Anode assembly with thin metal current collector and electrochemical cell comprising an anode support structure and a gas release system
First Claim
1. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
- an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell, the anodic layer being a substantially solid sheet;
a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer being a substantially solid sheet, having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and
a rigid support comprising a substantially solid sheet of a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the sheet of the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising a current collector layer having a thickness less than about 10 mils, and desirably less than about 4 mils, and a rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer of the anode and the rigid support. The rigid support maintains the current collector layer in the original configuration of the current collector layer during discharge and recharge cycles of the cell. A cell containing the anode is also disclosed. The rigid support for the anode current collector can be mounted in the electrochemical cell case so as to allow for the release from the cell of gas produced at the anode.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell, the anodic layer being a substantially solid sheet; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer being a substantially solid sheet, having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a substantially solid sheet of a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the sheet of the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24)
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8. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, wherein the rigid support comprises a mechanical spring so that when the anode is mounted in a cell case, the rigid support can be forcibly biased against the one side of the current collector layer, the rigid support comprises a panel, the mechanical spring comprises a plurality of leaf springs extending from the panel to respective distal ends, and the panel of the rigid support has a periphery and the leaf springs extend outwardly from the periphery.
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10. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, wherein the rigid support forms a flow path for releasing gas produced at the anode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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14. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer having a thickness less than about 4 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, wherein the metal of the current collector layer comprises metal foil. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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19. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, wherein the current collector layer forms a flow path for releasing gas produced at the anode. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, wherein the current collector layer and the rigid support form a flow path for releasing gas produced at the anode. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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25. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of a metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer having a thickness less than about 10 mils and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, and an anode case, the anodic layer, current collector layer and rigid support disposed in the anode case, the anode case having an opening for releasing gas produced at the anode, and the rigid support mounted in the anode case and spaced apart from at least a portion of the anode case so that the gas can flow to and through the opening in the anode case. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An anode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
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an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; a current collector layer of metal foil capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; and a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a. a case; b. a cathode disposed in the cell case; c. an anode disposed in the cell case, the anode comprising; an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell; and
a current collector layer of metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer;d. electrolyte disposed in the cell case between the anode and the cathode; and e. a rigid support comprising a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, the anode being between the cathode and the rigid support;
the cell case having an opening for releasing gas produced at the anode, and the rigid support mounted in the case and spaced apart from at least a portion of the case so as to form a flow path for the gas to follow from the anode, to and through the opening in the case. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a. a case; b. a cathode disposed in the cell case; c. an anode disposed in the cell case, the anode comprising; an anodic layer of a metal which is capable of being oxidized in the cell to produce electricity during discharge of the cell, the anodic layer being a substantially solid sheet; and a current collector layer of metal capable of conducting electricity produced during discharge of the cell but not being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the current collector layer being a substantially solid sheet and extending adjacent one side of the anodic layer; d. electrolyte disposed in the cell case between the anode and the cathode; and e. a rigid support comprising a substantially solid sheet of a material that is not capable of being oxidized during discharge of the cell, the sheet of the rigid support extending adjacent one side of the current collector layer so that the current collector layer is sandwiched between the anodic layer and the rigid support, the anode being between the cathode and the rigid support; the rigid support comprising a mechanical spring and being mounted in the case so as to be forcibly biased against the one side of the current collector layer, which, in turn, is forcibly biased against the anode. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification