Electrode Tab-Free Cable Cell Design for Low Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The linear structure of cable-type cells with electrode tabs at both ends increases electron travel distance, leading to high resistance and low electron transfer rates, and potential short circuits due to adjacent tabs.

Innovation Solution

A cable-type cell design where the embedded member exposes the outer electrode as an electrode tab, eliminating the need for traditional electrode tabs by forming a conductive layer at the outermost side, providing a shortest path for electron transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If electrode tabs are formed at both ends of the cable-type cell, then the cell can be manufactured with traditional structure, but the electron travel distance increases with cell length resulting in high resistance and low electron transfer rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraditional electrode tab structureVSAvoidelectron transfer rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the electrode tab function from the traditional end-position structure and relocates it to the outer surface of the embedded member. The outer electrode is exposed through the embedded member to serve as the electrode tab, eliminating the need for long electron travel paths through the cell length while maintaining traditional manufacturing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The embedded member acts as an intermediary structure that enables the outer electrode to be exposed on its outer surface. This mediator allows the electrode tab function to be achieved without requiring traditional end-position tabs, thereby reducing electron travel distance while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If electrode tabs are formed at both ends of the cable-type cell, then the cell structure is simple, but adjacent tabs may cause short circuits

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell structureVSAvoidshort circuit risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions the electrode tab location from the one-dimensional end positions to the outer surface of the embedded member, effectively moving the tab position to a different spatial dimension. This dimensional change allows tabs to be positioned away from adjacent ends, eliminating short circuit risks while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If the cell length is increased to match device specifications, then the capacity and voltage requirements are met, but the electron travel distance increases resulting in higher resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapacity and voltageVSAvoidresistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the electrode tab function from the end positions and relocates it to the outer surface of the embedded member. This allows the cell length to be increased for higher capacity and voltage without proportionally increasing electron travel distance, as electrons can exit through the embedded member's outer surface rather than traveling the full cell length.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If multiple pouch-type cells are connected to meet device specifications, then the capacity and voltage requirements are met, but the thickness and volume increase reducing flexibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapacity and voltageVSAvoidflexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges multiple electrode layers (inner electrode, outer separation layer, outer electrode) into a single cable-type structure. This consolidation achieves the required capacity and voltage in one integrated cell rather than requiring multiple separate pouch-type cells, thereby maintaining flexibility while meeting performance specifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4636894A1Electrode tab-free cable-type cell having high flexibility and low resistance
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4636894A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4636894A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4636894A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

When a cable-type cell in which electrode tabs are formed at both ends thereof is manufactured, the travel distance of electrons from electrodes to the electrode tabs increases as the length of the cell increases due to the linear structure of the cable-type cell, resulting in a problem of low electron transfer rate due to an increase in cell resistance. Disclosed is a highly flexible, low-resistance cable-type cell without electrode tabs configured such that an embedded member constituting the outermost side of the cable-type cell serves as an electrode tab without the need to form an electrode tab of an outer electrode by configuring the outermost side of the cable-typed cell such that the outer electrode is exposed from the embedded member in order to solve the above problem. The shortest path for electrons to pass from an active material layer of the electrode to the electrode tabs is provided, whereby high-flexibility and low-resistance properties are achieved.