Patent Description:
Based on the shape of a case, a lithium secondary battery is classified as a cylindrical battery, a prismatic battery, or a pouch-shaped battery. Each of the cylindrical battery and the prismatic battery is a battery having an electrode assembly mounted in a metal can, and the pouch-shaped battery is a battery having an electrode assembly mounted in a pouch-shaped case generally made of an aluminum laminate sheet. Among these batteries, the pouch-shaped battery, which can be stacked with high integration, has high energy density per unit weight, is inexpensive, and can be easily modified, has attracted considerable attention in recent years.

The laminate sheet includes an outer coating layer configured to secure insulation thereof and to protect the surface thereof, a metal layer configured to block gas and moisture and to allow a battery case to be easily formed, and an inner resin layer for adhesion.

In general, a process of forming an electrode assembly receiving portion, a degassing process, and a process of sealing the outer periphery of the battery case are performed in order to manufacture the pouch-shaped battery. While the above processes are performed, the metal layer of the laminate sheet may be damaged. In particular, stress is concentrated on corner portions of the electrode assembly receiving portion, in which the electrode assembly is received. As a result, there is a high possibility of cracks being formed at the corner portions of the electrode assembly receiving portion.

In the case in which cracks are formed at the laminate sheet, as described above, an electrolytic solution may leak out of the battery, or external moisture may be introduced into the battery. Leakage of the electrolytic solution may induce ignition due to high-voltage ground fault current, whereby safety of the battery may be reduced.

In connection therewith, Patent Document <NUM> discloses a crumple prevention portion formed at a sealing block used in a process of manufacturing a pouch-shaped secondary battery. In Patent Document <NUM>, the sealing block, at which the crumple prevention portion is formed, is used to form sealing portions at outer peripheral corner portions of an electrode assembly receiving portion. It is possible to prevent crumples from being formed at the corner portions of the electrode assembly receiving portion by the provision of the sealing portions.

Patent Document <NUM> discloses a pouch-shaped battery case configured such that, among outer peripheral sealing portions of a concave portion configured to receive an electrode assembly, a non-sealing portion is formed at the outer periphery through which an electrolytic solution is infused and gas is discharged, wherein ends of the outer periphery through which gas is discharged, excluding a central portion thereof, are sealed in advance.

In Patent Document <NUM> and Patent Document <NUM>, the sealing portions are formed in advance as structures for preventing crumples from being formed at the corner portions or the ends of the outer peripheries in the early stage of manufacture of the battery case. However, it is difficult to prevent the corner portions from being deformed by stress repeatedly concentrated thereon in subsequent degassing and resealing processes.

Therefore, there is a high necessity for technology capable of preventing corner portions of an electrode assembly receiving portion from being deformed or cracked by force continuously applied to the corner portions while a process of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell is performed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell using a protective film capable of preventing deformation of corner portions of an electrode assembly receiving portion and maintaining the initial shape of the corner portions in a process of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell and a pouch-shaped battery cell manufactured using the same.

In order to accomplish the above object, a method of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell according to the present invention includes (a) receiving an electrode assembly in a preliminary battery case and sealing other outer peripheries of the preliminary battery case excluding a first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case, the first side outer periphery being configured to discharge gas therethrough, (b) attaching a protective film to at least one corner portion of an electrode assembly receiving portion, wherein the protective film has an adhesive layer comprising an adhesive material and a film layer comprising nylon or a PET-based compound, (c) performing an activation process and a degassing process, (d) sealing a first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, and (e) removing the protective film, wherein the inner surface of the protective film is attached to the outer surface of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion in tight contact therewith without being crumpled in order to support the shape of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion.

The corner portion may be a portion at which the bottom surface of the electrode assembly receiving portion and two adjacent side surfaces of the electrode assembly receiving portion are joined to each other, and the protective film may be attached to each of opposite end corner portions of the first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion.

The corner portion may be a portion at which the bottom surface of the electrode assembly receiving portion and two adjacent side surfaces of the electrode assembly receiving portion are joined to each other, and the protective film may be attached to each of all corner portions of the bottom surface of the electrode assembly receiving portion.

