and deployment of equipment within a manufacturing plant.

[0026] It will be apparent that the present invention may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery cell, a positive electrode current collector having a positive electrode active material coating region, a positive electrode adhesive frame contact region that completely surrounds the positive electrode active material coating region, a positive electrode electrical output region located outside the positive electrode adhesive frame contact region, and a first frame region that is located outside the positive electrode adhesive frame contact region and does not overlap with the positive electrode electrical output region; a negative electrode current collector having a negative electrode active material coating area, a negative electrode adhesive frame contact area that completely surrounds the negative electrode active material coating area, a negative electrode electrical output area located outside the negative electrode adhesive frame contact area, and a second frame area located outside the negative electrode adhesive frame contact area and not overlapping with the negative electrode electrical output area, wherein the first frame area and the second frame area are defined as ineffective areas; and at least two through holes disposed in the ineffective area and passing through the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector.

2. 2. The battery cell of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive frame sandwiched between the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector, wherein an upper surface of the adhesive frame is closely adhered to the positive electrode adhesive frame contact area and a lower surface of the adhesive frame is closely adhered to the negative electrode adhesive frame contact area.

3. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein at least one elastic member is disposed in the through-hole.

4. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the battery cell is 300 mm or more, and the width of the battery cell is 90 mm or more.

5. 1. A positioning method for a battery cell, comprising: Providing a plurality of battery cells according to claim 1; providing at least two positioning pins corresponding to the through holes; inserting the positioning pins into the through holes of the battery cells to sequentially stack the battery cells; welding the positive and negative electrical output areas of the battery cell together; and cutting the void area including the through hole.

6. The positioning method according to claim 5 , wherein the tip of the positioning pin includes a guide inclined surface.

7. 1. A semi-finished laminated battery cell structure, comprising: a plurality of vertically stacked battery cells according to claim 1; and at least two positioning pins respectively inserted into aligned through-holes of the stacked battery cells to position the battery cells.

8. 8. The semi-finished stacked battery cell structure according to claim 7, wherein any two adjacent stacked battery cells face each other via the positive electrode current collector or the negative electrode current collector having the same polarity.

9. 8. The semi-finished stacked battery cell structure according to claim 7, wherein any two adjacent stacked battery cells face each other via the positive electrode current collectors or the negative electrode current collectors having different polarities.

10. 8. The semi-finished stacked battery cell structure according to claim 7, wherein the stacked battery cells are electrically connected to each other via the positive and negative electrode electrical output regions.

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