Patent Description:
A secondary battery refers to a device which converts external electric energy into the form of chemical energy, stores the chemical energy therein and generates electricity as necessary. Such a secondary battery allows repeated charging, and thus is also called 'rechargeable battery'. Currently used secondary batteries include lead storage batteries, nickel cadmium batteries (NiCd), nickel metal hydride storage batteries (NiMH), lithium ion batteries (Li-ion) and lithium ion polymer batteries (Li-ion polymer). Such secondary batteries provide both an economical advantage and an eco-friendly advantage, as compared to disposable primary batteries.

Currently, secondary batteries are used for applications requiring low electric power. Such applications include instruments that help start-up of cars, portable devices, tools and uninterruptable power supplies. Recently, since development of wireless communication technology leads popularization of portable devices and tends to convert many kinds of conventional devices into wireless devices, secondary batteries are increasingly in demand. In addition, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have been commercialized with a view to preventing environmental pollution and such next-generation vehicles use secondary batteries to reduce the cost and weight and to improve the service life.

In general, lithium secondary batteries are provided in the form of cylindrical batteries, prismatic batteries or pouch-type batteries. This is because a secondary battery is obtained by installing an electrode assembly including a negative electrode, a positive electrode and a separator inside of a cylindrical or prismatic metallic can or a pouch-type casing made of an aluminum laminate sheet, and injecting an electrolyte to the electrode assembly. Therefore, a predetermined space for installing the secondary battery is required essentially, and such cylindrical, prismatic or pouch-like shapes of secondary batteries undesirably function as a limitation in developing portable systems having various shapes. Thus, there has been a need for developing a novel type of secondary battery which allows easy deformation.

A cable-type secondary battery as a typical example of such flexible batteries has a linear structure which has a predetermined shape of horizontal section and is elongated along the longitudinal direction based on the horizontal section, and allows free deformation by virtue of its flexibility. Such a cable-type secondary battery may be formed by providing an internal electrode having an electrode active material layer around the circumference of a wire-type current collector, an electrolyte layer and an external electrode, successively.

Such a cable-type secondary battery generally has a low voltage and thus is limited in application spectrum. In addition, when using a liquid electrolyte for forming a cable-type secondary battery, it is difficult to connect unit cells in series, resulting in a limitation in realizing a high-voltage cell.

Although many electric instruments are designed to be driven at a low voltage, electric vehicles or the like that are increasingly in demand recently are driven in a high-voltage system. As a result, it is required to develop a flexible battery which allows easy deformation, while satisfying diverse voltage ranges.

<CIT> discloses a cable-type secondary battery comprising an inner electrode support and a sheet-like inner electrode - separation layer - outer electrode complex which is spirally wound around the outer side of the inner electrode support.

<CIT> discloses an electrode group for a lithium ion battery comprising an anode plate and a cathode plate wound with a separator interposed therebetween, and comprising a metal oxide layer disposed between the anode and cathode plates and formed along two length edges of the anode plate and/or the cathode plate.

Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to providing a novel linear flexible secondary battery which allows easy deformation and realizes a high voltage.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a flexible secondary battery including an electrode support; a sheet-type internal electrode wound helically outside of the electrode support; a sheet-type first solid electrolyte layer wound helically outside of the internal electrode; a sheet-type bipolar electrode wound helically outside of the first solid electrolyte layer; a sheet-type second solid electrolyte layer wound helically outside of the bipolar electrode; and a sheet-type external electrode wound helically outside of the second solid electrolyte layer, wherein each of the first solid electrolyte layer and the second solid electrolyte layer includes an organic solid electrolyte, the internal electrode is provided with insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of one surface facing the first solid electrolyte layer, the external electrode is provided with insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of one surface facing the second solid electrolyte layer, the bipolar electrode is provided with insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of opposing surfaces thereof, and the sheet-type internal electrode, the sheet-type bipolar electrode and the sheet-type external electrode have no additional non-coated portion having no electrode active material layer formed therein.

The internal electrode and the external electrode may be wound in such a manner that the insulation coating portions provided at both longitudinal ends may face each of the first solid electrolyte layer and the second solid electrolyte layer.

The flexible secondary battery may be further provided with at least one further sheet-type solid electrolyte layer and at least one further sheet-type bipolar electrode between the bipolar electrode and the second solid electrolyte layer.

