Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M10/24—Alkaline accumulators
  • H01M10/28—Construction or manufacture
  • H01M10/283—Cells or batteries with two cup-shaped or cylindrical collectors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
  • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
  • H01M50/528—Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M6/00—Primary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M6/04—Cells with aqueous electrolyte
  • H01M6/06—Dry cells, i.e. cells wherein the electrolyte is rendered non-fluid
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
  • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
  • H01M50/543—Terminals
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
  • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
  • H01M50/543—Terminals
  • H01M50/547—Terminals characterised by the disposition of the terminals on the cells
  • H01M50/548—Terminals characterised by the disposition of the terminals on the cells on opposite sides of the cell
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M6/00—Primary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M6/42—Grouping of primary cells into batteries
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

• alkaline batteries such as alkaline batteries
• alkaline batteries include a cathode, an anode, a separator, and an electrolytic solution.
• the cathode is typically formed of an active material (e.g., manganese dioxide), carbon particles, and a binder.
• the anode can be a gel including an active material (e.g., zinc particles).
• the separator is usually disposed between the cathode and the anode.
• the electrolytic solution which is dispersed throughout the battery, can be a hydroxide solution.
• Alkaline batteries include the conventional AA, AAA, AAAA, C, and
• D batteries commonly sold in stores. These conventional alkaline batteries include a cylindrical housing containing a central, cylindrical zinc gel anode surrounded by a ring-shaped manganese dioxide cathode.
• These conventional batteries include a negative end and a positive end.
• the negative end connects with a current collector inside the housing that includes a prong extending into the anode.
• a seal is typically positioned above the anode and cathode to prevent anode material and cathode material from leaking.
• the prong of the current collector passes through the seal and then into the anode.
• the service performance in conventional alkaline batteries is limited by the restricted "anode-to-cathode interface area" in the alkaline batteries.
• the Mick patent gets around this restriction by replacing the center cylindrical cavity that, for example, is the zinc anode in conventional alkaline batteries with a plurality of cylindrical cavities that together make up the anode.
• the interface area between the zinc anode and the cathode is increased, providing the enhanced service performance.
• the battery described by Mick including a zinc anode having multiple cavities also includes a negative end, a current collector connected to the negative end, and a seal positioned above the anode and cathode to prevent anode and cathode material from leaking.
• the current collector includes a prong extending into each anode cavity and also through the seal. This means that the seal in the battery is pierced multiple times. The prongs then bend and connect at a central location above the seal.
• the invention features a battery including a housing containing a first electrode, a second electrode having a plurality of cavities within the first electrode, a separator disposed between the first electrode and each of the cavities, a seal positioned above the first and second electrode, and a current collector.
• the current collector includes a prong extending into each cavity, the prongs connect to a single member through branch members beneath the seal. The member then passes through the seal and connects with the negative end of the battery.
• the battery includes a multi-cavity electrode and a current collector with a prong extending into each cavity, the current collector only pierces the seal once, thus providing minimal opportunity for leakage of electrode material.
• the battery further includes a second seal positioned between the branch members and the first electrode to prevent inadvertent contact.
• the first electrode is a cathode including manganese dioxide and the second electrode is an anode including zinc.
• the second electrode may include, for example, two, three, or four cavities. In one preferred embodiment, the second electrode includes two D-shaped cavities.
• the battery may be, for example, an AA, AAA, AAAA, C, or D battery.
• the battery has a length and, at some position along the length of the battery, each of the cavities is a minimum distance (d,) from the housing and a minimum distance (d 2 ) from each of the other cavities, with each ratio d 2 :d ! for each cavity being between 1.5:1 and 2.5:1, preferably between 1.7:1 and 2.3:1, more preferably between 1.8:1 and 2.2:1, and most preferably between 1.9:1 and 2.1:1.
• the ratio can be determined, for example, at the mid-point along the length of the battery, or a third of the distance along the length of the battery, or two-thirds of the distance along the length of the battery.
• the housing preferably is cylindrical.
• the minimum distance (d ⁇ ) between a cavity and the housing can be measured by determining the minimum distance between a surface of the first electrode adjacent the cavity and a surface of the first electrode adjacent the housing.
• the minimum distance (d 2 ) between two cavities is measured at the same position along the length of the battery by determining the minimum distance between a surface of the first electrode adjacent one cavity and a surface of the first electrode adjacent the second cavity.
• the ratio d ⁇ .d j , for each cavity is an average of between 1.5:1 and 2.5:1, more preferably between 1.7:1 and 2.3:1, and most preferably between 1.8:1 and 2.2:1 or even between 1.9:1 and 2.1:1.
