Batteries, battery packs including the same, and automobiles

By designing a battery structure of a spacer assembly including a spacer and a sealing ring in the battery, the damage caused by the movement of the electrode set within the battery is solved, and optimization of the battery manufacturing process is achieved by reducing manufacturing complexity and cost using existing components.

JP7662891B2Active Publication Date: 2025-04-15LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024501588
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-07-19
Filing Date
2023-01-20
Publication Date
2025-04-15
Estimated Expiration
2043-01-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing batteries, the electrode sets in the capsule tend to cause damage to the electrode connection points during movement, and adding additional components to reduce the movement space will increase manufacturing complexity and cost.

Method used

The battery design is adopted that includes an electrode assembly with a non-coated portion, housing, the first current collector, cover, spacer assembly and spacer assembly connecting the spacer and sealing ring. The spacer assembly includes a spacer portion that prevents movement, a sealing ring portion to achieve sealing, and rotates the spacer portion when the application force exceeds a certain value by the connecting portion.

Benefits of technology

The movement of the electrode set in the battery is effectively reduced, thereby preventing damage to the electrode connection points, and optimizing the battery manufacturing process is achieved by using existing components without increasing manufacturing complexity and cost.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electrode assembly including a first non-coated portion and a second non-coated portion; a housing having an opening formed on one side and receiving the electrode assembly through the opening; a first current collector coupled to the first non-coated portion and positioned in the housing; a cap covering the opening; and a spacer assembly including a spacer portion interposed between the first current collector and the cap and configured to prevent movement of the electrode assembly, a gasket portion interposed between the housing and the cap and configured to seal between the cap and the housing, and a connector connecting the spacer portion and the gasket portion and configured to rotate the spacer portion when a force exceeding a reference value is applied in a direction from the gasket portion toward the spacer portion.
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile, and more particularly to a battery having a structure capable of minimizing movement of an internal electrode assembly of the present invention, and a battery pack and an automobile including the same.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0014957 filed on February 4, 2022 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0088960 filed on July 19, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings. [Background technology]

[0003] In a battery, a jelly roll may be applied in which a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab extend upward and downward along the height direction of a housing in order to maximize current collection efficiency. In a battery in which a jelly roll of this structure is applied, a current collector may be used as an intermediate medium for connecting the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab to a terminal and a housing, respectively.

[0004] In this case, for example, the positive electrode current collector may be coupled to a positive electrode tab while covering one side of the jelly roll, and the negative electrode current collector may be coupled to a negative electrode tab while covering the other side of the jelly roll, and the positive electrode current collector may be electrically connected to a terminal, and the negative electrode current collector may be electrically connected to a housing.

[0005] In a battery having the above-described structure, a relatively large space may be formed between the negative electrode current collector and the cap, and a space may also be formed between the bottom surface of the housing opposite the cap and the positive electrode current collector.

[0006] Such a space may cause the jelly roll to move vertically inside the housing, i.e., in the height direction of the battery. If the jelly roll moves vertically in this manner, the bonding portions between the current collector and the electrode tab may be damaged, and further, bonding portions between the current collector and the housing, and bonding portions between the current collector and the terminal may also be damaged.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the space in which the jelly roll moves. If additional parts are used to reduce the space in which the jelly roll moves, the process becomes more complicated and the manufacturing cost increases, so it is necessary to solve this problem by utilizing the parts that have been used in the past. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to prevent damage to electrical connections caused by movement of the jelly roll within the housing.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to prevent the movement of a jelly roll by utilizing components that have been conventionally applied in battery manufacturing, thereby preventing the complication of the manufacturing process and the increase in manufacturing costs that would occur due to the application of additional components.

[0010] It is yet another object of the present invention to prevent the spacer assembly from being abnormally deformed due to a force applied to the spacer assembly during the manufacturing process of the battery.

[0011] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a battery includes an electrode assembly including a first non-coated portion and a second non-coated portion; a housing having an opening formed on one side and accommodating the electrode assembly through the opening; a first current collector coupled to the first non-coated portion and positioned within the housing; a cap covering the opening; and a spacer assembly including a spacer portion interposed between the first current collector and the cap and configured to prevent movement of the electrode assembly, a gasket portion interposed between the housing and the cap and configured to seal between the cap and the housing, and a connector connecting the spacer portion and the gasket portion and configured to rotate the spacer portion when a force exceeding a reference value is applied in a direction from the gasket portion toward the spacer portion.

[0013] The connecting portion may include a plurality of bridges spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the electrode assembly.

[0014] Each of the plurality of bridges may include a first portion coupled to the spacer portion and a second portion coupled to the gasket portion.

[0015] The first portion of each of the plurality of bridges may be connected to the spacer portion while being tilted to form a predetermined angle with a radial direction of the electrode assembly.

[0016] The first portions of each of the plurality of bridges may be tilted in the same direction as one another.

[0017] The first and second portions may be interconnected at an angle to each other.

[0018] The spacer portion may have a height corresponding to a distance between the first current collector and the cap.

[0019] The spacer portion may be located at a center portion of one surface of the electrode assembly.

[0020] The spacer portion may include a spacer hole formed at a position corresponding to a winding center hole of the electrode assembly.

[0021] The spacer assembly may include a blowout preventer configured to span the spacer hole.

[0022] The housing may include a beading portion formed by pressing around its outer circumferential surface, and a crimping portion whose terminal end defining the opening below the beading portion extends and bent to surround the peripheral edge of the cap.

[0023] The gasket portion may be bent along the crimping portion to surround a periphery of the cap.

[0024] The bridges may be configured not to contact the first current collector.

[0025] The bridges may be configured to not contact the cap.

[0026] The first current collector may include a support portion located at the center of one side of the electrode assembly, a non-coated portion connecting portion extending from the support portion and connecting with the first non-coated portion, and a housing contact portion extending from the support portion or extending from an end of the non-coated portion connecting portion and interposed between the housing and the gasket portion.

[0027] the housing includes a beading portion in which a portion of a side wall of the housing is pressed inward, and a crimping portion whose end portion defining the opening below the beading portion is extended and bent to surround a peripheral portion of the cap, The housing contact portion may be in contact with one surface of the beading portion that faces the cap.

[0028] The cap may include a vent portion having a thickness less than a surrounding area.

[0029] The spacer portion may be located inside the vent portion so as not to cover the vent portion.

[0030] The connection portion may be positioned so as not to overlap the housing contact portion along a height direction of the battery.

[0031] A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above.

