Bent Separator Ends for Compact Power Storage Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power storage devices face challenges in miniaturization due to the need for thinner and smaller designs, as existing configurations often result in increased width and reduced energy density when attempting to prevent short circuits between positive and negative electrodes.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a unique electrode laminate structure with bent separator ends and tapes to secure them, allowing for a compact configuration while maintaining insulation and maximizing energy density, where the separator ends are bent in the same direction to reduce overall width and height, and tapes are used to hold these ends in place, ensuring efficient packaging within a minimal case.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the separator is made larger than the negative electrode to prevent short circuits, then short circuit prevention is improved, but the device width increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator ends are bent in a curved manner towards the first principal surface, transforming the straight separator configuration into a bent one. This curvature allows the separator to maintain adequate insulation distance while fitting within a narrower device width, resolving the contradiction between short circuit prevention and device miniaturization
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending the separator horizontally beyond the electrode width, the invention bends the separator ends in the vertical dimension towards the first principal surface. This dimensional transformation allows the separator to achieve insulation function without increasing the device width in the horizontal plane
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional electrode laminate structures are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but device miniaturization is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is functionally segmented into a main body portion and bent end portions. The main body maintains the conventional flat structure between electrodes, while the ends are bent to achieve miniaturization. This segmentation allows the invention to reduce device size without significantly complicating the overall manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
Only the end portions of the separator are bent towards the first principal surface, while the main body of the separator remains flat between the electrodes. This localized modification approach maintains manufacturing simplicity for the majority of the separator while achieving miniaturization through the bent ends
Data Source
AI summary
An electrode laminate is located in a case. The electrode laminate has opposed first and second principal surfaces and opposed first and second lateral side surfaces. The electrode laminate includes a positive electrode having a planar main surface and first and second opposed lateral ends located on opposite lateral sides of its main surface, a negative electrode having a planar main surface and first and second opposed lateral ends located on opposite lateral sides of its main surface, the main surface of the positive electrode opposing the main surface of the negative electrode. A separator is located between the opposed main surfaces of the positive and negative electrodes and has first and second lateral ends extending laterally outward from the first and second lateral ends of the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. At least a tip of the first and second lateral ends of the separator are bent in a direction towards the first principal surface of the electrode laminate. An electrolyte is impregnated in the separator.