Electrode plate for an electrochemical cell and having a metal foam type support, and a method of obtaining such an electrode
First Claim
1. An electrode plate for an electrochemical cell and having a metal foam support, the plate comprising a plate head and an active portion pasted with active material, wherein said plate head includes a zone of thickness that is reduced relative to the thickness e2 of said active portion and extending along the entire length L of the plate along its top edge, said zone of reduced thickness having a height h1 over a fraction of the length of the electrode plate and a greater height G over the remainder of the length of the electrode so as to form a connection tab, said zone of reduced thickness comprising three thicknesses of non-pasted metal foam compressed against each other:
- the first thickness comprising a non-pasted zone of the support and the other two thicknesses comprising add-on pieces of metal foam on either side of the non-pasted zone of the support, said add-on pieces having a height h2 overlapping the pasted portion of the support, the zone corresponding to said height h2 having the same non-reduced thickness e2 as the remainder of the electrode plate.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The electrode plate includes an active portion that is pasted with active material, and a plate head that is made up of three layers of compressed metal foam comprising: a non-pasted portion of height G of the support of the electrode plate; and two strips of non-pasted metal foam of height R on either side of the non-pasted portion of height G of the support and also extending for an overlap height h2 over the pasted portion of the support. The plate head includes a zone of reduced thickness including a portion that is maximally compressed, and a transitional portion between said maximally compressed portion and the remainder of the electrode which is of thickness e2. A portion of said plate head forms a connection tab. The method of obtaining the electrode consists in simultaneously rolling all three layers of metal foam in the plate head, and then in cutting matter away from the plates so as to obtain respective connection tabs.
20 Citations
2 Claims
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1. An electrode plate for an electrochemical cell and having a metal foam support, the plate comprising a plate head and an active portion pasted with active material, wherein said plate head includes a zone of thickness that is reduced relative to the thickness e2 of said active portion and extending along the entire length L of the plate along its top edge, said zone of reduced thickness having a height h1 over a fraction of the length of the electrode plate and a greater height G over the remainder of the length of the electrode so as to form a connection tab, said zone of reduced thickness comprising three thicknesses of non-pasted metal foam compressed against each other:
- the first thickness comprising a non-pasted zone of the support and the other two thicknesses comprising add-on pieces of metal foam on either side of the non-pasted zone of the support, said add-on pieces having a height h2 overlapping the pasted portion of the support, the zone corresponding to said height h2 having the same non-reduced thickness e2 as the remainder of the electrode plate.
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2. A method of manufacturing an electrode plate comprising a zone of reduced thickness e2 extending along the entire length L of the plate, said zone comprising three thicknesses of non-pasted metal foam, wherein the following operations are performed starting from a support tape of a metal foam of height H and of initial thickness e1 :
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a) pasting active material on a portion of said support tape so as to leave a non-pasted strip of height G at the top of the tape; b) compressing said support tape so as to reduce its thickness to a value e2 that is about one-half to about two-thirds of e1 ; c) placing a metal foam strip of height R=G+h2 on both sides of the strip of height G of said support tape, and also over a small overlap height h2 overlying the pasted portion of said support tape; d) compressing an assembly comprising the two add-on tapes with the support tape between them so as to reduce said assembly to the thickness e2 ; e) maximally compressing the zone of height G, thereby forming a transitional zone having a thickness which varies between a thickness of total crushing and the thickness e2 of the portion of height H-G; and f) cutting the tape so as to form electrode plates of length L, and cutting off a fraction of the top portion of each electrode plate so as to leave a height of h1 above the pasted portion of the electrode over a fraction of the length of the electrode so that the remaining non-cut off portion forms a connection tab of height G above the pasted portion.
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Specification