US 7,732,072 B2 · Rechargeable battery

Abstract

Disclosed is a rechargeable battery including: a bare cell composed of an electrode assembly including a negative electrode, a separator and a positive electrode, a container for housing the electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and a cap assembly for closing an opening of the container; and a safety device electrically coupled to an outer surface of the bare cell, wherein the safety device is coupled to the bare cell by being incorporated into a battery component part, and each of bonding surfaces of the bare cell and the battery component to be bonded to each other has a bonding parts capable of forming a mechanical bonding between the bare cell and the battery component. The rechargeable battery permits a safety device such as a protective circuit board and a bimetal device to be coupled to a bare cell in a stable and simple manner. Additionally, the mechanical bonding parts between the safety device and the bare cell can be separated so that the safety device such as a protective circuit board can be reused.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A rechargeable battery comprising:

a bare cell composed of an electrode assembly including a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode, a container to house the electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and a cap assembly to close an opening of the container;
and
a safety device electrically coupled to an outer surface of the bare cell,
wherein the safety device is coupled to the bare cell by being incorporated into a battery component part comprising a plastic molding that encapsulates the entire safety device, and a bonding surface of the bare cell and a bonding surface of the battery component part, which are to be bonded to each other, each have a bonding part capable of forming a mechanical bond between the bare cell and the battery component part, wherein the bare cell has a female mechanical bonding part comprising a sloped neck at the entrance thereof and the battery component part has a male mechanical bonding part comprising a jaw and
wherein the female mechanical bonding part of the bare cell is detachably engaged with the male mechanical bonding part of the battery component part.

2 more elements

A method of assembling a rechargeable battery including a bare cell comprised of an electrode assembly including a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode, a container for housing the electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and a cap assembly for closing an opening of the container;

and a safety device electrically coupled to an outer surface of the bare cell,
the method comprising:
incorporating the safety device into a battery component by encapsulating the entire safety device in a plastic molding;
and
coupling the safety device with the bare cell by bonding a bonding surface of the bare cell to a bonding surface of the battery component,
wherein each bonding surface has a bonding part capable of forming a mechanical bond between the bare cell and the battery component part, wherein the bare cell has a female mechanical bonding part comprising a sloped neck at the entrance thereof and the battery component part has a male mechanical bonding part comprising a jaw and
wherein the female mechanical bonding part of the bare cell is detachably engaged with the male mechanical bonding part of the battery component part.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rechargeable battery

Life of this patent

Rechargeable battery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18