Patent ID: 8658296

Claim:
A rechargeable battery, comprising: a battery case surrounding an electrode assembly; a cap plate having a vent hole, the cap plate being attached to the battery case; a vent plate disposed above and covering the vent hole, the vent plate exposing the vent hole when an internal pressure of the rechargeable battery is higher than a threshold pressure; and a member protruding from an area of the cap plate surrounding the vent hole, the vent plate being seated on a surface of the member, which surface of the member is above the cap plate, without the vent plate being directly coupled with any surface of the cap plate, wherein the member includes: a first portion protruding from the area of the cap plate surrounding the vent hole and having a first thickness; and a second portion protruding from the first portion, the second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness and the first thickness and the second thickness being measured in a direction parallel with a plane of the surface of the member on which the vent plate is seated, and wherein: the member protrudes directly from the area of the cap plate, the area of the cap plate being an uppermost surface of the cap plate, the vent plate is directly coupled with the surface of the member, the surface of the member being substantially parallel to the cap plate, and the vent plate is above the uppermost surface of the cap plate and the electrode assembly is below the uppermost surface of the cap plate.