Packaging assembly for a lithium battery
First Claim
1. A battery packaging assembly for enclosing at least one lithium battery, comprising:
- i) a thin plate rechargeable lithium battery having an anode containing a negative active substance, a cathode containing a positive active substance, a non-aqueous electrolyte conductive of lithium ions, a first current collector and a second current collector in contact with said anode and said cathode respectively, said first and said second current collectors having first and second elongated terminals, each elongated terminal having a width and a pair of opposing faces, and each of said first and second elongated terminals having a band of adherent electrically insulating coating covering said width of said elongated terminals on each of said opposing faces, said band of adherent electrically insulating coating being located, respectively, adjacent said anode in contact with said first current collector and said cathode in contact with said second current collector, and said band of adherent electrically insulating coating having a distal end;
ii) a multi-layered laminate comprising at least one heat-sealable inner insulator layer, an external polymer layer and a metallic foil located between the heat-sealable inner insulator layer and the external polymer layer, said multi-layered laminate forming an enclosure around said thin plate rechargeable lithium battery, said enclosure having at least one pair of unsealed opposing edges and at least one pair of sealed opposing edges, and said elongated terminals extending between said at least one pair of unsealed opposing edges, wherein said at least one heat-sealable inner insulator layer is heat-sealed to said band of adherent electrically insulating coating; and
iii) a rigid polymeric insulator sheet, having width in excess of said width of said elongated terminal, a first portion of said rigid polymeric insulator sheet being adhesively attached to said face of said elongated terminal adjacent said distal end of said band of adherent electrically insulating coating, a second portion of said rigid polymeric insulator sheet overlaying said distal end of said band of adherent insulating coating, whereby said rigid polymeric insulator sheet extends between said at least one unsealed edge of said multi-layered laminate enclosure and said band of adherent electrically insulating coating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The terminals of a thin plate rechargeable lithium battery are coated with a heat-sealable polymer. The coating forms a band on each face of the terminals and the band is heat-sealed to the inner insulator layers of a multi-layered polymer laminate enclosing the thin plate rechargeable lithium battery at a location close to an open edge of the insulator layer. Small sheets of rigid, high melting point, polymeric materials are inserted between the bands of coating carried by the terminals and the edge of the multi-layered laminate enclosing the lithium battery. A portion of the sheets of polymeric material is adhesively attached to the face of the terminal adjacent the bands of coating. The open edges of the multi-layered polymer laminate enclosure are subsequently sealed to enclose completely the thin plate lithium battery.
81 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A battery packaging assembly for enclosing at least one lithium battery, comprising:
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i) a thin plate rechargeable lithium battery having an anode containing a negative active substance, a cathode containing a positive active substance, a non-aqueous electrolyte conductive of lithium ions, a first current collector and a second current collector in contact with said anode and said cathode respectively, said first and said second current collectors having first and second elongated terminals, each elongated terminal having a width and a pair of opposing faces, and each of said first and second elongated terminals having a band of adherent electrically insulating coating covering said width of said elongated terminals on each of said opposing faces, said band of adherent electrically insulating coating being located, respectively, adjacent said anode in contact with said first current collector and said cathode in contact with said second current collector, and said band of adherent electrically insulating coating having a distal end; ii) a multi-layered laminate comprising at least one heat-sealable inner insulator layer, an external polymer layer and a metallic foil located between the heat-sealable inner insulator layer and the external polymer layer, said multi-layered laminate forming an enclosure around said thin plate rechargeable lithium battery, said enclosure having at least one pair of unsealed opposing edges and at least one pair of sealed opposing edges, and said elongated terminals extending between said at least one pair of unsealed opposing edges, wherein said at least one heat-sealable inner insulator layer is heat-sealed to said band of adherent electrically insulating coating; and iii) a rigid polymeric insulator sheet, having width in excess of said width of said elongated terminal, a first portion of said rigid polymeric insulator sheet being adhesively attached to said face of said elongated terminal adjacent said distal end of said band of adherent electrically insulating coating, a second portion of said rigid polymeric insulator sheet overlaying said distal end of said band of adherent insulating coating, whereby said rigid polymeric insulator sheet extends between said at least one unsealed edge of said multi-layered laminate enclosure and said band of adherent electrically insulating coating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of packaging at least one thin plate rechargeable lithium battery in a battery packaging assembly, said thin plate rechargeable lithium battery having an anode containing a negative active substance, a cathode containing a positive active substance, a non-aqueous electrolyte conductive of lithium ions, a first current collector and a second current collector in contact with said anode and said cathode respectively, said current collectors having first and second elongated terminals, each elongated terminal having a width and a pair of opposing faces, comprising the steps of:
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i) coating a band of adherent electrically insulating polymer compound on each opposing face of each elongated terminal adjacent said anode in contact with said first current collector, and said cathode in contact with said second current collector, respectively, said band of coating extending the width of said elongated terminal, said band of adherent electrically insulating coating having a distal end; ii) adhesively attaching a first portion of a rigid polymeric insulator sheet to each opposing face of each elongated terminal adjacent said distal end of said band of adherent electrically insulating coating, said rigid polymeric insulator sheet exceeding the width of said elongated terminal, whereby said distal end of said band of adherent electrically insulating coating is overlain by a second portion of said rigid polymeric insulator sheet; iii) placing said thin plate rechargeable lithium battery in a multi-layered laminate enclosure, said multi-layered laminate including at least one heat-sealable inner insulator layer, an external polymer layer and a metallic foil located between the heat-sealable inner insulator layer and the external polymer layer, said multi-layered laminate enclosure having at least one pair of unsealed opposing edges, such that said elongated terminals of said thin plate rechargeable lithium battery extend between said at least one pair of unsealed opposing edges; iv) heat-sealing said at least one heat-sealable inner insulator layer to said band of adherent electrically insulating coating, thereby obtaining a heat-seal weld in the proximity of said at least one unsealed edge of said multi-layered laminate enclosure, such that the overlaying portion of said rigid polymeric insulator sheet extends adjacent to said heat-seal weld between said band of adherent electrically insulating coating and said at least one unsealed edge of said multi-layered laminate enclosure, said rigid polymeric insulator sheet extending between said at least one unsealed edge and said band of adherent electrically insulating coating; and
,v) heat-sealing said unsealed opposing edges to one another, thereby completely enclosing said thin plate lithium battery in said multi-layered laminate enclosure.
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Specification