Open Mesh Or Perforated Plate Patents (Class 429/241)
  • Patent number: 7776468
    Abstract: A wafer alkaline cell of a laminar structure is disclosed. The cell comprises an anode assembly and a cathode assembly bonded together to form a laminate structure. There may be one and desirably two anode frames securing an anode current collector sheet sandwiched therebetween. There may be a cathode frame bonded to the anode frames. There is an anode current collector sheet within the anode assembly. There is a cathode current collector sheet, optionally with an attached metal mesh embedded within the cathode assembly to assure good electrical contact with the cathode. Alternatively, a cathode endplate with spring action is employed which can move in response to changes of volume or pressure within the cathode, thereby maintaining good contact. The anode current collector may be precoated with a sealing metal forming an alkaline resistant metal oxide film to improve bonding to the frame. The cell is durable and preferably rigid and resists electrolyte leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Thomas C. Richards, Stuart M. Davis, Jonathan M. Boulton, Charles E. O'Brien, Yali Tang
  • Patent number: 7763084
    Abstract: A method of making a plurality of battery plates includes forming a strip including a plurality of battery grids. Each battery grid includes a grid network bordered by a frame element and includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements. Each grid wire element has opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. The method also includes deforming at least a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that the deformed grid wire elements have a first transverse cross-section at a point intermediate their opposed ends that differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at least one of their opposed ends. The method also includes applying a lead alloy coating to the strip, applying battery paste to the strip, and cutting the strip to form a plurality of battery plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Yu-Lin Chen
  • Patent number: 7622218
    Abstract: An electrode in sheet form includes a current collector and an electrode mixture layer carried on each side thereof. The electrode is bent in the longitudinal direction thereof, to cause a large number of cracks in at least the electrode mixture layer to be positioned on the inner side of the current collector when wound, such that the cracks extend from the surface of the electrode mixture layer to the current collector in the direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the electrode. This bending process includes the steps of: bending the electrode at a curvature that is smaller than that of the winding core at least once; and thereafter bending the electrode at a curvature that is equal to or larger than that of the winding core. For example, this process is performed by arranging rollers such that their diameters decrease gradually and pressing the electrode against these rollers. This invention provides an electrode that does not break when wound to form an electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kozo Watanabe, Masao Fukunaga, Ichiro Yasuoka, Toshiro Kume
  • Publication number: 20090258299
    Abstract: A battery grid includes a frame that includes a top element, a bottom element, a first side element, and a second side element. The battery grid also includes a plurality of wires provided within the frame and defining a plurality of open areas and a current collection lug extending from the top element in a first direction. The battery grid further includes at least one feature provided in the battery grid that is configured to reduce the amount of growth of the battery grid in the first direction due to corrosion of the battery grid during the life of the battery grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Wen-Hong Kao, Glenn W. Andersen, M. Eric Taylor, Kenneth A. Adams, Edward N. Mrotek, Jeffrey P. Zagrodnik, Shu Jen F. Kao
  • Publication number: 20090246618
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electrode grid for a battery. The electrode grid may include at least one active material retaining segment, the active material retaining segment including one or more channels. The at least one active material retaining segment may be formed of at least one of carbon foam and graphite foam. In addition, the electrode grid may include a conductive material deposited within the one or more channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventor: Keith W. Dirks
  • Patent number: 7432018
    Abstract: A cylindrical alkaline storage battery suitable to increase its capacity and arranged to prevent a short circuit and internal resistance increase, including an electrode group held in an outer can and formed by rolling up together a negative electrode having a negative-electrode core body and a hydrogen-absorbing alloy layer supported thereon, a positive electrode, and a separator. The negative electrode includes a main part forming inside part of the electrode group, a thin part smaller than the main part in the thickness of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy layer and the amount of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy contained in unit volume of that layer, and a boundary part formed between the main and thin parts and having a hydrogen-absorbing alloy layer thickness varying along the length of the negative-electrode core body. The positive electrode outer end and the negative electrode boundary part are at different positions circumferentially of the electrode group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7398581
