US4973532A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Battery separator with integral thermal fuse
Assignee: Celgard LLC
•
Filing: 1989-04-05
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Granted: 1990-11-27
•
Expires: 2009-04-05
Abstract
Abstract A battery separator includes a porous substrate and a thermal fuse material adhered to at least one surface of said porous substrate. The thermal fuse material is adhered to the substrate surface in a predetermined geometric array thereupon so as to establish open areas of the at least one substrate surface to thereby allow ionic migration therethrough. The thermal fuse material forming the geometric array on the substrate surface may itself define open pores to further facilitate such ionic migration. The thermal fuse material melts at or near a predetermined threshold temperature so that the substrate's permeability irreversibly becomes significantly decreased and thus interrupts the chemical reaction in an electrochemical battery. In such a manner, batteries of improved safety may be provided using the separators of this invention.
Inventors
- 👤 Henry T. Taskier
- 👤 Steven M. Mullins
- 👤 Ellen A. Langford
- 👤 Robert J. Fleming
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 19:06
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M50/00; H01M50/40; H01M50/409; H01M50/449; H01M50/489; H01M10/00; H01M10/42; H01M10/4235; H01M50/403; H01M50/411; H01M2200/00; H01M2200/10; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
40 words
A battery separator comprising a porous substrate and a thermal fuse material adhered to at least one surface of said porous substrate in a predetermined geometric array thereupon so as to establish open areas of said at least one surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
40 words
A battery separator comprising a porous substrate and a thermal fuse material adhered to at least one surface of said porous substrate in a predetermined geometric array thereupon so as to establish open areas of said at least one surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A battery separator as in claim 1, wherein said geometric array of thermal fuse material is porous.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A battery separator as in claim 1, wherein said predetermined geometric array is a plurality of discrete regions each consisting essentially of said thermal fuse material and aligned in a number of rows.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A battery separator as in claim 3, wherein said regions of one of said rows are staggered with respect to said regions of adjacent ones of said rows.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A battery separator as in claim 1, wherein said open areas established by said predetermined geometric array of thermal fuse material are at least about 30 percent of said substrate surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A battery separator as in claim 1, wherein said porous substrate is a film or a fabric.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A battery separator as in claim 1, wherein said porous substrate is an open-celled, microporous polymeric film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
A battery separator as in claim 7, wherein said film is a polyolefin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
A battery separator as in claim 8, wherein said polyolefin is polyethylene or polypropylene.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A battery separator as in claim 1, wherein said thermal fuse material is selected from the group consisting of waxes and thermoplastics.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
A battery separator as in claim 10, wherein said thermoplastics are particulate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
A battery separator comprising a porous substrate, and thermal fuse means integrally associated with said porous substrate for significantly decreasing permeability of said porous substrate in response to exposure to a predetermined threshold temperature below a melting temperature of said substrate, wherein said thermal fuse means includes a material meltable substantially at said threshold temperature and adhered to at least one surface of said substrate in the form of a geometric pattern which establishes regions on said at least one surface covered by said meltable material, and open areas on said substrate surface uncovered by said meltable material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
98 words
A battery separator comprising a porous substrate, and thermal fuse means integrally associated with said porous substrate for significantly decreasing permeability of said porous substrate in response to exposure to a predetermined threshold temperature below a melting temperature of said substrate, wherein said thermal fuse means includes a material meltable substantially at said threshold temperature and adhered to at least one surface of said substrate in the form of a geometric pattern which establishes regions on said at least one surface covered by said meltable material, and open areas on said substrate surface uncovered by said meltable material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
A battery separator as in claim 12, wherein said meltable material in the form of said geometric array is porous.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A battery separator as in claim 12 or 13, wherein said predetermined geometric array is a plurality of discrete regions each consisting essentially of said thermal fuse material and aligned in a number of rows.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A battery separator as in claim 14, wherein said regions of one of said rows are staggered with respect to said regions of adjacent ones of said rows.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A battery separator as in claim 12, wherein said open areas are at least about 30 percent of said at least one substrate surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A battery separator as in claim 12, wherein said porous substrate is a film or a fabric.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
A battery separator as in claim 12, wherein said porous substrate is an open-celled, microporous polymeric film.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
A battery separator as in claim 18, wherein said film is a polyolefin.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
