Secondary battery having improved terminal structure

Abstract

The disclosed invention relates to a secondary battery comprising a terminal structure including a positive terminal and a negative terminal spaced apart on the upper surface of a battery case, a terminal body, and an extension terminal, wherein the terminal structure is coupled to the upper surface of the battery case and one or more surfaces connected to the upper surface while enclosing at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal so as not to be exposed, and the extension terminal is electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal and is exposed to at least one surface of the terminal body excluding the upper surface, and the positive terminal and / or negative terminal enclosed so as not to be exposed by the terminal structure is deactivated.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a secondary battery having a terminal structure that allows the arrangement structure of the positive terminal and / or negative terminal to be easily changed. Background Technology

[0002] Unlike primary batteries, secondary batteries are rechargeable and are currently the subject of extensive research and development due to their potential for miniaturization and high capacity. The demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is increasing rapidly due to the growing technological development and demand for mobile devices, as well as the rise of electric vehicles and energy storage systems driven by the contemporary need for environmental protection.

[0003] Rechargeable batteries are classified into coin batteries, cylindrical batteries, prismatic batteries, and pouch batteries according to the shape of the battery case. In rechargeable batteries, the electrode assembly mounted inside the battery case is a power generation device capable of charging and discharging, consisting of a laminated structure of electrodes and separators.

[0004] Electrode assemblies can be roughly classified into a jelly roll type, which is wound with a separator interposed between sheet-type positive and negative electrodes coated with active material; a stack type, which is sequentially stacked with multiple positive and negative electrodes interposed with a separator; and a stack and folding type, which is wound with stack-type unit cells into a long separator film.

[0005] Among the various types of rechargeable batteries, prismatic batteries typically have the positive and negative terminals positioned together on one side or one on each of the opposing sides. This arrangement of the positive and negative terminals is determined by the design specifications of the various devices equipped with the prismatic battery; consequently, time is consumed and additional costs are incurred as the terminal placement structure must be designed separately for each specific device within the same form factor to meet these specifications. Prior art literature

[0006] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0102816 (Published September 4, 2019) The problem to be solved

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new prismatic secondary battery in which the arrangement structure of the positive and negative terminals provided in the prismatic secondary battery can be easily modified and manufactured without separate design changes. means of solving the problem

[0008] The present invention relates to a secondary battery comprising a terminal structure including a positive terminal and a negative terminal spaced apart on the upper surface of a battery case, a terminal body, and an extension terminal, wherein the terminal structure is coupled to the upper surface of the battery case and one or more surfaces connected to the upper surface while enclosing at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal so as not to be exposed, and the extension terminal is electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal and is exposed to at least one surface of the terminal body excluding the upper surface, and the positive terminal and / or negative terminal enclosed so as not to be exposed by the terminal structure is deactivated.

[0009] In one embodiment, the battery case may be a cuboid battery case.

[0010] In addition, the secondary battery of the present invention further comprises an extension wiring that electrically connects the extension terminal to the positive terminal or the negative terminal, and the extension wiring is covered by the terminal body.

[0011] For example, the terminal body is made of an insulating resin material, and the positive terminal or negative terminal is not operated by the terminal body.

[0012] In one embodiment, the terminal body is coupled to the upper surface of the battery case and at least one side connected to the upper surface, and the extension terminal is exposed on at least one side connected to the upper surface.

[0013] Here, the terminal structure can be coupled to one each of the positive terminal and the negative terminal.

[0014] Accordingly, the extension terminal of the terminal structure coupled to the positive terminal is located on the first surface, and the extension terminal of the terminal structure coupled to the negative terminal is located on the second surface.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first surface and the second surface may be different surfaces.

[0016] For example, the first surface and the second surface may be adjacent surfaces to each other, or the first surface and the second surface may be opposite surfaces to each other.

[0017] In another embodiment, the first surface and the second surface may be located on a common surface.

[0018] For example, the first surface may be separated from the second surface along a vertical direction on the common surface, or the first surface may be separated from the second surface along a horizontal direction on the common surface.

[0019] Meanwhile, the secondary battery of the present invention further includes a venting portion provided on one side of the battery case, and the extension terminal may be located on a side other than the side including the venting portion.

[0020] For example, the venting portion may be located between the positive terminal and the negative terminal on the upper surface of the battery case.

[0021] In addition, the secondary battery of the present invention may have the terminal structure detachable from the battery case. Effects of the invention

[0022] The secondary battery of the present invention having the above-described configuration allows for easy modification of the arrangement structure of the positive and / or negative terminals by attaching a terminal structure to the upper corner portion of the secondary battery. Accordingly, since the position of the terminal portion can be freely controlled without affecting the existing internal cell manufacturing process, it becomes possible to reduce development and production costs of prismatic secondary batteries.

[0023] In addition, since free control of terminal positioning is possible, it is possible to reduce cell development and production costs, as well as provide greater flexibility during module / pack manufacturing.

