Electrode structure and prismatic battery including the electrode structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrode structure including a pair of stacked electrode assemblies, and a prismatic battery including the electrode structure. Such a prismatic battery can be applied to prismatic secondary batteries of various form factors and has excellent dimensional stability.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a prismatic battery, and more particularly to a prismatic battery including a pair of stacked electrode assemblies.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0018632, filed on February 14, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] Unlike primary batteries, secondary batteries are rechargeable and have the potential to be small and have large capacities, and as such, they have been the subject of much research and development in recent years. Demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing due to the increasing technological development and demand for mobile devices, as well as the emergence of electric vehicles and energy storage systems in response to modern demands for environmental protection.

[0004] Secondary batteries are classified into coin-type batteries, cylindrical batteries, prismatic batteries, and pouch-type batteries depending on the shape of the prismatic battery housing. The electrode assembly installed inside the prismatic battery housing in a secondary battery is a power generating element that can be charged and discharged and is made up of a laminated structure of electrodes and a separator.

[0005] Electrode assemblies can be broadly classified into a jellyroll type in which a sheet-like positive electrode and negative electrode coated with an active material are wound up with a separator interposed between them; a stack type in which multiple positive electrodes and negative electrodes are stacked in sequence with a separator interposed between them; and a stack and folding type in which stack type unit cells are wound up with a long separator film.

[0006] Jelly-roll electrode assemblies are commonly used in prismatic secondary batteries. However, as prismatic secondary batteries have become larger and have higher capacities in recent years, various problems have arisen when applying jelly-roll electrode assemblies. Specifically, a dedicated winding device is required to fabricate a jelly-roll electrode assembly, and increasing the size of the electrode assembly requires a new winding device. This increases manufacturing costs, so existing prismatic secondary batteries have been designed to increase the number of jelly-roll electrode assemblies and encapsulate them in a prismatic battery housing. However, this has drawbacks, such as reduced assembly efficiency and the need for additional electrical wiring. Ultimately, jelly-roll electrode assemblies are not suitable for various form factors.

[0007] Furthermore, as the size of the jelly roll electrode assembly increases, the winding quality deteriorates, and the jelly roll expands, collapses, and distorts during use of the secondary battery, adversely affecting the safety of the secondary battery.

[0008] In addition, a prismatic battery housing has space for the electrical connection of the jelly roll electrode assembly and some surplus space due to the required amount of electrolyte to be poured in. This can cause the electrode assembly inside the prismatic battery housing to shake or slip due to external impact. When the electrode assembly slips, various problems can occur, such as short circuits due to electrical contact or breakage of the electrode tabs due to stress concentration on the tabs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0102816 (Published September 4, 2019) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve various problems that arise in conventional jelly-roll type electrode assemblies as prismatic secondary batteries become larger and have higher capacities.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to improve the safety of a prismatic secondary battery by preventing an electrode assembly housed inside the prismatic secondary battery from slipping due to external disturbances.

[0012] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an electrode structure provided by the present invention includes a first electrode assembly, a second electrode assembly, and a current collecting plate including a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, wherein the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly each include a plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the positive electrode including a positive electrode tab and a positive electrode dummy tab, and the negative electrode including a negative electrode tab and a negative electrode dummy tab, the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are disposed on a first side of the plurality of unit cells, the positive electrodes of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal, and the negative electrodes of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal, and the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are disposed on a side other than the first side of the plurality of unit cells.

[0014] The number of unit cells of the first electrode assembly may be the same as the number of unit cells of the second electrode assembly.

[0015] The first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly may be folded toward the current collecting plate around the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal.

[0016] Each of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly may further include a half cell having a positive electrode or a negative electrode on a separator.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a prismatic battery provided by the present invention includes an electrode structure having the above-described configuration, a prismatic battery housing having an opening for accommodating the electrode structure, and an electrolyte, wherein the current collecting plate seals the opening of the prismatic battery housing.

[0018] The positive and negative dummy tabs may be electrically insulated from the positive and negative terminals of the current collecting plates.

[0019] The positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be fixed to the prismatic battery housing to support the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly.

[0020] The positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may both be disposed on opposite sides of the first side of the plurality of unit cells.

[0021] The positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be fixed to an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.

[0022] The pair of the positive electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab, and the pair of the negative electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be aligned on a straight line along the height direction of the prismatic battery housing.

[0023] The pair of the positive electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab, and the pair of the negative electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may not be aligned on a straight line along the height direction of the prismatic battery housing.

[0024] For example, the pair of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab, and the pair of the negative electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab may be aligned on a straight line along the height direction of the prismatic battery housing.

[0025] Either the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab may be electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing.

[0026] Either the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing may have a polarity opposite to that of the prismatic battery housing.

[0027] Either the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab, which is electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing, may be fixed to an insulator installed on an inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.

[0028] The insulator may have a tab insertion groove, and either the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing may be inserted into and fixed in the tab insertion groove.

[0029] A dummy tab that is not electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing may be welded to the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.

[0030] The polarity of the prismatic battery housing may be neutral, and the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing.

[0031] The positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be fixed to an insulator installed on the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.

[0032] The insulator may have tab insertion grooves, and the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be inserted into and fixed to the tab insertion grooves, respectively.

[0033] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus including the secondary battery having the above-described configuration, the apparatus being an electric vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] The prismatic battery of the present invention having the above-described configuration can flexibly accommodate various form factors of prismatic batteries, which continue to trend toward larger sizes and higher capacities, by using a stacked electrode assembly, and since the shape of the stacked electrode assembly is well maintained even during use, excellent quality can be ensured in terms of safety as well.

[0035] Furthermore, in conventional prismatic batteries using jelly-roll type electrode assemblies, deformation due to thickness expansion occurs in some areas of the jelly-roll during charging and / or discharging. However, the present invention can effectively solve the problem of impaired dimensional stability of the module / pack due to non-uniform thickness expansion.

[0036] In addition, in the prismatic battery of the present invention, the electrode assembly may include a positive electrode dummy tab and a negative electrode dummy tab on the opposite side of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab, and the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab may be fixed to the prismatic battery housing. As a result, the electrode assembly can be fixed in both directions within the prismatic battery housing, improving the support structure. As a result, the electrode assembly housed inside the prismatic secondary battery is prevented from slipping during use, and various problems such as short circuits due to electrical contact and tab breakage are prevented, greatly improving the safety of the secondary battery.

[0037] However, the technical effects that can be obtained by the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0038] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention described below, serve to further understand the technical concept of the present invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited solely to the matters depicted in such drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a view illustrating an embodiment of a conventional jelly roll type electrode structure. [Figure 2] 1 is a view illustrating another embodiment of a conventional jelly roll type electrode structure. [Figure 3] 1 is a view illustrating an embodiment of a stacked electrode structure according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 10 is a view illustrating another embodiment of a stacked electrode structure according to the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a view illustrating an example of a prismatic secondary battery including a stacked electrode structure according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a view illustrating another embodiment of a stacked electrode structure according to the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram illustrating various arrangement structures of positive electrode dummy tabs and negative electrode dummy tabs; [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating various arrangement structures of positive electrode dummy tabs and negative electrode dummy tabs; [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram illustrating various arrangement structures of positive electrode dummy tabs and negative electrode dummy tabs; [Figure 10] 2 is a view illustrating an example of a support structure of an electrode assembly in a prismatic secondary battery according to the present invention; [Figure 11] 10 is a view illustrating another example of a support structure of an electrode assembly in a prismatic secondary battery according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Because the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be described in detail below.

[0041] However, this is not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0042] In the present invention, the terms "comprise" and "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the presence or possibility of addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0043] Furthermore, in the present invention, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is described as being "on" another portion, this includes not only the case where it is "directly on" the other portion, but also the case where there is another portion therebetween. Conversely, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is described as being "under" the other portion, this includes not only the case where it is "directly under" the other portion, but also the case where there is another portion therebetween. Furthermore, in this application, being "located on" can include not only the case where it is located at the top, but also the case where it is located at the bottom.

