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US4885217A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Air cathodes and materials therefor

Assignee: Yardney Technical Products Inc
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Filing: 1987-07-06
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Granted: 1989-12-05
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Expires: 2007-07-06
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Abstract

Abstract A sheetlike laminated air cathode (16) including first (34) and second (38) layers having opposed major surfaces (17, 18) respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, the layers also having facing major surfaces, and the second layer (38) being permeable to air but not to the liquid electrolyte; and a current collector (36) in contact with the first layer (34) and connectable to external electrical circuitry. The first layer (34) is a nonwoven fibrous web impregnated with a mixture of carbon particles and a nonfibrous polymeric substance for holding the carbon particles in the web. The facing major surfaces of the first and second layers (34, 38) are bonded together by heat seal coating material (40) distributed on those major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of areas free of coating material extending substantially uniformly thereover.

Inventors

  • 👤 William H. Hoge

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 02:11
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M12/00; H01M4/00; H01M4/86; H01M4/96; H01M12/04; H01M12/06; H01M4/88; H01M4/8825; H01M4/8846; H01M4/8875; H01M8/00; H01M8/02; H01M8/0202; H01M8/023; H01M8/0234; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 144 words
An air cathode comprising a sheetlike laminate including (a) first and second layers having opposed major surfaces respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, said layers also having facing major surfaces, and said second layer being permeable to air but not to said liquid electrolyte; and (b) current-collecting means in contact with said first layer and connectable to external electrical circuitry; wherein the improvement comprises (c) said first layer comprising a nonwoven fibrous web impregnated with a mixture of carbon particles and a nonfibrous polymeric substance for holding the carbon particles in the web; and (d) said facing major surfaces of said first and second layers being bonded together by heat seal coating material distributed on said facing major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of areas free of coating material extending substantially uniformly thereover.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 144 words
An air cathode comprising a sheetlike laminate including (a) first and second layers having opposed major surfaces respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, said layers also having facing major surfaces, and said second layer being permeable to air but not to said liquid electrolyte; and (b) current-collecting means in contact with said first layer and connectable to external electrical circuitry; wherein the improvement comprises (c) said first layer comprising a nonwoven fibrous web impregnated with a mixture of carbon particles and a nonfibrous polymeric substance for holding the carbon particles in the web; and (d) said facing major surfaces of said first and second layers being bonded together by heat seal coating material distributed on said facing major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of areas free of coating material extending substantially uniformly thereover.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
An air cathode as defined in claim 1, wherein said current-collecting means comprises a layer of metal mesh.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
An air cathode as defined in claim 2, wherein said layer of metal mesh is interposed between and is substantially coextensive in area with said first and second layers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
An air cathode as defined in claim 2, wherein said layer of metal mesh is bonded to the exposed surface of said first layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
An air cathode as defined in claim 1, wherein said fibrous web is a nonwoven web of conductive carbon fibers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 114 words
An air cathode comprising a sheetlike laminate including (a) first and second layers having opposed major surfaces respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, said layers also having facing major surfaces, and said second layer being permeable to air but not to said liquid electrolyte; and (b) current-collecting means in contact with said first layer and connectable to external electrical circuitry; wherein the improvement comprises (c) said facing major surfaces of said first and second layers being bonded together by heat seal coating material distributed on said facing major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of areas free of coating material extending substantially uniformly thereover.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 114 words
An air cathode comprising a sheetlike laminate including (a) first and second layers having opposed major surfaces respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, said layers also having facing major surfaces, and said second layer being permeable to air but not to said liquid electrolyte; and (b) current-collecting means in contact with said first layer and connectable to external electrical circuitry; wherein the improvement comprises (c) said facing major surfaces of said first and second layers being bonded together by heat seal coating material distributed on said facing major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of areas free of coating material extending substantially uniformly thereover.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
An air cathode as defined in claim 6, wherein said coating material is distributed as a multiplicity of spaced-apart dots.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
An air cathode as defined in claim 6, wherein said coating material is distributed as a mesh having coating-material-free interstices.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 155 words
In a method of making an air cathode that comprises a sheetlike laminate including first and second layers and current-collecting means in contact with said first layer and connectable to external electrical circuitry, wherein said layers have opposed major surfaces respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, said layers also having facing major surfaces, and said second layer being permeable to air but not to said liquid electrolyte; the steps of (a) impregnating a nonwoven fibrous web with a suspension, in a liquid vehicle, of material comprising carbon particles and a nonfibrous polymeric substance for holding the carbon particles in the web, and (b) laminating said first and second layers together by juxtaposing them with a heat seat coating distributed between their facing major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of coating-free areas extending substantially uniformly thereover, and heating the juxtaposed layers to activate the coating.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 155 words
In a method of making an air cathode that comprises a sheetlike laminate including first and second layers and current-collecting means in contact with said first layer and connectable to external electrical circuitry, wherein said layers have opposed major surfaces respectively exposed for contact with a liquid electrolyte and with air, said layers also having facing major surfaces, and said second layer being permeable to air but not to said liquid electrolyte; the steps of (a) impregnating a nonwoven fibrous web with a suspension, in a liquid vehicle, of material comprising carbon particles and a nonfibrous polymeric substance for holding the carbon particles in the web, and (b) laminating said first and second layers together by juxtaposing them with a heat seat coating distributed between their facing major surfaces in such manner as to provide an array or network of coating-free areas extending substantially uniformly thereover, and heating the juxtaposed layers to activate the coating.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US3930094A Cited
US4017663A Cited
JPS5358639A Cited
JPS58165254A Cited
US4477539A Cited
US4514474A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-12-04 1993-06-05 1993-12-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-12-04 1997-06-05 1997-12-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-12-04 2001-06-05 2001-12-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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