Cell tester device employing spaced apart electrochromic electrodes

• US 5,709,962 A
• Filed: 11/08/1994
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US08/396,505
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 429/92, 429/93, 324/435
• US Class Current: 429/93
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/403 using passive display devices, e.g. liquid crystal display or Kerr effect display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1525 characterised by a particular ion transporting layer, e.g. electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/505 Cells combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A tester label for electrochemical cells employing two spaced apart electrically conductive electrochromic electrodes in which an ionically conductive electrolyte is disposed on the electrodes and in the space between the electrodes to produce a two-layer tester for batteries so that when the electrodes are applied to a power source, the electrochromic electrodes will undergo a chemical reaction and exhibit a change of color thereby producing a color contrast between them.

Claims

1. A cell tester device for an electrochemical cell having a first terminal and a second terminal of opposite polarity;

a substrate;

a first electrically conductive electrochromic electrode disposed on said substrate;

a second electrically conductive electrochromic electrode disposed on said substrate and spaced from said first electrochromic electrode;

an ionically conductive electrolyte extended in contrast with at least a portion of each electrode;

said first electrochromic electrode adapted to electrically contact the first terminal of the cell; and

said second electrochromic electrode adapted to electrically contact the second terminal of the cell so that when the first electrode makes electrical contact with the first terminal and the second electrode makes electrical contact with the second terminal, both electrodes will undergo a chemical reaction to exhibit a visible contrasting color change.

2. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein at least one electrode comprises a electrically conductive electrochromic material.

3. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein at least one electrode comprises an electrochromic material mixed with a electrically conductive material.

4. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein at least one electrode comprises an electrically conductive matrix containing an electrochromic material dispersed homogeneously throughout and in contact with said matrix.

5. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are made with the same material.

6. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein at least one of said electrochromic electrodes comprises at least one inorganic electrochromic material.

7. The cell tester of claim 6 wherein the inorganic electrochromic material is selected from the group consisting of WO₃, MoO₃, TiO₂, SnO₂, Cr₂ O₃, NiO₂, MnO₂, MnO₄, and Prussian blue.

8. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein at least one of said electrochromic electrodes comprises at least one organic electrochromic material selected from the group consisting of macrocyclic and polycyclic materials.

9. The cell tester of claim 8 wherein the organic electrochromic material is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted phthalocyanines, polypyrroles, polyanilines, and polythiophenes.

10. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein the ionically conductive electrolyte is disposed between the electrodes and the substrate is a plastic film that is at least translucent so that the visible change in the electrodes can be seen through the plastic film.

11. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are deposited on the substrate so that one side makes contact with the substrate and the ionically conductive electrolyte is deposited at least over a portion of the opposite side of the electrodes.

12. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein the ionically conductive electrolyte comprises a material selected from the group consisting of inorganic and organic materials.

13. The cell tester of claim 12 wherein the ionically electrolyte material is selected from the group consisting of poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl propanesulfonic acid, polystyrenesulfonic acid, and polymers containing aqueous or nonaqueous electrolytes.

14. The cell tester of claim 13 wherein the electrochromic electrodes comprise at least one organic electrochromic material selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted phthalocyanines, polypyrroles, polyanilines, and polythiophenes.

15. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein the first electrode is from 1 to 250 microns thick, the second electrode is from 1 to 250 microns thick, the ionically conductive electrolyte is from 1 to 250 microns thick and the space between electrodes is from 5 to 1250 microns.

16. The cell tester of claim 15 wherein the electrochromic electrodes are polyaniline, and the ionically conductive electrolyte is poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl propanesulfonic acid poly(AMPS)!.

17. The cell tester of claim 15 wherein the electrochromic electrodes are polypyrrole, and the ionically conductive electrolyte is poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl propanesulfonic acid poly(AMPS)!.

18. The cell tester of claim 1 wherein the electrochromic electrodes are printed on the substrate and the ionically conductive electrolyte is printed on at least a portion of the electrochromic electrodes and in the space between the electrodes.

19. The cell tester of claim 18 wherein each of the electrochromic electrodes are from 1 to 250 microns thick, the ionically conductive electrolyte is from 1 to 250 microns thick, and the spacing between electrodes is from 5 to 1250 microns.

20. The cell tester of claim 19 wherein the electrochromic electrodes comprise polyaniline.

21. The cell tester of claim 13 wherein said electrolyte material is polyethylene oxide containing an aqueous solution of HCl or H₂ SO₄.