The organic solid electrolyte may be a solid polymer electrolyte selected from polyethylene oxide (PEO), polypropylene oxide (PPO), polyethylene imine (PEI), polyethylene sulfide (PES) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc); or a gel polymer electrolyte using a polymer selected from polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP), polymethyl methacryate (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc).

Each of the insulation coating portions provided in the sheet-type internal electrode, the bipolar electrode and the external electrode may independently have a width corresponding to <NUM>-<NUM>%, particularly <NUM>-<NUM>%, based on the width of the respective sheet-type electrode.

At least one of the insulation coating portions may include oxide, carbide or nitride of an element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ca, Ba, Zn, Al, Ni, Sn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Nd, Mn, Mo, Si, Ti, W, Bi, Sr, Li, Y, Mg, Ce, Hf and V, or a combination thereof.

At least one of the insulation coating portions may include an oxide-based solid electrolyte.

The oxide-based solid electrolyte may include a solid electrolyte having a structure of Li-A-O (wherein A is La, Zr, Ti, Al, P, I or a combination thereof), such as Li3xLa<NUM>/<NUM>-xTiO<NUM> (LLTO, <NUM> < x < <NUM>), Li<NUM>La<NUM>Zr<NUM>O<NUM> (LLZO), Li<NUM>+xAlxTi<NUM>-X(PO<NUM>)<NUM> (LATP, <NUM> < x < <NUM>), Li<NUM>+xAlxGe<NUM>-X(PO<NUM>)<NUM> (LAGP, <NUM> < x < <NUM>), Li<NUM>Zn(GeO<NUM>)<NUM>, Li<NUM>N, Li<NUM>+yPO<NUM>-xNx (LIPON, <NUM> < x < <NUM>, <NUM> < y < <NUM>), Li<NUM>Si<NUM>P<NUM>O<NUM>, or a combination thereof.

The internal electrode may include an internal current collector and an internal electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the internal current collector, the external electrode may include an external current collector and an external electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the external current collector, and the bipolar electrode may include a bipolar electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the current collector and a negative electrode active material layer formed on another surface of the current collector.

The sheet-type internal electrode, the first solid electrolyte layer, the bipolar electrode, the second solid electrolyte layer and the external electrode may each have a strip-like structure extended in one direction.

The electrode support may have an open structure having a space therein.

The electrode support may include at least one helically wound wire, at least one helically wound sheet, twisted wire, linear wire, hollow fiber, mesh-type support, at least two linear wire supports disposed in parallel with each other, or at least two wire-type supports wound helically so that they may cross each other.

In the space formed inside of the electrode support, an internal electrode current collector core portion, an electrolyte-containing lithium ion supplying core portion, or a filler core portion may be formed.

The flexible secondary battery may further include a protective coating formed to surround an outer surface of the external electrode.

The flexible secondary battery according to the present disclosure is provided with an internal electrode, a bipolar electrode and an external electrode separated from one another by a solid electrolyte layer. It is possible to design the flexible secondary battery to have diverse voltage ranges from a low voltage to a high voltage by increasing the number of bipolar electrodes, if desired.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, each of the internal electrode, the bipolar electrode and the external electrode is provided with insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of the surface facing the organic solid electrolyte layer. Thus, both ends of each electrode can prevent the solid electrolyte layer, which has low strength caused by the nature of an organic material, from being damaged during the process for assemblage of a battery, thereby inhibiting a short-circuit.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned various electrodes and multiple solid electrolyte layers having sheet-like shapes are wound spirally on the electrode support having an open structure, like a spring structure. As a result, the flexible battery can maintain its linear shape and show flexibility capable of releasing stress caused by external force.

As used herein, the term 'spiral' may be interchanged with 'helix', and means a shape which winds diagonally in certain range, and generally refers to a shape similar to the shape of a general spring.

In addition, the term 'outside' used herein means the region outside of the corresponding portion and covers the portion that is in contact with the surface of the corresponding portion and the portions spaced apart from the corresponding portion. In the latter case, another layer may be interposed between the corresponding portion and the portion spaced apart therefrom.

