Claims
- 1. An electrochemical cell, which comprises:
a) an anode comprising an anode current collector with an anode material contacted to at least one of its major sides to provide at least one anode plate; b) a cathode comprising a cathode current collector with a cathode active material contacted to at least one of its major sides to provide at least one cathode plate; c) a casing extending to an opening; d) a separator disposed intermediate the anode material of the at least one anode plate facing the cathode active material of the at least one cathode plate, wherein the at least one anode plate and the associated at least one cathode plate substantially occupy the internal volume of the casing; e) a lid closing the opening of the casing; f) a first and a second terminals electrically connected to respective ones of the anode and the cathode; and g) an electrolyte filled in the casing to activate the anode and the cathode.
- 2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein there are at least two anode plates and at least two cathode plates.
- 3. The electrochemical cell of claim 2 wherein the anode plates are connected to each other by an anode connector and the cathode plates are connected to each other by a cathode connector.
- 4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the casing comprises spaced apart first and second major side walls extending to and meeting with an end wall, the end wall and first and second major side walls extending to the opening.
- 5. The electrochemical cell of claim 4 wherein the first and second major side walls of the casing are of substantially the same shape.
- 6. The electrochemical cell of claim 5 wherein the at least one anode plate has a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall and wherein the first and second major anode plate side walls are of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 7. The electrochemical cell of claim 5 wherein the at least one cathode plate has a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall and wherein the first and second major cathode plate side walls are of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the first and second casing side walls are of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 9. The electrochemical cell of claim 8 wherein the at least one anode plate has a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side walls and wherein the first and second major anode plate side walls are of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 10. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 wherein the first and second major anode plate side walls are substantially the same shape or size, or both, as the respective dissimilarly shaped first and second casing side walls.
- 11. The electrochemical cell of claim 8 wherein the at least one cathode plate has a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side walls and wherein the first and second cathode plate side walls are of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 12. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the first and second major cathode plate side walls are substantially the same shape as the respective dissimilarly shaped first and second casing side walls.
- 13. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein casing side walls intermediate the first and second major side walls is of an irregular, changing radius.
- 14. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the first and second casing major side walls are connected by a casing side wall having an unsymmetrical shape housing at least two anode plates having at least one cathode plate interleaved therebetween and wherein the at least two anode plates each have a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall, the first and second major anode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls and wherein the at least one cathode plate has a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall, the first and second major cathode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 15. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the lid supports the terminal pin and an electrolyte fill opening.
- 16. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the cell is either of a primary lithium/silver vanadium oxide chemistry or a secondary chemistry comprising a carbonaceous anode material and lithium cobalt oxide cathode active material.
- 17. A method for providing an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:
a) contacting an anode material to at least one of the major sides of an anode current collector to provide at least one anode plate; b) contacting a cathode active material to at least one of the major sides of a cathode current collector to provide at least one cathode plate; c) providing a casing extending to an opening; d) providing a cell stack comprising a separator disposed intermediate the anode material of the at least one anode plate facing the cathode active material of the at least one cathode plate; e) housing the cell stack inside the casing such that the at least one anode plate and the associated at least one cathode plate substantially occupy the internal volume of the casing; f) closing the opening of the casing with a lid secured thereto; g) connecting respective terminals to each of the anode and the cathode; and h) filling an electrolyte into the casing to activate the anode and the cathode.
- 18. The method of claim 17 including providing at least two anode plates and at least two cathode plates.
- 19. The method of claim 18 including connecting the anode plates to each other by an anode connector and the cathode plates are connected to each other by a cathode connector.
- 20. The method of claim 17 including providing the casing comprising spaced apart first and second major side walls extending to and meeting with an end wall, the end wall and first and second major side walls extending to the opening.
- 21. The method of claim 20 including providing the first and second major side walls of the casing being of substantially the same shape.
- 22. The method of claim 21 including providing at least one anode plate having a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall, the first and second major anode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 23. The method of claim 21 including providing the at least one cathode plate having a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall, the first and second major cathode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 24. The method of claim 17 including providing the first and second casing side walls being of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 25. The method of claim 24 including providing the at least one anode plate having a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall, the first and second major anode plate side walls being of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 26. The method of claim 25 including providing the first and second major anode plate side walls having substantially the same shape or size, or both, as the respective dissimilarly shaped first and second casing side walls.
- 27. The method of claim 24 including providing the at least one cathode plate having a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall, the first and second cathode plate side walls of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 28. The method of claim 27 including providing the first and second major cathode plate side walls having substantially the same shape or size, or both, as the dissimilarly shaped respective first and second casing side walls.
- 29. The method of claim 17 including providing the casing side walls intermediate the first and second major side walls being of an irregular, changing radius.
- 30. The method of claim 17 including providing the casing side walls having an unsymmetrical shape housing at least two anode plates having at least one cathode plate interleaved therebetween wherein the at least one anode plate has a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall, the first and second major anode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls and wherein the at least one cathode plate has a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall, the first and second major cathode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 31. A method for providing an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a first and second conductive webs, each having a length substantially longer than its width; b) coating an anode material on the first conductive web in at least two regions on opposite sides of an uncoated strip; c) cutting a pair of anode plates from the first web, the anode plates connected to each other by the uncoated anode strip; d) coating a cathode active material on the second conductive web in at least two regions on opposite sides of an uncoated strip; e) cutting at least one cathode plate from the second web; f) folding the anode plates into a face-to-face relationship with each other; g) positioning a cathode plate intermediate the anode plates facing each other with a separator between each of the anode and cathode plates to provide an electrode assembly; h) providing a casing extending to an opening; i) housing the electrode assembly inside the casing with the anode and cathode plates substantially occupying the internal volume of the casing; j) closing the opening of the casing with a lid secured thereto; k) connecting respective terminals to each of the anode and the cathode; and m) filling an electrolyte into the casing to activate the anode and the cathode.
- 32. The method of claim 31 wherein the casing comprises spaced apart first and second major side walls extending to and meeting with an end wall, the end wall and first and second major side walls extending to the opening.
- 33. The method of claim 32 including providing the first and second major side walls of the casing being of substantially the same shape.
- 34. The method of claim 33 including providing the at least one anode plate having a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall, the first and second major anode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls and providing the at least one cathode plate having a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall, the first and second major cathode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
- 35. The method of claim 32 including providing the first and second casing side walls being of either dissimilar shapes, dissimilar sizes, or both.
- 36. The method of claim 35 including providing the first and second casing major side walls connected by a casing side wall having an unsymmetrical shape housing at least two anode plates having at least one cathode plate interleaved therebetween and providing the at least two anode plates having a first and a second major anode plate side walls connected by an intermediate anode plate side wall, the first and second major anode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls and providing the at least one cathode plate having a first and a second major cathode plate side walls connected by an intermediate cathode plate side wall, the first and second major cathode plate side walls being of substantially the same shape as the respective first and second casing major side walls.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority based on provisional application Serial No. 60/359,317, filed Oct. 19, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60359317 |
Oct 2001 |
US |