Method of making flat battery

• US 4,080,728 A
• Filed: 11/24/1976
• Issued: 03/28/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Buckler, Sheldon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US05/744,872
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 29/623.1, 29/623.4, 29/623.5, 429/152, 429/153, 429/154, 429/162
• US Class Current: 29/623.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/50 of manganese
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/06 Dry cells, i.e. cells wherein the electrolyte is rendered non-fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/48 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 including adhesively bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A method of making thin flat laminar batteries in which subassemblies are made by sealing conductive intercell connectors to the inner peripheries of frames of nonconducting material and wet electrodes are applied on either side of the intercell connectors. A separator is placed over one of the wet electrodes. A series array of these subassemblies are sealed together about the outer peripheries of the frames, with electrodes of opposite polarity in adjacent subassemblies in contact with the separator. End cells are completed by frames sealed on one side to terminal collector sheets and on the other side to external surfaces of the series array.

Claims

1. In a method of making batteries with slurry electrodes, the steps of sealing a conductive plastic intercell connector over a central opening in a thermoplastic frame, depositing a first wet electrode slurry over the intercell connector in the opening in the frame, covering the first wet slurry with a sheet of separator material, and depositing a second wet electrode slurry in registry with the first wet slurry over the opposite side of the intercell connector form the first slurry.

2. The method of making batteries with slurry electrodes comprising the steps of sealing a conductive plastic intercell connector over a central opening of a thermoplastic frame, the intercell connector being of smaller dimensions than the frame so that an exposed area of the frame surrounds the intercell connector sealed thereto, extruding a first electrode slurry over the intercell connector in the opening in the frame, covering the first slurry with a sheet of separator material, and extruding a second electrode slurry in registry with the first slurry over the opposite side of the intercell connector from the first slurry.

3. The method of making a thin flat laminar battery comprising the steps of making a first subassembly by heat sealing a first thermoplastic frame having a central opening to one side of a first thin flat thermoplastic conductive current collector having an opposite side to which a thin flat metal terminal sheet is laminated, depositing a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity on said first collector sheet within the opening in said first frame, and applying a first separator having dimensions larger than the opening in said first frame and smaller than the outer dimensions of said first frame over and in contact with said first slurry and adjacent portions of said first frame to leave a peripheral border of said first frame exposed;

making at least one second subassembly by the steps, for each second subassembly, of heat sealing a thin flat thermoplastic conductive intercell connector over a central opening in one of a series of at least one second thermoplastic frame having lateral dimensions corresponding to those of said first frame, said intercell connector having lateral dimensions larger than said opening and smaller than the external lateral dimensions of said frame so that said seal is formed outside the boundaries of said opening leaving a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, depositing a second wet slurry electrode of said first polarity on the surface of said intercell connected confronting said second frame and within the boundaries of the opening in said frame, applying a second separator having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of said first separator over and in contact with said second slurry electrode and adjacent portions of said second frame to leave a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, and depositing a third electrode of a second polarity opposite said first polarity on said intercell connector on the side thereof opposite said second frame and in registry with said second electrode;

making a third subassembly by depositing an electrode of said second polarity on a region corresponding to the openings in said frame of the surface of a second thin flat thermoplastic conductive current collector having an opposite side to which a thin flat metal terminal sheet is laminated, assembling said subassemblies in a registered linear array with electrodes of opposite polarities in contact with opposite sides of each of said separators, and heat sealing the outer peripheral portions of said frames together and to contiguous regions of said current collectors.

4. In the method of making a thin flat laminar battery, the steps of making a first subassembly by sealing a first nonconducting frame having a central opening to one side of a first thin flat thermoplastic conductive current collector, depositing a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity on said first collector sheet within the opening in said first frame, and applying a first separator having dimensions larger than the opening in said first frame and smaller than the outer dimensions of said first frame over and in contact with said first slurry and adjacent portions of said first frame to leave a peripheral border of said first frame exposed;

making at least one second subassembly by the steps, for each second subassembly, of sealing a thin flat conductive intercell connector over a central opening in one of a series of at least one second nonconducting frame having lateral dimensions corresponding to those of said first frame, said intercell connector having lateral dimensions larger than said opening and smaller than the external lateral dimensions of said frame so that said seal is formed outside the boundaries of said opening leaving a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, depositing a second wet slurry electrode of said first polarity on the surface of said intercell connector confronting said second frame and within the boundaries of the opening in said frame, applying a second separator having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of said first separator over and in contact with said second slurry electrode and adjacent portions of said second frame to leave a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, and depositing a third electrode of a second polarity opposite said first polarity on said intercell connector on the side thereof opposite said second frame and in registry with said second electrode;

making a third subassembly by depositing an electrode of said second polarity on a region corresponding to the openings in said frame of the surface of a second thin flat conductive current collector, assembling said subassemblies in a registered linear array with electrodes of opposite polarities in contact with opposite sides of each of said separators, and sealing the outer peripheral portions of said frames together and to contiguous regions of said current collector.

5. In the method of making a thin flat laminar battery, the steps of making a first subassembly by sealing a first nonconducting frame having a central opening to one side of a first thin flat conductive current collector, depositing a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity on said first collector sheet within the opening in said first frame, applying a first separator having dimensions larger than the opening in said first frame and smaller than the outer dimensions of said first frame over and in contact with said first slurry and adjacent portions of said first frame to leave a peripheral border of said first frame exposed;

and sealing the outer periphery of said first separator to said first frame;

making at least one second subassembly by the steps, for each second subassembly, of heat sealing a thin flat conductive intercell connector over a central opening in one of a series of at least one second nonconducting frame having lateral dimensions corresponding to those of said first frame, said intercell connector having lateral dimensions larger than said opening and smaller than the external lateral dimensions of said frame so that said seal is formed outside the boundaries of said opening leaving a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, depositing a second wet slurry electrode of said first polarity on the surface of said intercell connector confronting said second frame and within the boundaries of the opening in said frame, applying a second separator having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of said first separator over and in contact with said second slurry electrode and adjacent portions of said second frame to leave a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, sealing the outer periphery of said second separator to said second frame, and depositing a third electrode of a second polarity opposite said first polarity on said intercell connector on the side thereof opposite said second frame and in registry with said second electrode;

making a third subassembly by depositing an electrode of said second polarity on a region corresponding to the openings in said frame of the surface of a second thin flat conductive current collector, assembling said subassemblies in a registered linear array with electrodes of opposite polarities in contact with opposite sides of each of said separators, and sealing the outer peripheral portions of said frames together and to contiguous regions of said current collector.

6. In the process of making a thin flat laminar battery, the steps of making a subassembly by heat sealing a thin flat thermoplastic conductive intercell connector over a central opening in a thermoplastic nonconducting frame, said intercell connector having lateral dimensions larger than said opening and smaller than the external lateral dimensions of said frame so that said seal is formed outside the boundaries of said opening leaving a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, depositing a wet slurry first electrode of a first polarity on the surface of said intercell connector confronting said frame and within the boundaries of the opening in said frame, applying a separator having dimensions larger than the opening in said frame and smaller than the outer dimensions of said frame over and in contact with said slurry electrode and adjacent portions of said second frame to leave a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, and depositing a second electrode of a second polarity opposite said first polarity on said intercell connector on the side thereof opposite said frame and in registry with said first electrode.

7. The method of making a thin flat laminar battery comprising the steps of making a first subassembly by heat sealing a first thermoplastic frame having a central opening to one side of a first thin flat thermoplastic conductive current collector having an opposite side to which a thin flat metal terminal sheet is laminated, extruding a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity on said first collector sheet within the opening in said first frame, and applying a first separator having dimensions larger than the opening in said first frame and smaller than the outer dimensions of said first frame over and in contact with said first slurry and adjacent portions of said first frame to leave a peripheral border of said first frame exposed;

making at least one second subassembly by the steps, for each second subassembly, of heat sealing a thin flat thermoplastic conductive intercell connector over a central opening in one of a series of at least one second thermoplastic frame having lateral dimensions corresponding to those of said first frame, said intercell connector having lateral dimensions larger than said opening and smaller than the external lateral dimensions of said frame so that said seal is formed outside the boundaries of said opening leaving a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, depositing a second wet slurry electrode of said first polarity on the surface of said intercell connector confronting said second frame and within the boundaries of the opening in said frame, applying a second separator having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of said first separator over and in contact with said second slurry electrode and adjacent portions of said second frame to leave a peripheral border of said second frame exposed, and extruding a third wet slurry electrode of a second polarity opposite said first polarity on said intercell connector on the side thereof opposite said second frame and in registry with said second electrode;

making a third subassembly by extruding a wet slurry electrode of said second polarity on a region corresponding to the openings in said frame of the surface of a second thin flat thermoplastic conductive current collector having an opposite side to which a thin flat metal terminal sheet is laminated, assembling said subassemblies in a registered linear array with electrodes of opposite polarities in contact with opposite sides of each of said separators, and heat sealing the outer peripheral portions of said frames together and to contiguous regions of said current collector.