Referring to <FIG>, the flexible secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an electrode support <NUM>; a sheet-type internal electrode <NUM> wound spirally outside of the electrode support <NUM>; a sheet-type first solid electrolyte layer <NUM> wound spirally outside of the internal electrode <NUM>; a sheet-type bipolar electrode <NUM> wound spirally outside of the first solid electrolyte layer; a sheet-type second solid electrolyte layer <NUM> wound spirally outside of the bipolar electrode; and a sheet-type external electrode <NUM> wound spirally outside of the second solid electrolyte layer.

The sheet-type internal electrode, the first solid electrolyte layer, the bipolar electrode, the second solid electrolyte layer and the external electrode may have a strip-like structure extended in one direction. They may be wound spirally so that they are not overlapped one another or they are overlapped one another.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in <FIG>, the internal electrode <NUM> includes an internal current collector <NUM> surrounding the outside of the electrode support <NUM> and an internal electrode active material layer <NUM> formed on one surface of the internal current collector, wherein the internal electrode active material layer <NUM> faces the first solid electrolyte layer <NUM>.

Meanwhile, referring to <FIG>, the bipolar electrode <NUM> includes a bipolar electrode current collector <NUM>, a positive electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the current collector, and a negative electrode active material layer formed on the other surface of the current collector, wherein the positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer face the first solid electrolyte layer <NUM> and the second solid electrolyte layer <NUM>, respectively. The bipolar electrode is a unit cell having a structure that includes a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer at the same time on a current collector. Herein, each electrode layer faces a solid electrolyte layer to allow flow of Li ions through the solid electrolyte layer, while inhibiting flow of electrons, which flow through the current collector. Such unit cells of the bipolar electrodes can be isolated electrochemically and thus can be connected in series. Thus, it is possible to control the operating voltage according to the number of bipolar electrodes connected in series.

Therefore, when the bipolar electrode is applied in combination with a solid electrolyte, it is possible to realize higher energy density as compared to the conventional battery using unit cells connected in parallel with a liquid electrolyte.

In addition, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, one or more sheet-type solid electrolyte layers <NUM>, and a bipolar electrode including another bipolar electrode current collector <NUM>, and a positive electrode active material layer and a negative electrode active material layer formed on both surfaces thereof may be further provided between the second solid electrolyte layer <NUM> and the bipolar electrode <NUM> which includes the bipolar electrode current collector <NUM>, the positive electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the current collector and the negative electrode active material layer formed on the other surface of the current collector. In other words, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to design diverse voltage ranges from a low voltage to a high voltage by increasing the number of bipolar electrodes, if desired.

Further, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the external electrode <NUM> includes an external current collector <NUM> and an external electrode active material layer <NUM> formed on one surface of the external current collector, wherein the external electrode active material layer <NUM> faces the second solid electrolyte layer.

Meanwhile, the first solid electrolyte layer <NUM> and the second solid electrolyte layer <NUM> include an organic solid electrolyte and function as media through which lithium ions are transported. The organic solid electrolyte may be a solid polymer electrolyte selected from polyethylene oxide (PEO), polypropylene oxide (PPO), polyethylene imine (PEI), polyethylene sulfide (PES) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc); or a gel polymer electrolyte using a polymer selected from polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP), polymethyl methacryate (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc).

The first solid electrolyte layer <NUM> and the second solid electrolyte layer <NUM> are positioned between the internal electrode <NUM> and the bipolar electrode <NUM>, and between the bipolar electrode <NUM> and the external electrode <NUM>, respectively, and thus isolate those electrodes from each other. Since the solid electrolyte layer used herein includes an organic solid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte layer has relatively low mechanical strength. For this, the edge portion of each electrode may perforate the solid electrolyte to cause a short-circuit, during the winding of each constitutional element in a process for assemblage of a flexible secondary battery.

