Rechargeable battery and its fabrication method

Abstract

A rechargeable battery, which features a simplified assembly process by reducing the number of components includes a bare cell, a body portion which is attached to one side surface of the bare cell and a protective circuit board portion which has two electrical terminals respectively electrically connected to two electrode terminals of the bare cell and formed into one single body by molding. A method of fabrication of the rechargeable battery includes forming a protective circuit board portion into one single body through resin molding, attaching the protective circuit board portion to a bare cell, and respectively electrically connecting two electrical terminals of the protective circuit board portion to two electrodes of the bare cell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the present invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are exploded plane views of one example of a method of fabricating a rechargeable battery;

FIG. 3 is an exploded plane view of a bare cell and protective circuit board portion for fabricating a battery core pack according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively an exploded plane view of a method of fabricating a rechargeable battery as compared to the method of FIG. 3 and a plane view of a completed rechargeable battery;

FIG. 6 is a plane view of a battery core pack fabricated according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective diagram of the structure of a bare cell of a rechargeable battery according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery, comprising: a bare cell;a protective circuit board portion having a body portion attached to one side surface of the bare cell and having two electrical terminals respectively connected to two electrode terminals of the bare cell and arranged into one single body.

2. The rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein the protective circuit board portion is arranged into one single body by molding the surface of the body portion to be connected to the two electrical terminals with a resin.

3. The rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein a protective circuit board of the body portion comprises a Protective Circuit Module (PCM) and a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PCT) element.

4. The rechargeable battery of claim 2, wherein a protective circuit board of the body portion comprises a Protective Circuit Module (PCM) and a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PCT) element.

5. The rechargeable battery of claim 2, wherein the Positive Temperature Coefficient (PCT) element is arranged at a portion of the protective circuit board portion apart from the body portion thereof.

6. The rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein the two electrical terminals are respectively connected to upper and lower surfaces of the bare cell, each of a side of the upper surface and a side of the lower surface being respectively connected to a side surface of the bare cell where the body portion is attached.

7. The rechargeable battery of claim 6, further comprising: an electrode terminal which protrudes from and insulated by other parts and is arranged on the upper surface of the bare cell and an insulation material positioned between the electrical terminal connected to the electrode terminal and the other parts of upper surface to prevent an electrical short therebetween.

8. The rechargeable battery of claim 7, wherein the insulation material comprises an extended part of an insulation material arranged between the body portion and the bare cell.

9. The rechargeable battery of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive member to attach the body portion to the bare cell.

10. A method of fabricating a rechargeable battery, the method comprising: forming a protective circuit board portion into one single body through resin molding;connecting the protective circuit board portion to a bare cell; andrespectively electrically connecting two electrical terminals of the protective circuit board portion to two electrodes of the bare cell.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the bare cell and the protective circuit board portion are connected together by an adhesive member.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the protective circuit board portion includes a Protective Circuit Module (PCM) formed by molding the PCM portion of a protective circuit board having two extended electrical terminals with a hot-melt resin.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning an exterior material, which exposes at least one external electrode terminal portion, on an exterior of the protective circuit board portion connected to the bare cell.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the exterior material is positioned by one of either covering with a thermal shrinkage tube, casing with a hard case, taping with a thin resin, or molding with a hot-melt resin.