[0032] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0033] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, movement of the jelly roll within the housing is minimized to prevent damage to the electrical connections.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present invention, by utilizing the existing parts for preventing the jelly roll from moving without adding additional parts, it is possible to prevent the manufacturing process from becoming complicated and the manufacturing costs from increasing.

[0035] According to another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the spacer assembly from being abnormally deformed due to a force applied to the spacer assembly during a battery manufacturing process. Meanwhile, by preventing the abnormal deformation of the spacer assembly, it is possible to effectively prevent product defects caused by a force being applied to a current collector and / or an electrode assembly due to the deformation of the spacer assembly.

[0036] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters described in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a cylindrical battery according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a cylindrical battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a first current collector applied to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an area where the spacer assembly of the present invention is applied. [Diagram 5] 1A-1D are diagrams illustrating exemplary configurations of spacer assemblies according to the present invention; [Figure 6] 1A-1C show exemplary configurations of spacer assemblies according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a photograph showing an internal structure of a cylindrical battery to which the spacer assembly according to the present invention is applied, showing that even when force is applied to the spacer assembly during a crimping process, no abnormal deformation occurs in the spacer assembly, and therefore no abnormal deformation of the current collector occurs. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a spacer assembly that does not have a stress relief structure, unlike the spacer assembly of the present invention. [Figure 9] 13 is a photograph showing an internal structure of a cylindrical battery to which a spacer assembly without a stress relaxation structure is applied, in which the spacer assembly is abnormally deformed due to the force transmitted during the crimping process, and thus the current collector is also abnormally deformed. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the bottom surface of the cylindrical battery of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an area where the insulator of the present invention is applied. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 shows an electrode assembly having segmented pieces according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a state in which multiple cylindrical batteries according to an embodiment of the present invention are connected in series and parallel using bus bars. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as being in accordance with the meaning and concept of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to best describe the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configuration shown in the drawings are only one most preferred embodiment of the present invention, and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0039] In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the accompanying drawings may be drawn not to scale but with some components exaggerated. In addition, the same reference numerals may be used to refer to the same components in different embodiments.

[0040] When two comparison objects are "identical," it means that they are "substantially identical." Therefore, "substantially identical" may include deviations that are considered to be low in the art, for example, deviations within 5%. Furthermore, uniformity of any parameter in a given region may mean uniformity on average.

[0041] Terms such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish only one component from another component, and unless otherwise specified, the first component may be the second component.

[0042] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, each element may be singular or plural.

[0043] When a structure is disposed "on (or under)" a component or "above (or below)" a component, it may mean that the structure is disposed directly on the upper (or lower) surface of the component, but also that other structures may be interposed between the component and the structure disposed above (or below) the component.

[0044] Additionally, when a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the components may be directly coupled or connected to each other, but that there may be other components "intervening" between each component, or each component may be "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" by other components.

[0045] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, a reference to "A and / or B" means "A," "B," or "A and B," and a reference to "C through D" means at least C and at most D, unless otherwise specified.

[0046] 1 and 2, a battery 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be, for example, a cylindrical battery. The cylindrical battery 1 includes an electrode assembly 10, a housing 20, a first current collector 30, a cap 40, and a spacer assembly 50. The cylindrical battery 1 may further include a terminal 60. In addition to the above-mentioned components, the cylindrical battery 1 may further include an insulating gasket G and / or a second current collector 70 and / or an insulator 80. The present invention is not limited by the shape of the battery, and may be applied to batteries of other shapes, for example, prismatic batteries.

[0047] 2, 4, 11 and 12, the electrode assembly 10 includes a first non-coated portion 11 and a second non-coated portion 12. The electrode assembly 10 includes a first electrode having a first polarity, a second electrode having a second polarity, and a separator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is a negative electrode or a positive electrode, and the second electrode is an electrode having a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode.

[0048] The electrode assembly 10 may have, for example, a jelly-roll shape. That is, the electrode assembly 10 may be manufactured by sequentially stacking a first electrode, a separator, and a second electrode at least once and winding the stack. Such a jelly-roll type electrode assembly 10 may have a winding center hole C formed in the center and extending along the height direction (direction parallel to the Z-axis). Meanwhile, a separator may be further provided on the outer circumferential surface of the electrode assembly 10 for insulation from the housing 20.

[0049] The first electrode includes a first conductive substrate and a first electrode active material layer formed by coating one or both sides of the first conductive substrate. A first non-coated portion where the first electrode active material is not coated is present at one end of the width direction (parallel to the Z-axis) of the first conductive substrate. The first non-coated portion has a shape extending from one end to the other end along the length direction of the first electrode when the first electrode is spread out. The first non-coated portion 11 may function as a first electrode tab. The first non-coated portion 11 is provided on one side of the electrode assembly 10. More specifically, the first non-coated portion 11 is provided at a lower portion in the height direction (parallel to the Z-axis) of the electrode assembly 10 accommodated in the housing 20.

[0050] The second electrode includes a second conductive substrate and a second electrode active material layer formed by coating one or both sides of the second conductive substrate. The second conductive substrate has a non-coated portion at the other end in the width direction (parallel to the Z-axis) where the second electrode active material is not coated. The second non-coated portion 12 extends from one end to the other end along the length of the second electrode when the second electrode is in an open state. The second non-coated portion 12 may function as a second electrode tab. The second non-coated portion 12 is provided on the other side of the electrode assembly 10. More specifically, the second non-coated portion 12 is provided at the upper portion in the height direction (parallel to the Z-axis) of the electrode assembly 10 accommodated in the housing 20.

[0051] That is, the first non-coated portion 11 and the second non-coated portion 12 extend and protrude in opposite directions along the height direction of the electrode assembly 10 (direction parallel to the Z-axis), i.e., the height direction of the cylindrical battery 1, and are exposed to the outside of the separator.

[0052] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 12, at least a portion of the first non-coated portion 11 and / or the second non-coated portion 12 may include a plurality of segment pieces F divided along the winding direction of the electrode assembly 10. In this case, the plurality of segment pieces may be folded along the radial direction of the electrode assembly 10. The folded plurality of segment pieces may be overlapped in multiple layers. In this case, the first current collector 30 and / or the second current collector 70 described below may be coupled to a region where the plurality of segment pieces F are overlapped in multiple layers. Meanwhile, the electrode assembly 10 may include a welding target region, which is a region where the number of overlapping layers of the segment pieces F of the first non-coated portion 11 is maintained constant along the radial direction of the electrode assembly 10. Since the number of overlapping layers is maintained at a substantially maximum in the welding target region, it may be advantageous to perform welding between the first current collector 30 and the first non-coated portion 11 and / or welding between the second current collector 70 and the second non-coated portion 12 described below in this region. For example, when laser welding is applied and the laser output is increased to improve the welding quality, this is to prevent the laser beam from penetrating the first non-coated portion 11 and / or the second non-coated portion 12 and damaging the electrode assembly 10. This is also to effectively prevent foreign matter such as welding spatters from entering the inside of the electrode assembly 10.

