Patents by Inventor Robert E. Ray

Robert E. Ray has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8268468
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that allows for effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The cell includes a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent mechanism having an offset C-shaped reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. A cover can be welded to the closed end wall of the container over the pressure relief vent mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Stearns, Robert E. Ray, Richard L Bouffard, Walter B Ebner, John O'Halloran, R. Justin Begg
  • Patent number: 8158280
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that achieves effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The electrochemical cell including a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent having a reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. The reduced thickness groove is formed having eight segments extending radially from a central location. A cover is welded on the end wall of the container via at least three welds, wherein the angular spacing between two adjacent welds is greater than 120°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Ray, John C. Stearns, Walter B. Ebner, Richard L. Bouffard, R. Justin Begg
  • Publication number: 20110111271
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that allows for effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The cell includes a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent mechanism having an offset C-shaped reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. A cover can be welded to the closed end wall of the container over the pressure relief vent mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: EVEREADY BATTERY COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: John C. Stearns, Robert E. Ray, Richard L. Bouffard, Walter B. Ebner, John O'Halloran, R.Justin Begg
  • Patent number: 7875376
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that allows for effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The cell includes a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent mechanism having an offset C-shaped reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. A cover can be welded to the closed end wall of the container over the pressure relief vent mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Stearns, Robert E. Ray, Richard L. Bouffard, Walter B. Ebner, John O'Halloran, R. Justin Begg
  • Patent number: 7572545
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that allows for effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The cell includes a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent mechanism having a reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. A cover is welded to the closed end wall of the container over the pressure relief vent mechanism and is welded via at least three welds, wherein two adjacent welds are angularly separated by more than 120°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Everyready Battery Company, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Justin Begg, Robert E. Ray
  • Publication number: 20070275294
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that allows for effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The cell includes a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent mechanism having an offset C-shaped reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. A cover can be welded to the closed end wall of the container over the pressure relief vent mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: John C. Stearns, Robert E. Ray, Richard L. Bouffard, Walter B. Ebner, John O'Halloran, R. Justin Begg
  • Publication number: 20070275295
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that achieves effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The electrochemical cell including a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent having a reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. The reduced thickness groove is formed having eight segments extending radially from a central location. A cover is welded on the end wall of the container via at least three welds, wherein the angular spacing between two adjacent welds is greater than 120°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Robert E. Ray, John C. Stearns, Walter B. Ebner, Richard L. Bouffard, R. Justin Begg
  • Publication number: 20070275293
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided with an enhanced pressure relief vent formed in a closed end of the cell container that allows for effective venting of gas from the closed end of the container. The cell includes a container having a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first and second ends, and an end wall extending across the first end. The cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, all disposed in the container. The cell further includes a pressure relief vent mechanism having a reduced thickness groove formed in the end wall of the container. A cover is welded to the closed end wall of the container over the pressure relief vent mechanism and is welded via at least three welds, wherein two adjacent welds are angularly separated by more than 120°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: R. Justin Begg, Robert E. Ray
  • Publication number: 20040157115
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell with a pressure relief vent formed in a metal plate disposed in at least one of the closed end and the open end of the container. The pressure relief vent has an annular ring that includes a reduced thickness groove, interrupted in at least two places by unthinned sections of the plate. When the vent opens to relieve pressure from within the cell, the area of the plate within the annular ring remains attached to the remainder of the plate by at least one of the unthinned sections. A can with such a pressure relief vent formed in the can bottom is useful as an electrochemical cell container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Richard L. Bouffard, Peter M. Lewis, Huaxin Li, Paul R. Elsdon, Richard J. Sosnovich, Warren Emerson Sweet, Robert E. Ray, James X. Wu
  • Publication number: 20040157120
    Abstract: An electrochemical battery cell comprising a metal container with an open end closed with a metal cover. The top portion of the container side wall has a torus above an inward necked area, and the cover has a flange shaped around the outside of the torus and extending into the necked area. The inside diameter of the cover flange is smaller than the outside diameter of the torus, so that the cover is locked onto the top of the can. The components sealing the top of the cell require a small volume so that the internal volume for active materials and electrolyte is large. The cell can be closed and sealed with little downward force on the can side wall below the neck, allowing use of a thinner can.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: James X. Wu, Robert E. Ray
  • Publication number: 20030118892
    Abstract: A low profile collector and seal assembly for sealing the open end of a container of an electrochemical cell and providing venting of pressurized gases. An electrochemical cell has a can with a closed bottom end and an open top end, positive and negative electrodes disposed in the can, and a collector and seal assembly disposed in the open top end of the can for closing the open top end of the can. The collector and seal assembly includes a current collector and an annular seal that move relative to each other from a sealed position to a vented position when the internal cell pressure reaches a pressure threshold to vent pressurized gases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Robert E. Ray, James Xixian Wu
  • Publication number: 20030118902
    Abstract: The invention is an injection-molded thermoplastic seal member for use in an electrochemical cell and a cell containing the seal member. The thermoplastic material comprises a mixture of a polyolefin matrix, comprising more than 30 weight percent of the thermoplastic material, and an aromatic polymer having a repeating unit that comprises at least one aromatic functional group. The material has excellent molding properties and results in a seal member that forms a superior compressive seal in the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Mark A. Schubert, Robert E. Ray
  • Publication number: 20010055715
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided having an anode cup, a gasket, and a cathode can. The anode cup has a ratio of an upper diameter to a lower diameter greater than about 0.86 and a ratio of cup height at the upper diameter to cup height at the lower diameter of not greater than about 2.19. The external cup diameter exceeds an internal cup diameter to prevent nesting of anode cups during the assembly process. The cell has a ratio of the total height to the can height of greater than 1.35 and preferably a difference between the total height and can height of more than 0.04 inch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: William R. Bennett, Robert E. Ray, Diana Dreher
  • Patent number: 6080283
    Abstract: A process for reducing the surface of a metal oxide substrate, such as silver oxide, to form a layer of its metal, such as silver, on the metal oxide substrate by contacting the substrate with a plasma gas excited by a plasma generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Ray