Battery with electrochemical tester

• US 5,250,905 A
• Filed: 09/24/1991
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Duracell Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kulik, Frederick A., Chi, Ignacio, Kuo, Han C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, GLENN WARNER
• Application Number:
  US07/764,610
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/435, 324/437, 324/104, 340/636, 320/48, 429/90, 429/91, 429/92, 429/93
• US Class Current: 324/435
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5044 Cells or batteries structurally combined with cell condition indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

An electrochemical cell is provided with an integrally related state of charge indicator comprising an electrochemically generated display. The state of charge indicator comprises two electrical contacts and an electrochemically generated display connected therebetween. The display comprises an electrochemical cell that is permanently connected to the cell in a parallel configuration via the contacts. The condition of the cell is thus continuously displayed.

Claims

1. In combination, a battery and a battery condition indicator wherein said indicator comprises an electrochemical cell comprising a pair of electrodes, said cell being permanently electrically connected in parallel to the battery with at least one of said electrodes of said indicator being visible, whereby the condition of the battery is determined by observing a change in said visible electrode.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cell has a voltage less than or equal to said battery.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cell has an impedance of at least 100 times the impedance of the battery.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cell has an impedance of at least 1000 times the impedance of the battery.

5. In combination, an electrochemical cell and a cell condition indicator;

said electrochemical cell comprising a container, a negative terminal and a positive terminal;

said condition indicator operating by having electrochemical activity occur therein in parallel with electrochemical activity in said cell, and said indicator being positioned externally to said cell;

said indicator comprising a first electrically conductive means which is mechanically and electrically connected to one of said terminals to provide permanent electrical continuity therewith, a second electrically conductive means which is mechanically and electrically connected to the other of said terminals to provide permanent electrical continuity therewith, and a display means connected between said first and second electrically conductive means, whereby electrochemical activity within the display means causes the condition of said cell to be displayed.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said display means comprises a visible, electrochemically removable, layer superimposed over an indicia bearing layer.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said cell further comprises an outer label and said condition indicator is located on the inside surface of a clear portion of said label.

8. The combination of claim 5 and wherein every part of the condition indicator substantially conforms to the shape of that portion of the outer surface of the cell which is adjacent thereto.

9. The combination of claim 5 wherein said display means is positioned along a portion of the outer container wall and further comprising a label wrapped around the container wherein a transparent portion of said label covers said display means.

10. The combination of claim 5 wherein said second terminal comprises a circular metal end cap positioned over the cell top and said first electrically conductive means is connected to said end cap and said second electrically conductive means is connected to a portion of said container.

11. The combination of claim 5, wherein said cell further comprises an outer label and said label holds said first and second electrically conductive means in mechanical and electrical contact with said terminals.

12. The combination of claim 5 wherein said display means comprises a cathode active layer electrically connected to the positive terminal of the battery, an anode active layer juxtaposed to said cathode active layer and electrically connected to the negative terminal of the battery, an electrolyte layer located between said cathode and anode active layers, and an indicia bearing layer located between said cathode and anode active layers;

wherein said indicia layer is revealed during discharge of the battery to indicate the condition of the battery.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said anode has an increasing thickness from one end portion to an opposite end portion.

14. The combination of claim 12 wherein said cathode active layer comprises manganese dioxide and said anode active layer comprises zinc.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said electrolyte is a solid and said indicia bearing layer is located between said electrolyte and said anode.

16. The combination of claim 15 wherein said solid electrolyte comprises a sheet silicate saturated with a zinc salt.

17. The combination of claim 16 wherein said sheet silicate is montmorillonite and said zinc salt is selected from the group consisting of zinc sulphate and zinc nitrate.

18. In combination, an electrochemical cell and a condition indicator;

said cell comprising a container, at least a portion of the outside surface of which forms a first external terminal for connection to a device to permit use of the electricity which is generated within said cell, a cell top which seals said container, means for conducting electricity from the inside of the sealed container and through said cell top to a second terminal which is also external to the sealed container, and a label located around the outside surface of the container and over a portion of said second terminal;

wherein said condition indicator is integrally related to said label and comprises a first electrical contact portion permanently connected to one of said terminals, a second electrical contact portion permanently connected to the other terminal, and an electrochemically generated display means connected between said first and second contact portions.