[0024] In addition, if a venting section is placed on the same surface as the positive and negative terminals, the gas or flames ejected upon the rupture of the venting section will cause damage to the positive and negative terminals, as well as surrounding secondary batteries and electrical equipment. The secondary battery of the present invention can separate the positive and negative terminals from the venting section by utilizing a terminal structure, and thus, high safety can be ensured without installing a separate gas discharge guide or barrier.

[0025] However, the technical effects obtainable through the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a secondary battery according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the combined structure of a secondary battery and a terminal structure according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an embodiment of the secondary battery of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating another embodiment of the secondary battery of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are to be described in detail below.

[0028] However, this is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments described in the specification, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0029] In the present invention, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0030] Furthermore, in the present invention, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is described as being "on" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "immediately above" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is described as being "under" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "immediately below" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Additionally, in the present application, being "placed on" may include cases where it is placed on the lower part as well as on the upper part.

[0032] The secondary battery of the present invention allows the positions of the positive and negative terminals, which are spaced apart on the upper surface of the battery case, to be freely changed to meet user requirements without separate design changes simply by applying a terminal structure, thereby reducing the production cost of the prismatic secondary battery.

[0033] The secondary battery of the present invention comprises a terminal structure including a positive terminal and a negative terminal spaced apart on the upper surface of a battery case, a terminal body, and an extension terminal, wherein the terminal structure is coupled to the upper surface of the battery case and one or more surfaces connected to the upper surface while enclosing at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal so as not to be exposed, and the extension terminal is electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal and is exposed on at least one surface of the terminal body excluding the upper surface.

[0034] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the secondary battery of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0036] [First embodiment]

[0037] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a secondary battery (100) according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a combined structure of a secondary battery (100) and a terminal structure (200) according to the present invention.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention relates to a secondary battery (100), specifically a prismatic secondary battery (100) in which a positive terminal (120) and a negative terminal (130) are spaced apart on the upper surface of a battery case (110) having a cuboidal shape. Here, the prismatic secondary battery (100) shown in the drawings is merely an example, and the ratio of width to height and width may vary. However, for convenience of explanation, the directions of front and back and up, down, left, and right are referred to based on the attached drawings. For example, the surface on which the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) are arranged is called the upper surface, and the opposite surface facing it is called the lower surface.

[0039] The secondary battery (100) of the present invention includes a terminal structure (200). The terminal structure (200) is a hinge-shaped structure coupled to at least one upper corner of a battery case (110) and includes a terminal body (210) and an extension terminal (220).

[0040] The terminal body (210) refers to the body of a terminal structure (200) that is coupled to the upper surface of a battery case (110) and one or more surfaces (side, front, rear, etc.) connected to the upper surface, while enclosing the positive terminal (120) or the negative terminal (130) so as not to expose them. Although the drawing shows an example in which the terminal structure (200) is coupled to both the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130), depending on the embodiment, the terminal structure (200) may be coupled to only one of the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130).

[0041] The extension terminal (220) is electrically connected to the positive terminal (120) or the negative terminal (130) and is a connection terminal exposed on one side of the terminal body (210), excluding the top surface. That is, since the positive terminal (120) or the negative terminal (130) is covered by the terminal body (210) and is not exposed, the extension terminal (220) functions as a new positive terminal (120) or negative terminal (130) located on a side other than the top surface.

[0042] In this way, the secondary battery (100) of the present invention, which includes a terminal structure (200), can freely change the positions of the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) disposed on the upper surface of the battery case (110) to meet the user's requirements without any separate design changes, simply by applying the terminal structure (200). Accordingly, the present invention allows the positions of the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) to be easily changed using the terminal structure (200) for a prismatic secondary battery (100) of the same form factor, thereby enabling a reduction in the production cost of the secondary battery (100).

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, the positive terminal (120) or the negative terminal (130) and the extension terminal (220) are electrically connected through an extension wire (230), and the extension wire (230) is not exposed outside the terminal body (210). Furthermore, the extension wire (230) is insulated from the outside. For example, the extension wire (230) and the extension terminal (220) may be embedded within the terminal body (210) made of an insulating resin material by means of insert molding, etc. By doing so, only the extension terminal (220) is exposed to the outside, thereby preventing problems such as damage to the extension wire (230) or short circuits. For reference, the extension wire (230) and the extension terminal (220) may be formed as an integral unit or formed as separate parts and coupled to the terminal body (210).

[0044] According to the illustrated specific embodiment, the terminal body (210) is coupled to the upper surface of the battery case (110) and to one side surface connected to the upper surface, and the extension terminal (220) is exposed on one side surface. Accordingly, the position of the positive terminal (120) or negative terminal (130) that was located on the upper surface of the battery case (110) is moved to the side.

[0045] Additionally, the terminal structure (200) can be coupled to the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) one by one, so that the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) are each placed on opposite sides. That is, the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130), which were placed together on the upper surface of the battery case (110), are moved to adjacent sides, and accordingly, the initial prismatic secondary battery (100), which was designed as a unidirectional secondary battery (100), is changed into a bidirectional secondary battery (100).

