1. Field
The described technology relates generally to a rechargeable battery. More particularly, the described technology relates generally to a rechargeable battery that improves a structure of a coupling member to which a protection element is coupled and a structure of a protection element.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged unlike a primary battery that is incapable of being recharged. A low capacity rechargeable battery is used for a small portable electronic device such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, and a camcorder, and a large capacity battery is used as a power source for driving a motor of a hybrid vehicle, etc., or a large capacity power storage device.
An operation voltage of the rechargeable battery is often about 3.6V and the battery may experience overcharge or over-discharge when charge and discharge cycles are repeated. When overcharge or over-discharge occurs, gas or heat occurs as a result of the decomposition of an electrolyte solution of the rechargeable battery, which can result in deterioration or damage of a performance of the rechargeable battery.
Therefore, in order to prevent overcharge or over-discharge of the rechargeable battery, a protective circuit module is mounted in the rechargeable battery.
Often, the protective circuit module includes a protective circuit board and a protection element, and the protection element is adhered on and fixed to a coupling member (e.g., a double-sided adhesive tape) that is attached on a case in which a bare cell is housed. Further, the protective circuit module includes a molding portion that is formed with an insulating resin (e.g., a resin) that is filled between the protective circuit board and the bare cell and that intercepts an electrical connection portion of the protective circuit board.
However, because the coupling member is attached to a case by adherence of adhesives that are applied on the coupling member, when outside impacts are continuously applied to the rechargeable battery or when an impact larger than adherence of the coupling member is applied to the rechargeable battery, the coupling member can be separated from the case.
Further, when a heat that is generated in a bare cell is excessively transferred to a protection element that is attached to a coupling member, the protection element may be damaged.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.