[0053] In the present invention, the positive electrode active material coated on the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode active material coated on the negative electrode current collector may be any active material known in the art without any limitations.

[0054] In one example, the positive electrode active material is represented by the general chemical formula A[A x M y ]O 2+z (A includes at least one element selected from Li, Na, and K; M includes at least one element selected from Ni, Co, Mn, Ca, Mg, Al, Ti, Si, Fe, Mo, V, Zr, Zn, Cu, Mo, Sc, Zr, Ru, and Cr; x≧0, 1≦x+y≦2, −0.1≦z≦2; x, y, z, and the stoichiometric coefficients of the components included in M ​​are selected such that the compound maintains electrical neutrality.)

[0055] In other examples, the positive electrode active material is an alkali metal compound xLiM disclosed in US6,677,082, US6,680,143, etc. 1 O2-(1-x)Li2M 2 O3 (M 1 contains at least one or more elements having an average oxidation state of 3; M 2 contains at least one or more elements having an average oxidation state of 4; 0 ≦ x ≦ 1).

[0056] In still other examples, the positive electrode active material has the general chemical formula Li a M 1 x Fe 1‐x M 2 y P 1‐y M 3 z O 4‐z (M 1 contains at least one or more elements selected from Ti, Si, Mn, Co, Fe, V, Cr, Mo, Ni, Nd, Mg, and Al; M 2 contains at least one or more elements selected from Ti, Si, Mn, Co, Fe, V, Cr, Mo, Ni, Nd, Mg, Al, As, Sb, Si, Ge, V, and S; M 3 contains a halogen group element selectively containing F; 0 < a ≦ 2, 0 ≦ x ≦ 1, 0 ≦ y < 1, 0 ≦ z < 1; the stoichiometric coefficients of the components contained in a, x, y, z, M1, M2, and M3 are selected so that the compound maintains electrical neutrality.), or it can be a lithium metal phosphate represented by Li3M2(PO4)3 [M contains at least one element selected from Ti, Si, Mn, Fe, Co, V, Cr, Mo, Ni, Mg, and Al.].

[0057] Desirably, the positive electrode active material may contain primary particles and / or secondary particles formed by aggregation of primary particles.

[0058] For example, the negative electrode active material may be a carbon material, lithium metal or a lithium metal compound, silicon or a silicon compound, tin or a tin compound, etc. Metal oxides such as TiO2 and SnO2 having a potential of less than 2 V may also be used as the negative electrode active material. As the carbon material, either low crystalline carbon or high crystalline carbon may be used.

[0059] The separation membrane may be a porous polymer film, for example, a porous polymer film made of a polyolefin polymer such as an ethylene homopolymer, a propylene homopolymer, an ethylene / butene copolymer, an ethylene / hexene copolymer, an ethylene / methacrylate copolymer, etc., either alone or in combination. In another example, the separation membrane may be a conventional porous nonwoven fabric, for example, a nonwoven fabric made of a high melting point glass fiber, a polyethylene terephthalate fiber, etc.

[0060] At least one surface of the separation membrane may include a coating layer of inorganic particles. The separation membrane itself may also be made of a coating layer of inorganic particles. The particles constituting the coating layer may have a structure in which they are bound to a binder such that there is an interstitial volume between adjacent particles.

[0061] The inorganic particles may be made of an inorganic material having a dielectric constant of 5 or more. Non-limiting examples of the inorganic particles include Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT), Pb 1-x La x Zr 1-y Ti y O3(PLZT), PB(Mg3Nb 2 / 3 )O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT), BaTiO3, hafnia (HfO2), SrTiO3, TiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, SnO2, CeO2, MgO, CaO, ZnO, and Y2O3.

[0062] The electrolyte is A + B - In this case, the salt may have the structure:+ Li + , Na + , K + or combinations thereof. - F - , Cl - , Br - , I - , NO3 - , N(CN)2 - , BF4 - , ClO4 - , AlO4 - , AlCl4 - , PF6 - , SbF6 - , AsF6 - , BF2C2O4 - , BC4O8 - , (CF3)2PF4 - , (CF3)3PF3 - , (CF3)4PF2 - , (CF3)5PF - , (CF3)6P - , CF3SO3 - , C4F9SO3 - , CF3CF2SO3 - , (CF3SO2)2N - , (FSO2)2N - , CF3CF2(CF3)2CO - , (CF3SO2)2CH - , (SF5)3C - , (CF3SO2)3C - , CF3(CF2)7SO3 - , CF3CO2 - , CH3CO2 - , SCN- and (CF3CF2SO2)2N - The anion includes one or more anions selected from the group consisting of:

[0063] The electrolyte may be dissolved in an organic solvent. Examples of the organic solvent include propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), dipropyl carbonate (DPC), dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile, dimethoxyethane, diethoxyethane, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), γ-butyrolactone, and mixtures thereof.

[0064] 1, 2, 4 and 11, the housing 20 receives the electrode assembly 10 through an opening formed at its lower end. The housing 20 is a substantially cylindrical receiving body having an opening formed at its lower end and a closed portion formed at its upper end. The housing 20 may be made of a conductive material such as a metal. The material of the housing 20 may be, for example, aluminum. The side (outer periphery) and the upper surface of the housing 20 may be integrally formed. The upper surface (surface parallel to the XY plane) of the housing 20 may have a substantially flat shape. The housing 20 receives the electrolyte together with the electrode assembly 10 through an opening formed at its lower end.

[0065] The housing 20 is electrically connected to the electrode assembly 10. The housing 20 is connected to the first non-application portion 11 of the electrode assembly 10. Thus, the housing 20 has the same electrical polarity as the first non-application portion 11.

[0066] 2 and 4, the housing 20 may include a beading portion 21 and a crimping portion 22 formed at a lower end thereof. The beading portion 21 is provided at a lower portion of the electrode assembly 10 accommodated inside the housing 20. The beading portion 21 is formed by pressing an outer circumferential surface of the housing 20. The beading portion 21 partially reduces the inner diameter of the housing 20, thereby preventing the electrode assembly 10, which has a size approximately corresponding to the width of the housing 20, from slipping out of an opening formed at the lower end of the housing 20. The beading portion 21 may also function as a support portion on which a cap 40 is provided.

