IP Library Granted Patent US 11,784,352
Granted Patent B2
US 11,784,352 · App. 16/349,426 · Granted Oct 10, 2023

Electrode assembly and method for manufacturing the same

Inventors: Yong Jun Lee (Daejeon, KR); Tae Ho Hwang (Daejeon, KR); Chan Ho Jang (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
H01M10/0585H01M4/139H01M10/052H01M50/403H01M50/46H01M50/466H01M50/552
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,784,352
App. No.
16/349,426
Granted
Oct 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked, wherein a negative electrode and a positive electrode are sequentially and alternately stacked, and a separator is disposed therebetween is provided. The method includes covering a top surface of an electrode disposed at an n layer (n being a natural number) with the separator, heating the separator covering the electrode disposed at the n layer, stacking an electrode disposed at an n+1 layer on the heated separator, covering a top surface of the electrode disposed at the n+1 layer with the separator, and heating the separator covering the electrode disposed at the n+1 layer. The separator is bonded to the electrode, or the separators are bonded to each other to fix the movement of the electrode, thereby improving stability. Since the separator is not stacked in the width direction, capacity per volume increases.

Claims (21)

1. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, in which a plurality of electrodes are stacked, wherein a negative electrode and a positive electrode are sequentially and alternately stacked, and a separator is disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, the method comprising:

covering a top surface of an electrode disposed at an n layer (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1) with the separator;

heating a first part of the separator that directly overlaps the electrode disposed at the n layer;

stacking an electrode, which is disposed at an n+1 layer, on the heated separator;

covering a top surface of the electrode, which is disposed at the n+1 layer, with the separator; and

heating a second part of the separator that directly overlaps the electrode disposed at the n+1 layer,

wherein the heating of the second part of the separator that directly overlaps the electrode disposed at the n+1 layer is performed after the heating of the first part of the separator that directly overlaps the electrode disposed at the n layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator covers the electrode being connected from an end of one side to an end of the other side of the electrode disposed at the n layer, and

while the electrode disposed at the n layer and the electrode disposed at the n+1 layer are continually stacked, the separator has a continuous shape that plies in a zigzag shape between the one side and the other side of the electrodes.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, when the separator plies between the one side and the other side to be continuous in the zigzag shape, a gripper that supports a point, at which the separator is bent while the separator is changed in direction, is inserted.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the gripper is slidably disposed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the separator plies.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the gripper is provided in two, which are disposed one by one at positions that face each other.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator is heated by a heating plate, and heat and pressure are applied to the separator to bond the separator to the top surface of the electrode that contacts the separator.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator is heated by a gripper, and heat and pressure are applied to the separator to bond the separator disposed at a corresponding layer to the separator disposed below the separator disposed at the corresponding layer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the gripper has a size and a shape that are capable of pressing an edge of the separator, on which each electrode is not covered.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each electrode has a rectangular shape, and the gripper has a shape having at least one orthogonal portion.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the separator is bent at the point supported by the gripper to form a fold in the separator,

wherein the point is located inside the fold in the separator, and

wherein the gripper directly contacts the point located inside the fold when the separator is being bent.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating of the second part, of the separator that directly overlaps the electrode disposed at the n+1 layer is performed after the both the stacking of the electrode, which is disposed at the n+1 layer, on the heated separator, and the covering of the top surface of the electrode, which is disposed at the n+1 layer, with the separator heating of the first part of the separator that directly overlaps the electrode disposed at the n layer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stacking of the electrode, which is disposed at an n+1 layer, on the heated separator, fixedly bonds the electrode on the n+1 layer before the top surface of the electrode on the n+1 layer is covered with the separator.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2021
From: LG CHEM, LTD.
To: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058295/0068 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2019
From: LEE, YONG JUN; HWANG, TAE HO; JANG, CHAN HO
To: LG CHEM, LTD.
Reel/Frame 049159/0246 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0150821 · Nov 13, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200235434A1 · Jul 23, 2020