Energizer Brands, LLC

Rovcal, Inc.

Spectrum Brands, Inc.

Rayovac Corporation

Gregory James Davidson

William C Bushong

Ernest Ndzebet

Viet H Vu

Paul Cheeseman

Mario Destephen

Karthik Ramaswami

Erik Mortensen

Jon Luecke

David Boone

Kristopher Bilek

Zhihong Jin

Sergey Sazhin

Joseph Lynn Passaniti

Kenneth H Kenyon

David R Mihara

Terrance W Gurrie, Jr

Sergiy V Sazhin

Sarah L Westcott

Zihong Jin

Terrance W Gurrie

A winding system includes a housing, a winding assembly, a bonding system, and a controller. The winding assembly is configured to wind electrode components about a mandrel to form a wound electrode arrangement. The bonding system includes an indexing assembly and a heating assembly. The indexing assembly includes a stationary support assembly and a transfer assembly moveably secured relative to the support assembly. The heating assembly is secured to a distal end of the transfer assembly. The heating assembly includes a housing that supports a distally extending resistive heating element. The controller operates the bonding system to effectuate a movement of the transfer assembly in a distal direction to apply a predetermined amount of pressure to an exterior of a wound electrode arrangement supported on the mandrel, and to heat the heating element to a predetermined temperature.

Electrode bonding system and method of use

A winding system for coiling an electrode assembly includes a housing, a winding pin, and a feed system. The feed system is supported by the housing, and includes a guide assembly and an indexing assembly. The guide assembly guides an electrode and a separator towards the winding pin. The indexing assembly is operably attached to the guide assembly to actuate a movement of the guide assembly between a retracted and an extended position. In the retracted position, the distal end of the guide assembly is separated from the winding pin, thus facilitating the initial capture of the separator and electrode components during an initial set-up of the winding system. In the extended position, the distal end of the guide assembly is brought into close proximity with the winding pin, thus reducing the risk of separator and/or electrode misalignment during operating of the winding system in a winding mode.

Electrode and separator feed system and method of use

A housing for a button cell battery includes a top, a can and a grommet. The skirt of the can extends between a top panel and a free end, and includes a substantially vertical first section and an outwardly tapered second section. The first section extends from the top panel of the can. The second section extends from the first section. Upon assembly of the housing, a flow path is defined between an outer surface of the skirt of the grommet and the inner surface of the skirt of the can. The flow path allows air to escape during the assembly, thus minimizing the risk of gas being entrapped within the interior of the housing of the finished cell battery.

Battery housing and systems and methods of making thereof

A feedthrough device includes a body having longitudinally spaced first and second end faces and an inner surface defining an opening extending longitudinally through the body, a conductor extending within the opening of the body, and an insulator extending within the opening of the body transversely intermediate the conductor and the inner surface of the body to insulate the conductor from the body, where the conductor includes an interior portion surrounded by the insulator and an exterior portion extending beyond the insulator, the exterior portion having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the interior portion.

Feedthrough device

In a feedthrough device and method of assembly thereof, a body has longitudinally spaced first and second end faces and an inner surface defining a longitudinally extending opening. A conductor extends within the opening and an insulator extends within the opening transversely intermediate the conductor and the inner surface of the body to insulate the conductor from the body. The body has at least one indentation formed longitudinally into at least one of the first and second end faces, with a portion of the inner surface of the body being displaced transversely against the insulator in correspondence with the at least one longitudinal indentation to crimp the insulator and conductor within the opening of the body and maintain a hermetic seal across the feedthrough device.

The present invention relates to a high capacity electrochemical cell having a cathode containing an oxide of copper as an active material, as well as an anode, an electrolyte, and separators for use with the cathodes of the invention in an alkaline electrochemical cell.

Separators for alkaline electrochemical cells

The present invention relates to a high capacity electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a separator disposed between the anode and cathode. The anode is configured to operate in combination with a quantity of an oxide of copper in the cathode. The cell is capable of operating at a discharge voltage greater than 1.05 volts for at least an initial 5% of a cell discharge period at a current density of at least 5 mA/g, and can include a cathode active material that includes an oxide of copper.

Alkaline cells having high capacity

An electrochemical cell is presented having a gasket that is sealed against the container to prevent electrolyte leakage during normal operation. When the internal pressure of the cell reaches a predetermined threshold, the seal is removed, thereby permitting electrolyte to escape through a vent.

Vent for cylindrical electrochemical batteries

Collector assemblies and methods of making and using them, and electrochemical cells made with such current collector assemblies, are disclosed. The invention provides a current collector assembly which permits safe, effective venting of pressure in the cell; reduces early activation of venting structures in the current collector assembly; contains fewer piece parts than known structurally-robust current collectors; is easy to implement; and provides superior tolerance to outside impact forces. Current collectors of the invention provide a stiffer, more rigid washer, repositioned closer to the bottom plate at its central region while the washer maintains the traditional function of controlling positioning of the seal body of the current collector assembly. Increasing stiffness, rigidity, and the repositioning of the washer is accomplished by a combination of structurally sculpturing the cross-section of the washer, hardening the temper of the washer, and providing a plateau adjacent the center of the bottom plate. Washer vent holes are relocated away from the central region, the bottom plate being most vulnerable to attack in the central region. Overall, the improved washer provides both support to the seal body against outwardly-directed internal pressures within the cell and support to the bottom plate against inwardly directed impact forces from outside the cell.

Growing community of inventors

Oregon, WI, United States of America

Gregory James Davidson