US3883368A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Alkaline aluminum-air/zinc-manganese dioxide hybrid battery
Assignee: Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC
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Filing: 1972-10-26
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Granted: 1975-05-13
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Expires: 1992-10-26
Abstract
Abstract A hybrid battery is described. The battery comprises two different cells electrically connected in parallel, a first cell being an alkaline aluminum-air cell and the second cell being an alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide cell. The battery is particularly useful as a power source for electrically operated devices which require long periods of relatively low electrical current alternating with short periods of relatively high electrical current.
Inventors
- 👤 Karl V Kordesch
- 👤 Akiya Kozawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 06:27
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M16/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
A HYBRID BATTERY CAPABLE OF DISCHARGING AT TWO OR MORE CURRENT RATES, ONE RATE BEING HIGH AND THE OTHER BEING LOW RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID BATTERY COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND CELL ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN PARALLEL, THE OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE OF SAID FIRST CELL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TRICKLE CHARGE VOLTAGE REQUIREMENT OF SAID SECOND CELL, SAID FIRST CELL HAVING AN ALUMINUM ELECTRODE, AN OXYGEN DEPOLARIZED ELECTRODE, AND AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE, SAID ALUMINUM ELECTRODE HAVING A SURFACE AREA SUCH THAT THE CURRENT DENSITY AT SAID ALUMINUM ELECTRODE AT A CURRENT RATE EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE CURRENT RATE OF SAID RELATIVELY HIGH RATE AND SAID RELATIVELY LOW RATE IS SUFFICIENT TO ENABLE SAID FIRST CELL TO BE DIS CHARGED WITHOUT EXCESSIVE WASTEFUL CORROSION OF SAID ALUMINUM ELECTRODE NORMALLY OCCURRING AT LOW CURRENT DENSITIES AND WITHOUT AN EXCESSIVE VOLTAGE DROP IN SAID FIRST CELL NORMALLY OCCURRING AT HIGH CURRENT DENSITIES AND SAID SECOND CELL HAVING A ZINC ELECTRODE, A MANGANESE DIOXIDE ELECTRODE, AND AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE, WHEREIN SAID BATTERY IS SO CONSTRUCTE AND ARRANGED THAT SAID FIRST CELL DELIVERS MOST OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL OUTPUT OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE EXTERNAL DISCHARGE CURRENT RATE ON THE BATTERY IS SAID RELATIVELY LOW RATE, SAID SECOND CELL DELIVERS MOST OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL OUTPUT OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE EXTERNAL DISCHARGE CURRENT RATE ON THE BATTERY IS SAID RELATIVELY HIGH RATE, AND SAID FIRST CELL CHARGES SAID SECOND CELL WHEN THERE IS NO EXTERNAL DISCHARGE CURRENT ON SAID BATTERY.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
248 words
A HYBRID BATTERY CAPABLE OF DISCHARGING AT TWO OR MORE CURRENT RATES, ONE RATE BEING HIGH AND THE OTHER BEING LOW RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID BATTERY COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND CELL ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN PARALLEL, THE OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE OF SAID FIRST CELL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TRICKLE CHARGE VOLTAGE REQUIREMENT OF SAID SECOND CELL, SAID FIRST CELL HAVING AN ALUMINUM ELECTRODE, AN OXYGEN DEPOLARIZED ELECTRODE, AND AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE, SAID ALUMINUM ELECTRODE HAVING A SURFACE AREA SUCH THAT THE CURRENT DENSITY AT SAID ALUMINUM ELECTRODE AT A CURRENT RATE EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE CURRENT RATE OF SAID RELATIVELY HIGH RATE AND SAID RELATIVELY LOW RATE IS SUFFICIENT TO ENABLE SAID FIRST CELL TO BE DIS CHARGED WITHOUT EXCESSIVE WASTEFUL CORROSION OF SAID ALUMINUM ELECTRODE NORMALLY OCCURRING AT LOW CURRENT DENSITIES AND WITHOUT AN EXCESSIVE VOLTAGE DROP IN SAID FIRST CELL NORMALLY OCCURRING AT HIGH CURRENT DENSITIES AND SAID SECOND CELL HAVING A ZINC ELECTRODE, A MANGANESE DIOXIDE ELECTRODE, AND AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE, WHEREIN SAID BATTERY IS SO CONSTRUCTE AND ARRANGED THAT SAID FIRST CELL DELIVERS MOST OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL OUTPUT OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE EXTERNAL DISCHARGE CURRENT RATE ON THE BATTERY IS SAID RELATIVELY LOW RATE, SAID SECOND CELL DELIVERS MOST OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL OUTPUT OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE EXTERNAL DISCHARGE CURRENT RATE ON THE BATTERY IS SAID RELATIVELY HIGH RATE, AND SAID FIRST CELL CHARGES SAID SECOND CELL WHEN THERE IS NO EXTERNAL DISCHARGE CURRENT ON SAID BATTERY.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
