# US 12,224,458 B2 · Battery, battery pack, and vehicle

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- Number: US 12,224,458 B2
- Document ID: US12224458B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/679,840
- Filed: 2022-02-24
- Published: 2022-08-11
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-13
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
- Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
- Inventors: Kuniaki Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224458B2

## CPC

- H01M 10/0431: {Cells with wound or folded electrodes (H01M10/045 takes precedence)}
- H01M 50/538: Connection of several leads or tabs of wound or folded electrode stacks
- H01M 50/103: prismatic or rectangular (H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence)
- H01M 50/147: Lids or covers
- H01M 50/209: adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence)
- H01M 50/586: inside the batteries, e.g. incorrect connections of electrodes
- H01M 50/59: characterised by the protection means
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A battery includes: an outer container; an electrode assembly; a lid member; a current collection tab; an electrode terminal; a lead; an insulation guard; and a pair of protrusions. The outer container includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, and the peripheral wall includes a pair of side walls opposed to each other across the internal cavity in a longitudinal direction. The current collection tab protrudes from the electrode assembly in a lateral direction in the internal cavity, and the insulation guard electrically insulates the lead and the current collection tab from an inner surface of the outer container in the internal cavity. Each of the pair of protrusions protrudes from the insulation guard and abuts on a boundary portion between corresponding one of the pair of side walls and the bottom wall.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery comprising:
an outer container including a bottom wall, peripheral walls, and an internal cavity constructed by the bottom wall and the peripheral walls and including an opening to an opposite side to the bottom wall in a height direction, the peripheral walls including a first side wall and a second side wall opposed to each other across the internal cavity in a longitudinal direction crossing the height direction;
an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode and that is accommodated in the internal cavity of the outer container;
a lid member attached to the peripheral wall in an end portion on the opposite side to the bottom wall and that blocks the opening of the internal cavity;
a current collection tab that protrudes from the electrode assembly in a lateral direction crossing both the longitudinal direction and the height direction in the internal cavity;
an electrode terminal attached to an outer surface of the lid member;
a lead disposed in the internal cavity and that electrically connects the current collection tab to the electrode terminal;
an insulation guard formed from a material having electrical insulating properties, and that electrically insulates the lead and the current collection tab from an inner surface of the outer container in the internal cavity;
a first protrusion connected to the insulation guard and that protrudes from the insulation guard, a protruding end of the first protrusion abutting on a boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall; and
a second protrusion connected to the insulation guard and that protrudes from the insulation guard, a protruding end of the second protrusion abutting on a boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall, wherein
the insulation guard includes a guard bottom surface opposed to the bottom wall,
the first protrusion protrudes from the guard bottom surface toward the boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall, and
the second protrusion protrudes from the guard bottom surface toward the boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion protrudes from the insulation guard outward in the longitudinal direction, or protrudes from the insulation guard toward a side on which the bottom wall is located in the height direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is formed into a plate shape, a width direction of each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion being along the lateral direction of the outer container.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is formed from a material having electrical insulating properties.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is formed integrally with the insulation guard.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
a size of the outer container in the longitudinal direction of the internal cavity is smaller than a size of the internal cavity in the lateral direction and a size of the internal cavity in the height direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
the guard bottom surface includes:
a first inclined surface that forms an edge of a side on which the first side wall is located on the guard bottom surface, and that inclines farther away from the bottom wall in the height direction as being closer to the first side wall in the longitudinal direction; and
a second inclined surface that forms an edge of a side on which the second side wall is located on the guard bottom surface, and that inclines farther away from the bottom wall in the height direction as being closer to the second side wall in the longitudinal direction,
the first protrusion protrudes from the first inclined surface toward the boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall, and
the second protrusion protrudes from the second inclined surface toward the boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
the peripheral wall of the outer container includes a third side wall that extends continuously along the longitudinal direction between the first side wall and the second side wall, and that is adjacent to the internal cavity from one side in the lateral direction,
the insulation guard includes:
a first guard side plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the first side wall;
a second guard side plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the second side wall;
a third guard side plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the third side wall; and
a guard bottom plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the bottom wall,
the guard bottom plate portion includes a guard protruding portion that protrudes toward a side on which the electrode assembly is located in the lateral direction with respect to the first guard side plate portion and the second guard side plate portion, and
the guard protruding portion is disposed between the electrode assembly and the bottom wall and supports the electrode assembly from a side on which the bottom wall is located in the height direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The battery according to claim 8, wherein
the first protrusion protrudes from the guard protruding portion toward the boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall, and
the second protrusion protrudes from the guard protruding portion toward the boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein
the current collection tab includes: a positive-electrode current collection tab that protrudes from the electrode assembly to one side in the lateral direction; and a negative-electrode current collection tab that protrudes from the electrode assembly toward an opposite side to a side on which the positive-electrode current collection tab protrudes in the lateral direction,
the electrode terminal includes a positive-electrode terminal and a negative-electrode terminal,
the lead includes: a positive-electrode-side lead that electrically connects the positive-electrode current collection tab to the positive-electrode terminal; and a negative-electrode-side lead that electrically connects the negative-electrode current collection tab to the negative-electrode terminal,
the insulation guard includes: a positive-electrode-side insulation guard that electrically insulates the positive-electrode-side lead and the positive-electrode current collection tab from the inner surface of the outer container; and a negative-electrode-side insulation guard that electrically insulates the negative-electrode-side lead and the negative-electrode current collection tab from the inner surface of the outer container,
the first protrusion protrudes only from one of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard, or protrudes by one or more first protrusions from each of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard, and
the second protrusion protrudes only from one of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard, or protrudes by one or more second protrusions from each of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A battery pack comprising one or more batteries according to claim 1.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A vehicle comprising a battery pack according to claim 11.

