IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,531,231
Granted Patent B2
US 12,531,231 · App. 17/277,448 · Granted Jan 20, 2026

Lithium secondary battery

Inventors: Tetsuyuki Okano (Osaka, JP); Hajime Nishino (Nara, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
H01M4/131H01M4/134H01M10/052H01M10/0566H01M10/058H01M50/489H01M10/0565H01M50/409
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,531,231
App. No.
17/277,448
Granted
Jan 20, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lithium secondary battery including: a positive electrode including a positive electrode current collector, and a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode including a negative electrode current collector that faces the positive electrode; a separator disposed therebetween; and a non-aqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity, wherein the positive electrode active material includes a composite oxide containing lithium and a metal M other than lithium, the metal M containing at least a transition metal, lithium metal deposits on the negative electrode during charge, and the lithium metal dissolves from the negative electrode during discharge, the positive electrode current collector has a first length in a first direction D 1 and a second length in a second direction D 2 intersecting the first direction, the first length being shorter than the second length, a spacer is provided between the positive electrode and the separator.

Claims (42)

1 . A lithium secondary battery using a lithium metal as a negative electrode active material, comprising:

a positive electrode including a positive electrode current collector, and a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material;

a negative electrode including a negative electrode current collector that faces the positive electrode;

a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and

a non-aqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity, wherein

the positive electrode active material includes a composite oxide containing lithium and a metal M other than lithium, the metal M containing at least a transition metal,

lithium metal deposits on the negative electrode during charge, and the lithium metal dissolves from the negative electrode during discharge,

the positive electrode current collector has a first length in a first direction D 1 and a second length in a second direction D 2 intersecting the first direction, the first length being shorter than the second length,

a spacer is provided between the positive electrode and the separator so as to form a space for storing the lithium metal, between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and

a straight line SL is drawable along the first direction D 1 so as to pass through three or more points of the spacer, wherein

in the straight line SL passing through three or more points of the spacer, a ratio d/h of a shortest distance d between portions of the spacer adjacent to each other to a height h of the spacer as measured from a portion having a maximum thickness of the positive electrode is 10 to 800.

2 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer has the height h of 15 μm to 100 μm.

3 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 2 , wherein in the straight line SL passing through three or more points of the spacer, a ratio d/h of a shortest distance d between portions of the spacer adjacent to each other to the height h of the spacer as measured from a portion having a maximum thickness of the positive electrode is 40 to 400.

4 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein when an opposing area S between the positive electrode and the negative electrode is denoted by S, a ratio of an area s of a positive electrode portion covered with the spacer to the opposing area S is 5% to 20%.

5 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a length occupied by the spacer in the straight line SL passing through three or more points of the spacer to the first length is 5% to 20%.

6 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprise a plurality of line-shaped protruding portions disposed in stripes along the second direction D 2 on a surface of the positive electrode.

7 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 6 , wherein the protruding portions are respectively disposed at both ends in the first direction of the surface of the positive electrode and between the both ends.

8 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein

the non-aqueous electrolyte contains lithium ion and an anion, and

the anion includes at least an anion of an oxalate complex.

9 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 2 , wherein in the straight line SL passing through three or more points of the spacer, a ratio d/h of a shortest distance d between portions of the spacer adjacent to each other to the height h of the spacer as measured from a portion having a maximum thickness of the positive electrode is more than 200 and 800 or less.

10 . A lithium secondary battery using a lithium metal as a negative electrode active material, comprising:

a positive electrode including a positive electrode current collector, and a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material;

a negative electrode including a negative electrode current collector that faces the positive electrode;

a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and

a non-aqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity, wherein

the positive electrode active material includes a composite oxide containing lithium and a metal M other than lithium, the metal M containing at least a transition metal,

lithium metal deposits on the negative electrode during charge, and the lithium metal dissolves from the negative electrode during discharge,

the positive electrode current collector has a first length in a first direction D 1 and a second length in a second direction D 2 intersecting the first direction, the first length being shorter than the second length,

a spacer is provided between the positive electrode and the separator, and

a straight line SL is drawable along the first direction D 1 so as to pass through three or more points of the spacer, wherein

the spacer includes a plurality of ribs,

when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction D 1 and perpendicular to the second direction D 2 , the plurality of ribs are continuous and arranged on a honeycomb shape, wherein

in the straight line SL passing through three or more points of the spacer, a ratio d/h of a shortest distance d between portions of the spacer adjacent to each other to a height h of the spacer as measured from a portion having a maximum thickness of the positive electrode is 10 to 800.

11 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the spacer has a height h of 15 μm to 100 μm, the height h being measured from a portion having a maximum thickness of the positive electrode.

12 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the ratio d/h is more than 200 and 800 or less.

13 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the ratio d/h is more than 40 and 400 or less.

14 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein when an opposing area S between the positive electrode and the negative electrode is denoted by S, a ratio of an area s of a positive electrode portion covered with the spacer to the opposing area S is 5% to 20%.

15 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein a ratio of a length occupied by the spacer in the straight line SL passing through three or more points of the spacer to the first length is 5% to 20%.

16 . The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein

the non-aqueous electrolyte contains lithium ion and an anion, and

the anion includes at least an anion of an oxalate complex.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2021
From: OKANO, TETSUYUKI; NISHINO, HAJIME
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056537/0952 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-185014 · Sep 28, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210265617A1 · Aug 26, 2021
References Cited (11)
US 20140186686A1 · Takahashi et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20190103609A1 · Yamami · 2019 [cited by examiner]
JP 59181587U · 1984 [cited by applicant]
JP 10012279A · 1998 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013054972A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016018772A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016139610A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
Kawamura, JP 2016-018772 Espacenet machine translation, 2016 (Year: 2016). [cited by examiner]
International Search Report dated Oct. 29, 2019, issued in counterpart application No. PCT/JP2019/029132 (2 pages). [cited by applicant]
The Extended European Search Report dated Oct. 12, 2021, issued in counterpart EP Application No. 19865455.0. (126 pages). [cited by applicant]
Jurng Sunhyung et al: “Effect of electrolyte on the nanostructure of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and performance of lithium metal anodes”, Energy & Environmental Sci ence, [Online] vol. 11, No. 9, Jul. 3, 201… [cited by applicant]