Through-wall Current Collector for Pouch Cell Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing battery cell designs require expensive sealing tapes to maintain a hermetically sealed pouch cell housing while allowing current transfer, which increases manufacturing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A current collector device is integrated into the battery cell housing, allowing current to exit through openings spaced apart from the sealed joint, using commonly available sealing materials to prevent leakage and eliminate the need for specialized tapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lead tab passes through the sealed joint between pouch layers, then current can be transferred from inside to outside the pouch cell, but expensive specialized sealing tape is required to maintain hermetic sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the current collection function from the sealed joint area and relocates it to the cell housing structure. The current collector is integrated into the housing walls, allowing current extraction without penetrating the sealed joint between pouch layers, thus eliminating the need for expensive sealing tape while maintaining hermetic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the current collector with the cell housing structure. The housing walls are configured to directly contact and electrically connect with the electrode assembly, combining the structural containment function with the electrical current collection function into a single integrated component.
2Ease of operation
If a lead tab passes through the sealed joint, then current transfer is enabled, but the structure becomes more complex with specialized sealing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the current transfer function from the complex sealing joint structure and relocates it to the simpler housing walls. This separation allows the sealed joint to remain simple and hermetic while the housing walls handle current collection, reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell housing walls serve multiple functions: they provide structural containment for the electrode assembly and simultaneously act as current collectors. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate complex sealing and current transfer mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A pouch cell (20A, 20) includes a generally rectangular cell housing (20, 21) formed of a metal laminated film, an electrode assembly (60) that is sealed within the cell housing (20, 21), and a current collector device disposed in the cell housing (20, 21). The electrode assembly (60) includes positive electrode portions alternating with negative electrode portions, the positive electrode portions and the negative electrode portions being separated by at least one separator and stacked along a stack axis (66). The current collector device is electrically connected to one of the positive electrode portions and the negative electrode portions and exits the cell housing (20, 21) via an opening (28, 428) formed in the cell housing (20, 21). The opening (28, 428) is formed in a side (22, 24) wall of the cell housing (20, 21) at a location spaced apart from the sealed joint (40) that closes the cell housing (20, 21) and at a location facing the stack axis (66).