KR100614375B1 - Collapsible Pouch Type Battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pouch-type battery, the technical problem to be solved is to provide a pouch-type battery that can be folded and portable in a variety of forms while implementing a large capacity.

To this end, the gist of the solution according to the present invention is a flexible lower plate whose surface is insulating and foldable in a predetermined form, a plurality of electrode assemblies having a plurality of rows and columns arranged in a matrix form on the upper surface of the lower plate, and a plurality of electrodes A pouch comprising a plurality of wiring patterns for connecting the assemblies in series and in parallel, and a flexible top plate covering the plurality of electrode assemblies and wiring patterns and bonded to the bottom plate, the surface being insulative and foldable in a predetermined form together with the bottom plate. A type battery is disclosed.

Pouch, Battery, Flexible Bottom Plate, Flexible Top Plate, Flexible Board

Description

Pouch type battery capable of folding

Figure 1a is a perspective view showing an example of a pouch-type battery according to the present invention, Figure 1b is a perspective view of a pouch-type battery showing a state that one side is folded.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the pouch-type battery shown in FIG. 1A.

3A is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a state in which the electrode assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 is connected to a wiring pattern, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view illustrating three regions of FIG. 3A.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1A.

Figure 5a is a perspective view showing another example of the pouch-type battery according to the present invention, Figure 5b is a perspective view of the pouch-type battery showing a state that one side is folded.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the pouch-type battery shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 7A is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a state in which the electrode assembly illustrated in FIG. 6 is connected to a wiring pattern, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged perspective view illustrating seven areas of FIG. 7A.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 5A.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

100,101; Collapsible pouch type battery according to the present invention

110; Flexible bottom plate 110a; Metal layer

111; A first insulating layer 112; Second insulation layer

120; Electrode assembly 121; Anode Tab

121a; Insulating tape 122; Negative electrode tab

122a; Insulating tape 123; Positive plate

123a; Positive electrode active material 124; Separator

125; Negative electrode plate 125a; Anode active material

130; Flexible top plate 131a; Metal layer

131; A first insulating layer 132; Second insulation layer

133; Drawing unit 134; Longevity

140; Flexible substrate 142; Wiring pattern

The present invention relates to a pouch-type battery, and more particularly, to a pouch-type battery that can be folded in various forms while being able to realize a large capacity and be portable.

In general, a pouch type battery is also called a lithium polymer secondary battery or a lithium ion polymer secondary battery. The reason for using the word "polymer" is that the separator between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate (hereinafter, the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the separator is referred to as an electrode assembly) is a medium for ion conduction, that is, an electrolyte, in addition to a separation role in a lithium ion secondary battery. Because it also plays a role. In other words, the separator constituting the electrode assembly is formed of a gel polymer electrolyte, which is prepared by impregnating an electrolyte solution into the polymer to improve ionic conductivity.

On the other hand, the characteristics of such a lithium polymer secondary battery (hereinafter abbreviated as lithium polymer battery) and a lithium ion secondary battery (hereinafter abbreviated as lithium ion battery) are briefly compared as follows.

First, since the lithium polymer battery can have a plate-like structure in structure, it is not necessary to adopt the winding process required in the process of the lithium ion battery. Therefore, the electrode assembly can be laminated in the form of a plurality of plates, and the electrode assembly can be manufactured in a shape that is very suitable for the square structure. Of course, the wound electrode assembly can also be used in a lithium polymer battery.

Second, since all of the electrolyte is injected into the integrated electrode assembly (or cell), almost no electrolyte is exposed or leaked to the outside.

Third, since it is a plate-like structure and there is no fear of leakage, it is not necessary to use a rigid packaging material such as a can. Thus, it is crucially possible to produce the packaging material in a thin, flexible pouch instead of a thick, rigid square or cylindrical can. Such pouches usually have an aluminum foil as a center layer, and have a structure in which a thin insulating layer is adhered or laminated on both surfaces thereof.

