Manufacture of flexible thin layer electrochemical cell

• US 6,752,842 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Paper Ltd. (Products To Go, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Power Paper Ltd. (Products To Go, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nitzan, Zvi, Luski, Shalom
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US09/882,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20020192542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 296/233, 296/235
• US Class Current: 29/623.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0486 Frames for plates or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/461 with adhesive layers between electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/12 with flat 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49112 including laminating of indefinite length material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A flexible thin layer electrochemical cell and a method of using a lamination process for manufacture thereof, the cell having a plurality of layers including a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer with a separator interspersed therebetween and wherein the separator serves as a lead element upon which the other layers are laminated using an adhesive frame mounted on the lead element.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a thin layer electrochemical cell comprising the steps of:

providing a separator layer;

providing a positive electrode layer,

providing a negative electrode layer;

impregnating said separator layer; and

passing said positive electrode layer, said separator layer and said negative electrode layer through a lamination unit so as to laminate said positive and negative electrode layers onto said separator layer.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of impregnating a non-conductive material to form a non-conductive region within at least one of said layers.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of laminating further comprises impregnating a non-conductive material to form a non-conductive sealed region within at least one of said layers.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said non-conductive region is formed as a border defining an outer boundary of said cell.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said non-conductive region extends through at least two of said layers.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said non-conductive region extends through all three of said layers.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the thin layer electrochemical cell is an open thin layer electrochemical cell.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of applying a partial layer of non-conductive material to the separator layer.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said non-conductive material is an adhesive material.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said adhesive material is any one of a group comprising urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, other cross-linked acrylates, and cured acrylates.

11. A method according to claim 8, comprising the step of adding an impregnation agent to said partial layer.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said impregnation agent is selected from the group consisting of polyisobutylene, ethyl cellulose, a fluoro polymer, an acrylic resin, a vinyl resin, and polyurethane.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said non-conductive material is selected from the group consisting of a hot melt material, a hot melt pressure sensitive material and a UV curable pressure sensitive material.

14. A method of manufacturing a thin layer electrochemical cell comprising the steps of:

providing a separator layer;

adding an impregnation agent to said separator layer, said impregnation agent being selected from the group consisting of polyisobutylene, ethyl cellulose, a fluoro polymer, an acrylic resin, a vinyl resin and polyurethane;

providing a positive electrode layer;

providing a negative electrode layer; and

laminating together said positive and negative electrode layers onto said separator layer.

15. A method of manufacturing a thin layer electrochemical cell comprising the steps of:

providing a separator layer;

applying a partial layer of non-conduction material to the separator layer;

adding an impregnation agent to said partial layer, said impregnation agent being selected from the group consisting of polyisobutylene, ethyl cellulose, a fluoro polymer, an acrylic resin, a vinyl resin and polyurethane;

providing a positive electrode layer;

providing a negative electrode layer; and

laminating together said positive and negative electrode layers onto said separator layer.