# US 12,009,551 B2 · Short-circuit protection of battery cells using fuses > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,551 B2 - Document ID: US12009551B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/161,787 - Filed: 2023-01-30 - Published: 2023-09-28 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-17 - Assignees: 24M Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: 24M Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Ricardo Bazzarella; Naoki Ota - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009551B2 ## CPC - H01M 50/581: in response to temperature - H01M 4/667: {in the form of layers, e.g. coatings} - H01M 4/668: {Composites of electroconductive material and synthetic resins} - H01M 4/74: Meshes or woven material; Expanded metal - H01M 50/531: Electrode connections inside a battery casing - H01M 50/533: characterised by the shape of the leads or tabs - H01M 50/543: Terminals - H01M 50/55: on the same side of the cell - H01M 50/553: Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells - H01M 2200/103: Fuse - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Apparatus, systems, and methods described herein relate to safety devices for electrochemical cells comprising an electrode tab electrically coupled to an electrode, the electrode including an electrode material disposed on a current collector. In some embodiments, a fuse can be operably coupled to or formed in the electrode tab. In some embodiments, the fuse can be formed by removing a portion of the electrode tab. In some embodiments, the fuse can include a thin strip of electrically resistive material configured to electrically couple multiple electrodes. In some embodiments, the current collector can include a metal-coated deformable mesh material such that the current collector is self-fusing. In some embodiments, the fuse can be configured to deform, break, melt, or otherwise discontinue electrical communication between the electrode and other components of the electrochemical cell in response to a high current condition, a high voltage condition, or a high temperature condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrochemical cell, comprising: a cathode tab electrically coupled to a cathode; and an anode tab electrically coupled to an anode, the anode separated from the cathode by an ion-permeable membrane; wherein at least a portion of the cathode tab or the anode tab includes a high resistance path that includes a metal coated polymer mesh and that is configured to discontinue electrical communication through the at least one of the cathode tab and the anode tab, the high resistance path created by stretching, etching or heat treating at least the portion of the cathode tab or the anode tab. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the metal includes at least one of nickel, copper, aluminum, carbon, and gold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the metal coated polymer mesh is configured to melt, disintegrate, or break when a current level reaches or exceeds a predetermined current threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical cell further includes a pouch material dimensioned and configured to at least partially contain the cathode, the anode, and the ion-permeable membrane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electrochemical cell of claim 4, wherein the high resistance path is disposed within the pouch material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the high resistance path is configured to break in response to a voltage level of a voltage applied across the high resistance path reaching or exceeding a voltage threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the high resistance path is configured to break in response to a current level of a current communicated through the high resistance path reaching or exceeding a current threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the metal coated polymer mesh includes at least one of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl (PV), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate, intrinsically conducting polymers, stretch-oriented polyacetylene, bioplastics, polyamides, polycarbonates, polyesters, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethanes, polyvinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate/ABS, polyepoxide, polytetrafluoroethylene, phenolics, phenol formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI), plastarch, polylactic acid (PLA), polysulfone, silicone, and furan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, further comprising: a cathode current collector, the cathode disposed on the cathode current collector, the cathode tab coupled to the cathode current collector; and an anode current collector, the anode disposed on the anode current collector, the anode tab coupled to the anode current collector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electrochemical cell of claim 9, wherein at least one of the cathode current collector or the anode current collector includes a porous current collector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrochemical cell of claim 10, wherein the porous current collector includes a metal coated polymer mesh. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein at least one of the cathode or the anode includes a mixture of solid active material and a liquid electrolyte.