Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis with a respective separator portion of an elongated separator sheet positioned between and winding around each of the electrodes in the stack along a serpentine path. The plurality of electrodes include a top electrode positioned at a top of the stack along the stacking axis, and the plurality of electrodes include a bottom electrode positioned at a bottom of the stack. The separator portions in the stack include a top separator portion abutting the top electrode and a bottom separator portion abutting the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode may have a thickness along the stacking axis that is from 80% to 120% of a thickness of the top electrode along the stacking axis. Moreover, a maximum thickness of each of the electrodes in the stack may be less than 8.3 mm.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing method includes the steps of: assembling an electrode stack; performing a primary heat press operation on the electrode stack; then performing a pre-heating operation on the electrode stack; and then performing a secondary heat press operation on the electrode stack. The pre-heating operation may include applying heat and pressure to the electrode stack for a time period from 10 seconds to 40 seconds under a pressure condition from 0.5 MPa to 2 MPa and under a temperature condition from 50° C. to 85° C. The pressure condition applied in the pre-heating operation may include applying a lower pressure than that applied in the primary and secondary heat press operations. The primary heat press operation may include engaging the electrode stack with a gripper to secure a position of the electrode stack, which gripper may be disengaged from the electrode stack before performing the pre-heating operation.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis with a respective separator portion of an elongated separator sheet positioned between and winding around each of the electrodes in the stack along a serpentine path. The plurality of electrodes include a top electrode positioned at a top of the stack along the stacking axis, and the plurality of electrodes include a bottom electrode positioned at a bottom of the stack. The separator portions in the stack include a top separator portion abutting the top electrode and a bottom separator portion abutting the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode may have a thickness along the stacking axis that is from 80% to 120% of a thickness of the top electrode along the stacking axis. Moreover, a maximum thickness of each of the electrodes in the stack may be less than 8.3 mm.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing method includes the steps of: assembling an electrode stack; performing a primary heat press operation on the electrode stack while engaging the electrode stack with a gripper; and then performing a secondary heat press operation on the electrode stack while the gripper is disengaged from the electrode stack. The secondary heat press operation may include applying heat and pressure to the electrode stack for a time period from 5 seconds to 60 seconds under a temperature condition from 50° C. to 90° C. and under a pressure condition from 1 Mpa to 6 Mpa. The step of assembling the electrode stack may include alternately stacking first and second electrodes on an elongated separator sheet, and sequentially folding the separator sheet over a previously-stacked one of the electrodes before a subsequent electrode is stacked. An apparatus for performing the manufacturing method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis with a respective separator portion of an elongated separator sheet positioned between and winding around each of the electrodes in the stack along a serpentine path. The plurality of electrodes include a top electrode positioned at a top of the stack along the stacking axis, and the plurality of electrodes include a bottom electrode positioned at a bottom of the stack. The separator portions in the stack include a top separator portion abutting the top electrode and a bottom separator portion abutting the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode may have a thickness along the stacking axis that is from 80% to 120% of a thickness of the top electrode along the stacking axis. Moreover, a maximum thickness of each of the electrodes in the stack may be less than 8.3 mm.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing method includes the steps of: assembling an electrode stack; performing a primary heat press operation on the electrode stack while engaging the electrode stack with a gripper; and then performing a secondary heat press operation on the electrode stack while the gripper is disengaged from the electrode stack. The secondary heat press operation may include applying heat and pressure to the electrode stack for a time period from 5 seconds to 60 seconds under a temperature condition from 50° C. to 90° C. and under a pressure condition from 1 Mpa to 6 Mpa. The step of assembling the electrode stack may include alternately stacking first and second electrodes on an elongated separator sheet, and sequentially folding the separator sheet over a previously-stacked one of the electrodes before a subsequent electrode is stacked. An apparatus for performing the manufacturing method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus includes a stack table, a separator supply unit, first and second electrode supply units, and a side sealing device. A stack of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator between the first and the second electrode are stackable on the stack table. The separator supply unit is configured for supplying the separator to the stack table. The first electrode supply unit is configured for stacking the first electrode on a section of the separator on the stack table. The second electrode supply unit stacks the second electrode on a further section of the separator on the first electrode. A side sealing device heats at least one side surface of the stack.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly includes assembling an electrode stack, applying induction heating to a central portion of the stack, and applying heat and pressure to top and bottom portions of the stack, so as to bond the component electrodes and separator of the stack to one another. The method also includes applying induction heating to at least an electrode tab of the stack. An apparatus for manufacturing the electrode assembly includes an electrode tab heating unit configured to apply the induction heating to the electrode tab. The resulting electrode assembly has improved uniformity of properties, including small deviations in thickness of the separator between a central portion and an outer portion of the stack along the stacking axis.