8. In a method of making thin flat laminar batteries with wet slurry electrodes, the steps of making a plurality of intermediate subassemblies, each of said intermediate subassemblies being made by heat sealing a thin flat conductive thermoplastic intercell connector over a central opening formed in a thin flat nonconducting thermoplastic frame having peripheral regions extending beyond said intercell connector on all contiguous sides, extruding a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity over surface of said intercell connector on the side confronting said frame and in the region defined by the opening in said frame, placing a separator over and in contact with said first wet slurry electrode and with adjacent portions of said frame within the borders of said frame to leave a continuous peripheral border of said frame exposed, and extruding a second wet slurry electrode of opposite polarity to said first electrode over the surface of said intercell connector on the side opposite said frame and in the region opposite said opening and in registry with said first electrode;

stacking said subassemblies in a contiguous linear array with electrodes of opposite polarity in confronting relationship, and thermally scaling the exposed contiguous borders of said frames together.

9. In a method of making laminar batteries with wet slurry electrodes, the steps of making a plurality of intermediate subassemblies, each of said intermediate subassemblies being made by sealing a conductive intercell connector over a central opening formed in a nonconducting frame having peripheral regions extending beyond said intercell connector on all contiguous sides, extruding a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity over the surface of said intercell connector on the side confronting said frame and in the region defined by the opening in said frame, placing a separator over and in contact with said first wet slurry electrode and with adjacent portions of said frame within the borders of said frame to leave a continuous peripheral border of said frame exposed, and extruding a second wet slurry electrode of opposite polarity to said first electrode over the surface of said intercell connector on the side opposite said frame and in the region opposite said opening and in registry with said first electrode;

stacking said subassemblies in a contiguous linear array with electrodes of opposite polarity in confronting relationship, and sealing the exposed contiguous borders of said frames together.

10. In a method of making thin flat laminar batteries with wet slurry electrodes, the steps of making a plurality of intermediate subassemblies, each of said intermediate subassemblies being made by heat sealing a thin flat conductive thermoplastic intercell connector over a central opening formed in a thin flat nonconducting thermoplastic frame, said frame having peripheral regions extending beyond said intercell connector on all contiguous sides, extruding a wet slurry cathode over the surface of said intercell connector on the side confronting said frame and in the region defined by the opening in said frame, placing a separator over and in contact with said wet slurry cathode and with adjacent portions of said frame within the borders of said frame to leave a continuous peripheral border of said frame exposed, and extruding a wet slurry anode over the surface of said intercell connector on the side opposite said frame and in the region opposite said opening and in registry with said cathode;

stacking said subassemblies in a contiguous linear array with electrodes of opposite polarity in confronting relationship, and thermally sealing the exposed contiguous borders of said frames together.

11. In a method of making thin flat laminar batteries with well slurry electrodes, the steps of making a plurality of intermediate subassemblies, each of said intermediate subassemblies being made by heat sealing a thin flat conductive thermoplastic intercell connector over a central opening formed in a thin flat nonconducting thermoplastic frame and having peripheral regions extending beyond said intercell connector on all sides, extruding a first wet slurry electrode of a first polarity over the surface of said intercell connector on the side confronting said frame and in the region defined by the opening in said frame, placing a separator over and in contact with said first wet slurry electrode and with adjacent portions of said frame within the borders of said frame to leave a continuous peripheral border of said frame exposed, said separator being formed with a liquid impervious thermoplastic border in the region extending beyond said opening, heat sealing said liquid impervious border to said frame, and extruding a second wet slurry electrode of opposite polarity to said first over the surface of said intercell connector on the side opposite said frame and in the region opposite said opening and in registry with said first electrode;

stacking said subassemblies in a contiguous linear array with electrodes of opposite polarity in confronting relationship, and thermally sealing the exposed contiguous borders of said frames together.