Access port for use in electrochemical cells
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsKurt J. Casby, David P. Haas, Hailiang Zhao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrochemical cell, comprising: an encasement including a case having a bottom and a sidewall terminating at an open top and a cover disposed over the case open top and hermetically sealed to the case, the encasement defining an interior space for containing cell components; and an access port defining at least one lumen extending through any of the case bottom, the case sidewall or the cover for receiving a liquid electrolyte, the access port being sealed closed after receiving the liquid electrolyte using a fusion welding method in the presence of the electrolyte.
Claims20
An electrochemical cell, comprising:
- an encasement including a case having a bottom and a sidewall terminating at an open top and a cover disposed over the case open top and hermetically sealed to the case, the encasement defining an interior space for containing cell components;
- and
- an access port defining at least one lumen having a wall, the lumen wall extending through a wall thickness of the encasement and formed by an encasement material forming one of the case bottom, the case sidewall and the cover, the access port lumen provided for receiving a liquid electrolyte, the access port lumen being sealed closed after receiving the liquid electrolyte using a fusion welding method in the presence of the electrolyte, wherein the access port lumen is free of a filler material and fill port components.
A method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell, comprising:
- forming an access port including an exterior aperture and an interior aperture and a side defining a lumen extending between the exterior aperture and the interior aperture, through a material forming an encasement of the electrochemical cell;
- filling the electrochemical cell with a liquid electrolyte through the access port;
- and
- welding the access port lumen closed in the presence of the electrolyte, wherein the access port lumen is free of a filler material and filling components.
An electrochemical cell, comprising:
- an encasement having an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a wall thickness extending between the exterior and interior surfaces;
- and
- an access port lumen formed through the encasement extending to an interior aperture formed along the encasement interior surface, the access port lumen being sealed closed using a fusion welding method in the presence of a liquid electrolyte at the interior aperture, the access port lumen being free of a filler material and fill port components,
- wherein material sealing the access port lumen being recruited only from the encasement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.