### Claim 13

A battery comprising:
an outer container including a bottom wall, peripheral walls, and an internal cavity constructed by the bottom wall and the peripheral walls and including an opening to an opposite side to the bottom wall in a height direction, the peripheral walls including a first side wall and a second side wall opposed to each other across the internal cavity in a longitudinal direction crossing the height direction;
an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode and that is accommodated in the internal cavity of the outer container;
a current collection tab that protrudes from the electrode assembly in a lateral direction crossing both the longitudinal direction and the height direction in the internal cavity;
a lead disposed in the internal cavity and that electrically connects the current collection tab to an electrode terminal;
an insulation guard that electrically insulates the lead and the current collection tab from an inner surface of the outer container in the internal cavity;
a first protrusion connected to the insulation guard and that protrudes from the insulation guard, a protruding end of the first protrusion abutting on a boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall; and
a second protrusion connected to the insulation guard and that protrudes from the insulation guard, a protruding end of the second protrusion abutting on a boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall, wherein
the insulation guard includes a guard bottom surface opposed to the bottom wall,
the first protrusion protrudes from the guard bottom surface toward the boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall, and
the second protrusion protrudes from the guard bottom surface toward the boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The battery according to claim 13, wherein
each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion protrudes from the insulation guard outward in the longitudinal direction, or protrudes from the insulation guard toward a side on which the bottom wall is located in the height direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The battery according to claim 13, wherein
each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is formed into a plate shape, a width direction of each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion being along the lateral direction of the outer container.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The battery according to claim 13, wherein
the guard bottom surface includes:
a first inclined surface that forms an edge of a side on which the first side wall is located on the guard bottom surface, and that inclines farther away from the bottom wall in the height direction as being closer to the first side wall in the longitudinal direction; and
a second inclined surface that forms an edge of a side on which the second side wall is located on the guard bottom surface, and that inclines farther away from the bottom wall in the height direction as being closer to the second side wall in the longitudinal direction,
the first protrusion protrudes from the first inclined surface toward the boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall, and
the second protrusion protrudes from the second inclined surface toward the boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The battery according to claim 13, wherein
the peripheral wall of the outer container includes a third side wall that extends continuously along the longitudinal direction between the first side wall and the second side wall, and that is adjacent to the internal cavity from one side in the lateral direction,
the insulation guard includes:
a first guard side plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the first side wall;
a second guard side plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the second side wall;
a third guard side plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the third side wall; and
a guard bottom plate portion that lies between the lead and an inner surface of the bottom wall,
the guard bottom plate portion includes a guard protruding portion that protrudes toward a side on which the electrode assembly is located in the lateral direction with respect to the first guard side plate portion and the second guard side plate portion, and
the guard protruding portion is disposed between the electrode assembly and the bottom wall and supports the electrode assembly from a side on which the bottom wall is located in the height direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The battery according to claim 17, wherein
the first protrusion protrudes from the guard protruding portion toward the boundary portion between the first side wall and the bottom wall, and
the second protrusion protrudes from the guard protruding portion toward the boundary portion between the second side wall and the bottom wall.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The battery according to claim 13, wherein
the current collection tab includes: a positive-electrode current collection tab that protrudes from the electrode assembly to one side in the lateral direction; and a negative-electrode current collection tab that protrudes from the electrode assembly toward an opposite side to a side on which the positive-electrode current collection tab protrudes in the lateral direction,
the electrode terminal includes a positive-electrode terminal and a negative-electrode terminal,
the lead includes: a positive-electrode-side lead that electrically connects the positive-electrode current collection tab to the positive-electrode terminal; and a negative-electrode-side lead that electrically connects the negative-electrode current collection tab to the negative-electrode terminal,
the insulation guard includes: a positive-electrode-side insulation guard that electrically insulates the positive-electrode-side lead and the positive-electrode current collection tab from the inner surface of the outer container; and a negative-electrode-side insulation guard that electrically insulates the negative-electrode-side lead and the negative-electrode current collection tab from the inner surface of the outer container,
the first protrusion protrudes only from one of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard, or protrudes by one or more first protrusions from each of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard, and
the second protrusion protrudes only from one of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard, or protrudes by one or more second protrusions from each of the positive-electrode-side insulation guard and the negative-electrode-side insulation guard.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

A battery pack comprising one or more batteries according to claim 13.