The protective film may be attached so as to extend to a sealing prearrangement portion of step (d).

The protective film may be formed so as to have a size and a shape corresponding respectively to the size and the shape of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion.

The protective film may be formed so as to have a size and a shape corresponding respectively to the sizes and the shapes of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion and the sealing prearrangement portion extending from the corner portion.

The adhesive layer of the protective film may be attached to the outer surface of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion in order to maintain the shape of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion in step (c) and step (d).

The protective film may be attached along the first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion comprising opposite end corner portions of the first side outer periphery.

The method may include a process of temporarily sealing the first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case before the activation process of step (c) is performed.

The method may include removing an end of the first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case and folding the first side outer periphery and a third side outer periphery between step (d) and step (e).

The present invention provides a pouch-shaped battery cell manufactured using the method of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell and a battery module including the pouch-shaped battery cell.

A description to embody elements through limitation or addition may be applied to all inventions, unless particularly restricted, and does not limit a specific invention.

<FIG> is a view showing a process of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell according to the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the method of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell according to the present invention includes a step of receiving an electrode assembly <NUM> in an electrode assembly receiving portion <NUM> formed in a preliminary battery case <NUM> and sealing a second side outer periphery <NUM>, a third side outer periphery <NUM>, and a fourth side outer periphery <NUM> of the preliminary battery case excluding a first side outer periphery <NUM> of the preliminary battery case, through which gas is discharged, a step of attaching a protective film <NUM> to at least one corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion, a step of performing an activation process and a degassing process, a step of sealing a first side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion <NUM>, and a step of removing the protective film <NUM>.

A process of temporarily sealing the first side outer periphery <NUM> of the preliminary battery case may be further included before the activation process is performed.

In addition, a step of removing an end of the first side outer periphery <NUM> of the preliminary battery case and folding the first side outer periphery <NUM> and the third side outer periphery <NUM> may be further included after the step of sealing of the first side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion <NUM> and before the step of removing the protective film <NUM>.

That is, the protective film is maintained attached to the corner portion until the first side outer periphery and the third side outer periphery are folded after the other outer peripheries of the preliminary battery case excluding the first side outer periphery are sealed. After the first side outer periphery and the third side outer periphery are folded, the protective film is removed from the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion, whereby the pouch-shaped battery cell is manufactured.

Alternatively, after the end of the first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case is removed, the protective film may be removed in the state in which the step of folding the first side outer periphery <NUM> and the third side outer periphery <NUM> is omitted.

The first side outer periphery and the third side outer periphery mean outer peripheries oriented in directions in which no electrode terminals protrude.

The corner portion is a portion at which the bottom surface of the electrode assembly receiving portion and two adjacent side surfaces of the electrode assembly receiving portion are joined to each other. The corner portion mentioned in this specification refers to the same portion as the above mentioned portion.

The inner surface of the protective film <NUM> is attached to the outer surface of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion in tight contact therewith without being crumpled in order to support the shape of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion. Even in the case in which external force is applied to the preliminary battery case to the extent to which the preliminary battery case is crumpled or deformed in a process of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell, therefore, the shape of the corner portion may be maintained.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a preliminary battery case to which a protective film according to a first embodiment is attached.

Referring to <FIG>, protective films <NUM> are attached to opposite end corner portions <NUM> of a first side outer periphery <NUM> of an electrode assembly receiving portion <NUM>.

Each of the protective films <NUM> has a three-dimensional cubic shape, and is formed so as to have a size and shape corresponding respectively to the size and shape of a corresponding one of the corner portions <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion. The inner surface of the protective film <NUM> and the outer surface of the corner portion are completely attached to each other in tight contact with each other without being crumpled.

Even in the case in which external force is applied to the preliminary battery case to the extent to which the preliminary battery case is contracted or twisted in a process of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell, therefore, the inner surface of the protective film is maintained attached to the corner portion in tight contact therewith. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the corner portion from being crumpled or cracked.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a preliminary battery case to which a protective film according to a second embodiment is attached.

