Patent ID: 8580417

Claim:
An electrode assembly, comprising: a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate facing each other, each electrode plate comprising a respective electrode coating portion arranged between electrode non-coating portions which are disposed at opposite edge portions of the respective electrode plate, with the electrode coating portion being made from an electrode active material, and the electrode non-coating portions being the portions of the electrode plate that are not coated with the electrode active material; a separator electrically insulating the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; and a mesh layer disposed exclusively between the separator and only one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and the mesh layer being wider than the electrode coating portion of said one electrode plate to prevent a detachment of the electrode coating portion from said one electrode plate, the mesh layer being in an immediate physical contact with the separator, edge portions of the mesh layer which extend over the electrode non-coating portions being adhered to the electrode non-coating portions, respectively, so that the mesh layer is coupled with said one electrode plate.