To overcome the above-mentioned problem, the secondary battery according to the present disclosure is provided with insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of the surface facing each solid electrolyte layer in each of the internal electrode, bipolar electrode and the external electrode (i.e. in the internal electrode active material layer <NUM> of the internal electrode <NUM>, in the external electrode active material layer <NUM> of the external electrode <NUM>, and in the positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode material layer corresponding to both surfaces in the bipolar electrode <NUM>). Therefore, the internal electrode <NUM> and the external electrode <NUM> are wound in such a manner that the insulation coating portions provided at both longitudinal ends may face the first solid electrolyte layer and the second solid electrolyte layer, respectively, when the secondary battery is assembled. For example, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the insulation coating portion (shown by a dotted line) of the external electrode <NUM> is positioned inside of the external electrode and faces the second solid electrolyte layer <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in the sheet-type internal electrode, bipolar electrode and the external electrode, one of the longitudinal insulation coating portions (shown by "C" in each figure) provided on the surfaces of the electrode layers may independently have a width corresponding to <NUM>-<NUM>%, particularly <NUM>-<NUM>% based on the width of the sheet-type electrodes. When the width of the insulation coating portion satisfies the above-defined range, decrement in energy density is low and a possibility of electrical short-circuit may be reduced.

The flexible secondary battery according to the present disclosure has a structure in which sheet-type electrodes (an internal electrode, external electrode and a bipolar electrode) are sequentially wound spirally outside of an electrode support in a spiral shape. Herein, the sheet-type electrodes have a narrow width and have no additional non-coated portion (portion having no electrode active material layer formed therein).

If a non-coated portion having no electrode active material layer formed therein is provided additionally in order to introduce the insulation coating portion to such a non-coated portion, processibility, such as electrode active material layer loading uniformity and slitting, may be degraded in manufacturing the electrodes.

In addition, when the insulation coating portion is introduced to a flexible secondary battery in the form of an independent sheet, flexibility, required essentially for a flexible secondary battery, may be degraded, resulting in degradation of life characteristics. Therefore, in the flexible secondary battery according to the present disclosure, the internal electrode and the external electrode are provided with insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of the surface facing the first solid electrolyte layer and the second solid electrolyte layer, respectively, and the bipolar electrode is provided insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of both surfaces, in order to prevent a short-circuit that may occur during the assemblage of the battery.

The insulation coating portion may include any material, as long as it has insulation property and can prevent a short-circuit caused by a contact between both electrodes due to high strength even when the edge portion of the electrode damages and perforates the solid electrolyte layer.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation coating portion may include oxide, nitride, carbide, or the like, alone or in combination.

Particularly, the insulation coating portion may include oxide, carbide or nitride of an element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ca, Ba, Zn, Al, Ni, Sn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Nd, Mn, Mo, Si, Ti, W, Bi, Sr, Li, Y, Mg, Ce, Hf and V, or a combination thereof. More particularly, materials applicable to the insulation coating portion may include hafnia (HfO<NUM>), SrTiO<NUM>, SnO<NUM>, CeO<NUM>, MgO, NiO, CaO, ZnO, ZrO<NUM>, SiO<NUM>, Y<NUM>O<NUM>, Al<NUM>O<NUM>, SiC, WC, TiO<NUM>, or the like, alone or in combination. In addition, the oxide may include an oxide-based solid electrolyte, and the oxide-based solid oxide may include a solid electrolyte having a structure of Li-A-O (wherein A is La, Zr, Ti, Al, P, I or a combination thereof), such as Li3xLa<NUM>/<NUM>-xTiO<NUM> (LLTO, <NUM> < x < <NUM>), Li<NUM>La<NUM>Zr<NUM>O<NUM> (LLZO), Li<NUM>+xAlxTi<NUM>-X(PO<NUM>)<NUM> (LATP, <NUM> < x < <NUM>), Li<NUM>+xAlxGe<NUM>-X(PO<NUM>)<NUM> (LAGP, <NUM> < x < <NUM>), Li<NUM>Zn(GeO<NUM>)<NUM>, Li<NUM>N, Li<NUM>+yPO<NUM>-xNx (LIPON, <NUM> < x < <NUM>, <NUM> < y < <NUM>), Li<NUM>Si<NUM>P<NUM>O<NUM>, or a combination thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulation coating portion may be formed by dispersing an insulation material, such as the above-mentioned oxide, carbide, nitride, or the like, in a dispersion medium, adding a suitable binder resin, additives, or the like, thereto as necessary to obtain slurry, and applying the slurry to the edge portion of each electrode with a predetermined width.