[0067] The crimping portion 22 is formed below the beading portion 21. The crimping portion 22 has an end portion that defines an opening of the housing 20 with the peripheral portion of the spacer assembly 50 interposed therebetween and is bent to surround the peripheral portion of the cap 40.

[0068] 2 to 4, the first current collector 30 is coupled to the first non-coated portion 11 of the electrode assembly 10 and positioned within the housing 20. The first current collector 30 covers at least a portion of one surface of the lower end of the electrode assembly 10. The combined body including the electrode assembly 10 and the first current collector 30 may be inserted into the housing 20 through an opening formed at the lower end of the housing 20. The first current collector 30 is electrically connected to the housing 20. That is, the first current collector 30 may function as a medium for electrical connection between the electrode assembly 10 and the housing 20.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, the first current collector 30 may include, for example, a support portion 31, a non-coated portion coupling portion 32, and a housing contact portion 33. The support portion 31 is located at approximately the center of one surface formed at the lower end of the electrode assembly 10. The support portion 31 may be provided with a first current collector hole H1. In this case, the first current collector hole H1 may be formed at a position corresponding to a winding center hole C of the electrode assembly 10. The first current collector hole H1 may function as a passage for inserting a welding rod or irradiating a laser for coupling a terminal 60 and a second current collector 70, which will be described later. In addition, the first current collector hole H1 may also function as a passage for smoothly impregnating the inside of the electrode assembly 10 with an electrolyte when the electrolyte is injected.

[0070] The non-coating part coupling part 32 extends from the support part 31 and is coupled to the first non-coating part 11. For example, a plurality of non-coating part coupling parts 32 may be provided. In this case, each of the plurality of non-coating part coupling parts 32 may have a shape extending radially from the support part 31. The housing contact part 33 may extend from the support part 31 as shown in FIG. 3, or may extend from an end of the non-coating part coupling part 32, unlike FIG. 3. An end of the housing contact part 33 may be interposed between a gasket part 52 of a spacer assembly 50 described below and the housing 20, and may be in contact with the housing 20, thereby electrically connecting the housing 20 and the first current collector 30. An end of the housing contact part 33 may be in contact with one surface of the beading part 21 that faces the cap 40, for example.

[0071] For example, a plurality of housing contact portions 33 may be provided. In this case, the plurality of housing contact portions 33 may have a shape extending radially from the support portion 31 as shown in Fig. 3, and at least one housing contact portion 33 may be located between adjacent non-applied portion coupling portions 32. Alternatively, the plurality of housing contact portions 33 may have a shape extending from each end of the plurality of non-applied portion coupling portions 32, unlike Fig. 3.

[0072] 2, 4 and 10, the cap 40 covers an opening formed in the housing 20. The cap 40 may be made of, for example, a metal material to ensure rigidity. The cap 40 forms the lower surface of the cylindrical battery 1. In the cylindrical battery 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cap 40 may have no polarity even if it is made of a conductive metal material. The absence of polarity may mean that the cap 40 is electrically insulated from the housing 20 and the terminal 60. Therefore, the cap 40 does not function as a positive terminal or a negative terminal. Therefore, the cap 40 does not need to be electrically connected to the electrode assembly 10 and the housing 20, and the material of the cap 40 does not necessarily need to be a conductive metal.

[0073] When the housing 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a beading portion 21, the cap 40 may be provided on the beading portion 21 formed on the housing 20. When the housing 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a crimping portion 22, the cap 40 is fixed by the crimping portion 22. A peripheral portion of a spacer assembly 50 is interposed between the cap 40 and the crimping portion 22 of the housing 20 to ensure airtightness of the housing 20.

[0074] 4 and 10, the cap 40 may further include a vent portion 41 to prevent the internal pressure from increasing beyond a preset value due to gas generated inside the housing 20. The vent portion 41 is a region of the cap 40 having a thickness thinner than the surrounding region. The vent portion 41 is structurally weaker than the surrounding region. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the cylindrical battery 1 and the internal pressure of the housing 20 increases above a certain level, the vent portion 41 may break, thereby discharging the gas generated inside the housing 20. The vent portion 41 may be formed, for example, by notching one or both sides of the cap 40 to partially reduce the thickness of the housing 20.

[0075] 4, it is preferable that the lower end of the cap 40 is located higher than the lower end of the housing 20. In this case, even if the lower end of the housing 20 contacts the ground or the bottom of a housing for forming a module or pack, the cap 40 does not contact the ground or the bottom of the housing. This can prevent the pressure required to break the vent part 41 from differing from the design value due to the weight of the cylindrical battery 1, and therefore ensure smooth breaking of the vent part 41.

[0076] Meanwhile, when the vent portion 41 has a closed loop shape as shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the greater the distance from the center of the cap 40 to the vent portion 41, the greater the force acting on the vent portion 41 when the same vent pressure is applied, making it easier to judge. Also, the greater the distance from the center of the cap 40 to the vent portion 41, the greater the advantage in terms of smoothness of vent gas discharge. From this perspective, it may be advantageous for the vent portion 41 to be formed along the periphery of a substantially flat region that protrudes downward (toward the bottom with reference to Fig. 4) from the peripheral region of the cap 40.

[0077] 10 of the present invention, the vent portion 41 is formed continuously in a substantially circular shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The vent portion 41 may be formed discontinuously in a substantially circular shape on the cap 40, or may be formed in a substantially linear shape or other shapes.

[0078] 2 and 4 to 6, the spacer assembly 50 is configured to prevent the movement of the electrode assembly 10 and to strengthen the sealing force of the housing 20. That is, the spacer assembly 50 is disposed between the cap 40 and the electrode assembly 10 to fix the electrode assembly 10 and seal the housing 20. The spacer assembly 50 may include a central portion supporting the bottom of the first current collector 30 and a peripheral portion in contact with the housing 20. In this case, the upper surface of the central portion may be located higher than the upper surface of the peripheral portion. The upper surface of the central portion may be in contact with the lower surface of the first current collector 30, and the lower surface of the central portion may be in contact with the inner surface of the cap 40. The central portion may include a spacer hole H2 formed at a position corresponding to the winding center hole C of the electrode assembly 10. The peripheral portion may extend toward the inner surface of the housing 20. The spacer assembly 50 may further include a flange extending downward from the outer periphery of the peripheral portion. In this case, the flange may be bent with the housing 20 to surround the periphery of the cap 40 when the housing 20 is crimped.

