Multi-anode solid electrolytic capacitor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9767964-B2
Application number	US-201113081967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2011
Priority date	Apr 7, 2011
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A capacitor assembly that is stable under extreme conditions is provided. A capacitor assembly that is capable of achieving a high capacitance and yet remain thermally and mechanically stable under extreme conditions. Even at high capacitance values, good mechanical stability can be achieved by connecting multiple individual capacitor elements to the housing of the assembly. Without intending to be limited by theory, it is believed that the use of multiple elements increases the surface area over which the elements are connected to the housing. Among other things, this allows the elements to dissipate vibrational forces incurred during use over a larger area, which reduces the likelihood of delamination. The capacitor elements are also enclosed and hermetically sealed within a single housing in the presence of a gaseous atmosphere that contains an inert gas, thereby limiting the amount of oxygen and moisture supplied to the solid electrolyte of the capacitor elements. Through the combination of the features noted above, the capacitor assembly is able to better function under extreme conditions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capacitor assembly comprising:
a housing having a lower wall and side walls that define an interior cavity having a gaseous atmosphere that contains an inert gas;
a first capacitor element having a front surface and a major surface juxtaposed adjacent to a second capacitor element having a front surface and a major surface, wherein the first and second capacitor elements are positioned in the interior cavity, each of the capacitor elements comprising an anode formed from an anodically oxidized, sintered porous body and a solid electrolyte overlying the anode, wherein each capacitor element further comprises an anode lead that extends in a lateral direction from the front surface, wherein the anode lead is positioned within the interior cavity of the housing, wherein the major surface of each of the capacitor elements is connected to the lower wall of the housing, wherein the major surface of the first capacitor element and the major surface of the second capacitor element are generally coplanar, and wherein the front surface of the first capacitor element and the front surface of the second capacitor element are generally coplanar;
an anode termination that is in electrical connection with the anode lead of each of the capacitor elements, wherein the anode termination has a first component positioned within the housing that is connected to the first capacitor element, a separate second component positioned within the housing that is connected to the second capacitor element, wherein the first component is not in contact with the second capacitor element and the second component is not in contact with the first capacitor element, and a third component located external to the housing, wherein the third component is common to both the first and second capacitor elements and is separated from the first and second components by the lower wall of the housing, and wherein the first component is adjacent to the front surface of the first capacitor element and the second component is adjacent to the front surface of the second capacitor element; and
a cathode termination in contact with the lower wall of the housing that is in electrical connection with the solid electrolyte of each of the capacitor elements,
wherein the cathode termination comprises at least one region external to the housing, wherein the major surface of each of the capacitor elements is generally parallel to the external region of the cathode termination, and wherein the major surface of each of the capacitor elements has a surface area equal to or greater than a surface area of each surface of the respective capacitor element directly connected to the major surface.

2. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein a side surface of the first capacitor element is positioned adjacent to and faces a side surface of the second capacitor element.

3. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a connective member that is electrically connected to at least one of the capacitor elements, wherein the connective member contains a first portion that is positioned generally perpendicular to the lateral direction of the anode lead and connected thereto.

4. The capacitor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the connective member further contains a second portion that is generally parallel to the lateral direction in which the anode lead extends.

5. The capacitor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second portion is positioned within the housing.

6. The capacitor assembly of claim 4 , wherein first major surface is connected to the lower wall of the housing via the connective member.

7. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the porous body is formed from tantalum or niobium oxide.

8. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte includes a conductive polymer.

9. The capacitor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the conductive polymer is in the form of a particle dispersion.

10. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte includes manganese dioxide.

11. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein capacitor elements occupy about 30 vol. % or more of the interior cavity.

12. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein inert gases constitute from about 50 wt. % to 100 wt. % of the gaseous atmosphere.

13. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric restraint positioned adjacent to and in contact with a surface of at least one of the capacitor elements and a surface of the housing.

14. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein from 2 to 4 capacitor elements are positioned in the interior cavity of the housing.

15. The capacitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third component is planar.

Assignees

• Zednickova Ivana
• Avx Corp

Inventors

• Zednickova Ivana

Classifications

• H01G9/15

  Solid electrolytic capacitors (H01G11/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01G9/06

  Mounting in containers · CPC title

• H01G9/08 Primary

  Housing; Encapsulation · CPC title

• H01G9/26 Primary

  Structural combinations of electrolytic capacitors, rectifiers, detectors, switching devices, light-sensitive or temperature-sensitive devices with each other · CPC title

• H01G9/025

  Solid electrolytes (H01G11/54 takes precedence) · CPC title