Metal-air battery including cathode with air path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10381697-B2
Application number	US-201715679240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a metal-air battery including a cathode having an air path. The metal-air battery includes a plurality of folded cells stacked in a direction, and each of the folded cells includes: an anode having a U-shape defined by first and second portions separated from and parallel to each other, and a side portion which connects the first and the second portions to each other; an anode protection film arranged on an inner surface of the anode; and a first cathode and a second cathode on the anode protection film, the first cathode and the second cathode arranged facing each other between the first portion and the second portion of the anode. The first cathode and the second cathode each includes a base which contacts the anode protection film, and a plurality of protrusion units extended from the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal-air battery comprising:
an anode having a U-shape defined by first and second portions separated from and parallel to each other, and a side portion which connects the first and the second portions to each other;
an anode protection film arranged on an inner surface of the anode; and
a first cathode and a second cathode on the anode protection film, the first cathode and the second cathode arranged facing each other between the first portion and the second portion of the anode,
wherein the first cathode and the second cathode each comprises a base which contacts the anode protection film, and a plurality of protrusion units extended from the base.

2. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusion units of the first cathode respectively contact the plurality of protrusion units of the second cathode.

3. The metal-air battery of claim 2 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively, the plurality of protrusion units have a column shape.

4. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively,
the plurality of protrusion units are arranged spaced apart from each other by a gap, and
in a direction in which the protrusion units are arranged spaced apart from each other, a width of the protrusion units is greater than the gap.

5. A metal-air battery comprising:
a plurality of folded cells consecutively stacked,
wherein each of the plurality of folded cells comprises:
an anode having a U-shape defined by first and second portions separated from and parallel to each other, and a side portion which connects the first and the second portions to each other;
an anode protection film arranged on an inner surface of the anode; and
a first cathode and a second cathode on the anode protection film, the first cathode and the second cathode arranged facing each other between the first portion and the second portion of the anode,
wherein the first cathode and the second cathode each respectively comprises a base which contacts the anode protection film, and a plurality of protrusion units extended from the base.

6. The metal-air battery of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of protrusion units of the first cathode respectively contact the plurality of the protrusion units of the second cathode.

7. The metal-air battery of claim 6 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively, the plurality of protrusion units have the same shape as each other.

8. The metal-air battery of claim 6 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively, the plurality of protrusion units have a column shape.

9. The metal-air battery of claim 8 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively,
the plurality of protrusion units are arranged spaced apart from each other by a gap, and
in a direction in which the protrusion units are arranged spaced apart from each other, a width of the protrusion units is greater than the gap.

10. The metal-air battery of claim 6 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively, the plurality of protrusion units have a stripe shape.

11. The metal-air battery of claim 10 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively,
the plurality of protrusion units are arranged spaced apart from each other by a gap, and
in a direction in which the protrusion units are arranged spaced apart from each other, a width of the protrusion units is greater than the gap.

12. The metal-air battery of claim 10 , wherein within the first cathode and the second cathode, respectively, the plurality of protrusion units having the stripe shape are arranged spaced apart from and parallel to each other by a gap, the gap exposed to outside the metal-air battery to form an air inlet for external air.

13. The metal-air battery of claim 5 , wherein within each of the plurality of folded cells, the first cathode and the second cathode each extend further than the anode and the anode protection film to define a respective extension unit disposed outside the anode and the anode protection film, and
the metal-air battery further comprises a cathode current collector which connects the extension units to each other.

14. The metal-air battery of claim 5 , wherein
the anodes of the plurality of folded cells are connected to each other to form a single anode having a serpentine shape,
the serpentine shape defines:
a plurality of opening spaces respectively between the first and second portions parallel to each other, the opening spaces being open at a same first side of the single anode, and
bent portions at a second side of the single anode opposite to the first side thereof, and

the anode protection films of the plurality of folded cells are connected to each other to form a single anode protection film consecutively formed along an inner surface of the single anode at the opening spaces thereof.

15. The metal-air battery of claim 14 , wherein
the first cathode and the second cathode of the plurality of folded cells are connected to each other to form a third cathode having a serpentine shape on the single anode protection film, and
the third cathode is exposed outside the single anode and the anode protection film, at the first side of the single anode.

16. The metal-air battery of claim 15 , further comprising a cathode current collector disposed at the first side of the single anode, the cathode current collector extending across the opening spaces of the single anode to contact the third cathode at the first side of the single anode.

17. The metal-air battery of claim 16 , further comprising an anode current collector disposed at the second side of the single anode, the anode current collector extending across the bent portions of the single anode to contact the bent portions of the single anode at the second side thereof.

18. The metal-air battery of claim 17 , wherein the cathode current collector and the anode current collector face each other with the plurality of folded cells therebetween.

19. The metal-air battery of claim 17 , wherein the third cathode, the single anode and the anode protection film are exposed outside the metal-air battery at a front surface thereof,
further comprising a covering material which surrounds the cathode current collector, the anode current collector and external surfaces of the plurality of folded cells except for the front surface of the metal-air battery.

20. The metal-air battery of claim 5 , wherein the anode protection film comprises a polymer electrolyte film having conductivity with respect to metal ions while blocking oxygen.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyunjin
• Kim Mokwon
• Kim Joonhee
• Lee Hyunpyo
• Im Dongmin

Classifications

• H01M12/08 Primary

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M12/06

  with one metallic and one gaseous electrode · CPC title

• H01M12/065 Primary

  with plate-like electrodes or stacks of plate-like electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2004/025

  with shapes other than plane or cylindrical · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title