Slotted insulator for unsealed electrode edges in electrochemical cells
First Claim
1. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
- (a) a first electrode having spaced apart major faces extending to and meeting with an upper edge and a lower edge joining with a leading edge and an ending edge, wherein at least two leads extend outwardly at spaced intervals from at least one of the upper edge, the lower edge, the leading edge and the ending edge of the first electrode, and wherein the at least two leads are connected to a terminal for the first electrode;
(b) a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode;
(c) a separator disposed between at least one of the spaced apart major faces of the first electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the separator is unsealed at the edge having the leads extending from the first electrode so as not to completely envelope a length of the first electrode adjacent to the leads and the spaced interval between them; and
(d) an insulator sheet having a length and a width sufficient to cover the length of the unsealed edge having the leads, wherein the insulator sheet includes at least two slots sized and shaped to snugly receive the at least two leads, and wherein a portion of the insulator sheet overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and its leads from the counter electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In fabrication of conventional spirally wound cells, a length of separator is provided at least twice as long as one of the electrodes, for example, the cathode, and then folded to cover both sides of the electrode. The separator is also somewhat wider than the covered electrode to extend beyond the upper and lower edges thereof. The cathode assembly is then placed along side a strip of anode material and rolled into a jellyroll configuration. The separator sheet is not sealed at the opposed upper and lower edges of the cathode, and during high shock and vibration conditions the edges tend to mushroom which can lead to short circuit conditions. The insulator of the present invention is a slotted member that covers the upper and lower edges of the other electrode not covered by the separator, for example the anode with the anode leads extending through the slots to shield them from short circuit conditions with the cell casing or other leads if the cell should be subjected to severe shock forces and the like.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
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(a) a first electrode having spaced apart major faces extending to and meeting with an upper edge and a lower edge joining with a leading edge and an ending edge, wherein at least two leads extend outwardly at spaced intervals from at least one of the upper edge, the lower edge, the leading edge and the ending edge of the first electrode, and wherein the at least two leads are connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (b) a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (c) a separator disposed between at least one of the spaced apart major faces of the first electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the separator is unsealed at the edge having the leads extending from the first electrode so as not to completely envelope a length of the first electrode adjacent to the leads and the spaced interval between them; and (d) an insulator sheet having a length and a width sufficient to cover the length of the unsealed edge having the leads, wherein the insulator sheet includes at least two slots sized and shaped to snugly receive the at least two leads, and wherein a portion of the insulator sheet overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and its leads from the counter electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
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(a) a first electrode having a lead extending outwardly from the electrode, wherein the lead is connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (b) a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (c) a separator disposed between the first electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the separator is unsealed adjacent to the lead extending from the first electrode so as not to completely envelope either one of the first electrode adjacent to the lead and the counter electrode; and (d) an insulator that surrounds the lead of the first electrode, wherein a portion of the insulator overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode and wherein the lead extends from an edge of the first electrode with the insulator surrounding the lead covering the edge to segregate the first electrode and lead from the counter electrode.
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14. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
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(a) a first electrode having a lead extending outwardly from the electrode, wherein the lead is connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (b) a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (c) a separator disposed between the first electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the separator is unsealed adjacent to the lead extending from the first electrode so as not to completely envelope either one of the first electrode adjacent to the lead and the counter electrode; and (d) an insulator that surrounds the lead of the first electrode, wherein a portion of the insulator overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode and wherein the insulator is a sheet of insulation material provided with a slot that received the first electrode lead.
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15. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
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(a) a first electrode having a lead extending outwardly from the electrode, wherein the lead is connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (b) a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (c) a separator disposed between the first electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the separator is unsealed adjacent to the lead extending from the first electrode so as not to completely envelope either one of the first electrode adjacent to the lead and the counter electrode; and (d) an insulator that surrounds the lead of the first electrode, wherein a portion of the insulator overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode and wherein the first electrode has a plurality of leads extending therefrom and the insulator has a corresponding number of slots receiving the respective leads.
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16. A method for providing an electrochemical cell resistant to internal short circuiting, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a casing; (b) providing a first electrode having a lead extending outwardly from the electrode and connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (c) providing a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (d) disposing a separator between the first electrode and the counter electrode to provide an electrode assembly, wherein the separator is not sealed so as to completely envelope either one of the first electrode and the counter electrode; (e) insulating the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode with an insulator surrounding the lead, wherein a portion of the insulator overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode and wherein the lead extending from an edge of the first electrode with the insulator surrounding the lead covering the edge to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode; and (f) housing the electrode assembly inside the casing activated with an electrolyte.
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17. A method for providing an electrochemical cell resistant to internal short circuiting, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a casing; (b) providing a first electrode having spaced apart major faces extending to and meeting with an upper edge and a lower edge joining with a leading edge and an ending edge, wherein at least two leads extend outwardly at spaced intervals from at least one of the upper edge, the lower edge, the leading edge and the ending edge of the first electrode and are connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (c) providing a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (d) disposing a separator between at least one of the spaced apart major faces of the first electrode and the counter electrode to provide an electrode assembly, wherein the separator is not sealed at the edge having the leads so as to not completely envelope a length of the first electrode adjacent to the leads and the spaced interval between them; (e) insulating the first electrode and the leads from the counter electrode with an insulator sheet having a length and a width sufficient to cover the length of the unsealed edge having the leads, wherein the insulator sheet includes at least two slots sized and shaped to snugly receive the at least two leads, and wherein a portion of the insulator sheet overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and its leads from the counter electrode; and (f) housing the electrode assembly inside the casing activated with an electrolyte. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for providing an electrochemical cell resistant to internal short circuiting, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a casing; (b) providing a first electrode having a lead extending outwardly from the electrode and connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (c) providing a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (d) disposing a separator between the first electrode and the counter electrode to provide an electrode assembly, wherein the separator is not sealed so as to completely envelope either one of the first electrode and the counter electrode; (e) insulating the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode with an insulator surrounding the lead, wherein a portion of the insulator overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode and wherein the insulator is a sheet of insulation material provided with a slot that received the first electrode lead; and (f) housing the electrode assembly inside the casing activated with an electrolyte.
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31. A method for providing an electrochemical cell resistant to internal short circuiting, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a casing; (b) providing a first electrode having a lead extending outwardly from the electrode and connected to a terminal for the first electrode; (c) providing a counter electrode operatively associated with the first electrode; (d) disposing a separator between the first electrode and the counter electrode to provide an electrode assembly, wherein the separator is not sealed so as to completely envelope either one of the first electrode and the counter electrode; (e) insulating the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode with an insulator surrounding the lead, wherein a portion of the insulator overlaps the separator to segregate the first electrode and the lead from the counter electrode and wherein the first electrode having a plurality of electrode leads extending therefrom and the insulator having a corresponding number of slots receiving the respective leads; and (f) housing the electrode assembly inside the casing activated with an electrolyte.
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Specification