# US 12,603,397 B2 · Seam welding structure of battery can, current collecting plate, and cap and battery cell using the same

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- Number: US 12,603,397 B2
- Document ID: US12603397B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/657,490
- Filed: 2024-05-07
- Published: 2024-11-14
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2023-05-08
- Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
- Applicants: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
- Inventors: Jeongho Park; Dongsung Hwang; Sungmin Cho; Taerim Hong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603397B2

## CPC

- H01M 50/536: characterised by the method of fixing the leads to the electrodes, e.g. by welding
- H01M 10/0422: {Cells or battery with cylindrical casing}
- H01M 50/152: for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/15, H01M50/153 take precedence)
- H01M 50/169: by welding, brazing or soldering
- H01M 50/533: characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs
- H01M 4/70: characterised by shape or form
- H01M 10/0431: {Cells with wound or folded electrodes (H01M10/045 takes precedence)}
- H01M 10/0587: of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
- H01M 50/107: having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence)
- H01M 50/119: Metals
- H01M 50/133: Thickness
- H01M 50/159: Metals
- H01M 50/538: Connection of several leads or tabs of wound or folded electrode stacks
- H01M 50/545: formed by the casing of the cells (cup shaped terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section H01M50/56)
- H01M 50/552: characterised by their shape
- 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 cell includes: a can with an electrode assembly received therein, in which the can has a bottom member, a sidewall member connected to the bottom member and extending upwardly therefrom in an axial direction, and a cap covering an open end of the can at an axial end opposite to the bottom member. A current collector plate is connected to an electrode tab of the electrode assembly proximate the open end. The current collector plate includes: a central portion electrically connected to the electrode tab and a peripheral portion in electrical contact with a radially inner surface of the sidewall of the can. The peripheral portion is also in contact with an underside of the cap. The radially inner surface of the sidewall member, a radially outer surface of the cap, and the peripheral portion of the current collector plate are all welded to one another.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery cell comprising:
a can having a sidewall circumscribing an internal volume and defining an opening to the internal volume at a first end of the can along a central longitudinal axis;
an electrode assembly received within the internal volume of the can;
a current collector plate electrically connected to the electrode assembly; and
a cap covering the opening of the can so as to enclose the internal volume,
wherein the current collector plate includes a central portion and a peripheral portion, the central portion being electrically connected to an electrode tab of the electrode assembly, and the peripheral portion positioned around the central portion and being spaced further from the central longitudinal axis than the central portion, the peripheral portion being in contact with a radially inner surface of the sidewall so as to be electrically connected with the can, and the peripheral portion being in contact with an underside of the cap facing into the internal volume along an axial direction that extends parallel to the central longitudinal axis,
wherein the cap includes a central region and an annular region, the annular region positioned around the central region and being spaced further from the central longitudinal axis than the central region, wherein the underside of the cap in the central region is positioned further from the opening along the axial direction than the underside of the cap in the annular region, such that a thickness of the cap along the axial direction is smaller in the annular region than in the central region, and
wherein the radially inner surface of the sidewall, a radially outer surface of the cap, and the peripheral portion of the current collector plate are welded to one another.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the radially inner surface of the sidewall includes a lateral step extending transverse to the central longitudinal axis such that a first inner surface of the sidewall positioned on a first side of the lateral step in the axial direction has a first diameter and a second inner surface of the sidewall positioned on a second side of the lateral step in the axial direction has a second diameter, the second side of the lateral step being closer to the opening than the first side, and the second diameter being larger than the first diameter, and
wherein the radially outer surface of the cap and the peripheral portion of the current collector plate are in contact with the second inner surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The battery cell of claim 2, wherein an outer diameter of the peripheral portion of the current collector plate is larger than the first diameter of the first inner surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The battery cell of claim 2, wherein the peripheral portion of the current collector plate is in contact with the lateral step.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The battery cell of claim 2, wherein the lateral step is defined by an oblique surface extending from the first diameter of the first inner surface to the second diameter of the second inner surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The battery cell of claim 2, wherein a first thickness of the cap in the axial direction along the radially outer surface is larger than a second thickness of the sidewall in a radial direction along the second inner surface, the radial direction being perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The battery cell of claim 6, wherein the first thickness is between one and two times thicker than the second thickness.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the radially outer surface of the cap is smaller than a diameter of an adjacent portion of the radially inner surface of the sidewall, and wherein a welded region extends from the adjacent portion of the radially inner surface of the sidewall to the radially outer surface of the cap.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the annular region extends along the radially outer surface of the cap.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein an inclined surface along the underside of the cap connects the annular region and the central region.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The battery cell of claim 10, wherein the inclined surface contacts the current collector plate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the current collector plate includes a step in the axial direction between the central portion and the peripheral portion, such that the peripheral portion is offset towards the opening of the can relative to the central portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal dimension of the central portion of the current collector plate extends transverse to the axial direction, and wherein a longitudinal dimension of the peripheral portion of the current collector plate extends parallel to the axial direction, such that the peripheral portion extends along the radially inner surface of the sidewall of the can to a terminal end of the peripheral portion that abuts the underside of the cap.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The battery cell of claim 12, wherein an inclined surface along the underside of the cap connects the annular region and the central region, and wherein the inclined surface contacts the current collector plate at the step.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion of the current collector plate is in contact with the underside of the cap in the annular region.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The battery cell of claim 15, wherein the peripheral portion of the current collector plate extends in a radial direction along the underside of the cap in the annular region, the radial direction being perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cap along the axial direction in the annular region is from 0.4 to 0.8 times the thickness of the cap along the axial direction in the central region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cap along the axial direction in the annular region is from 0.5 to 0.75 times the thickness of the cap along the axial direction in the central region.