Thin card including a flat battery and contact means

• US 5,955,217 A
• Filed: 06/11/1997
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Lerberghe, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nuzzolillo, Maria
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANEY, CAROL DIANE
• Application Number:
  US08/873,262
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 429/162, 429/170, 429/178, 429/179, 429/180, 429/181, 429/233, 429/234, 429/98
• US Class Current: 429/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0273 with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A battery is disclosed having a frame with conducting parts which are separated by insulating parts to form a cavity. The battery includes a cell located in the cavity having electrodes connected to the conducting parts. An insulating cover foil covers the cell. The conducting parts extend substantially along two sides of the frame. In addition, an insulating foil is located over inner surfaces of the conducting parts, where the inner surfaces face toward the cavity. Instead a single cell, many cells may be provided in the cavity, where the cells are vertically stacked over one another connected either in parallel or in series.

Claims

1. A card including a flat electric battery and contact means, comprising:

first and second cover foils,

a frame sealed to said cover foils at their periphery, said frame having a central cavity,

a flat battery element arranged in the central cavity of the frame, having electrodes of opposite polarity,

wherein

the first and second cover foils are made of an insulating synthetic material,

the frame comprises parts made of a conducting material, which are sealed to the electrodes of opposite polarity and are mutually insulated by parts of said frame of insulating material, and the parts of the frame of the conducting material are arranged substantially throughout the width or substantially throughout the length of the cover foils of the card.

2. A card as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or several portions of the frame protrude(s) beyond the periphery of one, or of the two cover foils.

3. A card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame comprises two sub-frames which are attached together.

4. A card as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of the sub-frames is sealed to said first cover foil and the other sub-frame is sealed to said second cover foil.

5. A card as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electric battery is constituted by an electrochemical cell including two flat electrodes.

6. A card as claimed in claim 2, comprising at least two electric battery elements arranged substantially parallel in the cavity of the frame and having one common electrode of the same polarity.

7. A card as claimed in claim 6, wherein flat battery elements are separated in an impervious manner by an insulating foil attached to inner surfaces, which face said cavity, of the parts of the frame made of the conducting material.

8. A card as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electrodes of opposite polarity of the flat battery elements are sealed to the parts of conducting material of the frame, and wherein two facing parts of conducting material of the frame corresponding to the two adjacent battery elements are electrically connected for connecting the two battery elements in series.

9. A card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery element(s) is (are) rechargeable.

10. A card as claimed in claim 9, wherein the battery element(s) is (are) of lead-acid.

11. A card as claimed in claim 10, wherein one of the cover foils has a locally thinner portion for safety purposes.

12. A card as claimed in claim 10, having an exhaust at the location of a seal between two parts of said thin card.

13. A battery comprising:

a frame having conducting parts which are separated by insulating parts to form a cavity;

a cell located in said cavity having electrodes connected to said conducting parts; and

an insulating cover foil which covers said cell, said conducting parts extending substantially along two sides of said frame.

14. The battery of claim 13, further comprising an insulating foil located over inner surfaces of said conducting parts, said inner surfaces facing toward said cavity.

15. A battery comprising:

a frame having conducting parts which are separated by insulating parts to form a cavity;

a plurality of cells having electrodes connected to said conducting parts and inter-connected electrodes; and

an insulating cover foil which covers said plurality of cells, said plurality of cells being vertically stacked over one another in said cavity.

16. The battery of claim 15, wherein said inter-connected electrodes connect said plurality of cells in parallel.

17. The battery of claim 15, wherein said inter-connected electrodes connect said plurality of cells in series.