    Abstract: A method of making a plurality of battery plates includes forming a strip including a plurality of battery grids. Each battery grid includes a grid network bordered by a frame element and includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements. Each grid wire element has opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. The method also includes deforming at least a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that the deformed grid wire elements have a first transverse cross-section at a point intermediate their opposed ends that differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of their opposed ends. The method also includes applying a lead alloy coating to the strip, applying battery paste to the strip, and cutting the strip to form a plurality of battery plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Yu-Lin Chen
  • Publication number: 20080076028
    Abstract: A battery separator for extending the cycle life of a battery has a separator and a conductive layer. The conductive layer is disposed upon the separator. The conductive layer is adapted to be in contact with the positive electrode of the battery thereby providing a new route of current to and from the positive electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Eric Henri Miller, John Randolph Timmons, John Kevin Whear
  • Publication number: 20080050656
    Abstract: A monolithically integrated lithium thin film battery (10) provides increased areal capacity on a single level (without stacking of multiple cells). The Lithium thin film battery (10) comprises a substrate (12) having a surface (13) textured to comprise a plurality of openings (16) having sides (15) angled between 10 and 80 degrees to the surface (13). A current collector (18) and a cathode (22) are formed on the substrate (12) and within the openings (16). An electrolyte (24) comprising lithium phorphous oxynitride is formed by physical vapor deposition on the cathode (22), thereby providing a layer on the surface of the cathode (22) and within the openings (16) of the cathode having substantially the same thickness. An anode (26) and a capping layer (28) are then formed on the electrolyte (24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventor: Kurt W. Eisenbeiser
  • Patent number: 7318983
    Abstract: The invention provides a battery achieving excellent battery characteristics by using, as an anode active material, any of metal elements and metalloid elements each of which can form an alloy with a lithium, alloys of these elements, and compounds of these elements. Mesh projections as a frame structure are formed on the surface on the side facing an anode active material layer, of an anode collector. By the mesh projections, expansion and contraction in the plane direction of the anode active material layer is suppressed. Thus, pulverization, peeling, and the like of the anode active material layer caused by expansion and contraction thereof are prevented and the cycle characteristics are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Momoe Adachi, Yukio Miyaki, Hiroshi Imoto
  • Patent number: 7314685
    Abstract: A titanium substrate having a thickened outer oxidation layer provided thereon by a treatment process performed either in an air atmosphere at elevated temperatures or through electrolytic oxidation (anodization), is discribed. The thusly conditioned titanium substrate serving as a cathode current collector for an electrode incorporated into an electrochemical cell exhibits improved electrical performance in comparison to the prior art techniques, i.e., electrically conducted carbon coated titanium screen and use of highly corrosion resistant materials, upon subsequent elevated temperature exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventors: W. Richard Brown, Christine A. Frysz, Sally Ann Smesko, Esther S. Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7270686
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a fuel cell, comprising a step of forming a plurality of holes (10) in at least two substrates (9); each hole is in the seat of an individual fuel cell, the said holes having a particular geometry, such as a shape of a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid shape. The various individual cells are then electrically connected by networks of electrical connections (11, 12) and are supplied via a reactant distribution network, the assembly formed by a substrate (9), the cells and the networks constituting a base module (9?). Finally, at least two base modules (9?) are assembled, the individual cells of each base module being positioned facing the individual cells of the adjacent base module(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Jean Arroyo, Didier Bloch, Jean-Yves Laurent, Didier Marsacq
  • Publication number: 20070193009
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous, high-speed production of strip having an array of high-tolerance closely-spaced holes forming a continuous grid structure having wires bent out of the plane of the grid. The strip can be produced by continuous casting, extruding or by rolling reduction methods and the holes can be formed such as by linear punching and rotary punching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Albert M. Vincze, John V. Marlow
  • Patent number: 7258950
    Abstract: An electrode having a current collector and, formed thereon, a thin film comprising an active material, characterized in that a thin alloy film (such as Sn—Co) comprising a metal which can form an alloy with lithium (such as Sn) and a metal which can not form an alloy with lithium (such as Co) is formed on a current collector such as a copper foil. It is preferred that the above metal which can form an alloy with lithium and the above metal which can not form an alloy with lithium can not form an intermetallic compound with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tamura, Shiori Nakamizo, Daizo Jito, Ryuji Ohshita, Masahisa Fujimoto, Shin Fujitani, Maruo Kamino
  • Patent number: 7247409
    Abstract: The hydrogen storage alloy electrode comprises: a conductive core material; and an active material layer which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder and is carried on said core material, and the alloy powder has any shape selected from the group consisting of spherical shapes, substantially spherical shapes and oval shapes. The core material comprises: a conductive sheet; and fibrous or columnar sintered nickel pieces bonded to the surface of the conductive sheet. Alternatively, the active material layer comprises: an active material layer A which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder A with a mean particle size “a” and is carried on said core material; and an active material layer B which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder B with a mean particle size “b” and is carried on said active material layer A (wherein a<b). Alternatively, the active material layer further contains a crushed alloy powder having on the surface thereof at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel and cobalt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Ikeda, Susumu Kikuyama, Akiko Miyahara, Kohji Yuasa
  • Patent number: 7191502
    Abstract: There is provided a current collector for use in a secondary battery on which active material coated on both sides of a metal foil are difficult to drop out. The metal foil is provided with a large number of penetrating holes, the periphery of which are formed into a complicated shape, and active material, binder, etc. are intruded on each periphery, whereby the active material, etc. coated on both sides of the current collector consisting of the metal foil are prevented from dropping out. An area S of penetrating holes is in the range of 0.05 to 0.50 mm2 a value M/N is in the range of 1.30 to 100 wherein M is the peripheral length of the penetrating holes and N is the peripheral length of a virtual circle having the area S of the penetrating hole. The current collector having such a large number of penetrating holes is obtained by passing a metal foil without a hole through between a concavo-convex roll having a large number of convex parts and a smoothing roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignees: Nippon Foil Mfg. Co., Ltd., Nippaku Sangyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Ashizawa, Atsushi Mori
  • Patent number: 7105252
    Abstract: A method for forming a corrosion resistant electrode for a battery includes supplying an electrode for use in the battery and exposing the electrode to an environment including vaporized carbon. At least some of the carbon from the environment may be transferred to the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Firefly Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurtis C. Kelley, Steven C. Taylor
  • Patent number: 7060391
    Abstract: A battery, a battery electrode structure, and methods to make the same. The product and method comprise applying a layer of lead-tin containing alloy to substrates for anodes or cathodes for lead-acid batteries, in which the substrates are porous or reticulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Power Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Elod Gyenge, Joey Jung, Alvin A. Snaper
  • Patent number: 7033703
    Abstract: A composite material including a first carbon foam structure including a network of pores and a second carbon foam structure including a network of pores. An intermediate bonding structure is disposed at least in part between the first and second carbon foam structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Firefly Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurtis C. Kelley, Charles F. Ostermeier, Matthew J. Maroon
  • Patent number: 7033702
    Abstract: A matted particulate electrode located between the current collector and a porous separator of a rechargeable lithium battery is described, which contains electro-active particles intermixed with pliable, solid, lithium ion conducting, polymer electrolyte filaments having adhesive surfaces. The electro-active particles and the optionally added electro-conductive carbon particles adhere to the tacky surface of the adhesively interlinking polymer electrolyte filaments. The matted particulate electrode is impregnated with an organic solution containing another lithium compound. In a second embodiment the porous separator is coated on at least one of its faces, with polymer electrolyte having an adhesive surface and made of the same polymer as the electrolyte filaments. The polymer electrolyte filaments in the matted layer may adhere to the coated surface of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Electrovaya Inc.