[0044] The present invention relates to an electrode structure, which in one example includes a first electrode assembly, a second electrode assembly, and a current collecting plate equipped with a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, in which unit cells each having a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode are stacked vertically, and each of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly may further include a half cell having a positive electrode or a negative electrode on the separator.

[0045] Here, the positive and negative electrode tabs of the first electrode assembly are disposed to face the positive and negative electrode tabs of the second electrode assembly, respectively, with the current collecting plate interposed therebetween, and the positive and negative electrode tabs of the first and second electrode assemblies are joined to the positive and negative electrode terminals of the current collecting plate.

[0046] As described above, the prismatic battery of the present invention can flexibly accommodate various form factors of prismatic batteries, which continue to trend toward larger sizes and higher capacities, by using a stacked electrode assembly. The shape of the stacked electrode assembly is well maintained even during use, thereby overcoming various drawbacks of conventional jelly-roll type electrode assemblies.

[0047] Hereinafter, an electrode structure and a prismatic battery including the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, the directions of front, back, up, down, left, and right used in the following description to designate relative positions are intended to aid in understanding the invention, and unless otherwise specified, are based on the directions shown in the drawings.

[0048] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a conventional jelly roll type electrode structure 10. As shown in FIG.

[0049] A conventional jelly roll electrode structure 10 has a pair of jelly roll electrode assemblies 11, 12, i.e., a first jelly roll electrode assembly 11 and a second jelly roll electrode assembly 12, with a current collecting plate 20 interposed between them, forming a butterfly-like connection structure (also called a butterfly structure).

[0050] Here, the electrode structure refers to a structure formed by combining an electrode assembly and a current collecting plate, and this definition of the electrode structure is equally applied in the following detailed description.

[0051] The first jelly roll type electrode assembly 11 and the second jelly roll type electrode assembly 12 are electrode assemblies 11, 12 with a unidirectional structure in which the positive electrode tab 13 and the negative electrode tab 14 of each unit cell are arranged on the same side, and in each jelly roll type electrode assembly 11, 12, the positive electrode tab 13 and the negative electrode tab 14 face each other with a current collecting plate 20 interposed therebetween.

[0052] The opposing positive electrode tab 13 and negative electrode tab 14 are electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal and negative electrode terminal of the current collecting plate 20, respectively, thereby completing the jelly roll type electrode structure 10.

[0053] The conventional jelly roll electrode structure 10 has the disadvantage that it is not easy to increase the capacity and size of the jelly roll electrode assemblies 11, 12. This is because a dedicated winding device is required to wind the jelly roll electrode assemblies 11, 12 to a specified size, and also because as the size of the jelly roll electrode assemblies 11, 12 increases, the winding quality deteriorates, and the jelly roll expands, collapses, or distorts during use of the secondary battery, adversely affecting the safety of the secondary battery.

[0054] Due to these limitations and drawbacks of the jelly roll type electrode structure 10, the current practice is to connect multiple jelly roll type electrode structures 10 of the same size together, as shown in FIG. 2, instead of increasing the size of the jelly roll type electrode assemblies 11 and 12 themselves.

[0055] However, this method has drawbacks such as being very limited in its ability to accommodate various sizes of secondary batteries, reducing assembly efficiency, and requiring the addition of separate electrical wiring.

[0056] The present invention is intended to solve the drawbacks of the conventional jelly roll type electrode structure 10, the structure of which is shown in FIG.

[0057] The present invention relates to an electrode structure 100, which includes a first electrode assembly 110, a second electrode assembly 120, and a current collecting plate 200, in which unit cells each having a separator interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked one above the other, and in which a positive electrode tab 130 and a negative electrode tab 140 of each unit cell are arranged on the same side.

