Greatbatch Ltd.

Wilson Greatbatch Ltd.

Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.

Paul T Hallifax

Dominick J Frustaci

Tina L Urso

Kenneth Moceri

Gary Freitag

William M Paulot

Michael F Scalise

Christine A Frysz

Mark J Roy

Philip S Wutz

Kenneth L Grubb

Raymond S Konopa

Robert D Miller

Daniel Baumer

Michael Guidi

John Skoumpris

Scott Hall

Brian Mau

Deborah McNally

Hong Gan

David M Spillman

Xiangyang Steve Dai

Donald F Kaiser

John C Duggan

David Warchocki

Lou Serpe

Shenandoah Hennrich

Shenandoah Henrich

James Ditzel

Bruce Meyer

Dominik Frustaci

Donald Kaiser

Tina Urso

Philip Wutz

A case-neutral electrochemical cell has an electrode assembly comprising a separator positioned between an anode and a cathode housed inside a casing. The casing supports a co-axial glass-to-metal seal comprising an inner insulating glass hermetically sealed to a terminal pin and to the inner annular surface of an inner ferrule. An outer insulating glass is hermetically sealed to the outer annular surface of the inner ferrule and the inner annular surface of an outer ferrule, and the outer ferrule is secured to an opening in the casing. Then, one of the anode and the cathode is connected to the terminal pin and the other of the anode and the cathode is connected to the first or inner ferrule. An electrolyte is provided in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.

Co-axial glass-to-metal seal for a case-neutral electrochemical cell

A case-neutral electrochemical cell has an electrode assembly comprising a separator positioned between an anode and a cathode housed inside a casing. The casing supports a co-axial glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) comprising an inner insulating glass hermetically sealed to a terminal pin and to the inner annular surface of an inner ferrule. An outer insulating glass is hermetically sealed to the outer annular surface of the inner ferrule and the inner annular surface of an outer ferrule. The outer ferrule is secured to an opening in the casing. Two methods are described for manufacturing a co-axial GTMS depending on the melting temperatures of the inner and outer insulating glasses. Then, one of the anode and the cathode is connected to the terminal pin and the other of the anode and the cathode is connected to the inner ferrule. An electrolyte is provided in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.

Method for manufacturing a co-axial glass-to-metal seal for a case-neutral electrochemical cell

A case-neutral electrochemical cell has an electrode assembly comprising a separator positioned between an anode and a cathode housed inside a casing. The casing supports a co-axial glass-to-metal seal comprising an inner insulating glass hermetically sealed to a terminal pin and to the inner surface of a first or inner ferrule. An outer insulating glass is hermetically sealed to the outer surface of the inner ferrule and the inner surface of a second or outer ferrule, and the outer ferrule is secured to an opening in the casing. Then, one of the anode and the cathode is connected to the terminal pin and the other of the anode and the cathode is connected to the first or inner ferrule. An electrolyte is provided in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.

Method for manufacturing a co-axial glass-to-metal seal feedthrough for a case-neutral electrochemical cell

Co-axial glass-to-metal seal feedthrough for a case-neutral electrochemical cell

The present invention is directed to an electrochemical cell having plate electrodes housed inside a mating 'clamshell' casing. When mated together, the casing components are form-fitting with respect to the internal battery structure so as to reduce the overall size of the electrochemical package. A header assembly containing both a glass-to-metal seal opening for a terminal lead and an electrolyte fill opening is used in conjunction with the clamshell casing. The electrolyte fill opening is constructed with an elongated opening with at least two different radii. A first and second sealing element is welded within the electrolyte fill opening at different depths within the header to block the flow of electrolyte and form a hermetic seal.

Dual weld plug for an electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell comprising a cathode material contacted to a perforated current collector having a portion left uncovered and an anode material contacted to an anode current collector is described. A separator sheet segregating the anode from direct contact with the cathode is folded back upon itself along a crease with an upper portion at least partially sealed to a lower portion along an aligned peripheral edge to form an envelope. A first envelope portion houses the cathode having the uncovered portion of the cathode current collector spaced from the crease and a second envelope portion houses the anode. The first envelope portion is sealed to the second envelope portion through the uncovered perforations of the cathode current collector to lock the anode aligned with the cathode. The anode and cathode are then wound into a jellyroll electrode assembly housed in a cylindrical casing and activated with an electrolyte.

Electrochemical cell having a pocket separator design

A method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell is described. A separator sheet segregating the anode from direct contact with the cathode is folded back upon itself along a crease with an upper portion at least partially sealed to a lower portion along an aligned peripheral edge to form an envelope. A first envelope portion houses the cathode having an uncovered portion of the cathode current collector spaced from the crease and a second envelope portion houses the anode. The first envelope portion is sealed to the second envelope portion through uncovered perforations of the cathode current collector to lock the anode aligned with the cathode. The anode and cathode are then wound into a jellyroll electrode assembly housed in a cylindrical casing and activated with an electrolyte.

Method for providing an electrochemical cell having a pocket seperator design

An electrochemical cell is described. The cell comprises a cathode material contacted to a perforated current collector having a portion left uncovered and an anode material contacted to an anode current collector. The anode comprises first and second strips positioned on opposite sides of the cathode, which is also in the form of a strip, but one that is much longer than each of the anode strips. Proximal ends of the anode strips reside adjacent to where the cathode is secured to a terminal pin/sleeve assembly. Distal ends of the anode strips are adjacent to the opposed ends of the cathode strip. A separator sheet segregating the anode from direct contact with the cathode provides an upper portion at least partially sealed to a lower portion along an aligned peripheral edge and through the uncovered perforations of the cathode current collector to lock the cathode in position. The anode and cathode are then wound into a galaxy electrode assembly housed in a cylindrical casing and activated with an electrolyte.

Electrochemical cell having a galaxy wind design

The present invention is directed to any electrochemical cell casing design having an electrolyte fill aperture. The electrolyte fill aperture receives and directs the electrolyte into the casing. A fill plug has at least two components&#x2014;an insert section detachably connected to a placement unit. The placement unit allows a user to properly position the insert section into the electrolyte fill aperture. Once this is done, the placement unit is detached from the insert section. The insert section in then hermetically sealed to the casing. If desired, the fill plug can be used for filling the electrolyte in the casing.

Fill plug for electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell comprising a cathode of a powder material pressed into intimate contact with a rod-shaped current collector and an anode at least partially wrapped around the cathode is described. The cathode current collector is preferably provided with a plurality of offset flats offset with respect to each other. This helps prevent the cathode active material from sliding off of the rod-shaped current collector. The anode has spaced apart edges at opposite ends of its width that form a gap with the anode wrapped around the cathode. This helps in sliding the anode/cathode electrode assembly into a cylindrical tube comprising the cell casing. A preferred chemistry is a lithium/CFactivated with a nonaqueous electrolyte.

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A new cathode design has a first cathode active material of a relatively low energy density but of a relatively high rate capability contacted to the outer sides of first and second cathode current collectors and a second cathode active material having a relatively high energy density but of a relatively low rate capability in contact with the inner sides of the current collectors. The first and second current collectors have a thickness in the range of from about 0.001 inches to about 0.002 inches. A conventional Li/SVO cell powering an implantable medical device has the cathode with a current collector of about 0.003 inches. Even though the present current collectors are about one-half as thick as that of a conventional cell, their combined thickness means that the cell has no reduction in current carrying capacity.

Sandwich electrode design having relatively thin current collectors

A primary lithium electrochemical cell housed in a casing having a curved side wall intermediate opposed generally planar face walls is described. The cell comprises an anode and a cathode that each has a plurality of face portions joined together by connecting portions. The opposite polarity face portions and connecting portions are aligned with each other and then the electrodes are wound to provide an electrode assembly that fits in the casing. Regardless whether the cell is balanced as either an anode-limited or cathode-limited configuration, however, it is desirable to have the active material of one electrode face portion directly facing the electrode material of the counter electrode face portion. This means that the dimensional extent of the facing electrodes should be as close to each other in areas as possible to match the desired anode- or cathode-limited balance. The same is true for the connecting portions. The cell is of a high energy density for an implantable biomedical device.

Primary electrochemical cell having scalloped electrodes

An insulator ring for preventing short circuit contact between the opposite polarity electrode in a case-terminal cell design is described. Typically, a lithium/silver vanadium oxide cell is built in a case-negative design with the casing serving at the negative terminal. The cathode is connected to an insulated terminal pin. In a conventional cell construction, the electrode assembly is enclosed in an insulator bag in addition to the electrode separator envelopes before being housed inside the casing. The insulator bag ensures the cathode electrode will not come into short circuit contact with the casing. In the present invention, the insulator bag is replaced with an insulator ring which only protects those portions of the electrode assembly vulnerable to short circuit contact.

Insulative component for an electrochemical cell

An electrode assembly constructed of continuous anode and cathode electrodes that are overlaid in overlapping fashion and wound into a cell stack suitable for prismatic and cuboidal-shaped cases. The cathode electrode strip has some regions where the electrode material is pressed to a high density and has some regions where the active material is substantially removed from the current collector screen.

Method for providing a current collector with bare regions to facilitate winding

The present invention is directed to an electrochemical cell having plate electrodes housed inside mating &ldquo;clam shell&rdquo; casing components. Also, the present casing design allows for indentation structures in the casing components by virtue of them being stamped metal parts. Such indentations are not possible with traditional cylindrical and prismatic casing designs. When mated together, the casing components are form-fitting with respect to the internal battery structure so as to reduce the overall size of the electrochemical package. This provides the cell with the greatest amount of energy per unit size.

Growing community of inventors

Middleport, NY, United States of America

Paul T Hallifax