Systems and methods to connect sintered aluminum electrodes of an energy storage device

• US 9,721,731 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Sherwood, Gregory J., Root, Michael J., Daley, Jay E., Stemen, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, DION
• Application Number:
  US15/238,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20160358715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3782 producing a voltage above the power source level
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/008 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/012 specially adapted for solid capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/02 Diaphragms; Separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/052 Sintered electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/08 Housing; Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/14 Structural combinations or circuits for modifying, or compensating for, electric characteristics of electrolytic capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/15 Solid electrolytic capacitors H01G11/00 takes precedence

Abstract

This document provides an apparatus including a sintered electrode, a second electrode and a separator material arranged in a capacitive stack. A conductive interconnect couples the sintered electrode and the second electrode. Embodiments include a clip interconnect. In some embodiments, the interconnect includes a comb-shaped connector. In some embodiments, the interconnect includes a wire snaked between adjacent sintered substrates.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cathode;

a separator stacked in alignment with the cathode;

an anode assembly disposed in a stack with the cathode and the separator, the separator disposed between the cathode and the anode assembly to physically separate the cathode and the anode assembly, wherein the anode assembly includes;

a first layer including a first sintered material deposited on a first substrate;

a second layer stacked with the first layer, the second layer including a second sintered material deposited on a second substrate, wherein the first substrate of the first layer and the second substrate of the second layer are proximate each other and between the first sintered material and the second sintered material; and

an interconnect coupled to the first substrate and the second substrate to electrically couple the first layer and the second layer of the anode assembly, wherein the interconnect includes a conductive element disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are substantially sinter-free along a path of the conductive element.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interconnect includes a wire snaked between the first layer and the second layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interconnect includes a conductive ribbon snaked between the first layer and the second layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a sinter-free side of each anode substrate is proximate the other.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interconnect path proceeds through areas where the substrates are free of sintered material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates have a flexibility greater than a material flexibility of the sintered material.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interconnect coupled to the first substrate and the second substrate physically and electrically couples the first layer and the second layer of the stack.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first layer includes a first tab extending from a first location along a perimeter of the first layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first layer includes a second tab extending from a second location, other than the first location, along the perimeter of the first layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second layer includes a second tab extending from the first location along a perimeter of the second layer, and wherein the first tab is coupled to the second tab using the interconnect.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, including a weld to couple the first tab with the second tab.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, where at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a notch configured to expose the conductive element disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.