When the flexible pouch is used as a battery packaging material, the thickness of the flexible pouch can be significantly reduced compared to the can, and more electrode assemblies can be accommodated in the same volume. That is, the capacity of the battery can be significantly increased. In addition, since the battery packaging material is soft, the battery can be easily manufactured in a desired shape, and therefore, there is an advantage that it is easy to attach to various electronic devices.

Recently, a variety of wearable computer technologies and applications have been developed and released from traditional clothing concepts such as digital vests, MP3 vests and digital EL (lumino luminescence) jackets. Accordingly, there is a demand for a battery having a large capacity to operate such devices, and a design that can be easily carried in a human body in various forms.

However, in the conventional pouch type battery, one electrode assembly is accommodated in one pouch and then sealed again with a hard case, which is limited in capacity and inconvenient to fold into various forms, thereby making it difficult to carry. Of course, in addition to such a pouch type, a regular square battery has a lower capacity and portability.

In addition, it is also possible to make a large capacity battery by connecting a plurality of conventional pouch-type batteries with appropriate wiring, but in this case, the thickness or height is excessively large, so that it is difficult to obtain a desired design and is worn due to its protruding thickness or height. There is a problem that is difficult to apply to wearable computer technology.

The present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a pouch-type battery that can be folded and portable in various forms while implementing a large capacity.

In order to achieve the above object, the collapsible pouch type battery according to the present invention has a flexible lower plate whose surface is insulating and can be folded in a predetermined form, and has a plurality of rows and columns on the upper surface of the lower plate and arranged in a matrix form. An electrode assembly, a plurality of wiring patterns connecting the plurality of electrode assemblies in series and in parallel, and a flexible top plate covering the plurality of electrode assemblies and the wiring patterns and simultaneously bonded to the bottom plate, wherein the flexible top plate is a surface. This insulating material is characterized in that it can be folded in a predetermined form together with the lower plate.

The plurality of electrode assemblies may be directly connected to the upper surface of the lower plate or formed on a separate flexible substrate.

As described above, the collapsible pouch type battery according to the present invention has a large number of electrode assemblies installed in a matrix form between an upper plate and a lower plate, so that a large-capacity battery can be easily implemented, and both the upper plate and the lower plate (or substrate) are provided. As a flexible material that can be easily bent, the pouch-type battery can be freely folded in a predetermined direction and shape. Of course, by being able to fold the pouch-type battery in various forms as described above, it is also easy to carry.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings such that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1A, an example of a pouch-type battery according to the present invention is shown as a perspective view, and referring to FIG. 1B, a state in which one side of the pouch-type battery is folded is shown as a perspective view.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the pouch type battery 100 according to the present invention includes a flexible lower plate 110 having a plurality of electrode assemblies having a plurality of rows and columns and positioned in a matrix form, and the flexible lower plate 110. The upper surface includes a flexible upper plate 130 which covers the plurality of electrode assemblies and is bonded to the flexible lower plate 110. In addition, in order to stably fix the electrode assembly having a predetermined volume, the flexible upper plate 130 is provided with a plurality of drawing portions 133 drawn in a predetermined depth in the upper direction. Of course, the drawing part 133 may be formed on the flexible lower plate 110 instead of the flexible upper plate 130, or may be formed at corresponding positions of the lower plate 110 and the upper plate 130, respectively. In addition, a wiring pattern 142 is formed between the lower plate 110 and the upper plate 130 to connect each electrode assembly in series or in parallel. The wiring pattern 142 is connected to a protection circuit board (not shown). It may be extended to a predetermined length outside the pouch-type battery 100 to be.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1B, the pouch-type battery 100 according to the present invention may be folded in a predetermined direction. To this end, in the present invention, at least one or more long holes 134 may be formed in the flexible upper plate 130. That is, by forming the long hole 134 having a predetermined length in the region between the rows and the columns formed by the plurality of drawing portions 133 formed on the flexible upper plate 130, the flexible upper plate 130 and The flexible lower plate 110 can be folded together in a predetermined direction. Of course, the smaller the size of the drawing unit 133 (or the electrode assembly accommodated inside the drawing unit 133) can be folded into a variety of forms.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown an exploded perspective view of the pouch-shaped battery shown in FIG. 1A.

