Electrical battery assembly and method of manufacture
First Claim
1. An electrical storage battery comprising:
- a case defining an internal volume therein, said case comprising a material chosen from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and alloys thereof;
an electrode assembly disposed inside said internal volume of said case, said electrode assembly comprising;
at least a first electrode member comprising;
an aluminum substrate; and
an active material coated on said substrate;
a tab electrically and mechanically attached to said first electrode member, wherein said tab comprises a material chosen from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and alloys thereof;
at least a second electrode member of opposite polarity to said first electrode member;
a separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another; and
an electrolyte;
wherein said tab is electrically and mechanically attached to said case.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides electrical storage battery assemblies and related methods for assembling such batteries. A battery assembly includes positive and negative electrode sheets and separator sheets sandwiched together and wrapped around a central mandrel to provide a spiral sandwich electrode assembly. The electrode assembly is housed inside a case that includes a case housing open at two ends and covers closing the two openings. The central mandrel of the electrode assembly is in electrical contact with one of the electrode sheets and a first battery terminal that passes through the case. A projecting member on the central mandrel provides the electrical connection between the electrode and the first battery terminal. The other electrode is in electrical contact with the case. A first insulator lies between the electrode assembly and the projecting member. A second insulator is positioned between the projecting member and the case.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. An electrical storage battery comprising:
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a case defining an internal volume therein, said case comprising a material chosen from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and alloys thereof;
an electrode assembly disposed inside said internal volume of said case, said electrode assembly comprising;
at least a first electrode member comprising;
an aluminum substrate; and
an active material coated on said substrate;
a tab electrically and mechanically attached to said first electrode member, wherein said tab comprises a material chosen from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and alloys thereof;
at least a second electrode member of opposite polarity to said first electrode member;
a separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another; and
an electrolyte;
wherein said tab is electrically and mechanically attached to said case. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An electrical storage battery made by the steps of:
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providing at least a first electrode member, ultrasonically welding a tab to said first electrode member;
providing at least a second electrode member of opposite polarity from said first electrode member;
providing a separator;
assembling an electrode assembly by physically separating said first and second electrode members from one another with said separator but allowing electrical contact between said first and second electrode members through an electrolyte, wherein said tab protrudes from said electrode assembly;
enclosing said electrode assembly in a case;
welding said tab to said case after enclosing said electrode assembly in said case;
placing an electrolyte inside said case; and
sealing said case. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for making an electrical storage battery, comprising the steps of:
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providing at least a first electrode member, ultrasonically welding a tab to the first electrode member;
providing at least a second electrode member of opposite polarity from the first electrode member;
providing a separator;
assembling an electrode assembly by physically separating the first and second electrode members from one another with said separator but allowing electrical contact between the first and second electrode members through an electrolyte, wherein the tab protrudes from the electrode assembly;
enclosing the electrode assembly in a case;
welding the tab to the case after enclosing the electrode assembly in the case;
placing an electrolyte inside the case; and
sealing the case. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An electrical storage battery comprising:
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a case defining an internal volume therein;
a spiral sandwich member disposed inside the internal volume of the case, the spiral sandwich member comprising;
a positive electrode member;
a negative electrode member;
a separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another;
an electrolyte; and
a central support member;
wherein the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator are disposed in a spiral configuration around the central support member;
wherein one electrode of the positive and negative electrodes is electrically connected to said central support member and further including a battery terminal coupled to said central support member by a flexible projecting member attached to or integral with the central support member. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An electrical storage battery made by the steps of:
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providing a central support member;
assembling a spiral sandwich member around the central support member, wherein the spiral sandwich member comprises;
at least one positive electrode member;
at least one negative electrode member; and
a separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another but allowing ionic contact between the positive and negative electrode members through an electrolyte;
enclosing the assembled spiral sandwich member in a case;
placing an electrolyte inside the case;
electrically connecting one electrode member of the positive and negative electrode members to a first battery terminal through structure on the central support member; and
sealing the case. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for assembling an electrical storage battery, the method comprising:
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providing a central support member;
assembling a spiral sandwich member comprising;
at least one positive electrode member;
at least one negative electrode member; and
a separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another but allowing ionic contact between the positive and negative electrode members through an electrolyte;
enclosing the assembled spiral sandwich member in a case;
placing an electrolyte inside the case;
electrically connecting one electrode member of the positive and negative electrode members to a first battery terminal through a flexible projecting member on the central support member; and
sealing the case. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An electrical storage battery comprising:
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an electrically conductive case housing defining an internal volume inside said case housing and first and second openings into said case housing;
an electrode assembly disposed inside said internal volume of said case housing, said electrode assembly comprising;
at least one positive electrode member;
at least one negative electrode member;
at least one separator member physically separating said positive and negative electrode members from one another; and
an electrolyte;
an electrically conducting case bottom in electrical contact with said case housing and positioned to cover said first opening;
a first insulator disposed between said first case housing opening and said electrode assembly;
a second insulator disposed between said electrode assembly and said second case housing opening;
an electrically conductive projecting member electrically coupled to one of said positive and negative electrode members of said electrode assembly and extending through said second insulator;
a battery terminal electrically connected to said projecting member;
an electrically conducting case cover in electrical contact with said case housing and positioned to cover said second opening in said case housing;
a third insulator disposed between said projecting member and said case cover; and
a central support member, wherein said positive electrode, said negative electrode, and said separator are disposed in a spiral configuration around said central support member, and wherein said electrically conductive projecting member is electrically coupled to said one of said positive and negative electrode members of said electrode assembly via said central support member;
wherein said first battery terminal extends through an opening in said case cover. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. An electrical storage battery made by the steps of:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising;
at least one positive electrode member;
at least one negative electrode member; and
at least one separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another but allowing electrical contact between the positive and negative electrode members through an electrolyte;
enclosing the electrode assembly in an electrically conductive case;
connecting one of the positive and negative electrode members to a first battery terminal through an electrically conductive member connected between the electrode member and the first battery terminal;
providing a first insulator between the electrode assembly and the electrically conductive member connected between the electrode member and the first battery terminal;
providing a second insulator between the case and the electrically conductive member connected between the electrode member and the first battery terminal;
placing an electrolyte inside the case; and
sealing the case. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for assembling an electrical storage battery, the method comprising:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising;
at least one positive electrode member;
at least one negative electrode member; and
at least one separator member physically separating the positive and negative electrode members from one another but allowing electrical contact between the positive and negative electrode members through an electrolyte;
enclosing the electrode assembly in an electrically conductive case;
electrically connecting one of the positive and negative electrode members to the case;
electrically isolating a first battery terminal from the case;
connecting the other of the positive and negative electrode members to the first battery terminal through an electrically conductive member connected between the electrode member and the first battery terminal;
providing a first insulator between the electrode assembly and the electrically conductive member connected between the electrode member and the first battery terminal;
providing a second insulator between the case and the electrically conductive member connected between the electrode member and the first battery terminal;
placing an electrolyte inside the case; and
sealing the case. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. An electrical storage battery made by the steps of:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, and at least one separator between the electrodes;
installing the electrode assembly inside a case housing open at two ends;
closing a first end of the case housing with a first cover, wherein an insulator isolates at least one of the electrodes from the first cover;
electrically coupling one of the positive and negative electrodes with the case housing;
electrically coupling the other of the positive and negative electrodes to a first battery terminal;
electrically insulating the first battery terminal from the case housing;
closing the second end of the case housing with a second cover having an electrolyte filling hole;
placing an electrolyte inside the case through the electrolyte filling hole;
sealing the electrolyte filling hole with a plug member in electrical contact with the case housing, wherein the plug member includes a battery terminal pin. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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64. A method for assembling an electrical storage battery, the method comprising:
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providing an electrode assembly comprising at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, and at least one separator between the electrodes;
installing the electrode assembly inside a case housing open at two ends;
closing a first end of the case housing with a first cover, wherein an insulator isolates at least one of the electrodes from the first cover;
electrically coupling one of the positive and negative electrodes to the case housing;
electrically coupling the other of the positive and negative electrodes to a first battery terminal;
electrically insulating the first battery terminal from the case housing;
closing the second end of the case housing with a second cover member having an electrolyte filling hole;
placing an electrolyte inside the case through the electrolyte filling hole;
sealing the electrolyte filling hole with a plug member in electrical contact with the case housing, wherein the plug member includes a battery terminal pin. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
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67. A method for producing a battery case comprising:
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providing a block of Ti-6A1-4V;
removing material to form an outer shape having two opposing ends;
hollowing out the shaped block from one end partway through to the other end;
hollowing out the shaped block from the other end to form a through hole with the first hollowed out end. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification