Patent · US Expired

Self-switching electrochemical cells and method of making same

US6228516A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
8References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 2, 1998
Grant dateMay 8, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 2, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Structures (1, 21, 41, 71, 161) of electrochemical cells and electrochemical cell components employ a switch-like article (10, 26, 48, 63, 65, 68, 76, 166) comprised of an electrically conducting material that becomes nonconductive or semiconductive outside of a discrete voltage window. Said switch-like article serves as a reversible, self-regulating electrochemical switch at boundary voltages, thereby protecting the cell against over-charge and or over-discharge, and can be employed in a variety of configurations to provide self-regulating cell architectures. Cell assemblies that include said switch-like articles may themselves serve an auxiliary function as switches for other cells placed in series or parallel, and for external circuits.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.