Referring to <FIG>, the preliminary battery case <NUM> includes a first case 200a and a second case 200b, outer peripheries of which are sealed by thermal fusion, and each of the first case 200a and the second case 200b has an electrode assembly receiving portion <NUM> formed therein.

Also, in a degassing process, which is included in a process of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell, a method of decompressing the preliminary battery case into a vacuum state may be used. At this time, the preliminary battery case may be deformed while being contracted. Such deformation may occur the most greatly at a first side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion, which is oriented in a direction in which gas is discharged. However, the other outer peripheries are deformed although there is a difference in degree.

In particular, a third side outer periphery <NUM> may be deformed more than a second side outer periphery <NUM> and a fourth side outer periphery <NUM>, since the third side outer periphery is an outer periphery in a major-axis direction of an electrode assembly.

Therefore, <FIG> shows the state in which protective films are further disposed at opposite end corner portions <NUM> of the third side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion, which is opposite the first side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion, i.e. the protective films <NUM> are attached to all corner portions of the bottom surface of the electrode assembly receiving portion. In the case in which the protective films <NUM> are attached to all of the corner portions <NUM>, as described above, it is possible to prevent deformation of the second side outer periphery to the fourth side outer periphery as well as the first side outer periphery.

The protective film <NUM> shown in <FIG> is different from the protective film <NUM> of <FIG> in that the planar shape of the portion of the protective film that is added to the bottom surface of the electrode assembly receiving portion is not a quadrangular shape but is a "┐" shape.

In addition, the protective film <NUM> further includes an extension portion <NUM> not only configured to wrap the corner portion <NUM> but also extending to a sealing prearrangement portion <NUM>, whereby the protective film is formed so as to have a size and shape corresponding respectively to the sizes and shapes of the corner portion and the sealing prearrangement portion <NUM> extending from the corner portion. In the case in which the protective film <NUM> is attached, therefore, it is possible to additionally prevent deformation of a connection portion between a side wall <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion and the sealing prearrangement portion <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a preliminary battery case to which a protective film according to each of a third embodiment and a fourth embodiment is attached.

Referring to <FIG>, the protective film <NUM> shown in <FIG> is configured such that the portion of the protective film oriented in an x-axis direction, which is a major-axis direction of an electrode assembly receiving portion, is longer than the portion of the protective film oriented in a y-axis direction, which is a minor-axis direction of the electrode assembly receiving portion, compared to the protective film <NUM> of <FIG>.

In consideration of the fact that the major-axis direction outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion is deformed more than the minor-axis direction outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, the length of the protective film attached to the portion of the preliminary battery case that is further deformed is increased, whereby it is possible to improve the effect of preventing deformation of the preliminary battery case.

The protective film <NUM> shown in <FIG> is configured such that the planar shape of the portion of the protective film that wraps the bottom surface of an electrode assembly receiving portion is a triangular shape. In consideration of the fact that deformation of a corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion generally occurs at a side wall of the electrode assembly receiving portion, it is possible to achieve a desired effect even in the case in which a structure like the protective film <NUM> is used.

The protective film <NUM> has a dual-layer structure including an adhesive layer <NUM> constituting the inner surface thereof and a film layer <NUM> constituting the outer surface thereof, and the protective film <NUM> has a dual-layer structure including an adhesive layer <NUM> constituting the inner surface thereof and a film layer <NUM> constituting the outer surface thereof.

In a concrete example, the thickness of the adhesive layer may be <NUM> to <NUM>, specifically <NUM> to <NUM>, more specifically <NUM>. The thickness of the film layer may be <NUM> to <NUM>, specifically <NUM> to <NUM>, more specifically <NUM> to <NUM>.

The overall elongation of the protective film may be within <NUM>%. In the case in which the elongation of the protective film is greater than <NUM>%, the preliminary battery case deformed in degassing and resealing processes may be lengthened while the shape of the preliminary battery case may not be fixed, which is undesirable. In the case in which the elongation of the protective film is too small, internal stress of the preliminary battery case against deformation of the preliminary battery case may be increased, whereby the preliminary battery case may be fractured or cracked, which is also undesirable.