• the invention also features a battery in which the second electrode is only a single cavity.
• the current collector includes a plurality of prongs extending into the single cavity.
• Fig. 1 is a side-sectional view of a battery
• Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the top portion of the battery in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the battery in Fig. 1 , taken at III-III in Fig. 1.
• battery 10 includes a cathode 12, an anode consisting of two generally D-shaped cavities 14 and 16, separators 18, and cylindrical housing 20.
• Battery 10 also includes a current collector 21 that has a member 24 passing through seal 26.
• Current collector 22 further includes branch members 28 and 30 connecting to prongs 32 and 34, respectively. Prongs 32 and 34 extend into anode cavities 14 and 16, respectively.
• the end of member 24 is connected to negative metal top cap 36, which serves as the negative terminal for the battery.
• the cathode is in contact with the housing, and the positive terminal of the battery is at the opposite end of the battery from the negative terminal.
• Battery 10 also includes a second seal, or insulator 38, positioned between the components of current collector 22 below seal 26 and cathode 12.
• An electrolytic solution is dispersed throughout battery 10.
• Cathode 12 includes manganese dioxide, carbon particles, and a binder.
• manganese dioxide used for cathodes
• the preferred manganese dioxide is EMD, although CMD can also be used.
• Distributors of such manganese dioxides include Kerr McGee, Co. (Trona D), Chem Metals, Co., Tosoh, Delta Manganese, Mitsui Chemicals and JMC.
• the cathode will include between 80% and 88% of manganese dioxide by weight.
• the carbon particles also can be any of the conventional carbon particles used in cathodes. They can be synthetic or non-synthetic, and they can be expanded or non-expanded. In certain embodiments, the carbon particles are non- synthetic, non-expanded graphite particles. In these embodiments, the graphite particles preferably have an average particle size of less than about 20 microns, more preferably from about 2 microns to about 12 microns, and most preferably from about 5 microns to about 9 microns as measured using a Sympatec HELIOS analyzer. Non-synthetic, non-expanded graphite particles can be obtained from, for example, Brazilian Nacional de Grafite (Itapecirica, MG Brazil (MP-0702X). Generally, the cathode will include between 5% and 8% of carbon particles by weight. Examples of binders include polyethylene powders, polyacrylamides,
• Cathode 12 can include other additives. Examples of these additives are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,342,712, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Cathode 12 may include, for example, from about 0.2 weight percent to about 2 percent TiO 2 weight.
• the electrolyte solution also is dispersed through cathode 12, and the weight percentages provided above are determined after the electrolyte solution has been dispersed.
• the anode can be formed of any of the standard zinc materials used in battery anodes.
• anode 14 can be a zinc gel that includes zinc metal particles, a gelling agent and minor amounts of additives, such as gassing inhibitor.
• a portion of the electrolyte solution is dispersed throughout the anode.
• the zinc particles can be any of the zinc particles conventionally used in gel anodes.
• Other examples of zinc particles used in the anode include these described in U.S.S.N. 08/905,254; U.S.S.N. 09/115,867 and U.S.S.N. 09/156,915, which are assigned to the assignee in the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference.
• the anode includes between 67% and 71% of zinc particles by weight.
• Gelling agents that can be used in anode 14 include polyacryhc acids, grafted starch materials, salts of polyacryhc acids, polyacrylates, carboxymethyl- cellulose or combinations thereof.
• polyacryhc acids examples include Carbopol 940 and 934 (B.F. Goodrich) and Polygel 4P (3V), and an example of a grafted starch material is Waterlock A221 (Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, IA).
• An example of a salt of a polyacryhc acid is Alcosorb Gl, (Ciba Specialties).
• the anode generally includes from 0.1 percent to about 1 percent gelling agent by weight. These weight percentages correspond to when the electrolytic solution is dispersed throughout the anode.
• Gassing inhibitors can be inorganic materials, such as bismuth, tin, lead and indium.
• gassing inhibitors can be organic compounds, such as phosphate esters, ionic surfactants or non-ionic surfactants. Examples of ionic surfactants are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,777,100, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
• Separators 18 can have any of the conventional designs for battery separators.
• separators 18 can be formed of two layers of non-woven, non-membrane material with one layer being disposed along a surface of the other.
• each layer of non-woven, non-membrane material can have a basis weight of about 54 grams per square meter, a thickness of about 5.4 mils when dry and a thickness of about 10 mils when wet.
• the separator preferably does not include a layer of membrane material or a layer of adhesive between the non-woven, non-membrane layers.
