Wafer alkaline cell

• US 7,776,468 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: O'Brien, Charles E., Richards, Thomas C., Tang, Yali, Boulton, Jonathan M., Davis, Stuart M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples; John S
• Application Number:
  US11/433,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20060204839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/287 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment H01M10/283 and H01M10/286 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/50 of manganese
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/66 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings H01M4/669 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/662 Alloys collectors of lead alloys H01M4/685
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/667 in the form of layers, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/668 Composites of electroconductive material and synthetic resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/669 Steels
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/70 characterised by shape or form
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/74 Meshes or woven material; Expanded metal
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/742 perforated material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/124 having a layered structure
• 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 6/12 with flat electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• 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 wafer alkaline cell of a laminar structure is disclosed. The cell comprises an anode assembly and a cathode assembly bonded together to form a laminate structure. There may be one and desirably two anode frames securing an anode current collector sheet sandwiched therebetween. There may be a cathode frame bonded to the anode frames. There is an anode current collector sheet within the anode assembly. There is a cathode current collector sheet, optionally with an attached metal mesh embedded within the cathode assembly to assure good electrical contact with the cathode. Alternatively, a cathode endplate with spring action is employed which can move in response to changes of volume or pressure within the cathode, thereby maintaining good contact. The anode current collector may be precoated with a sealing metal forming an alkaline resistant metal oxide film to improve bonding to the frame. The cell is durable and preferably rigid and resists electrolyte leakage.

Claims

1. In a wafer alkaline cell comprising a negative and a positive terminal, and a pair of opposing sides comprising at least the majority of the boundary surface of said cell, said opposing sides defining a short cell dimension there-between, said cell comprising an anode assembly and a cathode assembly secured together forming a laminate structure, said anode assembly comprising an anode material therein and said cathode assembly comprising a cathode material therein,

wherein said anode assembly comprises a housing for said anode material, and said cathode assembly comprises a housing for said cathode material, said anode and cathode housings comprising an organic polymeric material, said anode and cathode housings being adhesively bonded together with a separator there-between to form a laminate structure, wherein said anode assembly further comprises an anode current collector sheet in electrical contact with the anode material, wherein said cathode assembly further comprises a cathode current collector sheet in electrical contact with the cathode material, the improvement comprising:

a sheet of metal mesh having openings therethrough bonded to a side of said cathode current collector sheet, and wherein at least a portion of said cathode material is at least partially embedded within said mesh.

2. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said metal mesh is maintained in close contact with the cathode material and also in close contact with the cathode current collector sheet despite any change in volume of the cathode material occurring during cell storage or discharge.

3. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said metal mesh has the property that it maintains close contact with the cathode material and also close contact with the cathode current collector sheet despite any change in internal pressure within the cell occurring during cell storage or discharge.

4. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said mesh comprises diamond shaped openings having a short dimension between about 0.3 mm and 2.0 mm and a long dimension between about 0.5 mm to 4.8 mm.

5. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said metal mesh comprises nickel.

6. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said metal mesh has a plurality of depressions in its top surface facing the cathode material, wherein said depressions form corresponding protrusions extending from the bottom surface of said mesh facing the cathode current collector sheet.

7. The alkaline cell of claim 6 wherein said protrusions extending from the bottom surface of said mesh are welded to said cathode current collector sheet.

8. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said metal mesh has at least one of its corners folded over so that said folded corner faces and contacts the cathode material.

9. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein said metal mesh has at least one of its edges folded over so that said folded edge faces and contacts the cathode material.

10. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein the short dimension of said cell defines the cell overall thickness and said overall cell thickness is between about 0.5 and 6 mm.

11. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein the short dimension of said cell defines the cell overall thickness and said overall cell thickness is between about 1.5 and 4 mm.

12. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein the opposing sides defining the short dimension of the cell therebetween are substantially flat and parallel to each other.

13. The alkaline cell of claim 1 wherein the cell in is the shape of a cuboid.