Nonaqueous-electrolyte battery

• US 6,268,079 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd. (GS Yuasa Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Japan Storage Battery Company Limited (GS Yuasa Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Takefumi, Kitano, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Brouillette, Gabrielle
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLS, MONIQUE M
• Application Number:
  US09/449,927
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 429/231.95, 429/94, 429/163, 429/171, 429/174, 429/175, 429/178, 429/181, 429/185, 429/233, 174/50.61
• US Class Current: 429/184
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/186 characterised by the disposition of the sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/191 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/533 characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/559 Terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round, elliptic or button cells H01M50/553 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/566 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/10 with wound or folded electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A metallic ring is insulatedly sealed around each of the positive electrode terminal and negative electrode terminal, previously, by the glass hermetic seal and ceramic hermetic seal in such a manner that it is sealed into the opening hole of the cover plate of a battery case. In this case, in order to prevent the corrosion of a metallic brazer which may occur in the ceramic hermetic seal and improve the workability, the ceramic material is brazed around the negative electrode terminal through a Au—Cu brazer or P—Cu brazer.

Claims

1. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery comprising:

a power generating element housed in a battery case, said power generating element including a positive electrode and a negative electrode;

negative and positive terminals electrically connected to negative and positive electrodes of said power generating element through negative and positive collectors, respectively, said terminals each being sealed into an opening hole of said battery case through an insulating material, said insulating material comprising a ceramic material which is brazed to said negative terminal through an Au—

Cu brazer or a P—

Cu brazer; and

metallic rings each hermetically sealed around each of said terminals through said insulating material, said metallic rings each being hermetically sealed into said opening hole of the battery case.

2. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein said negative terminal comprises one of copper, copper alloy, nickel and nickel alloy.

3. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein said positive terminal comprises one of aluminum and aluminum alloy, and said insulating material comprises a ceramic material which is brazed to said positive terminal through an aluminum brazer.

4. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein said negative and positive collectors are connected to said negative and positive electrodes, respectively, at ends in an axial direction of said power generating element which is wound in a cylindrical or elliptical-cylindrical shape.

5. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery comprising:

a battery case having a cover plate, said cover plate having a first and a second opening and comprising a first and a second upright portion formed at a peripheral edge of said first and second openings, respectively;

a power generating element housed in said battery case, said power generating element including a positive electrode and a negative electrode;

negative and positive terminals electrically connected to negative and positive electrodes of said power generating element through negative and positive collectors, respectively, said terminals each being sealed into said first and second openings of said cover plate through an insulating material; and

a first and a second metallic ring, each ring comprising a ring-shaped disk plate having an inner and an outer upright portion, which are bent upwards at an inner and an outer peripheral edge of said metallic rings, each ring being hermetically sealed around each of said terminals through said insulating material, and said first and second rings being hermetically sealed into said first and second openings of said cover plate.

6. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to 5, wherein said insulating material is a glass hermetic seal.

7. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 5, wherein said negative terminal comprises one of copper, copper alloy, nickel and nickel alloy.

8. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 7, wherein said insulating material comprises a ceramic material which is brazed to said negative terminal through an Au—

Cu brazer or a P—

Cu brazer.

9. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 5, wherein said positive terminal comprises one of aluminum and aluminum alloy, and said insulating material comprises a ceramic material which is brazed to said positive terminal through an aluminum brazer.

10. A nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to claim 5, wherein said negative and positive collectors are connected to said negative and positive electrodes, respectively, at ends in an axial direction of said power generating element which is wound in a cylindrical or elliptical-cylindrical shape.