Each of the protective films <NUM> and <NUM> shown in <FIG> includes no extension portion extending to an outer peripheral sealing portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion. Of course, however, an extension portion may be included, unlike what is shown.

<FIG> is a plan view of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a partial sectional view of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the preliminary battery case <NUM> is configured such that gas is discharged in a direction indicated by arrows and the protective films <NUM> are attached to opposite end corner portions of a first side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion oriented in the direction in which the gas is discharged.

The protective film <NUM> is configured to have a structure in which an adhesive layer <NUM> including an adhesive material is located as the inner surface thereof and a film layer <NUM> including nylon or a PET-based compound is located at the outer surface of the adhesive layer <NUM>. That is, the shape of the corner portion may be supported and maintained by the film layer, and the protective film may be stably attached and fixed to the outer surface of the corner portion by the adhesive layer.

A method of adding the adhesive layer to the inner surface of the film layer is not particularly restricted. For example, an adhesive may be applied to the inner surface of the film layer, or an adhesive material may be sprayed onto the inner surface of the film layer.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a preliminary battery case to which a protective film according to a fifth embodiment is attached.

Referring to <FIG>, the protective film <NUM> is formed so as to extend long along a first side outer periphery <NUM> of an electrode assembly receiving portion <NUM> including opposite end corner portions of the first side outer periphery <NUM> of the electrode assembly receiving portion.

Consequently, it is possible to improve the effect of preventing deformation of the first side outer periphery, which is greatly deformed in a process of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell.

The protective film <NUM> shown in <FIG> includes an extension portion <NUM> extending to a sealing prearrangement portion so as to wrap the corner portions. Of course, however, the protective film may include no extending portion.

The method of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell according to the present invention includes a process of removing the protective film from the battery case. It is preferable that the adhesive layer attached to the inner surface of the film layer of the protective film be removed from the outer surface of the battery case together with the film layer.

In the method of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell according to the present invention and the pouch-shaped battery cell manufactured using the same, as described above, it is possible to prevent cracks from being formed at the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion in the manufacturing process, whereby it is possible to reduce a battery cell defect rate and at the same time to prevent a possibility of ignition due to infusion of an electrolytic solution.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will appreciate that various applications and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

As is apparent from the above description, in the present invention, a pouch-shaped battery cell is manufactured in the state in which a corner portion of an electrode assembly receiving portion is in tight contact with the inner surface of a protective film. Consequently, the shape of the corner portion to which the protective film is attached may be maintained in a process of infusing an electrolytic solution, a process of discharging gas, a process of resealing an outer periphery of a preliminary battery case, and a process of removing an end of the outer periphery of a preliminary battery case.

Also, in the case in which an adhesive layer is provided at the inner surface of the protective film, the outer surface of the corner portion may be brought into tight contact with the protective film via the adhesive layer.

Since the shape of the corner portion is supported by the protective film such that the shape of the electrode assembly receiving portion formed in the preliminary battery case is maintained, as described above, it is possible to prevent the preliminary battery case from being crumpled or cracked in a process of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell.

Claim 1:
A method of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell, the method comprising:
(a) receiving an electrode assembly (<NUM>) in a preliminary battery case (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and sealing other outer peripheries of the preliminary battery case (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) excluding a first side outer periphery (<NUM>) of the preliminary battery case (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), the first side outer periphery (<NUM>) being configured to discharge gas therethrough;
(b) attaching a protective film (<NUM>, <NUM>, ..., <NUM>) to at least one corner portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) of an electrode assembly receiving portion (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
wherein the protective film has an adhesive layer (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising an adhesive material and a film layer (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising nylon or a PET-based compound;
(c) performing an activation process and a degassing process;
(d) sealing the first side outer periphery (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) of the electrode assembly receiving portion (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>); and
(e) removing the protective film (<NUM>, <NUM>, ..., <NUM>),
wherein an inner surface of the protective film (<NUM>, <NUM>, ..., <NUM>) is attached to an outer surface of the corner portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the electrode assembly receiving portion (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in tight contact therewith without being crumpled in order to support a shape of the corner portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the electrode assembly receiving portion (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>).