When manufacturing an electrode assembly, the edge portion is significantly sharp due to burrs generated in an electrode cutting process. As compared to the conventional separator used for the conventional lithium ion battery, the solid electrolyte membrane functioning as a separator in a solid state battery has low strength. In a solid state battery, there is a high possibility of an electric short-circuit caused by the edge of a positive electrode that is in direct contact with or is very close to the surface of a negative electrode, resulting in a failure in operating as a battery. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to solve the problem related with the edge burrs of the positive electrode. As one method of such solutions, a process for attaching a polymer film to the edge burr portion has been applied. Although the attached polymer film has higher strength as compared to the conventional solid electrolyte membrane, there still is a limitation in solving the problem of positive electrode edge burrs. To prevent a short-circuit effectively, it is required to eliminate the cause of generating positive electrode edge burrs. Thus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an oxide-based solid electrolyte having significantly higher strength as compared to the conventional polymer films may be applied to the insulation coating portion in order to prevent a short-circuit caused by the solid electrolyte layer damaged by the positive electrode edge burrs. Particularly, the oxide-based solid electrolyte may be introduced to the insulation coating portions at both longitudinal ends of one surface of each of the internal electrode and the external electrode, facing the first solid electrolyte layer and the second solid electrolyte layer, respectively, and at both longitudinal ends of both surfaces of the bipolar electrode.

Particularly, in the case of the flexible secondary battery according to the present disclosure, the sheet-type electrodes are wound under tension during its manufacture. Thus, the force by which the burrs damage the solid electrolyte layer is larger. As a result, it is preferred to introduce an oxide-based solid electrolyte to the insulation coating portion.

In addition, the sheet-type solid electrolyte layers may have a larger width and length as compared to the current collectors included in each of the electrodes.

Meanwhile, in the solid electrolyte layer, the matrix for solid electrolyte preferably includes a polymer or ceramic glass as a fundamental frame. In general, a polymer electrolyte has low strength and shows decreased strength as its thickness is decreased. Meanwhile, a gel polymer electrolyte, which facilitates ion transport as compared to a solid electrolyte, has low mechanical properties. Therefore, a support may be incorporated to supplement such disadvantages. The support may be a support having a porous structure or a crosslinked polymer. Since the electrolyte layer according to the present disclosure also functions as a separator, no additional separator may be required.

The solid electrolyte layer according to the present disclosure may further include a lithium salt. Such a lithium salt can improve ion conductivity and reaction rate, and particular examples thereof include LiCl, LiBr, LiI, LiClO<NUM>, LiBF<NUM>, LiB<NUM>Cl<NUM>, LiPF<NUM>, LiCF<NUM>SO<NUM>, LiCF<NUM>CO<NUM>, LiAsF<NUM>, LiSbF<NUM>, LiAlCl<NUM>, CH<NUM>SO<NUM>Li, CF<NUM>SO<NUM>Li, (CF<NUM>SO<NUM>)<NUM>NLi, (FSO<NUM>)<NUM>NLi, lithium chloroborate, lower aliphatic lithium carboxylate and lithium tetraphenylborate.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal electrode may be a negative electrode, the side of the bipolar electrode facing the internal electrode may be a positive electrode layer and the opposite side may be a negative electrode layer, and the external electrode may be a positive electrode. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal electrode may be a positive electrode, the side of the bipolar electrode facing the internal electrode may be a negative electrode layer and the opposite side may be a positive electrode layer, and the external electrode may be a negative electrode.

Each of the internal electrode, bipolar electrode and the external electrode includes an electrode active material layer formed on a sheet-type current collector, wherein the sheet-type current collector may reduce the resistance of the battery, thereby providing improved battery performance. For example, it is possible to solve the problems occurring when the electrode current collector is a wire-type one, including a large resistance element derived from a small surface area and degradation of rate-characteristics of the battery caused by the battery resistance during high-rate charge/discharge.

Each of the internal electrode and the external electrode may further include a polymer film layer on the other surface of each current collector. The polymer film layer functions to support the internal current collector and the external current collector so that they may be formed to a thin film having a smaller thickness. For example, the internal current collector and the external current collector may be formed on the polymer film layer through a vapor phase deposition process, or the like.

The polymer film layer may include any one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyester, polyimide, and polyamide or combinations thereof.

The electrode active material layers function to transport ions through the current collector, and such ion transport is based on the interaction of ion intercalation from the electrolyte layer and ion deintercalation to the electrolyte layer.

The electrode active material layers may be classified into a negative electrode active material layer and a positive electrode active material layer.

Particularly, the negative electrode active material layer may include, as an active material, any one selected from the group consisting of natural graphite, artificial graphite or carbonaceous materials; metals (Me) such as lithium-containing titanium composite oxide (LTO), Si, Sn, Li, Zn, Mg, Cd, Ce, Ni or Fe; alloys including the metal (Me); oxides (MeOx) of the metals (Me); and composites of the metals (Me) with carbon; or combinations thereof. The positive electrode active material layer may include, as an active material, any one selected from the group consisting of LiCoO<NUM>, LiNiO<NUM>, LiMn<NUM>O<NUM>, LiCoPO<NUM>, LiFePO<NUM>, LiNiMnCoO<NUM>, and LiNi<NUM>-x-y-zCoxM1yM2zO<NUM> (wherein each of M1 and M2 independently represents any one selected from the group consisting of Al, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, V, Cr, Ti, W, Ta, Mg and Mo, each of x, y and z independently represents the atomic fraction of an element forming the oxide and <NUM> ≤ x < <NUM>, <NUM> ≤ y < <NUM>, <NUM> ≤ z < <NUM> and x + y + z ≤ <NUM>), or combinations thereof.

The electrode active material layer further includes an electrode active material, a binder and a conductive material, and is bound with the current collector to form an electrode. When the electrode is deformed, for example by folding or severe bending caused by external force, the electrode active material is separated off. Separation of the electrode active material may cause degradation of the capacity and performance of a battery. However, since the current collector has elasticity and functions to disperse force upon the deformation caused by external force, it is possible to alleviate deformation of the electrode active material layer and to prevent separation of the active material.

The conductive material may include any one selected from the group consisting of carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, and graphene or combinations thereof.

The binder may be any one selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-co-trichloroethylene, polybutyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide, polyarylate, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cyanoethylpullulan, cyanoethylpolyvinylalcohol, cyanoethylcellulose, cyanoethylsucrose, pullulan, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene copolymer, and polyimide, or combinations thereof.

In addition, in order to increase the surface area of the current collector used for each electrode, a plurality of dents may be formed on at least one surface of the current collector. Herein, the dents may have a continuous pattern or discontinuous pattern. In other words, the current collector may have dents spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction and having a continuous pattern, or may have a discontinuous pattern having a plurality of holes. The holes may have a circular shape or polygonal shape.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal current collector and the bipolar electrode current collector may include stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, baked carbon or copper; stainless steel surface-treated with carbon, nickel, titanium or silver; aluminum-cadmium alloy; a non-conductive polymer surface-treated with a conductive material; or a conductive polymer, preferably.

The current collector collects electrons generated by electrochemical reactions or supply electrons required for electrochemical reactions. In general, the current collector includes a metal, such as copper or aluminum. Particularly, when using a non-conductive polymer surface-treated with a conductive material or a polymer conductor including a conductive polymer, it is possible to provide higher flexibility as compared to metals, such as copper or aluminum. In addition, it is possible to reduce the weight of a battery by using a polymer current collector instead of a metallic current collector.

The conductive material may include polyacetylene, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polysulfur nitride, indium tin oxide (ITO), copper, silver, palladium and nickel. The conductive polymer may include polyacetylene, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene and polysulfur nitride. However, the non-conductive polymer used for a current collector is not particularly limited.

According to the present disclosure, the external current collector may include: stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, baked carbon or copper; stainless steel surface-treated with carbon, nickel, titanium or silver; aluminum-cadmium alloy; non-conductive polymer surface-treated with a conductive material; conductive polymer; metal paste containing metal powder such as Ni, Al, Au, Ag, Al, Pd/Ag, Cr, Ta, Cu, Ba or ITO; or carbon paste containing carbon powder such as graphite, carbon black or carbon nanotubes. Herein, the conductive material and the conductive polymer may be the same as those used for the above-described internal current collector.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrode support may have an open structure having a space therein. The term 'open structure' refers to a structure which has the open structure as a boundary surface and allows substance to freely transfer from the inside to the outside through the boundary surface.

Such an electrode support having an open structure may include at least one spirally wound wire, at least one spirally wound sheet, hollow fibers, or a mesh-type support, and may have pores on the surface thereof so that an electrolyte moves freely to the internal electrode active material and external electrode active material to facilitate wetting.