[0079] Alternatively, the spacer assembly 50 may include, for example, a spacer portion 51, a gasket portion 52, and a connecting portion 53. The spacer assembly 50 may further include a blowout prevention portion 54 in addition to the above-mentioned components. The spacer portion 51 may be interposed between the first current collector 30 and the cap 40 to prevent the electrode assembly 10 from moving. The spacer portion 51 may have a height corresponding to the distance between the first current collector 30 and the cap 40. In this case, the spacer portion 51 may effectively prevent the electrode assembly 10 from moving within the housing 20 due to a gap formed between the first current collector 30 and the cap 40. Thus, the spacer portion 51 may prevent damage to a joint portion between the electrode assembly 10 and the first current collector 30 and / or a joint portion between the first current collector 30 and the housing 20.

[0080] The spacer portion 51 may be located at approximately the center of one surface of the lower end of the electrode assembly 10. The spacer portion 51 may include a spacer hole H2 formed at a position corresponding to the winding center hole C of the electrode assembly 10. The spacer hole H2 may function as a passage for inserting a welding rod or a passage for laser irradiation, similar to the first current collector hole H1 described above. The spacer hole H2 may also function as a passage for smoothly impregnating the inside of the electrode assembly 10 with the electrolyte when the electrolyte is injected, similar to the first current collector hole H1 described above.

[0081] Meanwhile, the spacer part 51 may cover the support part 31 of the first current collector 30 so that the support part 31 is not exposed to the outside of the spacer part 51. That is, the outer diameter of the upper end part of the spacer part 51 may be substantially the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the support part 31. In this case, the spacer part 51 may effectively press the first current collector 30.

[0082] Alternatively, the spacer portion 51 may be configured to cover at least a portion of a welded portion formed by welding the non-coated portion connecting portion 32 of the first current collector 30 and the first non-coated portion 11. That is, the radius of the upper end of the spacer portion 51 may be greater than the distance from the welded portion located closest to the core of the electrode assembly 10 to the core of the electrode assembly 10. In this case, the spacer portion 51 may effectively prevent the welded portion between the first current collector 30 and the first non-coated portion 11 from being damaged during, for example, a crimping process or a sizing process.

[0083] Furthermore, the spacer portion 51 may be located inward of the vent portion 41 in the core direction so as not to cover the vent portion 41 formed in the cap 40. That is, the radius measured at the upper end of the spacer portion 51 may be smaller than the distance from the center of the cap 40 to the vent portion 41. This is to prevent the vent portion 41 from being blocked by the spacer assembly 50, thereby preventing the rupture pressure of the vent portion 41 from changing from the design value.

[0084] The gasket portion 52 is interposed between the housing 20 and the cap 40. The gasket portion 52 may have a shape extending along the periphery of the inner circumferential surface of the housing 20. When the housing 20 includes the crimping portion 22, the gasket portion 52 may be bent along the bending state of the crimping portion 22 to surround the peripheral region of the cap 40. Alternatively, the gasket portion 52 may be bent along the crimping portion 22 to surround the peripheral portion of the cap 40 and fill the gap between the housing contact portion 33 and the cap 40. In this manner, the gasket portion 52 may improve the fixing force of the cap 40 and the sealing force of the housing 20.

[0085] Meanwhile, the gasket part 52 may be formed so that the thickness between the housing contact part 33 and the cap 40 is thinner than the thickness between the beading part 21 and the cap 40. This is because the gasket part 52 may be compressed more in the region where the housing contact part 33 is interposed between the housing 20 and the beading part 21 compared to other regions. Therefore, the gasket part 52 may have a higher compression ratio between the housing contact part 33 and the cap 40 than the compression ratio between the beading part 21 and the cap 40. Alternatively, the gasket part 52 may be configured so that the compression ratio between the housing contact part 33 and the cap 40 is substantially the same as the compression ratio between the beading part 21 and the cap 40. In this case, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the sealing force is partially reduced due to the compression ratio of the gasket part 52 varying from region to region.

[0086] The connecting portion 53 connects the spacer portion 51 and the gasket portion 52. The connecting portion 53 may be configured to rotate the spacer portion 51 when a force exceeding a reference value is applied from the gasket portion 52 toward the spacer portion 51. Here, the rotation of the spacer portion 51 means that the spacer portion 51 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise approximately along the circumferential direction of the electrode assembly 10. Specifically, the connecting portion 53 may be configured to act in a direction that rotates the spacer portion 51 when a force is applied from the outside of the cylindrical battery 1 toward approximately the center thereof, for example, when a crimping process is performed during the manufacture of the cylindrical battery 1.

[0087] As a result, in the cylindrical battery 1 according to the present invention, even if an external force is applied, the spacer assembly 50 is not abnormally deformed and the force can be effectively dispersed.

[0088] The connecting portion 53 may include, for example, a plurality of bridges 53a spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the electrode assembly 10. In this case, the space between adjacent bridges 53a may function as a passage for smooth circulation of the electrolyte. On the other hand, the space between adjacent bridges 53a may function as a passage for smooth exhaust of internal gas when venting occurs due to an increase in internal pressure.

[0089] Meanwhile, each of the bridges 53a may include a first portion connected to the spacer portion 51 and a second portion connected to the gasket portion 52. The first portion of each of the bridges 53a may be connected to the spacer portion 51 while being tilted to form a predetermined angle with the radial direction of the electrode assembly 10. If the force transmitted through the bridges 53a is transmitted almost perpendicularly to the outer circumferential surface of the spacer portion 51 along the radial direction of the electrode assembly 10, the bridges 53a may be deformed and the spacer portion 51 may be likely to come off from its installed position. Therefore, by forming a predetermined angle at the connection portion between the bridges 53a and the spacer portion 51, the force applied from the outside to the center of the battery 1 acts in a direction that rotates the spacer portion 51, thereby minimizing or preventing the deformation of the bridges 53a.

[0090] On the other hand, when the connecting portion 53 includes a plurality of bridges 53a, the first portions of the bridges 53a may be inclined in the same direction on a plane (XY plane). For example, the bridges 53a may be provided in a substantially spiral shape along a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. With this structure of the present invention, when an external force acting on the bridges 53a acts on the spacer portion 51 in the same direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, the spacer portion 51 can rotate smoothly.

[0091] The blowout preventer 54 may be configured to cross the spacer hole H2. The blowout preventer 54 may be configured to reduce the open area of ​​the spacer hole H2. The blowout preventer 54 may have, for example, a substantially cross shape. However, this is merely an exemplary shape of the blowout preventer 54, and the shape of the blowout preventer 54 is not limited thereto.

