Offset Electrode-to-Terminal Bonds in Stacked Battery Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic welding becomes ineffective as the number of electrode layers in stacked battery cells increases, limiting the thickness and number of layers that can be used in thicker battery cell designs due to space constraints.
Innovation Solution
Implementing offset electrode-to-terminal bonds in stacked-electrode battery cells, where electrodes are bonded to non-overlapping regions of the tab, reducing the total thickness of material to be welded and allowing for a greater number of layers using existing bonding techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultrasonic welding is used to bond multiple electrode layers to tabs, then bonding effectiveness is maintained for thin cells, but the method becomes ineffective as the number of layers increases, limiting cell thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the bonding process into multiple bonding zones along the tab length. Each zone bonds a subset of electrode layers to the tab, with zones positioned at different locations (e.g., first bonding zone at one end, second bonding zone at another end). This segmentation allows effective bonding of many layers without requiring all layers to be welded through the entire thickness simultaneously, thus maintaining bonding reliability while enabling greater cell thickness.
2Quantity of substance
If more electrode layers are stacked to increase cell capacity, then energy storage increases, but the total thickness of material to be welded increases, exceeding the effective bonding range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-point bonding approach to a distributed bonding approach along the length dimension of the tab. By positioning multiple bonding zones at different locations along the tab (extending in the length dimension), the system can effectively bond a larger number of layers without increasing the thickness dimension beyond bonding capabilities. This dimensional redistribution allows scaling of layer count while maintaining effective bonding.
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
Enables the creation of thicker stacked-electrode battery cells by maintaining effective bonding across a larger number of layers, addressing the limitations of traditional ultrasonic welding methods.
Implementation Method 1
Ultrasonic welding is commonly used to bond the substrates to their respective tabs
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a stacked-electrode battery cell that has offset electrode-to-terminal bonds, and a method for manufacturing such a cell. The stacked-electrode battery cell can comprise an external connection terminal that includes a flat tab, and a plurality of flat electrodes stacked along a first coordinate axis and collectively forming at least a portion of an anode or a cathode of the battery cell. A first electrode of the plurality of flat electrodes is bonded to a first bond region of the tab and a second electrode of the plurality of flat electrodes is bonded to a second bond region of the tab, where the first bond region and the second bond region are non-overlapping along at least one coordinate axis perpendicular to the first coordinate axis.