Battery in a vacuum sealed enveloping material and a process for making the same

• US 4,997,732 A
• Filed: 04/03/1990
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MHB Joint Venture
• Original Assignee: MHB Joint Venture
• Inventors: Austin, Robert A., Fauteux, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US07/504,713
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 429/152, 429/153, 429/162, 429/163, 429/192, 429/210, 429/178, 429/181, 429/185
• US Class Current: 429/153
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/05 Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte H01M10/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/119 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/122 Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/126 comprising three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/555 Window-shaped terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/12 with flat electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery assembly and method for making the same comprising:

a laminar battery, said laminar battery including:

an anode layer;

an ionically conductive electrolyte layer;

a cathode layer;

said electrolyte layer being interposed between said anode layer and said cathode layer, and said layers being assembled to form an electrical cell;

a pair of electrically conductive terminals in electrical contact with said anode layer and said cathode layer; and

a protective sheet material enveloping said laminar battery;

said sheet material being heat sealed at the periphery of said laminar battery and about said terminals to exclude air and moisture and said terminals extending from or being accessible through said protective sheet material for connection to a device which is powered by said laminar battery is disclosed. The battery assembly is formed, and the method includes that the sealing occur under a vacuum.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising:

a laminar battery having an anode layer, a cathode layer and an ionically conductive electrolyte layer separating said anode an d cathode layers to form an electrical cell;

an elongate anode terminal connected to said anode layer;

a cathode terminal connected to said cathode layer;

a first layer of electrically insulating adhesive, heat-sealable material capable of adhering to said anode terminal contiguous with and enveloping said cell such that said anode and cathode terminals protrude therefrom;

a second layer of an insulating and heat-sealable thermoplastic material, selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene, contiguous with and totally enclosing said first layer;

a third layer of a metal foil contiguous with and totally enclosing said second layer, said third layer being electrically insulated from said cell by said first and second layers; and

a fourth layer of a nonconductive thermoplastic material having a higher melting point than said first and second layers contiguous with and totally enclosing said third layer, whereby said layers are heat sealed about a periphery of said battery, said anode and cathode terminals protruding from a heat sealed seam thereof and being electrically isolated from said second, third and fourth layers.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said heat sealing occurs under a vacuum.

3. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein said anode layer comprises lithium foil or a metal foil coated with a layer of lithium, or an alloy of lithium.

4. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein said battery is a solid state lithium cell.

5. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein said ionically conductive electrolyte layer includes an ionizable alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of LiCF₃ SO₃, LiAsF₆, LiClO₄, LiBr, LiI, LiBO₄ and LiPF₆.

6. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein said cathode layer comprises a metal oxide intercalation compound, an electrically conductive material and an electrolyte material;

said intercalation compound being selected from the group consisting of V₆ O₁₃, MoO₂, MnO₂,V₂ O₅, TiS₂, MoS₃, Cr₃ O₆, Li_x V₃ O₈, V₃ O₈, VS₂, NiS₂, FeS₂, FeS, NiS, WO₂ or electronically conducting organic polymers; and

wherein said electrically conductive material comprises carbon or metal particles.

7. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein said first layer comprises either a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, or an ionomer resin which is a metal salt of an ethylene/organic acid copolymer.

8. The battery assembly of claim 5, wherein said battery comprises a single cell.

9. The battery assembly of claim 5, wherein said battery comprises a plurality of cells.

10. The battery assembly of claim 5, wherein said battery cell is a bifaced or a bi-polar cell design.