US2580399A

US2580399A - Electrode and electrolytic condenser

Info

Publication number: US2580399A
Application number: US33042A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph B Brennan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-06-15
Filing date: 1948-06-15
Publication date: 1952-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1969-01-01

Description

Jan. 1, 1952 J. B. BRENNAN ELECTRODE AND ELECTROLYTIC CONDNSER Filed June l5, 1948 26 /L/ZO $25 INVENToR. dwf/Af 15PM/M4N ATMP/VHS Patented Jan. l, 1:3952

ELEGTRGDE'AND ELECTROLYTIC GONDENSER Jos'ephi B. Brennan, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 15, 1948', Serial No'. 33,042

(Cl. V75- 315) 4i Claims.

. had been based upon an application that. was a continuation-inepart'of my' previous Patents Nos.

2,104,018 and 2,280,789.

Heretofo're, there have been' various types of construction' proposed for' electrodes for electrolytic condensers'an'd such constructions have generlly been designed sofas to provide as large an amount" of surface area on the anode electrode as" possible'so' a'st'o' increase the capacit-y of a v'giveirsize electrolyt'ic condenser;

The general object of the present invention: is toprovide a novel anodezelectroue construction for a2. condenser and toprovidean el'ectrolytic'` condense'ihavng ai high" capacity fora given vol'- ume.

Another'ob'ject ofthe 'invention' to` provide en" impro-vedelectrode which is"` of inexpensive, easily forment construction:

' Another object' ofthe' invention is" to provide electrodes wherein the anode is` of about double tllearea' of the' cathode.

-Yet another object of the invention is' to sub- Stantl'ally encompass Va cathode by the anode in an eletrolytlc condenser' Y VThe""foregoing" and otherl objectsand advantages or, the invention will be made'apparent as the`r specification proceeds.

Attention isY now directed to the accompany ingf` drawings, wherein:

1' ls a. transverse section through apa'ir" of ccndenserelectrodes embodying thev principles of the invention; i

Fig. 2 is a transverse section,I toa reduced scale, through a portion of an electrolytic condenser macebyuse of thelectr'odes of Fig. 1;

.F.ig. 3 is a transverse section;-y similar to Fig. 1 of a modification of the invention;

vPig". 4 is" a' transverse sectionV of the electrodes of Fig. 1 with a terminal tab being "shown connected to the anode;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a strip used in making an anode ofthe invention; Y

isla cross-section oi another type oilv a piftially shaped elestrode Vof the invention; and

Fig-. 'lisa sect'ono'fthe electrode of Fig. 6 when completed.

Reference will'now be had. tothe details of theconstruction disclosed in order to describe the invention completely. l The. drawings: disclose an electrode construction generallyindicated by the numeral IB and such an assembly comprises an elongate, porous, metallic anode I I, the lateral margins I2 and I3 of which are folded inwardly of the anode If! to positions substantially parallel to the. flattened. center portion Aof the anode I I. In actual physical iorn'i, the anode II would have. amore irregular surface than is shown in the drawings and it. also may be of less uniform thickness and. resemble the electrode of Figs. 6 andv '1. Fig. 1 clearly shows that the free longitudinally extending edges of the lateral portions or margins I2 and I3 of the anode arespaced transversely of the electrode assembly and this structure is preferred althoiigh, in some instances, it may be possible that the portions I2 .and I3 may be overlapped o1l but-ted. kWhile the folds in the anode I`I are shown as being made with the adjacent surfaces being. at rlghtangles to each other., it will be appreciated that in actual practice,l these lfolded. zones of the anode, which. obviously will extend. the length of the anode, may be of a more rounded contour. A cathode I4, usually of slightly less width than the folded anode II', isreceived within an enclosure produced from the lateralV margins I2 and I3 with the remainder of the anode. Conventional insulation strips, or spacers I5 and I6, usually made from paper, are positioned between the adjacent surfaces of the cathode I4 and the anode I I? so as to prevent electrical contact therebetweenand permit impregnation of. the electrode assembly with electrolyte.

In making a condenser from the electrode assembly I0, the electrode assembly usually is helically coiled upon itselfl and prior to rolling or coilingthe electrode assembly on itself, additional insulation or spacerl strip Il of conventional constructionis associated withthe elect-rode so-as to separate portions of the anodewwhich wouldl otherwise be in direct contact after a coil is. made from the electrode III. In some instances, it may be desirable to produce a stacked' electrode from the electrode IIlby merely superimposing a plu.- rality of.. short lengths of saine with each ofthe terminal tabs such a construction being connected to one ofthe electrode components of each. short length of' electrode in the electrode stack.

Figs. l and 2 clearly bring out that the anode II has approximately twice the external surface areaof the cathode I4. Inasmuch as the anode I I is of a porous construction, ions may freely move through the anode when flowing through the condenser, and the relatively large` surface area of the anode for a given space fory a condenser made therefrom, will provide a condenser having larger capacity than other types of `cmodensers heretofore made.

