Secondary Battery Tab Stacking to Prevent Collector Connection Breakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tabs of secondary batteries break due to excessive tensile stress caused by bending during connection to current collecting members, affecting production yield.

Innovation Solution

Tabs are connected to a first current collecting piece without bending, extending in a straight line and stacked in the axial direction, eliminating the need for bending operations and reducing stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If tabs are bent to connect to current collecting members, then connection is achieved, but tabs are prone to break due to tensile stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection processVSAvoidtab strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the connection approach from bending tabs in the plane to stacking tabs in the axial direction (third dimension). The current collecting member includes a stacking portion that extends in the axial direction to receive and connect with the tab end, transforming the connection geometry from 2D bending to 3D stacking, thereby avoiding tensile stress on tabs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If tabs are bent during connection, then current collecting members are connected, but production yield decreases due to tab breakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction yieldVSAvoidconnection process

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The current collecting member is pre-formed with a stacking portion that extends in the axial direction before assembly. This preliminary preparation allows the tab to be directly inserted and connected without requiring bending operations during assembly, eliminating the source of tab breakage and improving production yield.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If tabs extend in straight line without bending, then tab breakage is prevented, but connection structure must change

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetab integrityVSAvoidcurrent collecting member structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The current collecting member is divided into distinct functional portions: a connection portion for electrical connection and a stacking portion for mechanical support. The stacking portion is specifically designed to extend in the axial direction to receive the tab end, separating the connection function from the structural support function and enabling straight tab extension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12489161B2Secondary battery and battery module

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY (HONG KONG) LIMITED

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a secondary battery and a battery module. The secondary battery includes a case including a receiving space with an opening; a cap assembly connected to the case and close the opening; an electrode assembly disposed in the receiving space and including two end faces opposite to each other in a first direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the receiving space, and tabs extending from the end faces and two or more electrode units stacked in the axial direction; and a current collecting unit, including a first piece extending in the axial direction and a first current collecting piece connected to the first piece, the tab extends in the first direction and is connected to the first current collecting piece, and a portion of the tab connected to the first current collecting piece and the first current collecting piece are stacked in the axial direction.