    Inventors: Sankar Dasgupta, James K. Jacobs, Rakesh Bhola
  • Patent number: 7029797
    Abstract: An electrode plate for an alkaline storage battery of the present invention includes a conductive core material as a current collector, in which a plurality of through-holes are linearly provided in the core material so as to be parallel to a longitudinal direction of the core material, each through-hole having an aperture area of 10 mm2 or less and at least two pairs of opposite sides parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Sato, Nobuyasu Morishita
  • Patent number: 7000297
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a current collector for an electrochemical cell. The current collector is a substrate having a grid pattern comprising open areas converging at an imaginary focal point on a connector tab of the substrate. The openings are grouped into distinct regions with the larger openings immediately adjacent to the connector tab and the smaller openings distant there from. This provides more conductive pathways at greater distances from the tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dominick Frustaci, Tina Urso, Gary Freitag
  • Patent number: 6921611
    Abstract: A method of making a battery includes forming a strip of interconnected grids from a grid material by feeding a continuous strip of the grid material along a linear path aligned with the longitudinal direction of the strip and punching grid material out of the strip. Each interconnected grid includes a plurality of wires, with each wire having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces. The method also includes modifying at least one of the wires at a position intermediate the opposed ends of the wire such that a first transverse cross-section taken intermediate the opposed ends of the wire differs from a second transverse cross-section of the wire taken at one of the opposed ends of the wire. The method further includes applying paste to the strip and cutting the strip to form a plurality of plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Charles J. Schaeffer, Jeffrey L. Troxel, M. Eric Taylor, Wen-Hong Kao, Christian P. Hansen, Yu-Lin Chen, Dan J. Cantillon, Bart Sauer
  • Patent number: 6893777
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a current collector for an electrochemical cell. The current collector has a unique grid structure comprised of a frame supporting a plurality of radial strands as conductors radiating outwardly from a focal point on a connector tab. The frame and radial conductors are maintained in a fan-like orientation with respect to each other by two groups of concentric conductor strands, one located adjacent to the tab, the other spaced a substantial distance therefrom. The radiating conductors provide a more direct path to the connector tab for electron flow. This results in the current collector having reduced internal resistance in comparison to conventional current collector designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: wilson Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph M. Probst
  • Patent number: 6884548
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte battery that satisfies both of a large discharge capacity and a superior cycle life characteristic by developing a novel negative electrode material. A nonaqueous electrolyte battery uses a negative electrode active material that is a compound expressed by Formula (1): AzMXy??(1) where A is at least one element selected from the alkali metals, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, and Mg, X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, N, Al, Si, P, Ga, Ge, As, In, Sn, Sb, Pb, and Bi, 0?z?20, and 0.2?y?6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroki Inagaki, Norio Takami, Tatsuoki Kohno, Tomokazu Morita
  • Patent number: 6875536
    Abstract: A composite hydrogen storage material including 1) an active material having hydrogen storage capacity; and 2) a catalytic material having greater catalytic activity toward the dissociation of molecular hydrogen and/or oxidation of hydrogen than that of said active material having hydrogen storage capacity. Also, a fuel cell employing anodes formed from the composite hydrogen storage material. The fuel cell has the ability to start up instantly and can accept recaptured energy such as that of regenerative braking by operating in reverse as an electrolyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Texaco Ovonic Fuel Cell LLC
    Inventor: Stanford R. Ovshinsky
  • Patent number: 6849361
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a sintered substrate of alkaline batteries is provided. The manufacturing method includes a first step for mixing particles with a pore former and applying the mixture to a porous substrate, and a second step for sintering the porous substrate and the applied mixture. The particles are made of nickel or principally made of nickel, and the surfaces of the pore former particles each have a coating made of nickel or principally made of nickel. The pore former can be made from resin or any other materials if it disappears when sintered. The pore former particles should preferably have a spheric shape, but is does not matter whether the pore former particles are solid or hollow. Using such sintered substrate for an electrode, an alkaline storage battery can exhibit a high performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fukuda, Masao Takee, Hideo Kasuga
  • Patent number: 6815121
    Abstract: A matted particulate electrode located between the current collector and a porous separator of a rechargeable lithium battery is described, which contains electro-active particles intermixed with pliable, solid, lithium ion conducting, polymer electrolyte filaments having adhesive surfaces. The electro-active particles and the optionally added electro-conductive carbon particles adhere to the tacky surface of the adhesively interlinking polymer electrolyte filaments. The matted particulate electrode is impregnated with an organic solution containing another lithium compound. In a second embodiment the porous separator is coated on at least one of its faces, with polymer electrolyte having an adhesive surface and made of the same polymer as the electrolyte filaments. The polymer electrolyte filaments in the matted layer may adhere to the coated surface of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Electrovaya Inc.
