Flexible thin-film printed batteries with 3D printed substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101468-B2
Application number	US-201916409498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2019
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A method for printing a flexible printed battery is disclosed. For example, the method includes printing, via a three-dimensional (3D) printer, a first substrate of the flexible thin-film printed battery, printing a first current collector on the first substrate, printing a first layer on the first current collector, printing, via the 3D printer, a second substrate, printing a second current collector on the second substrate, printing a second layer on the second current collector, and coupling the first substrate and the second substrate around a paper separator membrane moistened with an electrolyte that is in contact with the first layer and the second layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for printing a flexible thin-film printed battery, comprising:
printing, via a three-dimensional (3D) printer, a cathode substrate of the flexible thin-film printed battery;
printing a cathode current collector on the cathode substrate;
printing a cathode layer on the cathode current collector;
printing, via the 3D printer, an anode substrate;
printing an anode current collector on the anode substrate;
printing an anode layer on the anode current collector; and
coupling the cathode substrate and the anode substrate around a paper separator membrane moistened with an electrolyte that is in contact with the cathode layer and the anode layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cathode substrate or the anode substrate is printed to conform to a shape of a surface of an object that is printed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cathode substrate or the anode substrate is printed as an integral part of the object that is printed.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the shape of the surface is curved.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shape of the surface is convex.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coupling the cathode substrate and the anode substrate around the paper separator membrane, further comprises:
heating the edges to seal the paper separator membrane between the cathode layer and the anode layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attaching a copper tape to an end of the cathode current collector and to an end of the anode current collector.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode layer comprises manganese oxide and the anode layer comprises zinc.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises ammonium chloride.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coupling is performed via thermal bonding process to encapsulate the paper separator membrane.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Chopra Naveen
• Mcguire Gregory
• Zwartz Edward G

Classifications

• H01M50/11

  having a chip structure, e.g. micro-sized batteries integrated on chips · CPC title

• H01M50/429

  Natural polymers · CPC title

• H01M50/4295

  Natural cotton, cellulose or wood · CPC title

• H01M50/44

  Fibrous material · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title