Electrode Tab Welding Layout to Prevent Battery Tab Cracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Defects such as cracks often occur during the welding process of electrode tabs and lead tabs in rechargeable batteries, particularly in lithium-ion batteries, due to overlapping welding operations.
Innovation Solution
The electrode assembly design includes non-overlapping welding areas for electrode and lead tabs, utilizing ultrasonic and laser welding, with non-welded areas between overlapping regions to prevent cracks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If two welding operations are performed to fix electrode tabs and lead tabs, then the tabs are securely fixed, but defects such as cracks occur at the welding portions
Solution Approach 1:
The welding process is divided into two distinct welding portions that are spatially separated and do not overlap. The first welding portion fixes the electrode tabs to each other, while the second welding portion fixes the lead tabs to the electrode tabs. By segmenting the welding areas and ensuring they do not overlap, the patent prevents defect accumulation while maintaining secure fixing of all tabs.
2Ease of manufacture
If welding portions overlap to fix multiple tabs, then all tabs are fixed in one area, but cracks occur due to overlapping welding operations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of fixing all tabs in a single overlapping welding area (one-dimensional approach), the patent distributes the welding operations across multiple spatial dimensions by creating distinct first and second welding portions. The first welding portion is positioned at a first location, and the second welding portion is positioned at a second location that does not overlap with the first. This dimensional separation allows multiple tabs to be fixed while avoiding the harmful effects of overlapping welding.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively reduces the occurrence of cracks by ensuring that welding portions do not overlap, enhancing the structural integrity of the electrode assembly and battery.
Implementation Method 1
The first welding portion may be performed by ultrasonic welding, and the second welding portion may be performed by ultrasonic welding and/or laser welding.
Implementation Method 2
The first welding portion may be performed by ultrasonic welding, and the second welding portion may be performed by ultrasonic welding and/or laser welding.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrode assembly and a rechargeable battery (e.g., a lithium-ion rechargeable battery) including the electrode assembly are disclosed. The electrode assembly may include: a separator; and a first electrode and a second electrode that are disposed or provided with the separator provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; a plurality of first electrode tabs that extends from the first electrode and is integrally fixed by a first welding portion; and a first lead tab fixed to the plurality of first electrode tabs by a second welding portion, wherein the first welding portion and the second welding portion do not overlap.