The hybrid battery of claim 1 wherein the manganese dioxide electrode is a thin, coherent, plastic-bonded electrode comprising (a) particulate manganese dioxide, (b) colloidal electrically conductive material, and (c) particulate electrically conductive material, said materials (a), (b) and (c) being bonded by an electrolyte-wettable but insoluble polymeric binder, and said colloidal electrically conductive material providing particle-to-particle electrical contact within said manganese dioxide electrode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
224 words
A hybrid battery capable of discharging at two or more current rates, one rate being high and the other being low relative to each other, said battery comprising a first and a second cell electrically connected in parallel, the open circuit voltage of said first cell being substantially equal to the trickle charge voltage requirement of said second cell, said first cell having an aluminum electrode, an oxygen depolarized electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, said aluminum electrode having a surface area such that the current density at said aluminum electrode is within the range of from about 40 to about 80 milliamperes per square centimeter at a discharge current rate substantially equal to the average current rate of said relatively low rate and said relatively high rate, and said second cell having a zinc electrode, a manganese dioxide electrode and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, wherein said battery is so constructed and arranged that said first cell delivers mot of the electrochemical output of the battery when the external discharge current rate on the battery is said relatively low rate, said second cell delivers most of the electrochemical output of the battery when the external discharge current rate on the battery is said relatively high rate, and said first cell charges said second cell when there is no external discharge current on said battery.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
224 words
A hybrid battery capable of discharging at two or more current rates, one rate being high and the other being low relative to each other, said battery comprising a first and a second cell electrically connected in parallel, the open circuit voltage of said first cell being substantially equal to the trickle charge voltage requirement of said second cell, said first cell having an aluminum electrode, an oxygen depolarized electrode, and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, said aluminum electrode having a surface area such that the current density at said aluminum electrode is within the range of from about 40 to about 80 milliamperes per square centimeter at a discharge current rate substantially equal to the average current rate of said relatively low rate and said relatively high rate, and said second cell having a zinc electrode, a manganese dioxide electrode and an aqueous alkaline electrolyte, wherein said battery is so constructed and arranged that said first cell delivers mot of the electrochemical output of the battery when the external discharge current rate on the battery is said relatively low rate, said second cell delivers most of the electrochemical output of the battery when the external discharge current rate on the battery is said relatively high rate, and said first cell charges said second cell when there is no external discharge current on said battery.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The hybrid battery of claim 3 wherein the active surface area of the aluminum electrode is from about one-eighth to about one-fourth the nominal surface area of the oxygen depolarized electrode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The hybrid battery of claim 3 wherein the aqueous alkaline electrolyte in both of said cells is aqueous potassium hydroxide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The hybrid battery of claim 3 wherein the aqueous alkaline electrolyte of said first cell contains sodium stannate in an amount effective to inhibit corrosion of said aluminum electrode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The hybrid battery of Claim 3 wherein the aqueous alkaline electrolyte of said first cell contains potassium citrate and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium stannate and lead acetate, in an amount effective to inhibit corrosion of said aluminum electrode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The hybrid battery of claim 3 wherein the aqueous alkaline electrolyte of said first cell contains a sparingly soluble mercury compound and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium zincate and and potassium stannate, in an amount effective to inhibit corrosion of said aluminum electrode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
The hybrid battery of claim 3 wherein the aqueous alkaline electrolyte of said first cell contains a mercury complex of limited dissociation and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium zincate and potassium stannate, in an amount effective to inhibit corrosion of said aluminum electrode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3113050A
Cited
US3531327A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-12 | 1978-11-11 | 1979-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-12 | 1982-11-11 | 1983-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-12 | 1986-11-11 | 1987-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |