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US 2001/0041276 A1Published application
Metal-gas cell battery with soft pocket
OwnerDe Quian Yang, Yu Qiang Yanginventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metal-gas cell storage battery, such as a zinc-air cell battery, has one or more battery cells wherein each battery cell comprises a metallic anode sandwiched between a pair of gas cathodes. Each gas cathode is disposed within a rigid retaining structure. The retaining structures of each gas cathode are attached to one another by an expandable soft pocket capable of holding an electrolyte. The anode is disposed within the soft pocket. The cell is mechanically refueled by expanding the soft pocket to allow easy removal from the cell of the spent anode and easy insertion into the cell of a fresh anode.
Claims65
A metal-gas cell storage battery comprising:
- (a) at least one battery cell comprising:
- (i) a first gas cathode disposed within a rigid planar first retaining structure, the first gas cathode being permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids, the first gas cathode allowing the passage of gases into the cell;
- (ii) a second gas cathode disposed within a rigid planar second retaining structure, the second gas cathode being permeable to air but impermeable to liquids, the second gas cathode allowing the passage of gases into the cell, the second retaining structure being moveable with respect to the first retaining structure between a first retaining structure position wherein the first retaining structure is proximate to the second retaining structure and a second retaining structure position wherein the first retaining structure is spaced apart from the second retaining structure, the second gas cathode being electrically connected to the first gas cathode;
- (iii) a soft pocket disposed between the first gas cathode and the second gas cathode, the soft pocket having a flexible and planar first wall and a flexible and planar second wall, the first wall having a periphery and a central opening, the periphery of the first wall including a top edge, the second wall having a periphery and a central opening, the periphery of the second wall including a top edge, the periphery of the first wall being connected to the periphery of the second wall except along the respective top edges, the periphery of the first wall being attached to the first retaining structure and the periphery of the second wall being attached to the second retaining structure, whereby the first retaining structure, the first gas cathode, the first wall, the second wall, the second retaining structure and the second gas cathode cooperate to define a liquid retaining soft pocket chamber having a soft pocket lower portion, a soft pocket upper portion and a soft pocket top opening defined between the top edges of the first and second walls, the soft pocket top opening being open in the second retaining structure position and tightly closed in the first retaining structure position;
- (iv) a soft pocket closing mechanism for securing the first and second retaining structures in the first retaining structure position;
- and
- (v) a metallic anode disposed within the soft pocket chamber;
- (b) a positive first battery terminal electrically connected to the two gas cathodes;
- and
- (c) a negative second battery terminal electrically connected to the metallic anode.
7 more elements
A metal-gas cell storage battery comprising:
- (a) at least one battery cell comprising:
- (i) a first gas cathode disposed within a rigid planar first retaining structure, the first gas cathode being permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids, the first gas cathode allowing the passage of gases into the cell;
- (ii) a second gas cathode disposed within a rigid planar second retaining structure, the second gas cathode being permeable to air but impermeable to liquids, the second gas cathode allowing the passage of gases into the cell, the second retaining structure being moveable with respect to the first retaining structure between a first retaining structure position wherein the first retaining structure is proximate to the second retaining structure and a second retaining structure position wherein the first retaining structure is spaced apart from the second retaining structure, the second gas cathode being electrically connected to the first gas cathode;
- (iii) a soft pocket disposed between the first gas cathode and the second gas cathode, the soft pocket having a flexible and planar first wall and a flexible and planar second wall, the first wall having a periphery and a central opening, the periphery of the first wall including a top edge, the second wall having a periphery and a central opening, the periphery of the second wall including a top edge, the periphery of the first wall being connected to the periphery of the second wall except along the respective top edges, the periphery of the first wall being attached to the first retaining structure and the periphery of the second wall being attached to the second retaining structure, whereby the first retaining structure, the first gas cathode, the first wall, the second wall, the second retaining structure and the second gas cathode cooperate to define a liquid retaining soft pocket chamber having a soft pocket lower portion, a soft pocket upper portion and a soft pocket top opening defined between the top edges of the first and second walls, the soft pocket top opening being open in the second retaining structure position and tightly closed in the first retaining structure position;
- (iv) a soft pocket closing mechanism for securing the first and second retaining structures in the first retaining structure position;
- and
- (v) a metallic anode wholly disposed within the soft pocket chamber;
- (b) a positive first battery terminal electrically connected to the two gas cathodes;
- and
- (c) a negative second battery terminal electrically connected to the metallic anode.
7 more elements
A zinc-air cell storage battery comprising:
- (a) a plurality of internal battery cells sandwiched between a first outermost battery cell and a second outermost battery cell, each battery cell comprising:
- (i) a first gas cathode disposed within a rigid planar first retaining structure, the first gas cathode being permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids, the first gas cathode allowing the passage of gases into the cell;
- (ii) a second gas cathode disposed within a rigid planar second retaining structure, the second gas cathode being permeable to air but impermeable to liquids, the second gas cathode allowing the passage of gases into the cell, the second retaining structure being moveable with respect to the first retaining structure between a first retaining structure position wherein the first retaining structure is proximate to the second retaining structure and a second retaining structure position wherein the first retaining structure is spaced apart from the second retaining structure, the second gas cathode being electrically connected to the first gas cathode;
- (iii) a soft pocket disposed between the first air cathode and the second air cathode, the soft pocket having a flexible and planar first wall and a flexible and planar second wall, the first wall having a periphery and a central opening, the periphery of the first wall including a top edge, the second wall having a periphery and a central opening, the periphery of the second wall including a top edge, the periphery of the first wall being connected to the periphery of the second wall except along the respective top edges, the periphery of the first wall being attached to the first retaining structure and the periphery of the second wall being attached to the second retaining structure, whereby the first retaining structure, the first air cathode, the first wall, the second wall, the second retaining structure and the second air cathode cooperate to define a liquid retaining soft pocket chamber having a soft pocket lower portion, a soft pocket upper portion and a soft pocket top opening defined between the top edges of the first and second walls, the soft pocket top opening being open in the second retaining structure position and tightly closed in the first retaining structure position;
- (iv) a soft pocket closing mechanism for securing the first and second retaining structures in the first retaining structure position;
- (v) a zinc anode wholly disposed within the soft pocket chamber, the zinc anode comprising a planar anode base portion and a tab portion, the anode base portion having a lower edge and an upper edge, the lower edge of the anode base portion being shorter in length than the upper edge of the anode base portion;
- and
- (vi) a semi-permeable membrane disposed in the soft pocket upper portion to allow gases to flow out of the soft pocket upper portion, the semi-permeable membrane being permeable to gases but being impermeable to liquids;
- (b) a positive first battery terminal electrically connected to the two air cathodes of the first outermost battery cell;
- and
- (c) a negative second battery terminal electrically connected to the zinc anode of the second outermost battery cell;
- wherein the tab portion of the anode in each internal cell is electrically connected to the air cathodes of an adjoining battery cell by a conductor member, the conductor member having a portion which is in abutment with the tab portion of said anode.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.