Cable-type secondary battery

#The present invention relates to a cable-type secondary battery, which can freely change in shape, and more particularly to a cable-type secondary battery having a core for supplying lithium ions.

#Secondary batteries are devices capable of storing energy in chemical form and of converting into electrical energy to generate electricity when needed. The secondary batteries are also referred to as rechargeable batteries because they can be recharged repeatedly. Common secondary batteries include lead accumulators, NiCd batteries, NiMH accumulators, Li-ion batteries, Li-ion polymer batteries, and the like. When compared with disposable primary batteries, not only are the secondary batteries more economically efficient, they are also more environmentally friendly.

#Secondary batteries are currently used in applications requiring low electric power, for example, equipment to start vehicles, mobile devices, tools, uninterruptible power supplies, and the like. Recently, as the development of wireless communication technologies has been leading to the popularization of mobile devices and even to the mobilization of many kinds of conventional devices, the demand for secondary batteries has been dramatically increasing. Secondary batteries are also used in environmentally friendly next-generation vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles to reduce the costs and weight and to increase the service life of the vehicles.

#The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide further understanding of the technical spirit of the present invention. However, the present invention is not to be construed as being limited to the drawings.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cable-type secondary battery having one inner electrode in the form of a mesh and a separation layer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cable-type secondary battery having one inner electrode in the form of a mesh in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

#Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present invention on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation. FIG. 1 schematically shows a cable-type secondary battery having one inner electrode in the form of a mesh and a separation layer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. However, the configurations illustrated in the drawings and the embodiments are just preferable examples for the purpose of illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, so it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications could be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

#Referring to FIG. 1, a cable-type secondary battery 100 has a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and extending longitudinally, and comprises a core 110 for supplying lithium ions, which comprises an electrolyte; an inner electrode 120, comprising an open-structured inner current collector surrounding the outer surface of the core for supplying lithium ions, an inner electrode active material layer formed on the surface of the inner current collector, and an electrolyte-absorbing layer formed on the outer surface of the inner electrode active material layer; a separation layer 130 surrounding the outer surface of the inner electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes; and an outer electrode surrounding the outer surface of the separation layer and comprising an outer electrode active material layer and an outer current collector.

#In the present invention, the outer electrode may be formed in various embodiments depending on the disposition of the outer electrode active material layer and the outer current collector, which come into contact with the separation layer.