METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING CAPACITOR ELECTRODES USING A SPRAY

• US 20070014077A1
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Sherwood, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/508
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/008 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/048 characterised by their structure H01G11/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/06 Mounting in containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/14 Structural combinations or circuits for modifying, or compensating for, electric characteristics of electrolytic capacitors

Abstract

One embodiment of the present subject matter includes a capacitor stack, including at least a first substantially planar anode layer and at least a second substantially planar anode layer. In the embodiment, the capacitor stack formed by the process comprising aligning the first anode layer and the second anode layer so that a first anode edge face of the first anode layer and a second anode edge face of the second anode layer form an anode connection surface for electrical connection of the first anode and the second anode and spraying metal on the anode connection surface to electrically connect the first anode layer and the second anode layer.

Claims

1. A capacitor stack, including at least a first substantially planar anode layer and at least a second substantially planar anode layer, the capacitor stack formed by the process comprising:

aligning the first anode layer and the second anode layer so that a first anode edge face of the first anode layer and a second anode edge face of the second anode layer form an anode connection surface for electrical connection of the first anode and the second anode; and

spraying metal on the anode connection surface to electrically connect the first anode layer and the second anode layer.

2. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein the capacitor stack includes a first cathode layer disposed in alignment in the capacitor stack and a second cathode layer disposed in alignment in the capacitor stack;

and the capacitor stack is formed by the process further comprising;

aligning the first cathode layer and the second cathode layer so that a first cathode edge face of the first cathode layer and a second cathode edge face of the second cathode layer form a cathode connection surface for electrical connection of the first cathode and the second cathode; and

spraying metal on the cathode connection surface to electrically connect the first cathode and the second cathode.

3. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein the capacitor stack is adapted to deliver from about 5.3 joules per cubic centimeter of capacitor stack volume to about 6.3 joules per cubic centimeter of capacitor stack volume, at a voltage of approximately 465 volts to approximately 620 volts.

4. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein the first substantially planar anode layer includes a first anode connection member, and the second substantially planar anode layer includes a second anode connection member, with the first and second anode connection members at least partially defining the anode connection surface.

5. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein spraying metal includes atomizing the metal with an oxy-acetylene heat source, and blowing the metal toward the anode connection surface.

6. The capacitor stack of claim 5, wherein spraying metal includes depositing a weld onto the anode connection surface, the weld having a lower melting point than the anode connection surface.

7. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein spraying metal includes atomizing the metal with an pulsed-arc heat source, and blowing the metal toward the anode connection surface.

8. The capacitor stack of claim 7, wherein spraying metal includes depositing a weld onto the anode connection surface, the weld having a lower melting point than the anode connection surface.

9. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein spraying metal includes atomizing the metal with a direct current arc heat source, and blowing the heated metal toward the anode connection surface.

10. The capacitor stack of claim 9, wherein spraying metal includes depositing a weld onto the anode connection surface, the weld having a lower melting point than the anode connection surface.

11. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein the first substantially planar anode layer includes a substrate at least partially covered with an oxide, wherein the first anode edge face of the first anode includes a first exposed portion of the substrate.

12. The capacitor stack of claim 11, wherein spraying metal includes depositing metal on the first exposed portion of the substrate.

13. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein the capacitor stack is disposed in an implantable device.

14. The capacitor stack of claim 13, wherein the implantable device is an cardioverter defibrillator.

15. The capacitor stack of claim 1, wherein spraying metal deposits a weld, the weld having a thickness from about 0.000001 meters to about 0.0005 meters.

16. The capacitor stack of claim 15, wherein spraying metal deposits a weld, the weld having a thickness from about 0.0001 meters to about 0.0002 meters.

17. A method, comprising:

stacking at least a first anode layer, a second anode layer, and a first cathode layer into a capacitor stack, the first anode layer having a first anode edge face, the second anode layer having a second anode edge face;

aligning the first anode edge face with the second anode edge face, the alignment defining an anode connection surface for electrical connection of the first anode edge face and the second anode edge face; and

spraying metal onto the anode connection surface to form a weld, the weld connecting the first anode and the second anode.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising aging the capacitor stack and a weld, the weld formed by spraying metal onto the anode connection surface.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

aligning the first cathode layer and a second cathode layer such that the first cathode layer and the second cathode layer define a cathode connection surface for electrical connection of the first cathode layer and the second cathode layer; and

spraying metal on the cathode connection surface to electrically connect the first cathode and the second cathode.

20. The method of claim 17, additionally comprising:

connecting an anode conductor to the capacitor stack;

disposing the capacitor stack in a case with a first aperture and a second aperture, the anode conductor sealingly extending through the second aperture and conforming to the material defining the second aperture; and

sealingly connecting a lid to the first aperture, the lid conforming to the material defining the first aperture.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the capacitor is disposed in an implantable medical device including programmable pulse generation electronics.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

an electrode stack, comprising;

a first substantially planar capacitor electrode;

a second substantially planar capacitor electrode;

a third substantially planar capacitor electrode; and

means for interconnecting at least the first substantially planar electrode and the second substantially planar electrode without drawing an arc to the first substantially planar electrode and the second substantially planar electrode.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electrode stack is disposed in an implantable medical device which includes programmable pulse generation electronics to which the electrode stack is connected.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first substantially planar capacitor electrode is an anode, and the second substantially planar capacitor electrode is an anode.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the third substantially planar capacitor electrode is a cathode.