Disclosed is a compact secondary battery module, which includes a cartridge assembly having a plurality of cartridges stacked while accommodating cells, respectively, so that a plurality of lead welding portions where a first lead and a second lead of adjacent cells overlap with each other are located at a cartridge sidewall with a predetermined pattern; and a sensing housing having a plurality of bus bars located and welded corresponding to the lead welding portions, respectively, the sensing housing being capable of being arranged at a side of the cartridge assembly, wherein when the sensing housing is coupled to the cartridge assembly, the first lead, the second lead and the bus bar are located in order from the sidewall of the cartridge in an outer direction and welded from the bus bar.

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The separator includes a substrate layer and a surface layer formed on at least one principal plane of the substrate layer, the surface layer contains polyvinylidene fluoride and an inorganic material particle, and an amount of deformation against pressure of the surface layer is larger than that of the substrate layer.

A wiring module includes a busbar for connecting between electrode terminals, an external connection busbar to be connected to an external terminal, a resin protector including a first holding portion for holding the busbar and a second holding portion for holding the external connection busbar and a main cover for covering the first holding portion. The main cover includes a first auxiliary cover for covering the second holding portion and a second auxiliary cover connected to the first auxiliary cover via a hinge portion. The first auxiliary cover is provided with an interfered portion for interfering with an interfering portion of the second holding portion as the main cover is mounted on the resin protector, and the first auxiliary cover is automatically rotated and arranged at a predetermined position by the interference of the interfered portion and the interfering portion.

A battery includes a case, first and second electrodes in the case, and a switch to change an electrical state of the case between a first state and a second state, when the first state corresponds to an electrically neutral state and the second state corresponds to an electrical polarity of the first electrode. The switch may reciprocally change the electrical state of the case between the first state and the second state.

An electric joint formed between a high current source and a high current load, and a method of making electrical connection between them. In one form, the source is made up of one or more cells in a battery pack and the load is an electric motor. An electrical connection assembly includes a first conductor, a fastener and a second conductor joined together such that electrical continuity between the conductors is not established until the fastener imparts a substantially normal force to both of them in such a way that they become secured together to produce a deformable shape to adjacently-facing surfaces one or both conductors, thereby ensuring significant contact and a related low electrical resistance as a way to avoid imperfect or partial attachments at the joint.

A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells arranged in one direction and electrically connected to one another, the plurality of battery cells each having a current collecting terminal on a top surface thereof, and a terminal plate positioned on the current collecting terminal of one of the battery cells. The terminal plate is in a form of a sideways-oriented U-shape, including a first surface that contacts the current collecting terminal, a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and spaced apart from the first surface by a predetermined distance, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, the first surface including a first hole and the second surface including a second hole, the first hole and the second hole having different shapes.

An electrode assembly includes a unit cell A in which a first electrode 110, a second electrode 120, and a separator 130 disposed between the first and second electrodes 110 and 120 are stacked on each other or a structure in which the unit cells A are repeatedly stacked with the separator therebetween. A first electrode tab 111 protrudes from the first electrode 110, and a second electrode tab 121 protrudes from the second electrode 120, and the electrodes tabs 111 and 121 have widths that gradually decrease in directions in which the electrodes tabs 111 and 121 protrude outward from the electrodes 110 and 120, respectively.

An electrochemical cell has a cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing. The electrode assembly includes positive electrode plates alternating with negative electrode plates and separated by at least one separator. An end of each of the positive and negative electrode plates includes a clear lane that is free of active material and includes an opening. An electrically conductive first inner plate extends through the openings in each positive electrode plate, and an electrically conductive second inner plate extends through openings in each negative electrode plate. The positive clear lanes are sandwiched between, and electrically connected to, the first inner plate and a first outer plate. The negative clear lanes are sandwiched between, and electrically connected to, the second inner plate and a second outer plate. The first outer plate is electrically connected to the housing, and the second outer plate is electrically connected to a terminal.

An electrochemical cell has a prismatic cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the cell housing. The cell housing is six-sided and includes a first end, a second end, and a sidewall that extends between the first and second ends. The sidewall includes a pair of major sides joined by a pair of minor sides, where each side of the pair of major sides is larger in area than each side of the pair of minor sides. The electrode assembly includes positive electrode plates alternating with negative electrode plates and separated by at least one separator to form an electrode stack. The electrode stack is oriented within the cell housing such that a stack axis that extends parallel to a stacking direction of the positive and negative electrode plates is normal to, and passes through, each side of the pair of minor sides.

An apparatus includes a battery stack including a plurality of alternating anodes and cathodes, wherein each of the anodes is positioned between first and second separators, and wherein a tab of the anode extends out from between the first and second separators, and an edge tape extending across a top of the first and second separators.