Abstract: A notching apparatus includes a punch that descends to notch an electrode, a holder having one surface in which a mounting groove is provided, the punch having one end inserted into the mounting groove, and a block inserted into the mounting groove together with the punch. When inserted into the mounting groove, the block presses the punch so that the punch comes into close contact with one of inner surfaces of the mounting groove.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing unit cells includes reels, rollers, conveyors, headers, and a cutter. A lower separator sheet is unwound from a lower separator reel. A feeding roller moves the lower separator sheet in a first direction. A conveyor moves a first electrode in a second direction parallel to the first direction. A first header conveys that electrode from the conveyor and onto the lower separator sheet. An upper separator sheet is unwound from an upper separator reel. Another feeding roller moves, in the first direction, a first ordered stack of the lower separator sheet, first electrode, and upper separator sheet. Another conveyor moves a second electrode in the second direction. Another header conveys that electrode from the second conveyor and onto the upper separator sheet. The cutter cuts, at preset intervals, a second ordered stack of the lower separator sheet, first electrode, upper separator sheet, and second electrode.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a stack and a second separator. The stack includes first and second electrodes and a first separator folded in a zigzag configuration and including spacer sections and respective side sections between the spacer sections. The first and the second electrodes are alternately disposed between first separator spacer sections The second separator extends along an upper surface, a lower surface, and at least one pair of opposing side surfaces of the stack. The side sections of the first separator define portions of the side surfaces of the stack on which the first electrode and the second electrode are not disposed. The second separator is bonded to at least one of the side sections.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis with a respective separator portion of an elongated separator sheet positioned between and winding around each of the electrodes in the stack along a serpentine path. An intermediate one of the separator portions may be adhered to an intermediate one of the electrodes such that it would take a peel force in a range from 5 gf to 35 gf per 20 mm width applied to an edge of the intermediate separator portion in order to peel it away from the intermediate electrode at a speed of 100 mm/min along the stacking axis. Moreover, top and bottom ones of the separator portions may each have a value of air permeability from 70 sec/100 ml to sec/100 ml per square inch of the respective separator portion at a pressure of 0.05 MPa and at room temperature.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus includes a stack table, a separator supply unit, first and second electrode supply units, and a side sealing device. A stack of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator between the first and the second electrode are stackable on the stack table. The separator supply unit is configured for supplying the separator to the stack table. The first electrode supply unit is configured for stacking the first electrode on a section of the separator on the stack table. The second electrode supply unit stacks the second electrode on a further section of the separator on the first electrode. A side sealing device heats at least one side surface of the stack.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing method includes the steps of: assembling an electrode stack; performing a primary heat press operation on the electrode stack; then performing a pre-heating operation on the electrode stack; and then performing a secondary heat press operation on the electrode stack. The pre-heating operation may include applying heat and pressure to the electrode stack for a time period from 10 seconds to 40 seconds under a pressure condition from 0.5 MPa to 2 MPa and under a temperature condition from 50° C. to 85° C. The pressure condition applied in the pre-heating operation may include applying a lower pressure than that applied in the primary and secondary heat press operations. The primary heat press operation may include engaging the electrode stack with a gripper to secure a position of the electrode stack, which gripper may be disengaged from the electrode stack before performing the pre-heating operation.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis with a respective separator portion of an elongated separator sheet positioned between and winding around each of the electrodes in the stack along a serpentine path. The plurality of electrodes include a top electrode positioned at a top of the stack along the stacking axis, and the plurality of electrodes include a bottom electrode positioned at a bottom of the stack. The separator portions in the stack include a top separator portion abutting the top electrode and a bottom separator portion abutting the bottom electrode. The top separator portion and the bottom separator portion each have a value of air permeability from 80 sec/100 ml to 120 sec/100 ml per square inch of the respective separator portion at a pressure of 0.05 MPa and at room temperature.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus for fabricating a stack includes a stack table, gripper, and first press unit. The stack includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a section of a separator between the first and the second electrodes. The stack table is configured for supporting the stack. The gripper is configured for fixing the stack. The first press unit is configured for heating and compressing the stack fixed by the gripper.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis, where each of the electrodes is separated from a successive one of the electrodes in the stack by a respective planar portion of an elongated separator sheet. The elongated separator sheet may be folded between each planar portion such that the elongated separator sheet follows a serpentine path traversing back and forth orthogonal to the stacking axis to extend between each successive one of the electrodes in the stack. First lateral ends of a plurality of electrodes may be offset by a first distance in the orthogonal dimension with respect to the first lateral end of either the first electrode in the stack or one of the two adjacent electrodes in the stack, where the first distance is no more than 10% of a lateral width of any select one of the electrodes.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis with a respective separator portion of an elongated separator sheet positioned between and winding around each of the electrodes in the stack along a serpentine path. The plurality of electrodes include a top electrode positioned at a top of the stack along the stacking axis, and the plurality of electrodes include a bottom electrode positioned at a bottom of the stack. The separator portions in the stack include a top separator portion abutting the top electrode and a bottom separator portion abutting the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode may have a thickness along the stacking axis that is from 80% to 120% of a thickness of the top electrode along the stacking axis. Moreover, a maximum thickness of each of the electrodes in the stack may be less than 8.3 mm.

Abstract: An electrode assembly manufacturing method includes the steps of: assembling an electrode stack; performing a primary heat press operation on the electrode stack while engaging the electrode stack with a gripper; and then performing a secondary heat press operation on the electrode stack while the gripper is disengaged from the electrode stack. The secondary heat press operation may include applying heat and pressure to the electrode stack for a time period from 5 seconds to 60 seconds under a temperature condition from 50° C. to 90° C. and under a pressure condition from 1 Mpa to 6 Mpa. The step of assembling the electrode stack may include alternately stacking first and second electrodes on an elongated separator sheet, and sequentially folding the separator sheet over a previously-stacked one of the electrodes before a subsequent electrode is stacked. An apparatus for performing the manufacturing method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis, where each of the electrodes in the stack is separated along the stacking axis from a successive one of the electrodes in the stack by a respective separator portion positioned therebetween. At least one outer surface of the stack may include a pattern defining a first region and a second region, where a second portion of the stack corresponding to the second region has a different property or height from a first portion of the stack corresponding to the first region. The property may include any one of shading or color of the at least one outer surface of the stack, air permeability of the separator portions in the first and second regions, and adhesive force between the electrodes and separator portions in the first and second regions.