As illustrated, the flexible lower plate 110 has a predetermined area and is formed flat, and a plurality of wiring patterns 142 are formed on the surface thereof. Of course, the surface of the flexible lower plate 110 is insulating to prevent the short circuit of the wiring patterns 142. In addition, the plurality of wiring patterns 142 may be formed by printing or writing conventional conductive inks or depositing conductive metals (for example, gold, silver, copper, palladium, etc.). It can form by etching in a predetermined form.

On the upper surface of the flexible lower plate 110, a plurality of electrode assemblies 120 formed in a jelly roll form have a plurality of rows and columns and are positioned in a substantially matrix form. In addition, each of the electrode assemblies 120 has a positive electrode tab 121 and a negative electrode tab 122 extending to a predetermined length to the outside, and the positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122 are formed on the wiring pattern 142. Are each connected to). Thus, the plurality of electrode assemblies 120 are in a state of being connected in series or in parallel.

The flexible upper plate 130 is positioned on the upper surface of the electrode assembly 120. Of course, the flexible upper plate 130 is formed with a drawing portion 133 protruding upward a predetermined height at a position corresponding to the electrode assembly 120. The flexible upper plate 130 covers the electrode assembly 120 and the wiring pattern 142 and is bonded or welded to the flexible lower plate 110. Of course, the flexible upper plate 130 also has an insulating surface so that the plurality of wiring patterns 142 are not shorted to each other, and a plurality of long holes 134 are formed to fold in a predetermined direction.

Referring to FIG. 3A, a state in which the electrode assembly is connected to the wiring pattern is shown as an enlarged perspective view, and referring to FIG. 3B, three regions of FIG. 3A are shown as an enlarged perspective view.

First, referring to FIG. 3A, the electrode assembly 120 is wound in a substantially jelly roll shape, and on one side, the positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122 extend a predetermined length in an outer direction. In addition, the positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122 are connected to corresponding wiring patterns 142, respectively. This connection is possible by conventional laser welding, ultrasonic welding or solder welding. Insulating tapes 121a and 122a are adhered to a predetermined region of the positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122, so that short generation of unwanted regions and the wiring pattern 142 is suppressed. For example, the insulating tape 121a adhered to the positive electrode tab 121 prevents a short with the wiring pattern 142 to which the negative electrode tab 122 is connected.

On the other hand, the flexible lower plate 110 may be formed of a three-layer structure. That is, the metal layer 110a of several tens to hundreds of um, the first insulating layer 111 formed on the upper surface of the metal layer 110a, and the second insulating layer 112 formed on the lower surface of the metal layer 110a may be formed. have. The metal layer 110a may be formed of any one selected from ordinary aluminum, steel, stainless steel, or equivalents thereof, but the material is not limited thereto. In addition, the first insulating layer 111 may be formed of modified polypropylene (CPP) or an equivalent thereof, but the material is not limited thereto. In addition, the first insulating layer 111 such as the modified polypropylene (CPP) has a property of being easily thermally welded with the flexible upper plate 130 positioned thereon. Furthermore, a wiring pattern 142 of a predetermined type is formed on the surface of the first insulating layer 111 such as modified polypropylene (CPP) by conductive ink or deposited conductive metal. In addition, the second insulating layer 112 may be formed of any one selected from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, or an equivalent thereof, but is not limited thereto. In this way, the flexible lower plate 110 has a property that can be easily bent, and also prevents moisture penetration into the electrode assembly 120.

Subsequently, referring to FIG. 3B, the electrode assembly 120 includes a positive electrode plate 123 coated with the positive electrode active material 123a, a separator 124, and a negative electrode plate 125 coated with the negative electrode active material 125a. Of course, the positive electrode tab 121 is connected to the positive electrode plate 123, and the negative electrode tab 122 is connected to the negative electrode plate 125, respectively. In addition, the positive electrode plate 123, the separator 124, and the negative electrode plate 125 may be stacked in the form of a jelly roll while being stacked a plurality of times.

4, a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1A is shown.