[0058] The positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 of the first electrode assembly 110 are arranged to face the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 of the second electrode assembly 120, respectively, with the current collecting plate 200 interposed therebetween, and the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 are joined to the positive electrode terminal 210 and the negative electrode terminal 220 of the current collecting plate 200, respectively.

[0059] As described above, the electrode structure of the present invention is characterized by the electrode structure 100. In other words, the present invention uses stacked electrode assemblies 110 and 120 in which unit cells, each having a separator interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode, are stacked one above the other, rather than the conventional jelly-roll type electrode assembly.

[0060] As a result, the present invention does not require a dedicated winding device to manufacture the stacked electrode assemblies 110, 120, and is therefore free from size limitations, making it possible to flexibly accommodate a variety of sizes and form factors.

[0061] In addition, the stacked electrode assemblies 110, 120 have the advantage of easily maintaining a uniform shape and quality even when enlarged. Since the shape of the stacked electrode assemblies 110, 120 is well maintained even during use of the secondary battery, excellent quality can be ensured in terms of safety as well.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the electrode structure 100 according to the present invention, in which the size of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 is increased by approximately two times compared to the electrode structure 100 of FIG. 3.

[0063] 4, in the electrode structure 100 of the present invention, even if the capacity of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 increases, the number of stacked electrode assemblies 110, 120 is always the same at two, and the capacity is adjusted by the size of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 themselves. In other words, even if the number of stacked unit cells and / or size of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 are designed according to various specifications, the electrode structure 100 of the present invention is always configured as a pair of stacked electrode assemblies 110, 120.

[0064] This is because, as mentioned above, manufacturing the stacked electrode assemblies 110, 120 does not require a dedicated winding device and there are almost no size restrictions, and therefore the electrode structure 100 of the present invention can actively respond to the various sizes and capacities of prismatic batteries required in the market.

[0065] Meanwhile, in the electrode structure 100 of the present invention as described above, the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 are folded in half toward the current collecting plate 200 around the positive terminal 210 and the negative terminal 220, and in this folded state form a prismatic battery 1000.

[0066] That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the prismatic battery 1000 of the present invention includes an electrode structure 100 folded in half, a hexahedral prismatic battery housing 300 having one open side to accommodate the electrode structure 100, and an electrolyte 400 filled in the prismatic battery housing 300.

[0067] Here, the electrode structure 100 is housed in a prismatic battery housing 300, and the space between the current collecting plate 200 and the opening of the prismatic battery housing 300 is sealed, thereby completing the prismatic battery 1000. For reference, the electrolyte 400, which is a component of the prismatic battery 1000, is generally poured into the prismatic battery housing 300 after the space between the current collecting plate 200 and the opening of the prismatic battery housing 300 has been sealed.

[0068] (Second embodiment) FIG. 6 is a view illustrating another embodiment of the electrode structure 100 according to the present invention.

[0069] The prismatic battery 1000 in the second embodiment is a one-way secondary battery in which the positive electrode terminal 210 and the negative electrode terminal 220 are both arranged on one side of the prismatic battery housing 300, in the illustrated example, the top side (see FIG. 5 ). Correspondingly, the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 also have the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 arranged on the top.

[0070] Furthermore, the second embodiment of the present invention further includes a positive electrode dummy tab 132 and a negative electrode dummy tab 142 that are electrically isolated from the positive electrode terminal 210 and the negative electrode terminal 220 of the current collecting plate 200. The positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 are formed in uncoated areas on the opposite side of the uncoated areas where the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 are formed. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 have the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 arranged at their upper ends and the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 arranged at their lower ends when viewed from the drawing.

[0071] 10 is a diagram illustrating the support structure of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 in a prismatic battery 1000. Although only the first electrode assembly 110 is shown in FIG. 10, the same support structure is applied to the second electrode assembly 120. As shown in the drawing, the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 may be fixed to the positive electrode terminal 210 and the negative electrode terminal 220 of the current collecting plate 200 by welding, and the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 may be fixed to the bottom surface of the prismatic battery housing 300.