[0046] Meanwhile, although not illustrated, the extension terminals (220) of the terminal structure (200) connected to the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130), respectively, may have different upper and lower positions. In other words, the extension terminals (220) on the left and right sides may be designed to be asymmetrical, and thus, the secondary battery (100) of the present invention can change the arrangement structure of the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) in a very diverse way by applying the terminal structure (200).

[0047] And, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the terminal structure (200) can be manufactured in various ways, such as by additionally attaching it to the finished secondary battery (100), or by first attaching the terminal structure (200) before sealing it in the battery case (110) after attaching the electrode assembly (160) to the cap plate (150) that forms the upper surface of the battery case (110).

[0048] Additionally, the illustrated embodiment is intended for a stacked electrode assembly (160), but is not limited thereto, and can be applied to a prismatic secondary battery (100) that accommodates various types of electrode assemblies (160), such as a jelly roll type electrode assembly.

[0050] [Second embodiment]

[0051] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a secondary battery (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment of FIG. 4 includes the configuration of the first embodiment described above, and also includes a venting part (140).

[0052] The venting section (140) is configured to rupture and release gas when the internal pressure of the secondary battery (100) increases above a certain level, and serves as a safety device to prevent the explosion of the secondary battery (100). For example, the venting section (140) can be configured by forming a notch thinner than the surrounding thickness on the surface of the battery case (110).

[0053] In the secondary battery (100) illustrated in FIG. 4, a venting portion (140) is located on the upper surface of the battery case (110) where the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) are located, particularly between the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130). In this case, if the venting portion (140) breaks and internal gas is ejected, the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) are susceptible to damage such as corrosion or ignition.

[0054] The terminal structure (200) provided in the present invention also contributes to preventing damage to the electrode terminals caused by gas ejection and flame propagation by separating the positive terminal (120) and the negative terminal (130) with respect to the venting part (140), that is, by placing them on different sides.

[0055] According to the illustrated embodiment, a venting portion (140) is provided on one side of the battery case (110), for example, on the upper surface, and an extension terminal (220) on the terminal structure (200) is provided on another side other than the side where the venting portion (140) is provided, for example, on the side. In other words, the venting portion (140) and the electrode terminal are physically separated by the terminal structure (200), and thus the safety of the secondary battery (100) is improved, and it is possible to actively and quickly respond to various user demands.

[0057] The present invention has been described in more detail above through drawings and embodiments. However, the configurations described in the drawings or embodiments described in this specification are merely one embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all technical concepts of the present invention; therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application. Explanation of the symbols

[0058] 100: Secondary battery 110: Battery case 120: Positive terminal 130: Negative terminal 140: Venting section 150: Cap plate 160: Electrode assembly 200: Terminal structure 210: Terminal body 220: Extension terminal 230: Extension wiring

Claims

Claim 1 A secondary battery comprising: a battery case; and a terminal structure coupled to the battery case and including a terminal body and an extension terminal; wherein the terminal structure is coupled to one side of the battery case and another side connected to the one side while enclosing at least one of a positive terminal and a negative terminal so as not to be exposed, the extension terminal is electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal and is exposed to the other side, and the positive terminal and / or negative terminal enclosed so as not to be exposed by the terminal structure is deactivated. Claim 2 In claim 1, the battery case is a cuboid battery case, a secondary battery. Claim 3 A secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising an extension wiring that electrically connects the extension terminal to the positive terminal or negative terminal, wherein the extension wiring is covered by the terminal body. Claim 4 A secondary battery according to paragraph 3, wherein the terminal body is made of an insulating resin material, and the positive terminal or negative terminal is not operated by the terminal body. Claim 5 delete Claim 6 A secondary battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal structure is coupled to one each of the positive terminal and the negative terminal. Claim 7 A secondary battery according to claim 6, wherein the extension terminal of the terminal structure coupled to the positive terminal is located on the first surface, and the extension terminal of the terminal structure coupled to the negative terminal is located on the second surface. Claim 8 A secondary battery according to claim 7, characterized in that the first surface and the second surface are different surfaces. Claim 9 A secondary battery according to claim 8, characterized in that the first surface and the second surface are adjacent surfaces to each other. Claim 10 A secondary battery according to claim 8, characterized in that the first surface and the second surface are surfaces facing each other. Claim 11 A secondary battery according to claim 7, characterized in that the first surface and the second surface are located on a common surface. Claim 12 A secondary battery according to claim 11, characterized in that the first surface is separated along a vertical direction on the common surface with respect to the second surface. Claim 13 A secondary battery according to claim 11, characterized in that the first surface is separated along the horizontal direction on the common surface with respect to the second surface. Claim 14 A secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising a venting portion located on a surface other than the surface where the extension terminal is located. Claim 15 A secondary battery according to claim 14, wherein the positive terminal and the negative terminal are disposed together on the one surface, and the venting portion is located between the positive terminal and the negative terminal. Claim 16 A secondary battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal structure can be separated from the battery case. Claim 17 In paragraph 3, the extension wiring is not exposed to the outside of the terminal body, for a secondary battery. Claim 18 In paragraph 3, the extension wiring is formed integrally with the extension terminal, a secondary battery.

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