As illustrated, the flexible upper plate 130 is in close contact with the upper surface of the flexible lower plate 110. In addition, the flexible upper plate 130 is provided with a drawing portion 133 of a predetermined height in an upward direction so that the electrode assembly 120 does not move on the flexible lower plate 110. That is, the electrode assembly 120 is fixed by the drawing unit 133 formed on the flexible upper plate 130.

In addition, the flexible top plate 130 may also have a three-layer structure. That is, the metal layer 131a of several tens to hundreds of um, the first insulating layer 131 formed on the upper surface of the metal layer 131a, and the second insulating layer 132 formed on the lower surface of the metal layer 131a may be formed. have. The metal layer 131a may be formed of any one selected from ordinary aluminum, steel, stainless steel, or equivalents thereof, but the material is not limited thereto. In addition, the first insulating layer 131 may be formed of any one selected from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, or an equivalent thereof, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the second insulating layer 132 may be formed of modified polypropylene (CPP) or an equivalent thereof, but the material is not limited thereto. In addition, the second insulating layer 132 such as the modified polypropylene (CPP) may have a first lower insulating layer 111 such as the flexible lower plate 110 (the modified polypropylene (CPP) of the flexible lower plate 110) disposed below the second insulating layer 132. )) And easy thermal welding. Accordingly, the flexible lower plate 110 and the flexible upper plate 130 are easily heat welded to the entire area except the drawing part 133. In addition, a long hole 134 is formed in the flexible upper plate 130 so that the pouch-type battery 100 may be easily bent in a predetermined direction in an area spaced apart from the drawing unit 133 by a predetermined distance. Of course, such a long hole 134 may be formed through the flexible lower plate 110 and the flexible upper plate 130.

Referring to FIG. 5A, another example of a pouch-type battery according to the present invention is shown as a perspective view, and referring to FIG. 5B, a perspective view of a state in which one side is folded is shown.

As shown, since the pouch-type battery 101 according to another embodiment of the present invention is almost similar to the pouch-type battery 100 described above, the differences will be mainly described. In addition, the same components will use the same reference numerals.

In the pouch type battery 101 according to another embodiment of the present invention, a flexible substrate 140 formed of a material such as polyimide is further disposed between the flexible lower plate 110 and the flexible upper plate 130. Of course, the flexible lower plate 110 and the flexible upper plate 130 are adhered to the flexible substrate 140 by heat welding or adhesive. Therefore, since the lower plate 110, the upper plate 130, and the substrate 140 constituting the pouch-type battery 101 are all soft, they can be folded freely in a predetermined position and direction. Of course, the top plate 130 is formed with a drawing portion 133 for fixing the position of the electrode assembly 120 and a plurality of long holes 134 to be easily folded.

Referring to FIG. 6, an exploded perspective view of the pouch type battery illustrated in FIG. 5A is illustrated.

As illustrated, a plurality of wiring patterns 142 are formed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 140. That is, the pouch-type battery 101 of the present invention adopts a separate flexible substrate 140 when it is difficult or difficult to form the wiring pattern 142 directly on the lower plate 110. The wiring pattern 142 is formed by printing or writing the conductive ink on the surface of the flexible substrate 140 or by depositing the conductive metal on the surface and etching the conductive pattern in a predetermined pattern.

Of course, the plurality of electrode assemblies 120 arranged in a matrix form are positioned on the flexible substrate 140 and electrically connected to the wiring patterns 142, respectively. Furthermore, through holes (not shown) are formed in the flexible substrate 140 at positions corresponding to the electrode assemblies 120, the electrode assemblies 120 may be directly positioned on the lower plate.

Referring to FIG. 7A, a state in which the electrode assembly illustrated in FIG. 6 is connected to a wiring pattern is illustrated as an enlarged perspective view, and referring to FIG. 7B, seven regions of FIG. 7A are illustrated as an enlarged perspective view.

As shown in the drawing, the positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122 are formed on the outside of the electrode assembly 120. The positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122 may be connected to the wiring pattern 142 formed on the flexible substrate 140 by conventional ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or solder. Of course, insulating tapes 121a and 122a are adhered to predetermined regions of the positive electrode tab 121 and the negative electrode tab 122 to prevent unnecessary shorts.