The anode IIV is shown as made from porous metallic material adapted. for electrode use, such as spray deposited aluminum sheet.. Also, separate spacers are shown provided between the anode and the cathode, but it may be possible to provide an insulation or spacer coating directly on the surface or surfaces of the anode I I and avoid the use of separate spacer elements. This type of an anode con-struction is disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 774,197. Use of such material in making the anode would facilitate the fabrication of the electrode I and assembly of a condenser made therefrom.

Fig. 3 shows a modication of the invention wherein an electrode assembly 20 is disclosed in which an anode 2`I is provided with lateral margins 22 and 23 that are folded inwardly of the anode and are superimposed on one surface of the anode. In this instance, the cathode 24 may be of die same width as that of the foldedan anode and the cathode is positioned externaly of the anode whereby a spacer strip 25 may be positioned intermediate the center portion of the anode 2|' and the lateral marginal portions 22 and 23 thereof. A second spacer strip 26- is positioned between the outer surfaces of the adjacent porticns of the anode and the surface of the cathode 24 which is thereadjacent. With an electrode assembly as shown in Fig. 3, an auxiliary spacer 2l would also be associated with the electrode before ceiling the electrode upon itself or otherwise making a condenser from same. While any conventional type of a terminal tab may be provided for the cathode I4, Fig. 4 shows a separate terminal tab 3I that is provided for the anode II and is secured thereto Iin a desired manner. In this instance, holes 32 are shown where the metal has been displaced for staking the anode I I to the terminal 3|. It will be noted that the holes 32 engage with both the base or center portion of the electrode II and also with the lateral margins I2 and I3 of the anode so as to facilitate current flow to and through the anode. If necessary, special recessed portions may be provided in the edges of the cathode I4 to facilitate bonding the anode II to the terminal tab 3| without contacting the cathode.

Impregnation of electrodes made in accordance with the teachings of the invention with electrolyte may be facilitated by making longitudinally spaced apertures in the fold zones of the anode. Fig. 5 shows an elongate porous metallic strip 4I which is to be used in producingy an anode such as the anode II, and this metal strip 4I is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures or holes or slits 42 therein. These apertures 42 are made in two longitudinally directed rows, each of which is adjacent a lateral margin of the strip 4I.V The apertures 42 are so positioned that they are located in the fold zone produced in the strip 4I when turning or folding the lateral margins thereof inwardly of the strip so as to produce the folded lateral margins such as are shown at I2 and I3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Hence, when electrodes made therefrom are impregnated with an electrolyte, the apertures 42 greatly facilitate flow of the electrolyte to the enclosure produced by folding in the lateral portions of the anode. Longitudinally folded porous anodes made in accordance with the invention may be used without these apertures 42, if desired.

It will be seen that the specific manner in which the metal strips used in making the anodes of the invention are produced, is not material to the present application and that such strips, which are of a porous construction, may be produced in any desired manner. Likewise, as pointed out before, any suitable type of a spacer strip may be used and such. strip may be integrally bonded to the anode strip, and in some instances. might be integral withthe cathode, if desired. The electrodes of the invention are formed from porous metallic strips which are in the vicinity of .003"-.009" in thickness and which are several inches wide. The spacer strips normally are thinner than the metal strips.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a relatively uniform thickness electrode 5I that is formed from a porous metallic base strip 52. The strip 52 is of the general shape of a broad isosceles triangle so that Aby folding the relatively thin edge sections of the strip longitudinally in on the center part of the strip a relatively uniform thickness electrode is produced. The strip 52 is of the type produced by spraying metal onto a base that is moved by a spray device. Usually the strip 52 would 'be formed to provide a surface insulating coating before lit is shaped to make the electrode 5I therefrom. f

While two complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosedherein, it will be appre'-4 ciated that modification of these particular embodiments of the invention may be resorted to' without departing from the scope vof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what ing an elongate strip the center portion of which is appreciably thicker than the edge portions thereof and with the thickness of the strip gradually increasing from a feather-like edge to the center of the strip, both edge portions being folded inwardly upon the center portion of the strip' to provide an electrode of substantially 'uniform thickness in cross-section.

3. An electrode as in claim 2 wherein the strip` is porous and electrolytically permeable and the edges of the strip are in immediately adjacent relation in the electrode.

4. An electrolytic condenser electrode comprising an elongate strip the center portion ofv whichis appreciably thicker thanv the edge portions thereof that are of gradually increasing thickness inwardly of the strip from the lateral margins thereof, both edge portions being folded inwardly towards the ce'nter portion of the strip to provide an electrode of substantially uniformthickness in cross-section. y

JOSEPH B. BRENNAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordv in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 208,665 Muirhead Oct.` 1, 1878 V 1,526,664 Dubilier Feb. 17, 1925 l 2,166,180 Ruben July 18, 1939' 2,223,173 Haase Nov. 26, 1940 2,297,607 f Blackburn Sept. 29, 1942 '2,375,211 Brennan' May 8, 1945 .2,444,914 Brennan July 13, 1948 2,470,826 McMahon -l May 24, 1949