Pouch Cell Formation and Gas Pocket Hole Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing formation processes for pouch-type battery cells face challenges in efficiently discharging generated gas without discharging electrolyte, leading to potential contamination and safety hazards, and require complex and time-consuming sequential hole formation.

Innovation Solution

A formation device with a charging part, loading buffer, unloading buffer, hole processing part, and sealing part that facilitates partial charging to expand the gas pocket, forms a discharge hole, and seals it to prevent electrolyte discharge, using movable units to process multiple cells simultaneously.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a conventional battery formation device is used, then the formation process can be completed, but the batteries are charged at different rates due to position differences, reducing productivity and requiring frequent disassembly for sorting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformation speedVSAvoidcharge rate consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing different anode voltages to different groups of battery cells based on their position in the stack. Specifically, batteries in different vertical positions (first position vs second position) receive different anode voltages from the power supply device, compensating for the positional differences that would otherwise cause different charge rates. This localized adjustment ensures uniform formation across all batteries while maintaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If batteries are charged at different rates, then formation can proceed in parallel, but sorting and reassembly are frequently required, increasing device complexity and time loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparallel formation capabilityVSAvoidsorting and reassembly operations
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing a power supply device that can simultaneously provide different anode voltages to multiple groups of batteries through a unified system. The power supply device integrates multiple output channels that can be independently controlled, allowing it to serve multiple functions: charging batteries at different positions with different voltage requirements while maintaining them all in the same formation device without requiring separate sorting and reassembly operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If different anode voltages are applied to batteries at different positions, then charge rate consistency is improved, but the power supply device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharge rate consistencyVSAvoidpower supply device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the battery stack into different position groups (first position and second position) and assigning different anode voltages to each group. The power supply device is segmented into multiple output channels, with each channel dedicated to a specific position group. This segmentation allows independent control of voltages for different positions while maintaining an organized and manageable device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4496051B1Formation device of pouch-type battery cell
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4496051B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4496051B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4496051B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed herein includes: a charging part for charging a battery cell; a loading buffer part where a battery cell waits before being placed in the charging part; an unloading buffer part in which a battery cell that has been charged and removed from the charging part waits; a hole processing part forming a discharge hole in a gas pocket part of the battery cell; and a sealing part that seals the discharge hole of the battery cell.