Gasket and diaphragm for electrochemical cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017062778-A1
Application number	US-201615244663-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Aug 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell includes a can configured to serve as one electric contact of the electrochemical cell, the can containing active materials, a diaphragm configured to serve as an opposite electric contact of the electrochemical cell, and a gasket that is initially of generally cylindrical shape, the diaphragm positioned inside the gasket in an opening of the can wherein an outer edge of the can is crimped onto the gasket, the gasket having an inner periphery inside the can and an outer periphery outside the can, the outer periphery comprising leaves that after crimping extend along an outer surface of the diaphragm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a can configured to serve as one electric contact of the electrochemical cell, the can containing active materials; a diaphragm configured to serve as an opposite electric contact of the electrochemical cell; and a gasket that is initially of generally cylindrical shape, the diaphragm positioned inside the gasket in an opening of the can wherein an outer edge of the can is crimped onto the gasket, the gasket having an inner periphery inside the can and an outer periphery outside the can, the outer periphery comprising leaves that after crimping extend along an outer surface of the diaphragm.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein after the crimping the leaves lie essentially flat against the outer surface of the diaphragm.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the leaves are equidistantly spaced along the outer periphery.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the leaves are shaped so that after the crimping, adjacent leaves are separated by a slot formed by substantially parallel edges.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein side edges of the leaves are each slanted inward toward a top edge of the leaves.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein before the crimping a top edge of each leaf is essentially parallel to the inner periphery.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , further comprising a first annular projection on the gasket, the first annular projection is positioned closer to the outer periphery than is a second annular projection configured to hold the diaphragm.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 7 , wherein the first annular projection faces inward on the gasket.

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 7 , wherein the first annular projection faces outward on the gasket.

10 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , further comprising a rupture plate inside the can, and an insulator between the rupture plate and the diaphragm.

11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the insulator is integral with the gasket.

12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , further comprising a curved portion between the insulator and a main body of the gasket.

13 . The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , further comprising a raised portion on the insulator that fits inside a recessed portion of the diaphragm.

14 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a can configured to serve as one electric contact of the electrochemical cell, the can containing active materials; a diaphragm configured to serve as an opposite electric contact of the electrochemical cell; and means for sealing between the diaphragm and an opening of the can, and for protecting against short circuiting during interconnect welding.

15 . A method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell, the method comprising:
mounting a cap onto an opening of a can that includes active materials, the can configured to serve as an electrical contact of the electrochemical cell, the cap comprising: i) a diaphragm configured to serve as an opposite electric contact of the electrochemical cell, and ii) a gasket that is initially of generally cylindrical shape, the diaphragm positioned inside the gasket in the opening of the can; crimping an outer edge of the can onto the gasket to generate a shoulder on the can, the gasket having an inner periphery inside the can and an outer periphery outside the can, the outer periphery comprising leaves that after crimping extend along an outer surface of the diaphragm; and creating a first electrical interconnect at the outer surface of the diaphragm, and a second electrical interconnect at the shoulder of the can, wherein the leaves extending along the outer surface protect against short circuiting in creating the first and second electrical interconnects.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising assembling a rupture plate to at least the diaphragm, and thereafter assembling the gasket and the diaphragm rupture plate assembly together.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein an insulator is integral to the gasket, and wherein assembling the gasket and the diaphragm rupture plate assembly together comprises positioning the insulator between the rupture plate and the diaphragm.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising assembling an insulator to the diaphragm before assembling the rupture plate to at least the diaphragm.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising welding the rupture plate to at least the diaphragm.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the welding is laser welding.

Assignees

• Tesla Motors Inc

Inventors

• Mille Christophe
• Tsuruta Kunio
• Masumoto Kenjin

Classifications

• H01M10/052 Primary

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M50/107

  having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/167

  by crimping · CPC title

• H01M50/166 Primary

  characterised by the methods of assembling casings with lids · CPC title

• H01M50/545

  formed by the casing of the cells (cup shaped terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section H01M50/56) · CPC title