• the layers can be substantially devoid of fillers, such as inorganic particles.
• separators 18 include an outer layer of cellophane with a layer of non-woven material.
• the separator also includes an additional layer of non- woven material.
• the cellophane layer can be adjacent cathode 12 or the anode.
• the non- woven material contains from about 78 weight percent to about 82 weight percent PNA and from about 18 weight percent to about 22 weight percent rayon with a trace of surfactant.
• Such non- woven materials are available from PDM under the tradename PA36.
• the electrolytic solution dispersed throughout battery 10 can be any of the conventional electrolytic solutions used in batteries.
• the electrolytic solution is an aqueous hydroxide solution.
• aqueous hydroxide solutions include potassium hydroxide solutions including, for example, between 33% and 38% by weight percent potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide solutions.
• Housing 20 can be any conventional housing commonly used in primary alkaline batteries.
• the housing typically includes an inner metal wall and an outer electrically non-conductive material such as heat shrinkable plastic.
• a layer of conductive material can be disposed between the inner wall and the cathode 12. This layer may be disposed along the inner surface of wall, along the outer circumference of cathode 12 or both. This conductive layer can be formed, for example, of a carbonaceous material.
• Such materials include LB 1000 (Timcal), Eccocoat 257 (W.R. Grace & Co.), Electrodag 109 (Acheson Industries, Inc.), Electrodag 112 (Acheson) and EB0005 (Acheson).
• Methods of applying the conductive layer are disclosed in, for example, Canadian Patent No. 1,263,697, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
• Current collector 24 is made from a suitable metal, such as brass. Seals 26 and 38 can be made, for example, of nylon.
• An example of battery 10 can be prepared as follows.
• a cathode mixture is prepared by combining 85.5% EMD (from Kerr McGee), 7.3% graphite (Coathylene HA1681 from Hoechst), 0.3% polyethylene binder (MP-0702X from Nacional de Graphite), and 6.9% electrolyte solution.
• the mixture then is compressed under pressure in a die slotted into a two "D" cavity.
• the formed pellet was attracted out of the die by a counter punch.
• Four pellets (for a AA battery) or three pellets (for a AAA battery) were aligned vertically by halfmoon mandrels and slipped into the housing and then recompacted inside the housing to make contact with the housing.
• the separator (P.G.I. Non-woven 7638) is placed within each cavity.
• An anode mixture was prepared by combining (in weight percentages) 70% zinc powder (Zinc Corp. of America 1216), a gelling agent (Carbopol 940 from BF Goodrich), and 30% electrolyte (composed of 98.6% liquid electrolyte and 1.4% of the dissolved gelling agent). The anode mixture then was dispersed into the cavities.
• a sealant (Spec Seal), was applied to the side of the housing prior to the assembly.
• anode cavities 14 and 16 are positioned equal distances (d,) from housing 20 and equal distances (d 2 ) from each other.
• the ratio of d 2 :dge is approximately 2:1 around the entire circumference of each cavity.
• the cathode material closest to the anode cavities will be consumed first, and over time areas of consumed cathode material form around each cavity. Because d 2 is approximately twice d l9 as the area of consumed cathode material expands it will tend to reach housing 20 and the area of consumed cathode material expanding from the other cavity after approximately the same time. As a result, the efficiency of consumption of the cathode material is maximized, thus increasing the life of the battery.
• the anode can comprise three or four triangle-shaped cavities.
• the current collect may include three or four branch members connecting to prongs extending into each cavity.
• branch members (e.g., 28 and 30) of the current collector optionally may be designed so that they snaplock as a unit, onto the member passing through the seal (e.g., member 24).

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Primary Cells (AREA)
• Battery Electrode And Active Subsutance (AREA)
• Connection Of Batteries Or Terminals (AREA)
• Hybrid Cells (AREA)
• Cell Electrode Carriers And Collectors (AREA)

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• 1999
  • 1999-05-28 US US09/321,930 patent/US6235422B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2000
  • 2000-05-24 AT AT00932761T patent/ATE254807T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-05-24 HK HK02103662.9A patent/HK1042593A1/zh unknown
  • 2000-05-24 DE DE60006671T patent/DE60006671T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-05-24 CN CNB008081956A patent/CN1190861C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-05-24 JP JP2001500361A patent/JP2003501786A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-05-24 AU AU50436/00A patent/AU5043600A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-05-24 EP EP00932761A patent/EP1190463B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-24 WO PCT/US2000/014335 patent/WO2000074166A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-05-26 AR ARP000102606A patent/AR024127A1/es unknown

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