Electrochemical current collector screen designs utilizing ultrasonic welding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170744-B2
Application number	US-201815899397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An electrochemical cell comprising an electrode assembly having a plurality of cathodes in which the plurality of cathodes is electrically connected together at a connection tab junction is disclosed. The junction preferably comprises a plurality of cathode connection tabs that are folded over each other to construct a junction that is mechanically and electrically robust. The junction is comprised of a plurality of connection tabs that each extend from a cathode. Each of the respective tabs is folded over each other to form a compact electrode junction having redundant connections. An elongated lead extends from the junction to provide an electrical connection to the plurality of cathodes. The junction is welded together such as by a laser, resistance or ultrasonic weld joint. The cathode junction is suitable for either primary or secondary cells, particularly those powering implantable biomedical devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a) a casing;
b) an electrode assembly contained within the casing, the electrode assembly comprising:
i) an anode comprising an anode active material contacted to an anode current collector, wherein an anode tab extending outwardly from the anode current collector is connected to the casing serving as a negative terminal for the cell;
ii) a cathode comprising:
A) a first cathode current collector comprising a first bridge extending to spaced apart first cathode current collector first and second screens, the first and second screens each supporting a cathode active material, wherein a first landing strip extends outwardly from the first bridge, the first landing strip comprising a first landing strip proximal portion having a first landing strip proximal end connected to the first bridge and a first weld connection portion connected to a distal end of the first landing strip, the first weld connection portion being spaced outwardly from the first bridge;
B) a second cathode current collector comprising a second bridge extending to spaced apart second cathode current collector third and fourth screens, the third and fourth screens each supporting a cathode active material, wherein a second landing strip extends outwardly from the second bridge, the second landing strip comprising a second landing strip proximal portion having a second landing strip proximal end connected to the second bridge and a second weld connection portion connected to a distal end of the second landing strip, the second weld connection portion being spaced outwardly from the second bridge; and
C) a cathode current collector plate contacted connected to the first and second landing strip weld connection portions at respective first and second welds, wherein the first and second welds are spaced from the respective first and second bridges by the first and second landing strips; and
D) a cathode lead extending from a cathode lead proximal portion to a cathode lead distal portion, wherein the cathode lead proximal portion is conductively connected to the cathode current collector plate, and

iii) wherein the anode is positioned in a facing relationship with:
F) the first and second screens of the first cathode current collector; and
G) the third and fourth screens of the second cathode current collector; and

iv) a separator residing between the anode and the cathode; and

c) a feedthrough comprising a terminal pin of a glass-to-metal seal supported by the casing, the terminal pin extending from a terminal pin proximal end to a terminal pin distal end, wherein the terminal pin proximal end is conductively connected to the cathode lead distal portion, and wherein the terminal pin distal end is located outside the casing to thereby serve as a positive terminal for the cell; and
d) an electrolyte contained within the casing to activate the electrode assembly.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode is formed in a serpentine-like shape that weaves between the first cathode current collector first and second screens and between the second cathode current collector third and fourth screens.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode current collector comprises an anode screen surrounded by a perimeter and the anode active material contacts at least the anode current collector screen.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first cathode current collector first and second screens contacted with the cathode active material and the second cathode current collector third and fourth screens contacted with the cathode active material are each of a plate-like structure.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein at least the first landing strip proximal portion is co-planar with the first bridge, and at least the second landing strip proximal portion is co-planar with the second bridge.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein at least the first and second landing strip proximal portions are co-planar with each other.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode active material is selected from the group consisting of lithium, lithium silver, lithium aluminum, lithium boron, lithium silver boron, carbon, and combinations thereof.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cathode current collectors and the anode current collector are selected from the group consisting of titanium, aluminum, nickel, and stainless steel.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the casing is selected from the group consisting of titanium, nickel, and stainless steel.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode active material is lithium and the cathode active material contacted to the first cathode current collector first and second screens and to the second cathode current collector third and fourth screens is selected from the group consisting of silver vanadium oxide, copper silver vanadium oxide, manganese dioxide, cobalt nickel, nickel oxide, copper oxide, copper sulfide, iron sulfide, iron disulfide, titanium disulfide, copper vanadium oxide, and mixtures thereof.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode active material is a carbonaceous material and the cathode active material contacted to the first cathode current collector first and second screens and to the second cathode current collector third and fourth screens is selected from the group consisting of LiNiO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiCoO 2 , LiCo 0.92 Sn 0.08 O 2 , and lithium nickel cobalt oxide.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionically conductive salt dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent.

Assignees

• Greatbatch Ltd

Inventors

• Dai Xiangyang

Classifications

• H01M4/661 Primary

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/566

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/176

  for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/181 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/533

  characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs · CPC title

• H01M50/553

  Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells · CPC title