High reliability electrochemical cell and electrode assembly therefor
First Claim
1. An electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell comprising:
- (a) an anode including an elongated strip of alkali metal and a connector tab in electrical contact with the alkali metal on an edge thereof;
(b) a cathode assembly including(1) a cathode current collector having on an edge thereof a connector tab; and
(2) a cathode material bonded at a uniform density of reactive material to the current collector;
the cathode assembly being shorter than the anode;
the anode and the cathode assembly combined with a separator material therebetween in an elongated, unidirectional winding with two substantially straight sides, the winding having;
(a) at the innermost portion thereof a portion of the anode folded over the end of the cathode assembly such that it is disposed along both sides of the cathode assembly, the folded over portion establishing the length of the straight sides of the winding; and
(b) at the outermost portion thereof, the anode wrapped around the cathode assembly.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrochemical cell and electrode assembly in which an alkali metal anode and a cathode assembly are wound together in a unidirectional winding having substantially straight sides such that the winding will fit into a prismatic cell. The anode and cathode are arranged in the winding to provide for even utilization of reactive material during cell discharge by placing cathode and anode material in close proximity throughout the electrode assembly in the proportions in which they are utilized. The winding also contributes to even utilization of reactive material by employing multiple tabs on the cathode assembly to ensure that cathode material is evenly utilized throughout the electrode assembly during cell discharge and also so that connections to the tabs are readily made.
265 Citations
71 Claims
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1. An electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell comprising:
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(a) an anode including an elongated strip of alkali metal and a connector tab in electrical contact with the alkali metal on an edge thereof; (b) a cathode assembly including (1) a cathode current collector having on an edge thereof a connector tab; and (2) a cathode material bonded at a uniform density of reactive material to the current collector; the cathode assembly being shorter than the anode; the anode and the cathode assembly combined with a separator material therebetween in an elongated, unidirectional winding with two substantially straight sides, the winding having; (a) at the innermost portion thereof a portion of the anode folded over the end of the cathode assembly such that it is disposed along both sides of the cathode assembly, the folded over portion establishing the length of the straight sides of the winding; and (b) at the outermost portion thereof, the anode wrapped around the cathode assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell comprising:
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(a) an anode including an elongated strip of alkali metal having a first portion with a first uniform thickness of alkali metal and a second portion with a second, lesser uniform thickness of alkali metal, and a connector tab in electrical contact with the alkali metal on an edge thereof; (b) a cathode assembly including (1) a cathode current collector having on an edge thereof a first connector tab and a second connector tab, said first and second connector tabs in spaced apart relation; and (2) a cathode material bonded at a uniform density of reactive material to the current collector; the cathode assembly being shorter than the anode; the anode and the cathode assembly combined with a separator material therebetween in an elongated, unidirectional winding with two substantially straight sides, the winding having; (a) at the innermost portion thereof a portion of the anode including the first portion of the alkali metal strip folded over the end of the cathode assembly such that it is disposed along both sides of the cathode assembly, the folded over portion establishing the length of the straight sides of the winding; and (b) at the outermost portion thereof, the anode, including the second portion of the alkali metal strip, wrapped around the cathode assembly. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell comprising:
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(a) an anode assembly including (1) a first elongated lithium metal element; (2) a second elongated lithium metal element with a length shorter than that of the first lithium metal element; (3) an elongated anode current collector having the length of the first alkali metal element bonded on a first side to the first alkali metal element and bonded on a second side to the second, shorter alkali metal element such that a first portion of the current collector includes alkali metal on both sides and a second portion of the current collector includes alkali metal on only one side, the anode current collector having on an edge thereof a connector tab; (4) separator material covering the first and second alkali metal elements and sealed to provide a pouch around the anode current collector, the pouch having an opening through which the connector tab of the anode current collector projects; (b) a cathode assembly including (1) an elongated cathode current collector having on an edge thereof a first connector tab and a second connector tab, said first and second connector tabs in spaced apart relation; (2) a cathode material bonded at a uniform density to the current collector, the cathode material including as an active material silver vanadium oxide (3) separator material covering the cathode current collector and sealed to provide a pouch around the current collector, the pouch having a first opening through which the first connector tab of the cathode current collector projects and a second opening through which the second connector tab of the cathode current collector projects; the cathode assembly being shorter than the anode assembly; the anode assembly and the cathode assembly joined together in an elongated, unidirectional winding with two straight sides, the winding having; (a) at the innermost portion thereof a portion of the anode assembly including the first portion of the current collector folded over the end of the cathode assembly such that it is disposed along both sides of the cathode assembly, the folded over portion establishing the length of the straight sides of the winding; and (b) at the outermost portion thereof, the anode assembly, including the second portion of the current collector with the alkali metal element directed inward encompassing the cathode assembly. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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(a) a case having two parallel, substantially straight sides; (b) an electrode assembly within the case comprising; (1) an anode including an elongated strip of alkali metal having a first portion with a first uniform thickness of alkali metal and a second portion with a second, lesser uniform thickness of alkali metal, and a connector tab in electrical contact with the alkali metal on an edge thereof; (2) a cathode assembly including (i) a cathode current collector having on an edge thereof a first connector tab and a second connector tab, said first and second connector tabs in spaced apart relation; and (ii) a cathode material bonded at a uniform density of reactive material to the current collector; the cathode assembly being shorter than the anode; the anode and the cathode assembly combined with a separator material therebetween in an elongated, unidirectional winding with two substantially straight sides extending in the same direction as the straight sides of the case, the winding having; (i) at the innermost portion thereof a portion of the anode including the first portion of the alkali metal strip folded over the end of the cathode assembly such that it is disposed along both sides of the cathode assembly, the folded over portion establishing the length of the straight sides of the winding; and (ii) at the outermost portion thereof, the anode, including the second portion of the alkali metal strip, wrapped around the cathode assembly; (c) an organic electrolyte in contact with the electrode assembly. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. An electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell comprising:
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(a) an anode including an elongated strip of alkali metal having a uniform thickness and a connector tab in electrical contact with the alkali metal on an edge thereof; (b) a cathode assembly including (1) a cathode current collector having on an edge thereof a first connector tab and a second connector tab, said first and second connector tabs in spaced apart relation; and (2) a cathode material bonded at a first uniform density of reactive material to a first portion of the cathode current collector and at a second, lesser, uniform density of reactive material to a second portion of the cathode current collector; the cathode assembly being longer than the anode; the anode and the cathode assembly combined with a separator material therebetween in an elongated, unidirectional winding with two substantially straight sides, the winding having; (a) at the innermost portion thereof a portion of the cathode including the first portion of the current collector folded over the end of the anode assembly such that it is disposed along both sides of the anode assembly, the folded over portion establishing the length of the straight sides of the winding; and (b) at the outermost portion thereof, the cathode, including the second portion of the cathode current collector, is wrapped around the anode assembly. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification