The Gillette Company

The Procter Gamble Company

Robert Yoppolo

Alexander Boris Shelekhin

David Lloyd Anglin

Steven Jeffrey Specht

Philip D Trainer

Matthew R Sylvestre

Mark T Ashbolt

Anthony Joseph Malgioglio

Derek R Bobowick

Brien Merrill

Robert S Ferrin

Richard Edward Durkot

Matthew P Hull

Oleg Podoprigora

Jeffrey S Hewes

Kevin Duprey

Paul Albert Christian

John Hession

James Joseph Cervera

James R Costanzo

John A Thompson

Dean MacNeil

Thomas L Lindsay

Bikram Yonjan

Kevin Molloy

Daniel Allen

Scott Manning

Alkaline batteries are provided, including an anode, a cathode, and a separator disposed between the anode and cathode. The cathode porosity is selected to optimize performance characteristics of the battery. In one aspect, an alkaline cell is provided that includes (a) an anode, (b) a cathode, comprising a cathode active material, wherein the cathode has a porosity of from about 25% to about 30%, and (c) a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode.

Alkaline batteries

And end cap assembly and venting system therein for closing and sealing the open end of a cell housing. The end cap assembly comprises a sealing disk underlying an end cap, and a metal support disk between the end cap and the sealing disk. The metal support disk has a plurality of primary vent apertures and a plurality of secondary vent apertures through its surface. The primary vent apertures are spaced apart along a path located at a greater distance from the central longitudinal axis of the metal support disk than the secondary vent apertures. The insulating sealing disk may have a thinned portion therein forming an rupturable membrane circumventing the central hub of the sealing disk. The insulating sealing disk may have protrusions emanating from its top surface to deflect the membrane during rupture. The venting system releases internal gases rapidly from the cell in the event of an abusive or short circuit discharge.

End cap assembly and vent for high power cells

An alkaline cell having a flat housing, preferably of cuboid shape. The housing may be laser welded closed with a metal cover inserted as a part of an end cap assembly. A portion of an insulating seal may be held compressed between a sleeve extending from the metal cover and an anode current collector nail within the end cap assembly. The housing may include a vent mechanism, preferably a grooved vent, which can activate, when gas pressure within the cell reaches a threshold level typically between about 250 and 800 psig (1724&#xd7;10and 5515&#xd7;10pascal gage). The cell can have a supplemental laser welded vent which may activate at higher pressure levels.

Alkaline cell with flat housing

An alkaline cell having a flat casing, preferably of cuboid shape. The cell can have an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising nickel oxyhydroxide. The casing can have a relatively small overall thickness, typically between about 5 and 10 mm, but may be larger. Cell contents can be supplied through an open end in the casing and an end cap assembly inserted therein to seal the cell. The end cap assembly includes a vent mechanism, preferably a grooved vent, which can activate, when gas pressure within the cell reaches a threshold level typically between about 250 and 800 psig (1724&#xd7;10and 5515&#xd7;10pascal gage). The cell can have a supplemental vent mechanism such as a laser welded region on the surface of the casing which may activate at higher pressure levels.

Alkaline cell with flat housing and nickel oxyhydroxide cathode

An alkaline cell having a flat housing, preferably of cuboid shape. The cell can have an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising MnO. The housing can have a relatively small overall thickness, typically between about 5 and 10 mm. Cell contents can be supplied through an open end in the housing and an end cap assembly inserted therein to seal the cell. There can be a gap between separator and cathode for insertion of additional electrolyte. The end cap assembly includes a vent mechanism, preferably a grooved vent, which can activate, when gas pressure within the cell reaches a threshold level typically between about 250 and 800 psig (1724&#xd7;10and 5515&#xd7;10pascal gage). The cell can have a supplemental vent mechanism such as a laser welded region on the surface of the housing which may activate at higher pressure levels.

An alkaline cell having a flat housing, preferably of cuboid shape. The cell can have an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising MnO. The housing can have a relatively small overall thickness, typically between about 5 and 10 mm. Cell contents can be supplied through an open end in the housing and an end cap assembly inserted therein to seal the cell. The end cap assembly includes a vent mechanism which can activate, when gas pressure within the cell reaches a threshold level typically between about 100 and 300 psig (6.89&#xd7;10and 20.69&#xd7;10pascal gage). The cell can have primary and supplemental vent mechanisms such as welded or thinned regions on the surface of the housing which may activate at different pressure levels. The cathode can be formed of a plurality of stacked slabs having aligned hollow centers with an elongated opening for anode material to be inserted therein.

An end cap seal assembly for an electrochemical cell such as an alkaline cell is disclosed. The end cap assembly comprises a convoluted end cap which may also function as a cell terminal and an underlying insulating sealing disk. The insulating sealing disk comprises a central boss and radially extending arm terminating in a downwardly sloped elbow and upwardly sloped peripheral edge. The end cap disk has at least one vent aperture therethrough which faces the ambient environment. The insulating disk has an annular groove in its top or bottom surface, which preferably circumvents the central boss. The base of the groove defines an a rupturable membrane portion of the insulating sealing disk. The rupturable membrane is designed to rupture, preferably when the cell internal gas pressure reaches a level between about 150 and 900 psig (1034&#xd7;10and 6206&#xd7;10pascal gage) advantageously, between about 150 and 700 psig (1034&#xd7;10and 4827&#xd7;10pascal gage).

End cap seal assembly for an electrochemical cell

An alkaline cell having a flat housing, preferably of cuboid shape. The cell can have an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising MnO. The housing can have a relatively small overall thickness, typically between about 5 and 10 mm. Cell contents can be supplied through an open end in the housing and an end cap assembly inserted therein to seal the cell. The end cap assembly includes an insulating sealing member having a circumferential skirt which surrounds wide portions of the anode current collector. This provides a barrier between said wide portions of the current collector and the cell housing. The end cap assembly includes a vent mechanism which can activate, when gas pressure within the cell reaches a level typically between about 100 and 300 psig (6.89&#xd7;10and 20.69&#xd7;10pascal gage). The cathode can be formed of a plurality of stacked slabs having aligned hollow centers forming a central core with anode material placed therein. A separator is between anode and cathode. The housing can be of steel having a wall thickness desirably between about 0.30 and 0.45 mm.

Alkaline cell with flat housing and improved current collector

An end cap seal assembly for an electrochemical cell such as an alkaline cell is disclosed. The end cap assembly comprises a convoluted metal support disk and underlying insulating sealing disk. The convoluted support disk has a downwardly extending wall with at least one aperture therethrough which preferably faces the ambient environment. The insulating disk has a slanted downwardly extending wall forming a rupturable membrane which underlies and abuts the inside surface of the downwardly extending wall of the support disk. The rupturable membrane is slanted downwardly at an acute angle with the cell's longitudinal axis. The rupturable membrane underlies and abuts the aperture in the downwardly extending wall of the end cap. When gas pressure within the cell exceeds a predetermined level the rupturable membrane pushes through said aperture and ruptures allowing gas to escape therefrom to the environment. A separate terminal plate can be stacked onto the metal support disk and welded thereto.

End cap assembly for an electrochemical cell

An alkaline cell having a flat housing, preferably of cuboid shape. The cell can have an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising MnO . The housing can have a relatively small overall thickness, typically between about 5 and 10 mm. Cell contents can be supplied through an open end in the housing and an end cap assembly inserted therein to seal the cell. The end cap assembly includes an insulating sealing member having a circumferential skirt which surrounds wide portions of the anode current collector. This provides a barrier between said wide portions of the current collector and the cell housing. The end cap assembly includes a vent mechanism which can activate, when gas pressure within the cell reaches a level typically between about 100 and 300 psig (6.89&times;10 and 20.69&times;10 pascal gage). The cathode can be formed of a plurality of stacked slabs having aligned hollow centers forming a central core with anode material placed therein. A separator is between anode and cathode. The housing can be of steel having a wall thickness desirably between about 0.30 and 0.45 mm.

A method for controlling air flow in a metal air battery includes confining at least one metal air cell within a cartridge, which has an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, and moving air through any of a plurality of air flow paths within the cartridge. Each of the paths passes through the air inlet opening of the cartridge, through a diffusion tube, through a distributor tube, across an active surface of at least one metal air cell, and through the air outlet opening of the cartridge, wherein all of the paths are substantially equal in length.

Air manager system for metal air battery

A battery pack is described. The battery pack includes a DC to DC converter and a group of at least two primary cells. The DC-DC converter is operatively coupled to the group of primary cells. The group of primary cells have an initial voltage that is higher than a rated voltage for the battery pack. The DC-DC converter converts the voltage to a regulated nominal voltage that is lower that the rated voltage of the group of primary cells. By regulating the battery voltage down to a constant voltage, the cells can discharge down to a minimum voltage level per cell enabling additional energy transfer from the group of cells.

Battery pack

A battery pack is described. The battery pack includes a DC to DC converter and a group of at least two primary cells. The battery pack also has an anti-charge circuit that inhibits charging current from charging the group of primary cells.

Growing community of inventors

New Milford, CT, United States of America

Robert Yoppolo