    Inventors: Sankar Dasgupta, James K. Jacobs, Rakesh Bhola
  • Patent number: 6800398
    Abstract: A battery used by rolling a pole plate, formed by filling an active material, around a substrate using a band-shaped metal porous body having three-dimensionally linked spaces is inferior in flexibility and likely to short-circuit. According to this invention, grooves are formed in active material-filled substrate filled with the above active material, and then the grooved substrate is pressed flat to form groove active material layers, whereby cracks are made in the bottoms of the grooves preferentially, and cracks are pressed by the groove active material layers and blocked to prevent the flow-out of swelled projections of the cracks and the active material. Accordingly, a higher-capacity and higher-reliability battery is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Furuya, Gota Asano, Masaharu Miyahisa, Ayahito Shiosaki, Yoshihisa Inaba, Yoshiyuki Tada
  • Patent number: 6800399
    Abstract: An electrode substrate is formed by mechanically processing a nickel foil so as to be made three dimensional through the creation of concave and convex parts, and then, this substrate is filled with active material or the like so that an electrode is manufactured, wherein the above described concave and convex parts are rolling pressed so as to incline in one direction. Furthermore, an electrode for secondary battery is formed by using the above described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Inventor: Isao Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20040191625
    Abstract: There is provided a battery and a negative electrode for the battery, which are capable of being simply produced by a smaller number of steps. The battery includes: a battery can (7); a negative electrode plate for battery (21), the negative electrode plate having a paste-like material which contains an active material and which is provided on the entire surface of a rectangular conductive porous substrate including edge portions (22a) extending along long sides of the substrate, the negative electrode plate being wound in a cylindrical shape to be inserted into the battery can; and a plate-shaped collector (28) having ribs (31) formed by raising part thereof, the ribs being resistance-welded to one of the edge portions of the conductive porous substrate while the paste-like material provided on the edge portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: SANOH KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuo Kojima
  • Patent number: 6797432
    Abstract: A cadmium negative electrode is prepared having excellent cycle characteristics without impairing the production efficiency even in case the impurities incorporated during filling the active material should be removed by heat treatment. The method includes filling the nickel sintered substrate with an active material based on cadmium hydroxide to obtain an active material filled electrode plate; heating the active material filled electrode plate to change at least a part of the thus filled active material based on cadmium hydroxide into cadmium oxide; adding polyvinyl alcohol into the active material; and hydrating the active material filled electrode plate added with polyvinyl alcohol i.e., immersing the electrode plate in an alkaline solution to convert cadmium oxide into cadmium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiko Konsha
  • Patent number: 6790561
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an electrochemical cell having at least one of its electrodes produced by coating a slurry mixture of an active material, possibly a conductive additive, and a binder dispersed in a solvent and contacted to a perforated current collector foil. It is particularly important that the active slurry does not move through the perforations of the current collector. For this reason, a barrier is placed against the opposite side of the current collector to block the perforations as the current collector is being coated with the slurry. After volatilizing the solvent, a second, different active material is coated to the opposite side of the current collector, either as a slurry, a pressed powder, a pellet or a free standing sheet. An example of this is a cathode having a configuration of: SVO/current collector CFx. The opposed active materials on the current collector can also be of the same chemistry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Wilson Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Gan, Esther S. Takeuchi, Robert S. Rubino
  • Patent number: 6790557
    Abstract: A battery section for a Li-ion and/or Li-ion polymer cell, comprised of: a planar metal mesh layer having a body portion and a coplanar tab portion defining a battery lead extending from one edge of the mesh layer; electrode film laminated to opposite surfaces of the body portion of the metal mesh layer; and a protective layer on at least one side of the tab, the protective layer having a portion of the tab that is adjacent to the electrode film, the protective layer comprised of an outer polymer layer and an inner adhesive layer adhering the outer polymer layer to the portion of the tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xuekun Xing, Jeffrey M. Smith
  • Patent number: 6783891
    Abstract: Fuel cell oxygen electrode and instant startup fuel cells employing such oxygen electrode. The oxygen electrode operates through the mechanism of redox couples which uniquely provide multiple degrees of freedom in selecting the operating voltages available for such fuel cells. Such oxygen electrodes provide the fuel cells in which they are used a “buffer” or “charge” of oxidizer available within the oxygen electrode at all times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanford R. Ovshinsky, Srinivasan Venkatesan, Boyko Aladjov, Subhash Dhar, Kevin Fok, Thomas Hopper
  • Patent number: 6780543
    Abstract: A first lithium secondary battery of the present invention is formed by placing at least a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte in a battery case in which a positive electrode connecting member to which the positive electrode is connected and a negative electrode connecting member to which the negative electrode is connected are electrically separated, wherein said positive electrode connecting member is composed of clad material comprising one of aluminum or aluminum alloy and one of austenitic stainless steel or ferrite stainless steel, and the aluminum or aluminum alloy in the clad material is in the positive electrode side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yoshimura, Hiroshi Nakajima, Maruo Kamino
  • Publication number: 20040142235
    Abstract: A lithium polymer battery configured with at least one continuous electrode and at least two discontinuous electrodes having an opposite charge from the continuous electrode. The continuous electrode may be either an anode or a cathode, and the discontinuous electrode is the other of the continuous electrode. The cell may be a multicell or a multibicell. The continuous electrode is the outermost electrode of a configured cell, and facilitates such configurations such as folding the cell, rolling the cell, etc. The discontinuous electrode is in the interior of the configured cell. The adhered layers of the cell thus configured have enhanced processing and performance efficiency, and may be manufactured with greater productivity and decreased costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventor: Mohammad Parsian
  • Publication number: 20040131943
    Abstract: A titanium substrate having a thickened outer oxidation layer provided thereon by a treatment process performed either in an air atmosphere at elevated temperatures or through electrolytic oxidation (anodization), is discribed. The thusly conditioned titanium substrate serving as a cathode current collector for an electrode incorporated into an electrochemical cell exhibits improved electrical performance in comparison to the prior art techniques, i.e., electrically conducted carbon coated titanium screen and use of highly corrosion resistant materials, upon subsequent elevated temperature exposure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: W. Richard Brown, Christine A. Frysz, Sally Ann Smesko, Esther S. Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20040131930
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit 2 composed of a positive electrode 23, a negative electrode 21 and a separator 22 interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate 3 and a positive electrode current collector plate 30 joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit 2. The negative electrode collector plate 3 is joined to an edge of the negative electrode 21 projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit 2. The collector plate 3 has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer 31 made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate 3 has its copper layer 31 contacted with the edge of the negative electrode 21 and welded thereto with a laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Naoya Nakanishi, Kouichi Satoh, Toshiyuki Nohma, Ikuo Yonezu
  • Patent number: 6756152
    Abstract: An electrode for the alkaline storage battery includes a binding agent containing thermoplastic xylene-formaldehyde resin. Since the thermoplastic xylene-formaldehyde resin is non-aqueous, it is not dissolved into moisture in the air or the alkaline electrolyte within the battery. The electrode is prepared by immersing an active-material-applied or -filled electrode substrate in a solution in which the thermoplastic xylene-formaldehyde resin is dissolved; immersing it in an emulsion of the thermoplastic xylene-formaldehyde resin with an emulsifier; or applying or filling a slurry of the active material with an emulsion of the thermoplastic xylene-formaldehyde resin to or in the electrode substrate. The electrode retains the active material using a binding agent which has excellent adhesion to the active material and imparts high binding capacity of the active materials with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Murata, Tadashi Ise, Teruhiko Imoto, Yasuhiko Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6756156
    Abstract: In a rectangular alkaline storage battery, the sides of negative cores of negative electrode plates 10, which are disposed at the outermost positions of the group of electrode plates and oppose an outer casing can 40, are exposed. The pore ratios (ratio of total area taken up by pores to area of electrode plate) of the exposed cores must be made lower than those of the other unexposed cores. The pore ratio of the exposed negative core is specified as falling within a range of 10% to 40%. As a result, the negative electrode plates 10 are improved in binding strength, thereby inhibiting exfoliation of an active material. Further, there can be obtained a large rectangular alkaline storage battery which has superior permeability for a gas which would arise in the battery, an improved capacity ratio, and greater volumetric energy density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Ikeda, Masao Takee, Teruhiko Imoto, Masao Inoue, Tetsuyuki Murata, Atsutoshi Ako
  • Patent number: 6743547
    Abstract: An electrode having the configuration: first active material/current collector/second active material is described. One of the electrode active materials in a cohesive form of active particles being firmly held together as part of the same mass is incapable of moving through the current collector to the other side thereof. However, in an un-cohesive form of active particles not being firmly held together as part of a mass, the one electrode active material is capable of communication through the current collector. The other or second active material is in a form in-capable of communication through the current collector, whether it is in a cohesive or un-cohesive powder form. Then, the assembly of first active material/current collector/second active material is pressed from either the direction of the first electrode active material to the second electrode active material, or visa versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Wilson Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Gan, Sally Ann Smesko, Esther S. Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6740441