In addition, the electrode support may be at least two linear wire supports disposed in parallel with each other, or at least two wire-type supports wound spirally so that they may cross each other.

The electrode support having an open structure allows a secondary battery to maintain its linear shape, prevents deformation of a battery structure caused by external force and prevents a collapse or deformation of an electrode structure, thereby ensuring flexibility of the secondary battery.

The hollow fibers may be obtained through a conventional hollow fiber forming process by using at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide imide, polyester imide, polyether sulfone and polysulfone.

In addition, the wound wire-type support may have a shape like a spring structure made of a polymer or metal. Herein, the polymer may include a material having excellent chemical resistance and showing no reactivity with an electrolyte, and particular examples thereof may be the same as described with reference to the materials for the hollow fiber or binder polymer. Further, the metal may be the same as described with reference to the current collector.

Herein, the electrode support may have a diameter of <NUM>-<NUM>. In addition, it may have pores having a diameter of <NUM> to <NUM> on the surface thereof.

Further, the electrode support according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with a structure having no inner space. Particular examples of the structure include a linear wire or a twisted wire. Such a linear wire or twisted wire may be made of the above-mentioned polymer or metal. Herein, the term 'linear wire' means a wire extended longitudinally in a linear shape and 'twisted wire' means a shape of wire formed by such a linear wire twisted by itself while not forming any inner space.

In addition, an internal electrode current collector core portion may be formed in the space formed inside of the electrode support.

Herein, the internal electrode current collector core portion may be made of carbon nanotubes, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, baked carbon or copper; stainless steel surface-treated with carbon, nickel, titanium or silver; aluminum-cadmium alloy; non-conductive polymer surface-treated with a conductive material; or a conductive polymer.

The flexible secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may have a horizontal section with a predetermined shape and a linear structure extended longitudinally to the horizontal section. Therefore, the flexible secondary battery according to the present disclosure may have flexibility and deform freely. Herein, the term 'predetermined shape' refers to a shape not limited particularly, and includes any shapes without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible secondary battery may be further provided with a protective coating, and the protective coating is an insulating body formed on the outer surface of the external current collector in order to protect the electrodes from moisture in the air and external impact.

The protective coating may include a conventional polymer resin including a moisture-interrupting layer. Herein, the moisture-interrupting layer may include aluminum or a liquid crystal polymer having excellent moisture-interrupting property, and the polymer resin may include PET, PVC, HDPE or epoxy resin.

Referring to <FIG>, the flexible secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an electrode support <NUM>; a sheet-type internal electrode <NUM> wound spirally outside of the electrode support <NUM>; a sheet-type first solid electrolyte layer <NUM> wound spirally outside of the internal electrode <NUM>; a sheet-type bipolar electrode <NUM> wound spirally outside of the first solid electrolyte layer <NUM>; a sheet-type second solid electrolyte layer <NUM> wound spirally outside of the bipolar electrode <NUM>; a sheet-type external electrode <NUM> wound spirally outside of the second solid electrolyte layer <NUM>; an aluminum pouch layer <NUM> formed outside of the external electrode <NUM>; and a polymer protective coating <NUM> formed outside of the aluminum pouch layer <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A flexible secondary battery comprising:
an electrode support (<NUM>);
a sheet-type internal electrode (<NUM>) wound helically outside of the electrode support (<NUM>);
a sheet-type first solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) wound helically outside of the internal electrode (<NUM>);
a sheet-type bipolar electrode (<NUM>) wound helically outside of the first solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>);
a sheet-type second solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) wound helically outside of the bipolar electrode (<NUM>); and
a sheet-type external electrode (<NUM>) wound helically outside of the second solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>),
wherein each of the first solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) and the second solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) includes an organic solid electrolyte,
the internal electrode (<NUM>) is provided with insulation coating portions (C) at both longitudinal ends of one surface facing the first solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>),
the external electrode (<NUM>) is provided with insulation coating portions (C) at both longitudinal ends of one surface facing the second solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>),
the bipolar electrode (<NUM>) is provided with insulation coating portions (C) at both longitudinal ends of opposing surfaces thereof, and
the sheet-type internal electrode (<NUM>), the sheet-type bipolar electrode (<NUM>), and the sheet-type external electrode (<NUM>) have no additional non-coated portion having no electrode active material layer formed therein.