Alkalline cell battery and method for manufacture thereof

Claim 1

A method for fabricating an alkaline battery of the type wherein a plurality of cells are mounted in a stack, each said cells having a positive electrode, a negative electrode in the form of paste contained within a sealed bag, a dielectric positioned at least between the electrodes, a flexible package in which the electrodes and dielectric are sealed, a pointed conductor connected to the positive electrode of the cell and adapted to pierce the package and the negative electrode bag of an adjacent cell to make electrical contact with the negative electrode paste of such cell when the cells are pressed together, thereby electrically connecting the two cells and a supporting plate of a substantially stiff nonconducting material which may be easily punctured by a conductor mounted to the negative electrode side of the package, the pointed conductor of one cell of each adjacent pair of cells piercing the negative electrode bag, adjacent package and supporting plate of the other cell of the pair with means being provided for making electrical connection to the pointed conductor extending the cell at one end of the stack and for making electrical connection to the negative electrode of the cell at the other end of the stack, the method comprising the steps of: stacking the negative electrode, dielectric and positive electrode in a plastic cup-shaped cell container; vacuum sealing the cell container with a plastic top; mounting the pointed conductor, either before or after the vacuum sealing step, to be in electrical contact with the positive electrode and to project through the plastic top, the three steps indicated above forming a battery cell; coating adhesive on both sides of a stiff plastic material fed from a roll; cutting the plastic material to form said supporting plates; mounting a supporting plate to the side of each cell opposite the side from which the pointed conductor projects; and stacking a predetermined number of said cells with the pointed conductor of one cell adjacent the supporting plate side of the next cell, the stacking being performed with sufficient pressure to cause the pointed conductor of each pair of adjacent cells to pierce the supporting plate, plastic top and negative electrode bag of the adjacent cell.

Claim 2

A method for fabricating an alkaline battery of the type wherein a plurality of cells are mounted in a stack, each said cells having a positive electrode, a negative electrode in the form of paste contained within a sealed bag, a dielectric positioned at least between the electrodes, a flexible package in which the electrodes and dielectric are sealed, a pointed conductor connected to the positive electrode of the cell and adapted to pierce the package and the negative electrode bag of an adjacent cell to make electrical contact with the negative electrode paste of such cell when the cells are pressed together, thereby electrically connecting the two cells and a supporting plate of a substantially stiff nonconducting material which may be easily punctured by a conductor mounted to the negative electrode side of the package, the pointed conductor of one cell of each adjacent pair of cells piercing the negative electrode bag, adjacent package and supporting plate of the other cell of the pair with means being provided for making electrical connection to the pointed conductor extending the cell at one end of the stack and for making electrical connection to the negative electrode of the cell at the other end of the stack, the method comprising the steps of: stacking the negative electrode, dielectric and positive electrode in a plastic cup-shaped cell container; vacuum sealing the cell container with a plastic top; mounting the pointed conductor, either before or after the vacuum sealing step, to be in electrical contact with the positive electrode and to project through the plastic top, the three steps indicated above forming a battery cell; coating adhesive on both sides of a stiff plastic material fed from a roll; cutting the plastic material to form said supporting plates; mounting a supporting plate to the side of each cell opposite the side from which the pointed conductor projects; and stacking a predetermined number of said cells with the pointed conductor of one cell adjacent the supporting plate side of the next cell, the stacking being performed with sufficient pressure to cause the pointed conductor of each pair of adjacent cells to pierce the supporting plate, plastic top and negative electrode bag of the adjacent cell.