Electrode Assembly Thickness Check for Lamination Fault Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods fail to effectively detect lamination defects in electrode assemblies during the manufacturing process, which can lead to short circuits and other performance issues in battery cells.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the formation of an insulating member in the overhang region of a negative electrode, followed by the lamination of a separator and a positive electrode, and finally measuring the thickness of the electrode assembly to detect any lamination defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional electrode manufacturing methods are used without insulating members, then the manufacturing process is simple, but lamination defects cannot be detected and short circuits may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection of lamination defectVSAvoidstructure of electrode assembly
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

An insulating member is formed on the negative electrode in advance at the overhang region before the stacking process. This preliminary action creates a detectable feature that enables subsequent detection of lamination defects, resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple manufacturing and enabling defect detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating member acts as an intermediary element between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. It provides a measurable interface that allows detection systems to identify lamination defects without complicating the fundamental electrode structure, thus improving reliability while minimizing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If thickness measurement is implemented for defect detection, then lamination defects can be detected, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection of lamination defectVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex visual inspection or sophisticated sensing systems with a simple thickness measurement approach. By forming an insulating member with specific thickness characteristics, the system uses straightforward thickness measurement to detect lamination defects, achieving high measurement precision without significantly increasing manufacturing process complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4044307B1Electrode assembly stacking fault detection method, electrode assembly including insulating member, and battery cell including same
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4044307B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4044307B1 patent drawingFigure 2a
  • EP4044307B1 patent drawingFigure 2b

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method of detecting a lamination defect of an electrode assembly in the initial stage, an electrode assembly including an insulating member, and a battery cell including the electrode assembly.