Patent ID: 11929467
Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A secondary battery comprising:
an electrode assembly, wherein the electrode assembly comprises:
a first sub-electrode assembly comprising a first positive electrode, a first negative electrode, and a first separator between the first positive electrode and the first negative electrode, and
a second sub-electrode assembly comprising a second positive electrode, a second negative electrode, and a second separator between the second positive electrode and the second negative electrode,

wherein the electrode assembly has a stacking direction where the first positive electrode, the first negative electrode and the first separator are alternately arranged;
an electrolyte; and
an exterior body housing the electrode assembly and the electrolyte,
wherein the exterior body comprises at least a low step portion adjacent to a high step portion, the low step portion having a first height and the high step portion having a second height, the first height being less than the second height,
wherein the exterior body also comprises a first stepped surface between a top surface of the low step portion and a top surface of the high step portion, and the top surface of the low step portion extends along a plane transverse to the stacking direction of the electrode assembly,
wherein the first sub-electrode assembly is continuous with the second sub-electrode assembly,
wherein at least a first portion of the first positive electrode and at least a first portion of the first negative electrode are provided within the high step portion of the exterior body,
wherein at least a first portion of the second positive electrode and at least a first portion of the second negative electrode are provided within the low step portion of the exterior body,
wherein the first portion of the first positive electrode is electrically connected mutually to the first portion of the second positive electrode via a plurality of cathode lead tabs and a cathode lead portion, wherein the plurality of cathode lead tabs extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the cathode lead portion, and/or the first portion of the first negative electrode is electrically connected mutually to the first portion of the second negative electrode via a plurality of anode lead tabs and an anode lead portion, wherein the plurality of anode lead tabs extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the anode lead portion, and
wherein the secondary battery further comprises an external terminal, the external terminal comprising an exposed portion of the first stepped surface, an exposed portion of the top surface of the low step portion, or a combination thereof.