    Abstract: Provided are low-cost, mechanically strong, highly electronically conductive current collects and associated structures for solid-state electrochemical devices, techniques for forming these structures, and devices incorporating the structures. The invention provides solid state electrochemical devices having as current interconnects a ferritic steel felt or screen coated with a protective oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Craig P. Jacobson, Steven J. Visco, Lutgard C. DeJonghe
  • Patent number: 6740454
    Abstract: An organic electrolytic cell having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte comprising a solution of a lithium salt in an aprotic organic solvent, wherein a positive electrode collector and a negative electrode collector have pores that penetrate from the front surface to the back surface, a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material can reversibly carry lithium, and, when the lithium derived from the negative electrode or the positive electrode is in electrochemical contact with the lithium disposed opposite the negative electrode or the positive electrode, the whole or part of the lithium passes through at least one layer of the positive electrode or the negative electrode and is carried. The opposing area of the lithium is not larger than 40 % of the area of the negative electrode and the porosity of each current collector is not less than 1 % and not more than 30 %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Kanebo Limited
    Inventors: Nobuo Ando, Masaki Yamaguchi, Yukinori Hato
  • Patent number: 6737196
    Abstract: A lithium (Li) polymer battery is provided. The Li polymer battery includes: a positive plate including a positive collector having a plurality of openings and a positive active material layer on at least one surface of the positive collector; a negative plate including a negative collector in a foil form, and a negative active material layer on at least on surface of the negative collector; and a separator between the positive and negative plates, for insulating the positive and negative plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Display Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youn-han Chang, Jung-ho Kim
  • Patent number: 6733926
    Abstract: An electrode component for an electrochemical cell or a capacitor is described wherein the electrode is produced by physical vapor depositing an electrode active material onto a substrate to coat the substrate. The thusly produced electrode is useful as a cathode in a primary electrochemical cell and as a cathode and an anode in a secondary cell, and as an electrode in an electrochemical capacitor and an electrolytic capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Wilson Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventors: Barry C. Muffoletto, Ashish Shah, Neal N. Nesselbeck
  • Publication number: 20040081890
    Abstract: A battery section for a Li-ion and/or Li-ion polymer cell, comprised of:
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xuekun Xing, Jeffrey M. Smith
  • Patent number: 6727022
    Abstract: The present comprises an electrode having the configuration: first active material/current collector screen/second active material. When one of the active materials is in a powder form, it is possible for that material to move through openings in the current collector screen to “contaminate” the interface between the other active material and the current collector. The present invention consists of having the other electrode active materials in a form incapable of moving through the current collector to the other side thereof. Then, the assembly is pressed from the direction of the other electrode active material. This seals off the current collector as the pressing force moves the current collector against the powdered electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Wilson Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Gan, Esther S. Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6678926
    Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for making lead-acid storage battery plates comprising an alignment puncher for creating a plurality of alignment holes in a lead strip as the lead strip is progressively expanded and cut into a grid like pattern on an expander die system. The alignment of the lead strip is accomplished by inserting at least one alignment pin into at least one of the plurality of alignment holes that have been punched into the lead strip as the lead strip is progressively expanded and cut into a plurality of wire-like segments along opposing edges of the lead strip. After each cut, the alignment pin retracts while the lead strip is indexed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jimmy H. Watters
  • Publication number: 20040009402
    Abstract: The invention provides a battery achieving excellent battery characteristics by using, as an anode active material, any of metal elements and metalloid elements each of which can form an alloy with a lithium, alloys of these elements, and compounds of these elements. Mesh projections as a frame structure are formed on the surface on the side facing an anode active material layer, of an anode collector. By the mesh projections, expansion and contraction in the plane direction of the anode active material layer is suppressed. Thus, pulverization, peeling, and the like of the anode active material layer caused by expansion and contraction thereof are prevented and the cycle characteristics are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventors: Momoe Adachi, Yukio Miyaki, Hiroshi Imoto