[0072] As described above, in the prismatic battery 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 are fixed at both the top and bottom ends to the prismatic battery housing 300. More specifically, the positive electrode tab 130, the negative electrode tab 140, the positive electrode dummy tab 132, and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 form a four-point support structure, which fixes the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 to the prismatic battery housing 300. The four-point support structure provides strong support against external disturbances (such as impacts and vibrations), and the four-point support of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 reduces slippage, preventing various problems such as short circuits due to electrical contact and breakage of the electrode tabs 130 and 140. This significantly improves the safety of the prismatic battery 1000.

[0073] Furthermore, since the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 are integrally formed with the positive and negative electrodes of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120, if the prismatic battery housing 300 has polarity, at least one of the dummy tabs (132 or 142) must be electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing 300 to prevent an internal short circuit. For example, if the prismatic battery housing 300 is electrically positive, the negative electrode dummy tab 142 must be electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing 300. Conversely, if the prismatic battery housing 300 is electrically negative, the positive electrode dummy tab 132 must be insulated. If the prismatic battery housing 300 needs to maintain electrical neutrality, both the dummy tabs 132 and 142 must be insulated from the prismatic battery housing 300.

[0074] 10 illustrates an example in which the prismatic battery housing 300 is electrically negative, e.g., grounded, and the positive dummy tab 132 is fixed to an insulator 500 installed on the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing 300. The positive dummy tab 132 fixed to the prismatic battery housing 300 via the insulator 500 is electrically isolated from the prismatic battery housing 300. For example, the insulator 500 has a tab insertion groove 510, and the positive dummy tab 132 can be fixed by being inserted into the tab insertion groove 510 of the insulator 500 and compressed.

[0075] The negative electrode dummy tab 142 can also be fixed to the prismatic battery housing 300 using an insulator 500, but since it does not necessarily need to be insulated from the electrically negative prismatic battery housing 300, the negative electrode dummy tab 142 can also be fixed by being directly welded to the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing 300.

[0076] 11 shows a case where the prismatic battery housing 300 maintains electrical neutrality, and both the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 are fixed to an insulator 500 installed on the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing 300. In FIG. 11 , the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 can also be inserted into and fixed in a tab insertion groove 510 of the insulator 500.

[0077] 7 to 9 are diagrams illustrating various arrangements of the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142. It can be seen that the arrangement of the positive electrode dummy tab 132 and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 relative to the positive electrode tab 130 and the negative electrode tab 140 can be configured in various ways, and the four-point support structure of the first electrode assembly 110 and the second electrode assembly 120 remains the same even in various arrangements. For reference, although FIGS. 7 to 9 illustrate the first electrode assembly 110, it is of course possible to apply the same arrangement to the second electrode assembly 120.

[0078] 7, each pair of positive electrode tab 130 and positive electrode dummy tab 132, and each pair of negative electrode tab 140 and negative electrode dummy tab 142 are aligned to each other so as to be located on a straight line that crosses one surface of the first electrode assembly 110 and its opposite surface, for example, a straight line that crosses the height direction of the prismatic battery housing 300. In other words, the positive electrode dummy tab 132 exactly faces the positive electrode tab 130, and the negative electrode dummy tab 142 also exactly faces the negative electrode tab 140.

[0079] In comparison, in the first electrode assembly 110 of Fig. 8, each pair of positive electrode tabs 130 and positive electrode dummy tabs 132, and each pair of negative electrode tabs 140 and negative electrode dummy tabs 142 may be offset from one another with respect to a line that intersects them vertically. In other words, the first electrode assembly 110 of Fig. 8 is one in which the facing structures of the positive electrode dummy tabs 132 and negative electrode dummy tabs 142 are offset from one another with respect to the positive electrode tabs 130 and negative electrode tabs 140, respectively. Breaking the four-point support vertical symmetry structure changes the natural frequency, making it possible to respond to various types of vibration.

