Capacitor with defined terminal plate and housing joint areas

• US 8,233,267 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miura, Teruhisa, Kawasaki, Shusaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramaswamy, Arun
• Application Number:
  US12/525,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 361/301.5, 361/303, 361/306, 361/511
• US Class Current: 361/511
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/74 Terminals, e.g. extensions of current collectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/78 Cases; Housings; Encapsulations; Mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/80 Gaskets; Sealings
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/82 Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/0003 Protection against electric or thermal overload; cooling arrangements; means for avoiding the formation of cathode films H01G9/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/06 Mounting in containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/08 Housing; Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The capacitor includes element (1) provided with electrodes at its both ends; metal case (2) with cathode electrode (1c) of element (1) joined to a joint part on the inner bottom surface of metal case (2), containing cathode electrode (1c); and a terminal plate with anode electrode (1b) of element (1) joined to a joint part on the inner surface of the terminal plate, sealing the opening of metal case (2). S1<S2<S3 holds, where S1 is the area of joint part (2a) of metal case (2); S2 is the area of joint part (3a) of the terminal plate; S3 is the touching area of the inner bottom surface and element (1), excluding joint part (2a) of metal case (2). When the terminal plate arranged on element (1) inside metal case (2) is pressurized, joint part (2a) of metal case (2) crushes cathode electrode (1c) of element (1), and then joint part (3a) of the terminal plate crushes anode electrode (1b) of element (1). Accordingly, both electrodes (1b, 1c) of element (1) can be laser-welded stably in a desired crush amount, thereby improving reliability of joining.

Claims

1. A capacitor comprising:

an element produced in a way in which a pair of positive and negative electrodes having a polarizable electrode layer formed on a collector, except on one end thereof, made of metal foil, are stacked in a reverse direction to each other, and the pair of positive and negative electrodes are rolled up with a separator interposed therebetween, which causes an unformed part of the polarizable electrode layer on each of the positive and negative electrodes to be exposed on each end face facing the other to form a pair of electrode extraction parts;

a bottomed, cylindrical metal case containing the element together with a driving electrolyte, and with one electrode of the element joined to a joint part convexly provided on an inner bottom surface of the metal case;

a terminal plate with an other electrode of the element joined to a joint part convexly provided on an inner surface of the terminal plate, sealing an opening of the metal case,

wherein S1<

S2<

S3 holds, where S1 is an area of the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner bottom surface of the metal case;

S2 is an area of the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner surface of the terminal plate; and

S3 is a touching area of the inner bottom surface of the metal case and the element, excluding the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner bottom surface of the metal case.

2. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein at least one of a longitudinal side of the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner bottom surface of the metal case;

and a longitudinal side of the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner surface of the terminal plate, contacts a diameter part of the element.

3. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein a projection height of the joint part joined to the element, provided convexly on the inner bottom surface of the metal case is equal to a height by which the element touching the joint part and pressure-welded to the joint part deforms.

4. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein joining of the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner bottom surface of the metal case;

and joining of the joint part joined to the element, provided on the inner surface of the terminal plate, are performed by laser welding.

5. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the joint part provided convexly on the inner bottom surface and the joint part provided convexly on the inner surface of the terminal plate is in a straight line.

6. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the joint part provided on the inner bottom surface of the metal case is in a strip shape.

7. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the joint part provided on the inner surface of the terminal plate is in a strip shape.