The Gillette Company

Tae-Won Lee

Stuart Michael Davis

Shuming Zeng

Alexander Boris Shelekhin

Gary A Miller

Alexander A Leef

Terry Copeland

George M Cintra

Michael F Roberts

Philip D Trainer

Matthew R Sylvestre

David V Adamson

Kenneth R Taylor

James M Cichon

A cathode having a groove extending about 10 to about 450 microns into a surface of the cathode. The cathode can also be roughened.

Battery cathode

An alkaline cell having an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising manganese dioxide wherein the cathode is located annularly along the inside surface of the cell housing and has a plurality of indentations on the inside of its surface facing the cell interior. Each indentation has a wall defining a channel with an opening thereto running preferably in the direction of the cell's length. The channel and opening facing the cell interior filled with anode material. The cell can have an anode current collector, typically of metal, with at least a portion of its surface extending into the cathode indentation channel. The anode current collector can have a portion of its surface extending from a point within the anode and into the cathode indentation channel through said opening. The cell can include a cathode current collector comprising a sheet of conductive material such as a sheet of metal or graphite placed within the cathode, particularly within thick regions of the cathode. The cathode current collector can be used in conjuction with a conventional single nail anode current collector or in combination with the extended surface anode current collectors of the invention. Such alkaline cells exhibit improved performance, particularly under high power application.

Alkaline cell with improved cathode and current collector configuration

An alkaline cell having an anode comprising zinc and a cathode comprising manganese dioxide wherein the cathode is located annularly along the inside surface of the cell housing and has a plurality of indentations on the inside of its surface facing the cell interior. Each indentation has a wall defining a channel with an opening thereto running preferably in the direction of the cell's length. The channel and opening facing the cell interior filled with anode material. The cell can have an anode current collector, typically of metal, with at least a portion of its surface extending into the cathode indentation channel. The anode current collector can have a portion of its surface extending from a point within the anode and into the cathode indentation channel through said opening. The cell can include a cathode current collector comprising a sheet of conductive material such as a sheet of metal or graphite placed within the cathode, particularly within thick regions of the cathode. The cathode current collector can be used. in conduction with a conventional single nail anode current collector or in combination with the extended surface anode current collectors of the invention. Such alkaline cells exhibit improved performance, particularly under high power application.

Cathode indentations in alkaline cell

The performance of alkaline cells comprising a zinc anode and manganese dioxide cathode can be improved, especially in high power application, by applying thermal insulating material to the cell casing. The thermal insulation material can be conveniently applied between the cell label and casing. The thermal insulating material significantly reduces the overall heat transfer coefficient, U,, for the cell. The insulation increases the internal temperature of the cell during discharge, resulting in better performance.

Alkaline cell with insulator

Growing community of inventors

Pearl River, NY, United States of America

Tae-Won Lee