[0092] The blowout prevention part 54 may be provided at a position corresponding to the winding center hole of the electrode assembly 10 and the first current collector hole H1 of the first current collector 30. The blowout prevention part 54 may prevent the winding center part of the electrode assembly 10 from blowing out to the outside of the housing 20 when venting occurs due to an increase in the internal pressure of the housing 20.

[0093] 6, the first and second parts of the bridge 53a may be connected to each other at a predetermined angle. That is, the bridge 53a may have a shape in which the extension direction is changed at a connecting portion between the first and second parts. In this way, when the bridge 53a has a bent portion, when an external force is applied to the bridge 53a in a direction toward the center of the spacer assembly 50, the bridge 53a may deform in a direction in which the bent angle of the bent portion becomes larger. This prevents the bridge 53a from deforming in the height direction (direction parallel to the Z axis) of the battery 1, causing interference with the first current collector 30, and also prevents the external force applied to the bridge 53a from being transmitted to the spacer portion 51.

[0094] Meanwhile, unlike FIG. 5, FIG. 6 does not show the blowout preventer 54, but the blowout preventer 54 may be applied to the structure of the spacer assembly 50 shown in FIG. 6 in a similar manner to FIG.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 4, the bridge 53a may be configured not to contact the remaining part of the housing contact part 33 of the first current collector 30 except the part inserted into the crimping part 22 and / or the cap 40. For example, the connecting part 53 may be positioned so as not to overlap with the housing contact part 33 along the height direction (direction parallel to the Z-axis) of the cylindrical battery 1. For example, when a plurality of bridges 53a are provided and a plurality of housing contact parts 33 are provided, the plurality of bridges 53a and the plurality of housing contact parts 33 may be disposed at positions offset from each other so as not to overlap with each other along the vertical direction (direction parallel to the Z-axis). That is, the housing contact parts 33 may be provided at positions corresponding to spaces formed between the adjacent bridges 53a. In this case, even if the shape of the parts is deformed due to an external force applied to the housing 20, the possibility of interference between the bridges 53a and the housing contact part 33 is significantly reduced, and thus the possibility of problems such as damage to the joint parts between the parts can be significantly reduced.

[0096] In this case, even if deformation of the spacer assembly 50 occurs due to a sizing process or crimping process in which the cylindrical battery 1 is compressed along the height direction (direction parallel to the Z axis) or other reasons, interference between the connection part 53 of the spacer assembly 50 and the housing contact part 33 of the first current collector 30 can be minimized. In particular, when the bridge 53a is configured not to come into contact with the cap 40, the possibility of deformation of the bridge 53a can be reduced even if deformation of the housing 20 occurs due to the sizing process or external impact.

[0097] Meanwhile, each component constituting the spacer assembly 50 may be integrally formed. For example, the spacer assembly 50 may be manufactured by injection molding, in which the spacer portion 51, the gasket portion 52, and the connecting portion 53 are integrated. That is, the cylindrical battery 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is manufactured by modifying and manufacturing the gasket portion used for sealing the opening of the housing 20, and the effect of strengthening the sealing force for the opening of the housing 20 and preventing the movement of the electrode assembly 10 are both obtained as one part. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the complication of the manufacturing process and the increase in manufacturing costs caused by the application of additional parts. Furthermore, according to the structure of the spacer assembly 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when an external force such as a crimping process is applied, the force applied to the connecting portion 53 of the spacer assembly 50 in a substantially radial direction can be converted into a direction that rotates the spacer portion 51. As a result, the spacer portion 51 can be rotated minutely (e.g., about 1°) clockwise or counterclockwise on a plane (XY plane), thereby preventing stress from accumulating in the connecting portion 53 and preventing interference with the current collector 30 due to deformation of the connecting portion 53.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 7 together with FIG. 5, it can be seen that in a battery 1 to which the spacer assembly 50 of the present invention having the above-mentioned stress relaxation structure is applied, no abnormal deformation occurs in the current collector even when force is applied to the spacer assembly 50 through the crimping process.

[0099] Meanwhile, when an external force is applied to a battery to which a spacer assembly not having the stress relief structure shown in Fig. 8 is applied during a crimping process, it can be seen that the spacer assembly is significantly deformed as shown in Fig. 9. Such deformation of the spacer assembly applies force to the current collector, which can cause damage to the welded portion between the current collector and the electrode assembly and can also deform the electrode assembly.

[0100] 1, 2 and 11, the terminal 60 is electrically connected to the second non-coating portion 12 of the electrode assembly 10. The terminal 60 may, for example, pass through approximately the center of a closed portion formed at the upper end of the housing 20. A portion of the terminal 60 may be exposed at the top of the housing 20, and the remaining portion may be located inside the housing 20. The terminal 60 may be fixed to the inner surface of the closed portion of the housing 20 by, for example, riveting.

[0101] As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, the housing 20 is electrically connected to the first non-applied portion 11 of the electrode assembly 10, so that the closed portion formed at the upper end of the housing 20 can function as the first electrode terminal 20a having the first polarity. Meanwhile, the terminal 60 is electrically connected to the second non-applied portion 12 of the electrode assembly 10, so that the terminal 60 exposed to the outside of the housing 20 can function as the second electrode terminal.

[0102] That is, the cylindrical battery 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which a pair of electrode ends 60, 20a are located in the same direction. As a result, when electrically connecting a plurality of cylindrical batteries 1, it is possible to arrange an electrical connection part such as a bus bar only on one side of the cylindrical battery 1. This allows the battery pack structure to be simplified and the energy density to be improved. In addition, the cylindrical battery 1 has a structure in which one surface of the housing 20 having a substantially flat shape can be used as the first electrode terminal 20a, so that a sufficient bonding area can be secured when bonding an electrical connection part such as a bus bar to the first electrode terminal 20a. As a result, the cylindrical battery 1 can ensure sufficient bonding strength between the electrical connection part and the first electrode terminal 20a, and the resistance at the bonding site can be reduced to a desired level.

[0103] As described above, when the terminal 60 functions as a second electrode terminal, the terminal 60 is electrically insulated from the housing 20 having the first polarity. The electrical insulation between the housing 20 and the terminal 60 can be realized in various ways. For example, the insulation can be realized by interposing an insulating gasket G between the terminal 60 and the housing 20. Alternatively, the insulation can be realized by forming an insulating coating layer on a part of the terminal 60. Alternatively, the terminal 60 and the housing 20 can be arranged at a distance from each other so that they cannot contact each other, and the terminal 60 can be structurally firmly fixed. Alternatively, a plurality of the above-mentioned methods can be applied together.

