# US 2019/0356031 A1 · Metal-air battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356031 A1 - Document ID: US20190356031A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/479,362 - Filed: 2018-01-31 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-03 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: SHINOBU TAKENAKA; HIROTAKA MIZUHATA; SHUNSUKE SATA; TOMO KITAGAWA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356031A1 ## CPC - H01M 12/08: composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type - H01M 12/06: with one metallic and one gaseous electrode - H01M 50/409: Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by the material - H01M 50/489: Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties - H01M 50/491: Porosity - H01M 50/627: Filling ports - H01M 2300/0014: Alkaline electrolytes - 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 A metal-air battery includes a metal negative electrode (12), an oxygen-generating electrode placed on a surface of the metal negative electrode, and an air electrode placed on another surface of the metal negative electrode. The metal negative electrode includes at least a negative electrode active material layer facing the oxygen-generating electrode. A first separator placed in contact with the negative electrode active material layer is placed between the negative electrode active material layer and the oxygen-generating electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A metal-air battery comprising a metal negative electrode, an oxygen-generating electrode placed on a surface of the metal negative electrode, and an air electrode placed on another surface of the metal negative electrode, a negative electrode active material layer included in the metal negative electrode and facing the oxygen-generating electrode, a first separator which is placed between the negative electrode active material layer and the oxygen-generating electrode, and which is placed in direct contact with the negative electrode active material layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metal negative electrode further includes a negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material layer includes a first negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the oxygen-generating electrode than the negative electrode current collector and a second negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the air electrode than the negative electrode current collector, and the thickness of the first negative electrode active material portion is larger than the thickness of the second negative electrode active material portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metal negative electrode further includes a negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material layer includes a first negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the oxygen-generating electrode than the negative electrode current collector and a second negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the air electrode than the negative electrode current collector, and the average porosity of the second negative electrode active material portion is larger than the average porosity of the first negative electrode active material portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, comprising a second separator which is placed between the metal negative electrode and the air electrode and which is placed in direct contact with a surface of the metal negative electrode that is located on the air electrode side, wherein the first separator is an anion-exchange membrane and the second separator is a porous membrane made of resin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein two metal negative electrodes are respectively placed on both sides of the oxygen-generating electrode and two air electrodes are respectively placed outside of each the metal negative electrode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The metal-air battery according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the first negative electrode active material portion to the thickness of the second negative electrode active material portion is 3:1 to 120:1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metal negative electrode further includes a negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material layer includes a first negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the oxygen-generating electrode than the negative electrode current collector and a second negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the air electrode than the negative electrode current collector, the average porosity of the first negative electrode active material portion is within the range of 5% to 55%, and the average porosity of the second negative electrode active material portion is within the range of 65% to 95%. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metal negative electrode further includes a negative electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector is placed between the negative electrode active material layer and the air electrode, the negative electrode collector is in direct contact with the negative electrode active material layer, the metal-air battery further including a second separator which is placed between the metal negative electrode and the air electrode, and the second separator is placed in direct contact with the negative electrode current collector of the metal negative electrode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metal negative electrode further includes a negative electrode current collector and the negative electrode active material layer includes a first negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the oxygen-generating electrode than the negative electrode current collector and a second negative electrode active material portion placed closer to the air electrode than the negative electrode current collector, the metal-air battery further including a second separator which is placed between the metal negative electrode and the air electrode, and the second separator is placed in contact with the second negative electrode active material portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein a first insulator having an opening portion is placed between the oxygen-generating electrode and the first separator.