A battery separator as in claim 19, wherein said polyolefin is polyethylene or polypropylene.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A battery separator as in claim 12, wherein said thermal fuse material is selected from the group consisting of waxes and thermoplastics.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
A battery separator as in claim 21, wherein said thermoplastics are particulate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
60 words
In a battery comprising an anode, a cathode, and a separator interposed between said anode and cathode, the improvement wherein said separator includes a porous substrate and a thermal fuse material adhered to at least one surface of said porous substrate in a predetermined geometric array thereupon so as to establish open areas of said at least one substrate surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
60 words
In a battery comprising an anode, a cathode, and a separator interposed between said anode and cathode, the improvement wherein said separator includes a porous substrate and a thermal fuse material adhered to at least one surface of said porous substrate in a predetermined geometric array thereupon so as to establish open areas of said at least one substrate surface.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
In a battery as in claim 23, wherein said open areas established by said predetermined geometric array of thermal fuse material are at least about 30 percent of said substrate surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
In a battery as in claim 23, wherein said thermal fuse material adhered to said substrate in said predetermined geometric array is porous.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
In a battery as in claim 23 or 25, wherein said predetermined geometric array is a plurality of discrete regions each consisting essentially of said thermal fuse material and aligned in a number of rows.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
28 words
In a battery as in claim 26, wherein said regions of one of said rows are staggered with respect to said regions of adjacent ones of said rows.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
In a battery as in claim 23, wherein said thermal fuse material is selected from the group consisting of waxes and particulate thermoplastics.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
In a battery as in claim 23, wherein said porous substrate is a film or a fabric.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
In a battery as in claim 23, wherein said porous substrate is an open-celled, microporous polymeric film.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
In a battery as in claim 30, wherein said film is a polyolefin.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
14 words
In a battery as in claim 31, wherein said polyolefin is polyethylene or polypropylene.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
28 words
A method of fabricating a battery separator comprising applying a meltable thermal fuse material in a predetermined geometric pattern onto at least one surface of a porous substrate.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
28 words
A method of fabricating a battery separator comprising applying a meltable thermal fuse material in a predetermined geometric pattern onto at least one surface of a porous substrate.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as in claim 33, wherein said meltable thermal fuse material is applied in the form of a plurality of discrete regions each consisting essentially of said thermal fuse material and aligned in a number of roWs.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 34, wherein said thermal fuse material is applied so that the regions of one of said rows are staggered with respect to the regions of adjacent ones of said rows.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as in claim 33, wherein said thermal fuse material is applied by supplying liquid thermal fuse material to a surface of a pattern roll, and then bringing said substrate into contact with said pattern roll so that said liquid thermal fuse material is transferred onto the substrate surface in the form of said geometric pattern.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method as in claim 33, wherein said thermal fuse material is applied by overlaying said at least one surface with an apertured member which defines said predetermined geometric pattern, and then forcing liquid thermal fuse material through the apertures of said member so that the thermal fuse material is deposited onto said at least one surface in said predetermined geometric pattern.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as in claim 36 or 37, wherein said thermal fuse material is applied in the form of a liquid paste consisting essentially of particulate thermoplastic material in an inert carrier liquid.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 38, which further comprises removing the carrier liquid so that the particulate thermoplastic remains as a residue on said at least one surface.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as in claim 39, which further comprises drying the applied paste by subjecting the substrate with the applied paste thereon to elevated temperature sufficient to remove the carrier liquid so that the thermoplastic material remains as a residue on the substrate surface.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as in claim 40, wherein said step of drying the applied paste includes subjecting the separator to elevated temperature at least about 2° C. below the melting point of the thermoplastic material for less than about one hour.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 40, wherein said step of drying the applied paste is practiced at a temperature which partially melts said particulate thermoplastic material.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as in claim 41, wherein the thermal fuse material is applied as an aqueous mixture which further consists essentially of at least one additive selected from surfactants, thickeners, and adhesive agents.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as in claim 36 or 37, wherein said thermal fuse material is applied in the form of a melt, the method further comprising allowing the melt to solidify on said at least one substrate surface.
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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) | 1993-11-26 | 1994-05-28 | 1994-11-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-11-26 | 1998-05-28 | 1998-11-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-11-26 | 2002-05-28 | 2002-11-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |