Flexible Thin Printed Battery and Device and Method of Manufacturing Same

• US 20100209756A1
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Jing, Schubert, Mark A., Bailey, John C., Zheng, Guanghong, Hilmi, Abdelkader
• Application Number:
  US12/758,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20100209756A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/124
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/027 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/028 Positive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0002 Aqueous electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0014 Alkaline electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0085 Immobilising or gelification of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0404 by coating on electrode collectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0414 by screen printing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/06 Electrodes for primary cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/08 Processes of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/244 Zinc electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/26 Processes of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/50 of manganese
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/62 Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/623 fluorinated polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/625 Carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/663 containing carbon or carbonaceous materials as conductive part, e.g. graphite, carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/667 in the form of layers, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/42 Acrylic resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/463 : Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/497 : Ionic conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/045 : characterised by aqueous electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/12 : with flat electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/22 : Immobilising of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 : Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 : Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 : including sealing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 : including adhesively bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 : including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A flat, flexible electrochemical cell is provided. The within invention describes various aspects of the flat, flexible electrochemical cell. A printed anode is provided that obviates the need for a discrete anode current collector, thereby reducing the size of the battery. An advantageous electrolyte is provided that enables the use of a metallic cathode current collector, thereby improving the performance of the battery. Printable gelled electrolytes and separators are provided, enabling the construction of both co-facial and co-planar batteries. Cell contacts are provided that reduce the potential for electrolyte creepage in the flat, flexible electrochemical cells of the within invention.

Claims

1. A thin, flexible battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and an electrolyte contained within a sealed housing, wherein:

the housing comprises a flexible, electrically nonconductive substrate;

at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is a printed electrode on a portion of the substrate;

the positive electrode being in physical contact with a positive electrode current collector; and

the positive electrode current collector comprises an electrically conductive metal coated with an electrically conductive film comprising a carbon.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises silver or aluminum.

3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the film further comprises a binder.

4. The battery according to claim 3, wherein the positive electrode current collector is disposed on the substrate and the film comprises an ink and is printed onto the positive electrode current collector.

5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode current collector is a metal current collector.

6. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode current collector is a printed metallic current collector comprising a metallic ink.

7. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is an acidic electrolyte.

8. The battery according to claim 7, wherein the electrolyte comprises at least one of zinc chloride, ammonium chloride, zinc acetate and ammonium acetate.

9. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is an alkaline electrolyte.

10. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the separator comprises a paper.

11. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises a gelled electrolyte.

12. The battery according to claim 11, wherein the gelled electrolyte comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polyethylene glycol based polymer, nonionic or anionic derivatives with natural guar gum, polyethylene oxide, a copolymer comprising acrylic or methacrylic acid and styrene sulphonate, and a non-polymeric thixotropic gelant.

13. The battery according to claim 12, wherein the gelant comprises a fumed silica.

14. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the battery comprises a gas inhibiting material comprising

a member of the group consisting of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide;

a polymer having a phosphate group and chains comprising polyethylene oxide; and

combinations thereof.

15. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the negative electrode comprises zinc and the positive electrode comprises manganese dioxide.

16. The battery according to claim 15, wherein the negative electrode comprises a zinc foil or zinc mesh.

17. The battery according to claim 15, wherein the negative electrode comprises a zinc ink, the zinc ink comprises a mixture of a zinc powder and a binder.

18. The battery according to claim 17, wherein the zinc ink binder comprises a member of the group consisting of polyethylene oxide and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

19. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the positive and negative electrodes are coplanar electrodes.

20. A carbon zinc battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and a positive electrode current collector, wherein the positive electrode current collector comprises a metallic substrate or a metallic ink and a protective carbon coating on the metallic substrate or metallic ink.