US5584891A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Methods of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet and of forming button-type batteries
Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
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Filing: 1996-01-18
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Granted: 1996-12-17
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Expires: 2016-01-18
Abstract
Abstract A method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet includes, a) providing an electrically conductive sheet having an exposed surface, the conductive sheet being divisible into a plurality of individual button-type battery terminal housing member regions; b) masking portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface with a masking material; c) applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; d) allowing the applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and e) after at least partially curing the gasket material, removing the masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface. The sheet is preferably utilized in formation of a plurality of button-type batteries. A plurality of discrete first terminal housing members are cut and formed from the electrically conductive sheet regions. A discrete electrically conductive second terminal housing member is provided in facing juxtaposition to one of the first terminal housing members, with an anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte positioned therebetween. The first and second terminal housing members are then crimped together into an enclosed battery housing with the gasket material being interposed between the first and second terminal housing members to provide a fluid-tight seal and to provide electrical insulation therebetween.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark E. Tuttle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 20:48
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M50/00; H01M50/10; H01M50/102; H01M50/109; H01M50/183; H01M50/184; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49108; Y10T29/49115
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet comprising the following steps: providing an electrically conductive sheet having an exposed surface, the conductive sheet being divisible into a plurality of individual button-type battery terminal housing member regions; masking portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface with a masking material; applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; allowing the applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and after at least partially curing the gasket material, removing the masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet comprising the following steps: providing an electrically conductive sheet having an exposed surface, the conductive sheet being divisible into a plurality of individual button-type battery terminal housing member regions; masking portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface with a masking material; applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; allowing the applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and after at least partially curing the gasket material, removing the masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material, and the masking step comprising pad printing the masking material to the exposed sheet surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material, and the masking step comprising screen printing the masking material to the exposed sheet surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material, and the masking step comprising spray printing the masking material to the exposed sheet surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, the applying step comprising providing the gasket material onto the unmasked portions to substantially the same selected thickness.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
120 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, and the applying step comprising: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions, the substantially even film being provided to substantially the same selected thickness as the masking material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and moving the spreader bar relative to the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and moving the conductive sheet relative to the spreader bar to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, and the applying step comprising: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and moving the conductive sheet relative to the spreader bar to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions, the substantially even film being provided to substantially the same selected thickness as the masking material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the masking material comprises a photo-imageable solder masking material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the gasket material is allowed to substantially cure prior to removing the masking material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
114 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive sheet has an opposing exposed surface, the method further comprising: masking portions of the respective regions of the opposing exposed sheet surface with a masking material; applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the opposing exposed sheet surface; allowing the opposing exposed sheet surface applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and after at least partially curing the opposing exposed sheet surface gasket material, removing the opposing exposed sheet surface masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the opposing exposed sheet surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 further comprising cutting and forming a plurality of discrete battery terminal housing members from the electrically conductive sheet regions, the forming including bending the discrete first terminal housing members into desired battery terminal shapes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein, the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material; and the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, the applying step comprising providing the gasket material onto the unmasked portions to substantially the same selected thickness.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein, the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material, and wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
148 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 1 wherein, the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material; and wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, and the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions, the substantially even film being provided to substantially the same selected thickness as the masking material.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
293 words
A method of forming a button-type battery comprising the following steps: providing a terminal housing member electrically conductive sheet having cured electrically insulative gasket material adhered thereto in patterns, the terminal housing member conductive sheet having been provided by: providing an electrically conductive sheet having an exposed surface, the conductive sheet being divisible into a plurality of individual button-type battery terminal housing member regions; masking portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface with a masking material; applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; allowing the applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and after at least partially curing the gasket material, removing the masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; cutting and forming a plurality of discrete first terminal housing members from the electrically conductive sheet regions, the forming including bending the discrete first terminal housing members into desired battery terminal shapes; providing a discrete electrically conductive second terminal housing member in facing juxtaposition to one of the first terminal housing members; providing an anode and a cathode having a separator and electrolyte positioned therebetween; the anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte being positioned intermediate the juxtaposed first and second terminal housing members; the anode being positioned to electrically connect with one of the first or second terminal housing members and the cathode being positioned to electrically connect with the other of the first or second terminal housing members; and crimping the first and second terminal housing members together into an enclosed battery housing with the gasket material being interposed between the first and second terminal housing members to provide a fluid-tight seal and to provide electrical insulation therebetween.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
293 words
A method of forming a button-type battery comprising the following steps: providing a terminal housing member electrically conductive sheet having cured electrically insulative gasket material adhered thereto in patterns, the terminal housing member conductive sheet having been provided by: providing an electrically conductive sheet having an exposed surface, the conductive sheet being divisible into a plurality of individual button-type battery terminal housing member regions; masking portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface with a masking material; applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; allowing the applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and after at least partially curing the gasket material, removing the masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the exposed sheet surface; cutting and forming a plurality of discrete first terminal housing members from the electrically conductive sheet regions, the forming including bending the discrete first terminal housing members into desired battery terminal shapes; providing a discrete electrically conductive second terminal housing member in facing juxtaposition to one of the first terminal housing members; providing an anode and a cathode having a separator and electrolyte positioned therebetween; the anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte being positioned intermediate the juxtaposed first and second terminal housing members; the anode being positioned to electrically connect with one of the first or second terminal housing members and the cathode being positioned to electrically connect with the other of the first or second terminal housing members; and crimping the first and second terminal housing members together into an enclosed battery housing with the gasket material being interposed between the first and second terminal housing members to provide a fluid-tight seal and to provide electrical insulation therebetween.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material, and the masking step comprising pad printing the masking material to the exposed sheet surface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of firming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, the applying step comprising providing the gasket material onto the unmasked portions to substantially the same selected thickness.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
120 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, and the applying step comprising: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions, the substantially even film being provided to substantially the same selected thickness as the masking material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and moving the conductive sheet relative to the spreader bar to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the masking material is deposited to the exposed surface to a selected thickness, and the applying step comprising: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and moving the conductive sheet relative to the spreader bar to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions, the substantially even film being provided to substantially the same selected thickness as the masking material.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the masking material comprises a photo-imageable solder masking material.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
114 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein the electrically conductive sheet has an opposing exposed surface, the method further comprising: masking portions of the respective regions of the opposing exposed sheet surface with a masking material; applying an uncured and flowable gasket material onto unmasked portions of the respective regions of the opposing exposed sheet surface; allowing the opposing exposed sheet surface applied uncured gasket material to at least partially cure; and after at least partially curing the opposing exposed sheet surface gasket material, removing the opposing exposed sheet surface masking material from the masked portions of the respective regions of the opposing exposed sheet surface.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method of forming a button-type battery terminal housing member sheet of claim 19 wherein, the masking step comprises adhering the masking material to the exposed sheet surface, the masking material being selectively etchable from the conductive sheet and gasket material, and wherein the applying step comprises: providing a gasket material spreader bar in close proximity to the conductive sheet having the masking material thereon; providing the flowable gasket material onto the conductive sheet and over the masking material adjacent the spreader bar; and imparting relative movement between the spreader bar and the conductive sheet to cause the spreader bar to apply a substantially even film of the gasket material to the unmasked portions of the respective regions.
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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) | 1999-12-17 | 2000-06-17 | 2000-12-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-12-17 | 2004-06-17 | 2004-12-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-12-17 | 2008-06-17 | 2008-12-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |