Electrochemical cell with improved high-rate discharge performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11552305-B2
Application number	US-201916455124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A cathode for an electrochemical cell, the cathode comprising:
an at least substantially cylindrical cathode rod comprising a cathode active material, wherein the at least substantially cylindrical cathode rod has a cylindrical sidewall surface and uniform characteristics across an entire radius of the substantially cylindrical cathode rod; and
a cathode current collector comprising an at least substantially cylindrical conducting tube embedded within and at least substantially concentric with the cathode rod, wherein the at least substantially cylindrical conducting tube is located at and in contact with the cylindrical sidewall surface of the cathode rod.

2. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the cathode rod comprises a plurality of cathode pellets stacked axially relative to one another, and wherein the plurality of cathode pellets collectively define the cylindrical sidewall surface, and the cathode current collector is wrapped around the plurality of cylindrical cathode pellets.

3. The cathode of claim 2 , wherein the cathode current collector is a continuous, at least substantially cylindrical conducting tube that is wrapped around the plurality of cathode pellets and embedded within the cylindrical sidewall surface of the plurality of cathode pellets.

4. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the conducting tube comprises a conducting mesh or perforated material.

5. The cathode of claim 4 , wherein the conducting tube comprises a nickel mesh material.

6. The cathode of claim 5 , wherein the nickel mesh material has a graphite coating.

7. The cathode of claim 4 , wherein the conducting tube comprises a perforated nickel foil material.

8. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the conducting tube comprises a conducting wire coil.

Assignees

• Energizer Brands Llc

Inventors

• Huang Weiwei
• Kerosky Frank J

Classifications

• H01M2300/0014

  Alkaline electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M6/04 Primary

  Cells with aqueous electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M4/78

  Shapes other than plane or cylindrical, e.g. helical · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/0433 Primary

  Molding · CPC title