Abstract: A product dispenser comprising a cover, a slidable push element, a base and a landing is provided. The cover and the base are rotatable with respect to each other about a common axis. The cover comprises a roof opening in which the push element slides in opposing directions, advancing product from the interior of the cover onto the landing. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser houses miniature zinc air batteries, secured to the base using an adhesive platform. When a cell is advanced from the interior of the cover onto the landing, the cell is separated from the adhesive platform, allowing air to pass into the cell and the cell to be activated. The landing preferably comprises a magnet for releasably securing product. The dispenser is then used as an inserter for orienting and placing the product in position in a device. The product is not directly handled during its removal from the dispenser or during its insertion into a device.

Abstract: A product dispenser comprising a cover, a slidable push element, a base and a landing is provided. The cover and the base are rotatable with respect to each other about a common axis. The cover comprises a roof opening in which the push element slides in opposing directions, advancing product from the interior of the cover onto the landing. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser houses miniature zinc air batteries, secured to the base using an adhesive layer. When a cell is advanced from the interior of the cover onto the landing, the cell is separated from the adhesive layer, allowing air to pass into the cell and the cell to be activated. The landing preferably comprises a magnet for releasably securing product. The dispenser is then used as an inserter for orienting and placing the product in position in a device. The product is not directly handled during its removal from the dispenser or during its insertion into a device.

Abstract: A product dispenser comprising a cover, a slidable push element, a base and a landing is provided. The cover and the base are rotatable with respect to each other about a common axis. The cover comprises a roof opening in which the push element slides in opposing directions, advancing product from the interior of the cover onto the landing. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser houses miniature zinc air batteries, secured to the base using an adhesive platform. When a cell is advanced from the interior of the cover onto the landing, the cell is separated from the adhesive platform, allowing air to pass into the cell and the cell to be activated. The landing preferably comprises a magnet for releasably securing product. The dispenser is then used as an inserter for orienting and placing the product in position in a device. The product is not directly handled during its removal from the dispenser or during its insertion into a device.

Abstract: A product dispenser comprising a cover, a slidable push element, a base and a landing is provided. The cover and the base are rotatable with respect to each other about a common axis. The cover comprises a roof opening in which the push element slides in opposing directions, advancing product from the interior of the cover onto the landing. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser houses miniature zinc air batteries, secured to the base using an adhesive layer. When a cell is advanced from the interior of the cover onto the landing, the cell is separated from the adhesive layer, allowing air to pass into the cell and the cell to be activated. The landing preferably comprises a magnet for releasably securing product. The dispenser is then used as an inserter for orienting and placing the product in position in a device. The product is not directly handled during its removal from the dispenser or during its insertion into a device.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell is disclosed including a cell housing, an ion-permeable, oxygen transmission restricting membrane that divides the interior of the cell housing into a first portion exposed to ambient air and a substantially air-tight second portion, an air electrode provided in contact with the membrane within the first portion of the cell housing interior that reoxidizes when exposed to ambient air, and a working cell provided in the substantially air-tight second portion of the cell housing interior. The working cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte. The positive electrode is in contact with the membrane and is made of an electrochemically active material that is the same material that is used in the air electrode, such that the air electrode supplies ions to the positive electrode to thereby reoxidize the positive electrode as it discharges without exposing the negative electrode or the positive electrode of the working cell to oxygen from the surrounding air.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of electrochemical cells and a control circuit. The battery pack provides power to a tool in the form of a pulse width modulated waveform. The plurality of electrochemical cells provide a total output voltage. The control circuit is coupled to the plurality of electrochemical cells and receives a trigger signal from the tool. In response to the trigger signal, the control circuit determines whether a pulse width of the pulse width modulated waveform requires adjustment. Additionally, the control circuit can be configured to receive an indication of the total output voltage. In this case, the control circuit determines whether the pulse width of the pulse width modulated waveform requires adjustment based on the level of the total output voltage.

Abstract: A metal hydride rechargeable cell is provided that discharges during a test discharge at a rate of 8 C to 18 C and a cell temperature of 0° C. where the voltage remains above 0.2 volts during the half of the discharge curve. The cell comprises a negative electrode of hydrogen storage alloy material having a particle size volume distribution whose d(50) value does not exceed 2(2Dht)½, where Dh is the hydrogen diffusion coefficient for the alloy at 0° C. and t is a time period from about 200 to about 450 seconds. A method of manufacturing the cell of the present invention involves an activation protocol comprising at least one formation cycle, a heat treating step, and a cycling step. This method avoids unnecessary processing of the metal alloy material prior to incorporation into the negative electrode.

Abstract: The invention pertains to housings and enclosures for assemblies of electrochemical cells such as used in consumer electronic devices. A system of structural elements having constant cross-section along at least one axis is provided to construct protective housings for electrochemical cell assemblies. Where cell assemblies include sensitive circuit elements such as circuit boards the fabricated housings include cover portions to reduce the chance of impact or contact damage to the circuit elements. By designing structural elements having open and constant cross-sections, a family of housing components may be fabricated from a single structural element by altering a length. Different configuration housings may also be constructed by rearranging the housing components or introducing additional interconnecting components. By incorporating a unified interconnecting element into each component, interchangeability is increased.

Abstract: An improved current collector for electrochemical cells is formed of a conductive porous foam. The foam is preferably a nickel foam as is often used as an electrochemical cell substrate. The high porosity foam's compressibility and resiliency provide an adaptive contact surface which accommodates variations in the shape and position of electrodes and other circuit elements. By using this material as an improved current collector, electrochemical cells are more easily produced with reduced internal resistance. Improved methods of assembly are a result of the nature of the high porosity foam material and its compliance. The foam collector may be used as a pressure connection or welded to the spiral edge of jelly-roll electrode assemblies. To increase effective contact area and also improve resistance to vibration forces, portions of the collector are compressed in a radial space between a jelly-roll assembly and the surrounding container.

Abstract: Methods are presented for reclaiming active material used in formation of secondary electrochemical cells and similar electrodes. Active materials such as nickel-metal hydride are removed from cell electrodes together with the binders used to secure the active materials to the electrode substrates. Because the binders and other agents are recovered without loss or degradation, the active materials may be easily and simply reconstituted and reused to form new electrodes. The methods are particularly applicable to electrodes fabricated by deposition of active material on flexible conductive substrates. The reclamation methods include mechanical separation, such as bending and ultrasonic beating, to remove the active materials without adding other chemical agents. The removed active materials are ground and sized. Solvent is added to dissolve binders and form a reconstituted active material paste.