[0080] 9 is a modification of FIG. 8, in which each pair of positive electrode tab 130 and negative electrode dummy tab 142, and each pair of negative electrode tab 140 and positive electrode dummy tab 132, may be aligned to one another so as to be located on a straight line that crosses one surface of the first electrode assembly 110 and its opposite surface. That is, the negative electrode dummy tab 142 faces the positive electrode tab 130, and the positive electrode dummy tab 132 faces the negative electrode tab 140. The type (polarity) of the dummy tabs 132, 142 facing each electrode tab 130, 140 is not limited to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

[0081] The prismatic battery 1000 according to the present invention can be used in a variety of devices, such as electric vehicles (EVs).

[0082] The present invention has been described in more detail above with reference to the drawings and embodiments, etc. However, the configurations described in the drawings or embodiments in this specification are merely one embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, so it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace them at the time of filing this application. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] The present invention is useful for improving the safety of prismatic secondary batteries. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 100: Electrode structure 110: First electrode assembly 120: Second electrode assembly 130: Positive electrode tab 132: Positive electrode dummy tab 140: Negative electrode tab 142: Negative electrode dummy tab 200: Current collecting plate 210: Positive terminal 220: Negative terminal 300: Square battery housing 400: Electrolyte 500: Insulator 510: Tab insertion groove 1000: Square battery

Claims

1. An electrode structure; a rectangular battery housing having an opening for accommodating the electrode structure; An electrolyte; In a prismatic battery comprising: The electrode structure includes: a first electrode assembly; a second electrode assembly; a current collecting plate including a positive terminal and a negative terminal; Including, the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly each include a plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; the positive electrode includes a positive electrode tab and a positive electrode dummy tab, and the negative electrode includes a negative electrode tab and a negative electrode dummy tab; the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are disposed on a first side of the plurality of unit cells, a positive electrode of the first electrode assembly and a positive electrode of the second electrode assembly are electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal, and a negative electrode of the first electrode assembly and a negative electrode of the second electrode assembly are electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal; the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are disposed on a side other than the first side of the plurality of unit cells and are fixed to the prismatic battery housing to support the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly, At least one of the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab is electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing; The current collecting plate seals an opening in the prismatic battery housing.

2. The prismatic battery of claim 1 , wherein the number of unit cells of the first electrode assembly is the same as the number of unit cells of the second electrode assembly.

3. The first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are The prismatic battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the battery is folded toward the current collecting plate around the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal.

4. The first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are The prismatic battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a half cell having a positive electrode or a negative electrode on a separator.

5. The positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are 10. The prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein the current collecting plates are electrically insulated from the positive and negative terminals.

6. Both the positive electrode dummy tab and the negative electrode dummy tab are The prismatic battery according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unit cells are disposed on an opposite side to the first side.

7. 7. The prismatic battery according to claim 6, wherein the pair of positive electrode tab and positive electrode dummy tab, and the pair of negative electrode tab and negative electrode dummy tab are each aligned on a straight line along the height direction of the prismatic battery housing.

8. 7. The prismatic battery according to claim 6, wherein the pair of positive electrode tab and positive electrode dummy tab, and the pair of negative electrode tab and negative electrode dummy tab are not aligned on a straight line along the height direction of the prismatic battery housing.

9. 9. The prismatic battery according to claim 8, wherein the pair of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode dummy tab, and the pair of the negative electrode tab and the positive electrode dummy tab are each aligned on a straight line along the height direction of the prismatic battery housing.

10. 2. The prismatic battery according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing has a polarity opposite to that of the prismatic battery housing.

11. 2. The prismatic battery according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab, which is electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing, is fixed to an insulator installed on the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.

12. The insulator has a tab insertion groove, 12. The prismatic battery according to claim 11, wherein the positive electrode dummy tab or the negative electrode dummy tab, which is electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing, is inserted into and fixed in the tab insertion groove.

13. 2. The prismatic battery according to claim 1, wherein the dummy tab that is not electrically insulated from the prismatic battery housing is welded to the inner surface of the prismatic battery housing.

14. 10. An apparatus including the prismatic battery of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an electric vehicle.

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