An energy storage device comprising: a container, a mandrel, at least one sheet of separator material, and two or more electrodes. The container comprises an internal space bounded by an internal wall. The mandrel is positioned in the internal space and forms a cavity between a mandrel surface and the internal wall of the container. The sheet of separator material is arranged within the cavity about the mandrel to provide a plurality of discrete separator layers. An electrode is provided between each of the discrete separator layers, the mandrel is compressible, and the shape of the mandrel surface is concentric with the internal wall of the container.

An energy storage device comprising: a container, a mandrel, at least one sheet of separator material, and two or more electrodes. The container comprises a base and an inner surface forming an internal space. The mandrel is positioned in the container and is spaced apart from the inner surface to define a cavity within the container. The sheet of separator material is arranged about the mandrel to provide a plurality of discrete separator layers within the cavity. At least one electrode is provided between each of the discrete separator layers, and at least a portion of an external surface of a container has a curved profile.

An energy storage device comprising: a container, a mandrel, at least one sheet of separator material, and two or more electrodes. The container comprises an internal space defined by at least one internal wall and a base. The mandrel comprises a longitudinal axis, and is positioned in the container such that the longitudinal axis passes through the internal space and the base. The sheet of separator material is arranged about the mandrel to provide a plurality of discrete separator layers which are spaced apart in a packing direction normal to the longitudinal axis. At least one electrode is provided between each of the discrete separator layers, and the mandrel has at least one hollow column running along the length of its longitudinal axis such that a part of the base is accessible via the hollow column.

An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes and a connection component. The electrodes are arranged in a stack along a stacking dimension with a respective separator portion positioned between each of the electrodes. Each of the electrodes has an outer perimeter within a plane extending transverse to the stacking dimension, and the separator portions each have a respective overhanging portion protruding outwardly in a lateral dimension beyond the outer perimeters of adjacent ones of the electrodes, where the lateral dimension is oriented transverse to the stacking dimension. The connection component extends between and connects at least two adjacent overhanging portions of the separator portions. The connection component comprises a network of strands of material, a plurality of which cross over other strands so as to define respective crossing locations. A region of the connection component includes multiple crossing locations spaced apart from one another in the stacking dimension.

Provided is a superwide pouch type secondary battery comprising an electrode assembly including a cathode plate, an anode plate, and a separator; a pouch surrounding the electrode assembly; and electrode tabs connected to both ends of the electrode assembly and protruding outward of the pouch, wherein the electrode tabs connected to the both ends of the electrode assembly include one or more cathode tabs and anode tabs, respectively, and width of battery cell is more than 4 times longer than height of battery cell such that loading efficiency of the pouch type secondary battery into a vehicle and an energy density may be improved without increasing an internal electrode.

An apparatus for preparing a cell is provided. The apparatus includes an electrode reel from which an electrode sheet is unwound, wherein the electrode sheet is configured to form a plurality of electrodes, a separator reel from which a separator sheet is unwound, wherein the separator sheet is configured to stack with the electrode while covering the electrode by being folded when the electrode is stably placed, a table having an upper surface on which the electrode and the separator sheet are stably placed, and a nozzle configured to apply an adhesive to at least a portion of a region of the separator sheet stably placed on the table.

An apparatus for manufacturing an electrode assembly includes a stacking plate including a first stacking region in which a cathode plate, an anode plate and a separator are stacked; a first actuator connected to the stacking plate and configured to move the stacking plate; an electrode assembly release unit configured to, in a state in which a separator is present on an uppermost portion of a preliminary electrode assembly formed by stacking the cathode plate, the anode plate, and the separator, provide tension to the separator by pulling the preliminary electrode assembly to the outside of the stacking plate; a separator fixing unit configured to press the separator in a state in which only the separator remains on the stacking plate; and a separator cutting unit configured to cut the separator on the stacking plate after the separator fixing unit presses the separator.

Provided is a technique increasing the capacity of secondary batteries. According to the technique disclosed herein, there is provided a secondary battery having a flat wound electrode body in which a first electrode and a second electrode different from the first electrode are laminated and wound with a separator interposed therebetween, and a first current collecting member. The wound electrode body has a plurality of first electrode tabs. Ten or more first electrode tabs are provided and stacked. In a thickness direction of the wound electrode body, a ratio (N.sub.1A/N.sub.1B) of the number N.sub.1A of stacked layers of the first electrode tabs and the number N.sub.1B of stacked layers of the first electrode satisfies 0.3 to 0.7. The plurality of first electrode tabs are bent and connected to the first electrode current collecting member.

After a separator is brought into a tension-free state, a plurality of guide members are crossed in a horizontal direction between rows of the guide members to fold the separator or a superposed body zigzag. Positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates are inserted into the resulting furrows to produce a secondary battery.

Disclosed herein is an electrode assembly including 2n (n being a natural number equal to or greater than 1) polar bodies which are stacked.