[0104] Meanwhile, when an insulating gasket G is applied for electrical insulation and riveting is applied for fixing the terminal 60, the insulating gasket G may be deformed together with the terminal 60 when the terminal 60 is riveted, and may be bent toward the inner surface of the closed portion at the upper end of the housing 20. When the insulating gasket G is made of a resin material, the insulating gasket G may be bonded to the housing 20 and the terminal 60 by thermal welding. In this case, the airtightness at the bonding interface between the insulating gasket G and the terminal 60 and the bonding interface between the insulating gasket G and the housing 20 is enhanced.

[0105] 2 and 11, the second current collector 70 may be coupled to an upper portion of the electrode assembly 10. The second current collector 70 may be made of a conductive metal material and may be coupled to the second non-coated portion 12. The coupling between the second non-coated portion 12 and the second current collector 70 may be performed by, for example, laser welding.

[0106] 2 and 11, the insulator 80 may be interposed between a closing portion formed at the upper end of the housing 20 and the upper end of the electrode assembly 10, or between the closing portion and the second current collector 70. The insulator 80 may be made of, for example, an insulating resin material. The insulator 80 may prevent contact between the electrode assembly 10 and the housing 20 and / or between the electrode assembly 10 and the second current collector 70.

[0107] The insulator 80 may also be interposed between the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the electrode assembly 10 and the inner surface of the housing 20. In this case, it is possible to prevent the second non-coated portion 12 of the electrode assembly 10 from coming into contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the housing 20, thereby preventing a short circuit from occurring.

[0108] The insulator 80 may have a height corresponding to the distance between a closing portion formed at the upper end of the housing 20 and the electrode assembly 10, or the distance between the closing portion and the second current collector 70. In this case, the electrode assembly 10 can be prevented from moving inside the housing 20, and thus the risk of damage to the coupling portions for electrical connection between the components can be significantly reduced. When the insulator 80 is applied together with the above-mentioned spacer assembly 50, the effect of preventing the electrode assembly 10 from moving can be maximized.

[0109] The insulator 80 may have an opening formed at a position corresponding to the winding center hole C of the electrode assembly 10. The terminal 60 may be in direct contact with the second current collector 70 through the opening.

[0110] The cylindrical battery 1 of the present invention described above has a structure in which resistance is minimized by expanding the welding area by bending the non-coated portion, multiple current paths using the first current collector 30, and minimizing the length of the current path. The AC resistance of the cylindrical battery 1 measured by a resistance meter between the positive and negative electrodes, and between the terminal 60 and the flat surface 20a around it may be about 0.5 mΩ to 4 mΩ, which is suitable for fast charging, and preferably about 1 mΩ to 4 mΩ.

[0111] Desirably, the cylindrical battery may be, for example, a cylindrical battery having a form factor ratio (defined as the diameter divided by the height of the cylindrical battery, i.e., the ratio of the diameter Φ to the height H) of greater than about 0.4.

[0112] Here, the form factor refers to values ​​indicating the diameter and height of a cylindrical battery. Desirably, the diameter of the cylindrical battery may be about 40mm to 50mm, and the height may be about 60mm to 130mm. The cylindrical battery according to an embodiment of the present invention may be, for example, a 46110 battery, a 4875 battery, a 48110 battery, a 4880 battery, or a 4680 battery. In the value indicating the form factor, the first two digits indicate the diameter of the battery, and the remaining digits indicate the height of the battery.

[0113] When an electrode assembly having a tabless structure is applied to a cylindrical battery with a form factor ratio exceeding 0.4, the non-coated portion is easily broken due to the large radial stress applied when the non-coated portion is bent. Also, when welding a current collector to the bent surface area of ​​the non-coated portion, in order to ensure sufficient welding strength and reduce resistance, it is necessary to sufficiently increase the number of layers of the non-coated portion in the bent surface area. This condition can be achieved by the electrode and electrode assembly according to the embodiment (variant) of the present invention.

[0114] A battery according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a substantially cylindrical battery having a diameter of about 46 mm, a height of about 110 mm, and a form factor ratio of about 0.418.

[0115] Another embodiment of the battery may be a cylindrical battery that is approximately cylindrical in shape, with a diameter of about 48 mm, a height of about 75 mm, and a form factor ratio of about 0.640.

[0116] In another embodiment, the battery may be a cylindrical battery having a generally cylindrical shape with a diameter of about 48 mm, a height of about 110 mm, and a form factor ratio of about 0.436.

[0117] In yet another embodiment, the battery may be a substantially cylindrical battery having a diameter of about 48 mm, a height of about 80 mm, and a form factor ratio of about 0.600.

[0118] In yet another embodiment, the battery may be a generally cylindrical battery having a diameter of about 46 mm, a height of about 80 mm, and a form factor ratio of about 0.575.

[0119] Conventionally, batteries with a form factor ratio of about 0.4 or less have been used. That is, conventionally, for example, 1865 batteries, 2170 batteries, etc. have been used. In the case of an 1865 battery, its diameter is about 18 mm, its height is about 65 mm, and its form factor ratio is about 0.277. In the case of a 2170 battery, its diameter is about 21 mm, its height is about 70 mm, and its form factor ratio is about 0.300.

[0120] 13, multiple cylindrical batteries 1 may be connected in series and parallel at the top of the cylindrical batteries 1 using bus bars 150. The number of cylindrical batteries 1 may be increased or decreased depending on the capacity of the battery pack.

[0121] In each cylindrical battery 1, the terminal 60 may have a positive polarity and the outer surface 20a of the closure of the housing 20 may have a negative polarity. Of course, the opposite is also possible.

[0122] Preferably, the cylindrical batteries 1 may be arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The rows are in a vertical direction with respect to the ground, and the rows are in a horizontal direction with respect to the ground. In order to maximize space efficiency, the cylindrical batteries 1 may be arranged in a closest packing structure. The closest packing structure is formed when the centers of the terminals 60 exposed to the outside of the housing 20 are connected to each other to form an equilateral triangle. Preferably, the bus bar 150 may be arranged on top of the cylindrical batteries 1, more preferably between adjacent columns. Alternatively, the bus bar 150 may be arranged between adjacent rows.

[0123] Preferably, the bus bars 150 connect the batteries 1 arranged in the same row in parallel to each other, and connect the cylindrical batteries 1 arranged in two adjacent rows in series to each other.

[0124] Desirably, bus bar 150 may include a body portion 151, a plurality of first bus bar terminals 152, and a plurality of second bus bar terminals 153 for series and parallel connections.

[0125] The body portion 151 may extend between the terminals 60 of adjacent cylindrical batteries 1, preferably between rows of cylindrical batteries 1. Alternatively, the body portion 151 may extend along the rows of cylindrical batteries 1 but be regularly folded, such as in a zigzag shape.

[0126] The plurality of first bus bar terminals 152 may protrude and extend from one side of the body portion 151 toward the terminals 60 of each cylindrical battery 1 and may be electrically coupled to the terminals 60. The electrical coupling between the first bus bar terminals 152 and the terminals 60 may be performed by laser welding, ultrasonic welding, etc. In addition, the plurality of second bus bar terminals 153 may be electrically coupled to the outer surface 20a of each cylindrical battery 1 from the other side of the body portion 151. The electrical coupling between the second bus bar terminals 153 and the outer surface 20a may be performed by laser welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.

[0127] Preferably, the body 151, the plurality of first busbar terminals 152, and the plurality of second busbar terminals 153 may be formed of one conductive metal plate. The metal plate may be, for example, an aluminum plate or a copper plate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In a modified example, the body 151, the plurality of first busbar terminals 152, and the second busbar terminals 153 may be formed by manufacturing them as individual units and then bonding them to each other by welding or the like.

[0128] In the cylindrical battery 1 according to the present invention, the terminal 60 having a positive polarity and the outer surface 20a of the closed part of the housing 20 having a negative polarity are positioned in the same direction, so that electrical connection of the cylindrical battery 1 can be easily implemented using the bus bar 150.

[0129] In addition, since the terminal 60 of the cylindrical battery 1 and the outer surface 20a of the closed portion of the housing 20 have a large area, the connection area of ​​the bus bar 150 can be sufficiently secured, thereby sufficiently lowering the resistance of the battery pack including the cylindrical battery 1.

[0130] 14, a battery pack 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery assembly in which a plurality of cylindrical batteries 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above are electrically connected, and a pack housing 2 that accommodates the battery assembly. The electrical connection structure of the plurality of batteries 1 using bus bars has been exemplarily described with reference to FIG. 13, and other components such as a cooling unit and power terminals have been omitted for convenience of illustration.

[0131] 15, an automobile 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention is, for example, an electric automobile, a hybrid automobile, or a plug-in hybrid automobile, and includes a battery pack 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automobile 5 includes a four-wheeled automobile and a two-wheeled automobile. The automobile 5 operates by receiving power from the battery pack 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations can be made by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1 Battery 2 Pack Housing 3 Battery pack 5. Automobiles 10 Electrode assembly 11 First non-coating section 12 Second non-coating section 20. Housing 20a First electrode terminal 21 Beading Section 22 Crimping section 30 First current collector 31 Support part 32 Non-coated joint 33 Housing contact part 40 Cap 41 Vent section 50 Spacer assembly 51 Spacer part 52 Gasket part 53 Connecting part 53a Bridge 54 Blowout prevention part 60 terminal (second electrode terminal) 70 Second current collector 80 Insulator C Winding center hole G Insulation gasket H1 First collector hole H2 spacer hole

Claims

1. an electrode assembly including a first non-coated portion and a second non-coated portion; a housing having an opening formed on one side thereof and configured to receive the electrode assembly through the opening; a first current collector coupled to the first non-coated portion and positioned within the housing; A cap for covering the opening; a spacer assembly disposed between the cap and the electrode assembly, a spacer portion interposed between the first current collector and the cap and configured to prevent movement of the electrode assembly; a gasket portion interposed between the housing and the cap and configured to seal between the cap and the housing; and a connecting portion that connects the spacer portion and the gasket portion and is configured to rotate the spacer portion when a force exceeding a reference value is applied in a direction from the gasket portion toward the spacer portion; a spacer assembly including: Including the battery.

2. The connecting portion is 2. The battery according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bridges spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the electrode assembly.

3. Each of the plurality of bridges comprises: A first portion connected to the spacer portion; A second portion connected to the gasket portion; 3. The battery of claim 2, comprising:

4. The first portion of each of the plurality of bridges is 4. The battery according to claim 3, wherein the electrode assembly is connected to the spacer portion while being inclined to form a predetermined angle with a radial direction of the electrode assembly.

5. The first portion of each of the plurality of bridges is 5. The battery of claim 4, wherein the batteries are inclined in the same direction relative to one another.

6. The battery according to claim 4 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are connected to each other at a predetermined angle.

7. The spacer portion is 2. The battery of claim 1, having a height corresponding to a distance between the first current collector and the cap.

8. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer portion is located at a center portion on one surface of the electrode assembly.

9. The spacer portion is The battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a spacer hole formed at a position corresponding to a winding center hole of the electrode assembly.

10. The spacer assembly includes:

10. The battery of claim 9, further comprising a blowout preventer configured to traverse the spacer hole.

11. The housing includes: a beading portion formed by press-fitting the outer circumferential surface; a crimping portion having an end portion that defines the opening below the beading portion and that extends and bent to surround a peripheral portion of the cap; 2. The battery of claim 1, comprising:

12. The gasket portion is The battery according to claim 11, wherein the crimped portion is bent to surround a peripheral edge of the cap.

13. The plurality of bridges include:

3. The battery of claim 2 configured to avoid contact with the first current collector.

14. The plurality of bridges include: The battery of claim 2 , configured to avoid contact with the cap.

15. The first current collector is a support portion located at a center portion of one surface of the electrode assembly; a non-application portion connecting portion extending from the support portion and connecting to the first non-application portion; a housing contact portion extending from the support portion or extending from an end of the non-application portion connecting portion and interposed between the housing and the gasket portion; 3. The battery of claim 2, comprising:

16. The housing includes: A beading portion in which a part of the side wall is pressed inward; a crimping portion having an end portion that defines the opening below the beading portion and that extends and bent to surround the periphery of the cap; The housing contact portion is The battery according to claim 15, wherein the cap is in contact with one surface of the beading portion that faces the cap.

17. the cap includes a vent portion having a thickness less than a surrounding area; The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer portion is located inside the vent portion so as not to cover the vent portion.

18. The connecting portion is The battery according to claim 15, wherein the housing contact portion is positioned so as not to overlap with the housing contact portion along a height direction of the battery.

19. A battery pack comprising a battery according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. 20. A motor vehicle comprising the battery pack of claim 19.

Citation Information

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