Flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor and method of manufacturing the same

• US 6,919,240 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rubycon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rubycon Corporation
• Inventors: Komatsu, Akihiko, Uzawa, Shigeru, Matsuzawa, Taketo, Kobayashi, Yuuichi, Kamakura, Katsuhisa, Makino, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, LONG K
• Application Number:
  US10/842,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 438/171, 438/190, 438/210, 438/238, 438/239, 257/516, 29/250.3, 361/509, 361/512, 361/516, 361/519, 361/520, 361/523, 361/525, 361/528, 361/529
• US Class Current: 438/171
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/10 Sealing, e.g. of lead-in wires

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor comprising a separator impregnated with an electrolytic solution, an anode foil and a cathode foil, a flat capacitor element that has external lead-out terminals connected respectively to the anode foil and the cathode foil, and a flexible casing that houses the capacitor element and is hermetically sealed, said method comprising the steps of encasing the capacitor element in the flexible casing and applying aging treatment before hermetically sealing the casing, and hermetically sealing the flexible casing, and also relates to a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor comprising a separator impregnated with the electrolytic solution, the anode foil and the cathode foil, the flat capacitor element that has the external lead-out terminals connected respectively to the anode foil and the cathode foil, and the flexible casing that houses the capacitor element and is hermetically sealed, wherein the electrolytic capacitor is subjected to an aging treatment before the capacitor element is encased in the flexible casing which is hermetically sealed.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor comprising a separator impregnated with an electrolytic solution, an anode foil and a cathode foil, a flat capacitor element that has external lead-out terminals connected respectively to said anode foil and cathode foil, and a flexible casing that houses the capacitor element and is hermetically sealed, said method comprising the steps of encasing the capacitor element in the flexible casing and applying aging treatment before hermetically sealing the casing, and hermetically sealing the flexible casing.

2. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, further comprising the step of carrying out the aging treatment again after the step of hermetically sealing the flexible casing.

3. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, further comprising a step of carrying out impregnation with the electrolytic solution before encasing said capacitor element in the flexible casing, or carrying out impregnation with the electrolytic solution within the flexible casing after encasing the capacitor element in the flexible casing.

4. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, further comprising the step of once again impregnating the capacitor element, that has been subjected to the aging treatment, with the electrolytic solution.

5. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 4, wherein electrolytic solutions of different compositions are used in the first and the second impregnation steps.

6. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the flexible casing is hermetically sealed under the condition of reduced pressure below 1 atm. in order to reduce voids in the flexible casing, after encasing said capacitor element in the flexible casing.

7. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the aging treatment is carried out at least once at an ambient temperature in a range from 10 to 125°

C.

8. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the aging treatment is carried out under the condition of reduced pressure.

9. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the aging treatment is carried out while applying a voltage stepwise.

10. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the aging treatment is carried out at a constant voltage.

11. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said flat capacitor element has a stacked structure formed by laminating the anode foil and the cathode foil of a predetermined size alternately via separators, or winding a laminate of long anode and cathode foils laminated one on another with the resultant roll being flattened.

12. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, further comprising a step of carrying out the aging treatment after encasing the capacitor element, that has been encased in the flexible casing, in an outer casing having a higher strength.

13. A method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor comprising a separator impregnated with an electrolytic solution, an anode foil and a cathode foil, a flat capacitor element that has external lead-out terminals connected respectively to said anode foil and cathode foil, and a flexible casing that houses the capacitor element and is hermetically sealed, said method comprises the steps of encasing the capacitor element in a predetermined casing and applying aging treatment under sealed condition, purging a gas that has been generated within, and hermetically sealing the flexible casing.

14. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, further comprising the step of carrying out the aging treatment again after the step of hermetically sealing the flexible casing.

15. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, further comprising a step of carrying out impregnation with the electrolytic solution before encasing said capacitor element in the flexible casing, or carrying out impregnation with the electrolytic solution within the flexible casing after encasing the capacitor element in the flexible casing.

16. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, further comprising the step of once again impregnating the capacitor element, that has been subjected to the aging treatment, with the electrolytic solution.

17. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein the aging treatment is carried out at least once at an ambient temperature in a range from 10 to 125°

C.

18. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein the aging treatment is carried out under the condition of reduced pressure.

19. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein the aging treatment is carried out while applying a voltage stepwise.

20. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein the aging treatment is carried out at a constant voltage.

21. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein said flat capacitor element has a stacked structure formed by laminating the anode foil and the cathode foil of a predetermined size alternately via separators, or winding a laminate of long anode and cathode foils laminated one on another with the resultant roll being flattened.

22. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, further comprising a step of carrying out the aging treatment after encasing the capacitor element, that has been encased in the flexible casing, in an outer casing having a higher strength.

23. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein the flexible casing is hermetically sealed under the condition of reduced pressure below 1 atm. in order to reduce voids in the flexible casing, after encasing said capacitor element in the flexible casing.

31. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein the aging treatment is carried out at a constant voltage.

24. A method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor comprising a separator impregnated with an electrolytic solution, an anode foil and a cathode foil, a flat capacitor element that has external lead-out terminals connected respectively to said anode foil and cathode foil and a flexible casing that houses the capacitor element and is hermetically sealed, said method comprises the steps of aging the capacitor element while impregnating with the electrolytic solution, and hermetically sealing the flexible casing.

25. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, further comprising the step of carrying out the aging treatment again after the step of hermetically sealing the flexible casing.

26. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, further comprising a step of carrying out impregnation with the electrolytic solution before encasing said capacitor element in the flexible casing, or carrying out impregnation with the electrolytic solution within the flexible casing after encasing the capacitor element in the flexible casing.

27. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, further comprising the step of once again impregnating the capacitor element, that has been subjected to the aging treatment, with the electrolytic solution.

28. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, wherein the aging treatment is carried out at least once at an ambient temperature in a range from 10 to 125°

C.

29. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, wherein the aging treatment is carried out under the condition of reduced pressure.

30. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, wherein the aging treatment is carried out while applying a voltage stepwise.

32. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, wherein said flat capacitor element has a stacked structure formed by laminating the anode foil and the cathode foil of a predetermined size alternately via separators, or winding a laminate of long anode and cathode foils laminated one on another with the resultant roll being flattened.

33. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, further comprising a step of carrying out the aging treatment after encasing the capacitor element, that has been encased in the flexible casing, in an outer casing having a higher strength.

34. The method of manufacturing a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, wherein the flexible casing is hermetically sealed under the condition of reduced pressure below 1 atm. in order to reduce voids in the flexible casing, after encasing said capacitor element in the flexible casing.