8, a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 5A is shown.

As illustrated, the flexible substrate 140 is positioned between the lower plate 110 and the upper plate 130. In addition, the flexible substrate 140 and the lower plate 110, the flexible substrate 140 and the upper plate 130 are bonded to each other or thermally welded. Therefore, external moisture or foreign matter may not penetrate toward the electrode assembly 120 positioned between the flexible upper plate 130 and the flexible substrate 140. In addition, since the long hole 134 is formed between the drawing portions 133 in the upper plate 130, the lower plate 110 and the substrate 140 may be folded together well.

As described above, in the collapsible pouch-type battery according to the present invention, since a plurality of electrode assemblies are installed in a matrix form between the upper and lower plates, a large-capacity battery can be easily realized, and the upper and lower plates (or substrates) Both are flexible materials that can be easily bent, so that the pouch-type battery can be freely folded in a predetermined direction and shape. Of course, by being able to fold the pouch-type battery in various forms as described above, it is also easy to carry.

What has been described above is just one embodiment for implementing the collapsible pouch-type battery according to the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, the invention as claimed in the following claims Without departing from the gist of the present invention, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains to the technical spirit of the present invention to the extent that various modifications can be made.

Claims (17)

A flexible lower plate whose surface is insulating and which can be folded into a predetermined form; A plurality of electrode assemblies arranged in a matrix form having a plurality of rows and columns on an upper surface of the lower plate; A plurality of wiring patterns connecting the plurality of electrode assemblies in series and in parallel; And, A pouch-type battery comprising a flexible upper plate covering the plurality of electrode assemblies and wiring patterns and adhered to the lower plate and having an insulating surface and being folded in a predetermined form together with the lower plate. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible lower plate Metal layer; A first insulating layer formed on an upper surface of the metal layer; And, A pouch type battery comprising a second insulating layer formed on the lower surface of the metal layer. The pouch type battery of claim 2, wherein the metal layer is any one selected from aluminum, steel, and stainless steel. 3. The pouch type battery of claim 2, wherein the first insulating layer is modified polypropylene (CPP). The pouch type battery of claim 2, wherein the second insulating layer is any one selected from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly A cathode coated with a cathode active material on a cathode plate, A negative electrode having a negative electrode active material coated on a negative electrode plate, A separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and formed of a gel polymer electrolyte, Pouch-type battery, characterized in that the positive electrode, the separator and the negative electrode are laminated in a plurality of times in the form of a jelly roll. The cathode plate of claim 6, wherein one end of the positive electrode tab extended to a predetermined length is connected to the positive electrode plate, and one end of the negative electrode tab extended to a predetermined length is also connected to the negative electrode plate, and the other ends of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are connected to each other. A pouch type battery, each connected to a different wiring pattern. The pouch type battery of claim 1, wherein the wiring pattern is formed by printing a conductive ink on a top surface of the lower plate in a predetermined pattern. The pouch type battery of claim 1, wherein the wiring pattern is formed by etching a conductive pattern after a conductive metal is deposited on an upper surface of the lower plate. The pouch type battery of claim 1, wherein the flexible upper plate is formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of electrode assemblies at a depth corresponding to a thickness of the electrode assembly. The pouch type battery of claim 1, wherein the flexible top plate has at least one long hole formed in the boundary so that a boundary between each electrode assembly and the electrode assembly is easily folded. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible top plate Metal layer; A first insulating layer formed on an upper surface of the metal layer; And, A pouch type battery comprising a second insulating layer formed on the lower surface of the metal layer. 13. The pouch type battery of claim 12, wherein the metal layer is any one selected from aluminum, steel, and stainless steel. The pouch type battery of claim 12, wherein the first insulating layer is any one selected from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or nylon. The pouch type battery of claim 12, wherein the second insulating layer is modified polypropylene (CPP). The pouch type battery of claim 1, wherein the wiring pattern is formed on a flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is interposed and bonded between the lower plate and the upper plate. 17. The pouch type battery of claim 16, wherein the electrode assembly is positioned on the flexible substrate.

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