Patent Application
20090181298
One factor generally taken into account when designing an electrochemical device such as a battery is the energy density of the device. Many factors may influence the energy density, for example, the chemistry of the electrodes in the electrochemical device. Another influencing factor is the space required to make internal connections between the electrodes and the device terminals. This space may be referred to as the head space of the device.
For electrochemical devices used within medical apparatuses, size and weight constraints on the electrochemical devices become more stringent because the design of medical apparatuses generally minimizes the overall size of the apparatus. The design of electrochemical devices for use in medical apparatuses therefore should focus on ways to decrease the size and weight of the electrochemical device while providing a desired total energy.
In various embodiments, an integral electrochemical device is provided that may comprise an anode terminal pin electrically coupled with an anode, and a cathode terminal pin electrically coupled with a cathode. The integral electrochemical device may also comprise a terminal surface configured to receive the anode terminal pin and the cathode terminal pin, and a shared surface configured to interface with the terminal surface to produce an electrode housing. The shared surface may be configured to be shared between the integral electrochemical device and an apparatus that is configured to receive power from the integral electrochemical device.
A medical apparatus, according to various embodiments, may comprise an electrode stack that comprises an anode and a cathode, and the electrode stack may be configured to power the medical apparatus. The medical apparatus may further comprise an anode terminal pin electrically coupled with the anode, a cathode terminal pin electrically coupled with the cathode, and a terminal surface configured to receive the anode terminal pin and the cathode terminal pin. The medical apparatus may further comprise a shared surface that is configured to interface with the terminal surface to house the electrode stack.
According to further various embodiments, an electrochemical device is provided that may comprise an anode terminal pin electrically coupled with an anode, a cathode terminal pin electrically coupled with a cathode, and a terminal surface configured to receive the anode terminal pin and the cathode terminal pin. The electrochemical device may further comprise a shared surface that is configured to interface with the terminal surface to produce an electrode housing, and the shared surface may be configured to be shared between the integral electrochemical device and an apparatus that is configured to receive power from the integral electrochemical device.
A method, in accordance with various embodiments, may comprise forming an anode hole in an anode and a cathode hole in a cathode, inserting an anode terminal pin through the anode hole, inserting a cathode terminal pin through the cathode hole, and securing a terminal surface to the anode terminal pin and the cathode terminal pin. The method may further comprise securing the terminal surface to a shared surface of an apparatus, and the anode and the cathode may provide power to the apparatus.
The drawing figures in this document illustrate various embodiments that may include part or all of the features shown in one of these figures, or may include features from two or more figures. Embodiments may also include features described in the specification, or limitations to features described in the specification. Furthermore, embodiments may include features that would be familiar to a person of ordinary skill in the art who has studied this document.
The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawing figures. While these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation.
An exemplary integral electrochemical device according to various embodiments of the present invention comprises a battery. Other electrochemical devices such as capacitors are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, although a battery may be referred to throughout this disclosure, the disclosure is not limited only to batteries, but also to other electrochemical devices that are capable of being made with the structure and/or by the processes and methods disclosed herein.
An integral battery according to embodiments of the present invention comprises at least one wall, side, and/or surface that is shared between the integral battery and the apparatus into which the integral battery is incorporated. For example, the integral battery may be used within a medical apparatus that is designed to be implanted in the human body. The integral battery may also be used in any number of apparatuses that require a power source.
In addition to the wall shared between the integral battery and the apparatus (“shared surface”), the integral battery also comprises a wall, side and/or surface that is configured to enclose a plurality of electrodes within the integral battery. This enclosing wall may also be configured to comprise the terminals of the integral battery, and is therefore referred to herein as the “terminal surface” or “terminal wall.”
Various embodiments of the integral battery comprise shared surfaces and terminal surfaces that individually comprise different numbers of walls. For example, a standard battery configuration may comprise a cell housing with six sides, such as where the cell housing comprises a six-sided rectangular prism, as shown in
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the number of walls within an apparatus may be reduced by using part of the housing of the apparatus into which the integral battery will be formed as part of the integral battery. For example,
Various embodiments of the integral battery comprise a number of electrodes, such as positive and negative electrodes, and/or cathodes and anodes. An exemplary integral battery comprises a stacked plate electrode configuration. Methods for constructing stacked plate electrochemical devices are known in the art, and any such method is within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, with reference to
With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 5A-5B, electrode stack 40 is configured to receive terminal pin 50 in a substantially perpendicular fashion to electrode stack 40. An exemplary integral battery 10 comprises a cathode terminal pin 52 configured to collect the current from cathodes 42, and an anode terminal pin 54 configured to collect the current from anodes 44. Cathodes 42 and anodes 44 may comprise terminal pin holes 49 configured to receive cathode terminal pin 52 and anode terminal pin 54. Terminal pins 52, 54 may comprise molybdenum. In other embodiments, the terminal pins may comprise any material configured to collect current from electrodes 42, 44.
Where terminal pins 52, 54 are configured to pass directly through electrodes 42, 44, it may not be necessary to employ separate current collectors to connect electrodes 42, 44 to terminal pins 52, 54. For example, a small area may be cleaned on both sides of each electrode around terminal pin holes 49 to expose the foil or other electrode substrate on which the electrode material was populated. Terminal pin holes 49 may then be punched in the cleaned area so that a connection may be made between the foil and terminal pins 52, 54, for example by welding. Terminal pin holes 49 may also be punched prior to cleaning electrodes 42, 44.
In other embodiments of integral battery 10, for example, with momentary reference to
While one embodiment of the invention comprises terminal pins that are substantially perpendicular to electrodes 42, 44, an integral battery may also be configured to comprise terminal pins that are substantially parallel to electrodes 42, 44. For example, the terminal pins may extend from terminal surface 30 in a direction substantially parallel to electrodes 42, 44. In such an embodiment, tab connectors may be employed and welded to terminal pins 52, 54 similar to the manner illustrated in
With momentary reference to
With reference now to
In an exemplary embodiment, and with reference again to FIGS. 2 and 5A-5B, terminal surface 30 may be configured to receive terminal pins 52, 54. In some embodiments, it is desirable to isolate terminal pins 52, 54 from terminal surface 30. In other embodiments, however, for example where terminal surface may comprise the negative terminal of integral battery 10, one of the terminal pins may not exist and/or may not be isolated from terminal surface 30. However, it should be noted that where terminal surface 30 comprises the negative terminal of integral battery 10, shared surface 20 would be electrically insulated from terminal surface 30.
In order to facilitate isolating terminal pins 52, 54 from terminal surface 30, isolating cathode feed-through 53 and isolating anode feed-through 55 may be employed. Isolating feed-throughs 53, 55 may be configured to receive terminal pins 52, 54 and to electrically insulate and/or isolate them from terminal surface 30. Exemplary isolating feed-throughs 53, 55 may comprise glass that is sealed to terminal surface 30 using a glass to metal seal.
An exemplary method of assembling integral battery 10 will now be described with reference to
In one embodiment, a cell pack insulator may be used as a stacking aid. Terminal pins 52, 54 are positioned substantially parallel to each other at the appropriate position to receive their corresponding electrodes. In another embodiment, only one pin may be used as a stacking aid, and the other pin may be inserted after the electrode stack is completed. Then an anode 44 is stacked by sliding anode pin 54 through the terminal pin hole, thereby forming the bottom electrode of electrode stack 40. In other embodiments, a cathode may form the bottom electrode of the electrode stack. An anode disk is then stacked on top of anode 44 by receiving anode pin 54 through a hole in anode disk 45. A separator is then stacked on top of anode 44, such that anode 44 is covered by separator 46, but anode disk 45 is not covered by separator 46. Separators 46 are disposed between anodes 44 and cathodes 42. The same process is repeated with cathodes 42, cathode disks 53, and separators 46. Alternating anodes and cathodes are then stacked with corresponding disks and with separators in between until a desired number of electrodes exist in electrode stack 40.
After the electrodes, separators, and disks have been stacked, the electrode stack is welded together. In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In some embodiments of the integral battery, one or both of the terminal pins may be secured to terminal surface 30 via feed-throughs 53, 55 prior to stacking the electrodes such that both pins are inserted through the electrode stack at the same time. In other embodiments, the terminal pins are secured to terminal surface 30 after the electrode stacking process.
With electrodes 42, 44 stacked and welded on to terminal pins 52, 54, and with terminal pins 52, 54 secured to terminal surface 30, an exemplary integral battery may be completed by hermetically sealing terminal surface 30 to shared surface 20. For example, terminal surface may be hermetically sealed to shared surface 20 via a laser weld.
As discussed above, exemplary integral batteries as disclosed herein may result in improved packaging efficiency and energy density. Also, since the integral battery assembly process may be part of the medical apparatus assembly process, proper handling of the battery during apparatus assembly may be supervised and monitored. Furthermore, additional packaging to send a battery to an apparatus assembler is not required, thereby conserving environmental resources. Moreover, apparatus design may be simplified by not requiring additional apparatus components to secure the integral battery into the apparatus.
It should be understood that while the present invention has been described in connection with an integral battery, various aspects of the invention may be applicable to other battery configurations. For example, the terminal pin configuration disclosed herein may be applicable to standard battery configurations that are not integral batteries. Using the exemplary side terminal pin configuration is desirable to reduce head space required for making connections between the electrodes and the terminal pins. It is not necessary to use the disclosed side terminal pin configuration in connection with an integral battery.
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the invention. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, and C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional No. 61/020,328, filed on Jan. 10, 2008, and entitled, “INTEGRAL ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE.”
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61020328 | Jan 2008 | US |
