US 12,080,918 B2
Secondary battery and secondary battery assembly
Ryoichi Wakimoto, Hyogo (JP); and Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Hyogo (JP)
Assigned to SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Filed by SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Daito (JP)
Filed on May 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/748,370.
Application 17/748,370 is a continuation of application No. 16/536,550, filed on Aug. 9, 2019, granted, now 11,367,934.
Application 16/536,550 is a continuation of application No. 15/427,254, filed on Feb. 8, 2017, granted, now 10,431,804, issued on Oct. 1, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2016-043474 (JP), filed on Mar. 7, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0278432 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 50/578 (2021.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01); H01M 50/176 (2021.01)
CPC H01M 50/578 (2021.01) [H01M 10/0525 (2013.01); H01M 50/176 (2021.01); H01M 2200/103 (2013.01); H01M 2200/20 (2013.01); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A secondary battery comprising:
an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode;
an outer body having an opening and housing the electrode assembly;
a sealing plate sealing the opening and made of a conductive material, the sealing plate being electrically connected to the first electrode;
a deformable member configured to deform when pressure inside the outer body becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the deformable member being made of a conductive material and electrically connected to the sealing plate;
an electrode connecting member electrically connected to the second electrode, the electrode connecting member being conductive; and
a collector electrically connected to the second electrode;
wherein the sealing plate has a first through-hole,
wherein the deformable member hermetically seals the first through-hole,
wherein the electrode connecting member is disposed on an outer side of the sealing plate,
wherein the deformable member is configured to deform when pressure inside the outer body becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value and thereby electrically connect the sealing plate to the electrode connecting member,
wherein the collector includes a part facing the deformable member,
wherein a second through-hole is formed in the part of the collector,
wherein the deformable member is configured to be electrically connected to the electrode connecting member when the pressure inside the outer body becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value, and
wherein an inner dimension of the second through-hole along a longitudinal direction of the sealing plate is smaller than a minimum inner dimension of the first through-hole along the longitudinal direction.
 
4. A secondary battery comprising:
an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode;
an outer body having an opening and housing the electrode assembly;
a sealing plate sealing the opening and made of a conductive material, the sealing plate being electrically connected to the first electrode;
a deformable member configured to deform when pressure inside the outer body becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the deformable member being made of a conductive material and electrically connected to the first electrode;
an electrode connecting member electrically connected to the second electrode, the electrode connecting member being conductive;
a collector electrically connected to the second electrode; and
a terminal electrically connected to the collector,
wherein the sealing plate has a first through-hole and a second through-hole which is different from the first through-hole,
wherein the deformable member hermetically seals the first through-hole,
wherein the electrode connecting member is disposed on an outer side of the sealing plate,
wherein the deformable member is configured to, when pressure inside the outer body becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, be electrically connected to the electrode connecting member and allow the first electrode to be electrically connected to the second electrode,
wherein the collector includes a part facing the deformable member,
wherein a third through-hole is formed in the part of the collector,
wherein the electrode connecting member includes a thin part and a thick part thicker than the thin part,
wherein a fourth through-hole is formed in the thin part of the electrode connecting member,
wherein the terminal passes through the second through-hole of the sealing plate and the fourth through-hole of the thin part of the electrode connecting member so as to be electrically connected to the electrode connecting member, and
wherein the thick part of the electrode connecting member, the deformable member, and the third through-hole in the collector overlap one another.