Patent US4865932A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4865932A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric cells and process for making the same
Assignee: Seiko Electronic Components Ltd
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Filing: 1988-05-12
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Granted: 1989-09-12
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Expires: 2008-05-12
Abstract
Abstract An electric cell comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte containing a lithium salt is provided wherein the negative electrode has a two-layer structure of a lithium-aluminum alloy layer and an aluminum layer. The cell is fabricated by placing a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte in a cell container comprising positive and negative electrode casings, and forming a seal between the positive and negative electrode casings. The negative electrode is electrochemically formed in situ in the cell container from a lithium-clad aluminum substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshitomo Masuda
- 👤 Isamu Shinoda
- 👤 Masao Ogawa
- 👤 Toyoo Harada
- 👤 Takao Ogino
- 👤 Kazuo Takayama
- 👤 Tadaaki Miyazaki
- 👤 Takahiro Kawagoe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 13:38
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M10/00; H01M10/05; H01M4/00; H01M4/02; H01M4/13; H01M50/00; H01M50/10; H01M50/102; H01M50/109; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49108
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
In an electric cell comprising a positive electrode composed of an organic electroconductive polymer, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte containing a lithium salt, the improvement wherein the negative electrode has a two-layer structure consisting essentially of a lithium-aluminum alloy layer and an aluminum layer, wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer is from 0.5 times to 3.5 times as thick as the aluminum layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
In an electric cell comprising a positive electrode composed of an organic electroconductive polymer, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte containing a lithium salt, the improvement wherein the negative electrode has a two-layer structure consisting essentially of a lithium-aluminum alloy layer and an aluminum layer, wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer is from 0.5 times to 3.5 times as thick as the aluminum layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The cell of claim 1 wherein the aluminum layer is of aluminum having a purity of at least 99.0%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cell of claim 1 wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer has a composition comprising 40 to 60 atom % of lithium and 60 to 40 atom % of aluminum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The cell of claim 1 wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer is electrochemically formed by bonding lithium to aluminum substrate under pressure and immersing the lithium-clad aluminum substrate in an organic solvent containing a lithium salt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The cell of claim 4 wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer is formed in situ by placing the lithium-clad aluminum substrate in the cell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The cell of claim 4 wherein the surface of the aluminum substrate to which lithium is bonded had a surface roughness with a root mean square deviation of from 1.5 to 5 μm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The cell of claim 1 which further comprises a negative electrode casing wherein the aluminum layer is directly secured to the casing at five or more points.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The cell of claim 7 wherein the aluminum layer is secured to the casing by ultrasonic welding.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The cell of claim 1 wherein the positive electrode is comprised of polyaniline.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
151 words
In the process for preparing an electric cell, comprising the steps of placing a positive electrode composed of an organic electroconductive polymer, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte in a cell container comprising positive and negative electrode casings, and forming a seal between the positive and negative electrode casings, the improvement wherein the negative electrode is formed in situ in the cell container by contact bonding lithium to an aluminum substrate, placing the lithium-clad aluminum substrate in the cell container, filling the container with an electrolyte containing a lithium salt that the lithium-clad aluminum substrate is immersed in the electrolyte, and electrochemically alloying the lithium into a lithium into a lithium-aluminum alloy, thereby forming a negative electrode of a two layer structure consisting essentially of a lithium-aluminum alloy layer and an aluminum layer, wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer is from 0.5 times to 3.5 times as thick as the aluminum layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
151 words
In the process for preparing an electric cell, comprising the steps of placing a positive electrode composed of an organic electroconductive polymer, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte in a cell container comprising positive and negative electrode casings, and forming a seal between the positive and negative electrode casings, the improvement wherein the negative electrode is formed in situ in the cell container by contact bonding lithium to an aluminum substrate, placing the lithium-clad aluminum substrate in the cell container, filling the container with an electrolyte containing a lithium salt that the lithium-clad aluminum substrate is immersed in the electrolyte, and electrochemically alloying the lithium into a lithium into a lithium-aluminum alloy, thereby forming a negative electrode of a two layer structure consisting essentially of a lithium-aluminum alloy layer and an aluminum layer, wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer is from 0.5 times to 3.5 times as thick as the aluminum layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the aluminum layer is of aluminum having a purity of at least 99.0%.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the lithium-aluminum alloy layer has a composition comprising 40 to 60 atom % of lithium and 60 to 40 atom % of aluminum.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the surface of the aluminum substrate to which lithium is bonded has a surface roughness with a root mean square deviation of from 1.5 to 5 μm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process of claim 10 wherein after the cell was assembled by sealing the positive electrode, negative electrode and electrolyte in the cell container, the cell container is pressed to bring the lithium in close contact with the aluminum substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 14 wherein the container is pressed under a pressure of at least 10 kg/cm 2 .
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the step of forming a seal between the positive and negative electrode casings comprises repeating sealing operation as the volume of the contents of the cell container changes, thereby maintaining the interior of the container in a sealed condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 16 wherein the second and subsequent sealing operations are carried out so as to reduce the interior volume of the container.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 17 wherein the interior volume of the container is reduced by 1 to 40% of the interior volume of the container at the end of the first sealing operation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the aluminum layer is directly secured to the casing at five or more points.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process of claim 19 which further comprises securing one surface of the aluminum substrate to the negative electrode casing at five or more points, contact bonding lithium to the other surface of the aluminum substrate, and electrochemically converting the lithium into a lithium-aluminum alloy within the container.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 20 wherein the aluminum substrate is secured to the casing by ultrasonic welding.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-09-11 | 1993-03-13 | 1993-09-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-09-11 | 1997-03-13 | 1997-09-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-09-11 | 2001-03-13 | 2001-09-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |