Battery with safety mechanism

Abstract

A battery having a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis when the battery is exposed to an aqueous solution or moist tissue.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to batteries, and more particularly to batteries having a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis when the battery is exposed to aqueous solutions or wet tissue. This application is a divisional application, with parent application number 201880072557.2, filed on November 9, 2018, and entitled "Battery with Safety Mechanism". Background Technology

[0002] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of this disclosure.

[0003] Electrochemical battery cells (often simply referred to as batteries) are commonly used as electrical energy sources. Small batteries are particularly useful for powering consumer products. Small batteries come in various cell types. Common small battery cell types include AAA, AA, B, C, D, 9V, CR2, and CR123A. Other small battery types, known as coin cell cells (and also including wider cells, sometimes called button cells), are commonly used to power a wide variety of products, including but not limited to keyless entry systems for watches, cameras, calculators, vehicles, laser pointers, blood glucose meters, etc.

[0004] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the construction of a representative button cell 10, which includes a cathode 12 disposed within a cathode housing 14 and an anode 16 disposed within an anode cup 18. A separator 20 physically separates and electronically isolates the anode 16 from the cathode 12. An insulating gasket 22 seals the cell to prevent electrolyte loss and to prevent ambient atmospheric components from entering the cell, and also electronically isolates the cathode housing 14 from the anode cup 18. Button cell cells typically have a long lifespan, for example, often lasting over a year in a watch. Furthermore, most button cell cells have low self-discharge, allowing them to retain their charge for a relatively long period when not under load.

[0005] While button batteries are common in many portable consumer electronics devices, their size, shape, and appearance (especially button cell units with a diameter of 20mm, such as CR2016 and CR2032 lithium-ion battery units) pose a danger, particularly to infants, toddlers, and pets. These hazards can lead to bodily injury, especially if the battery unit is swallowed without the knowledge of those nearby. Furthermore, some of these button batteries pose a relatively greater danger than others, and consumers may not be fully aware of these risks. For example, 3V button cells (such as CR2016 and CR2032 3V lithium-ion battery units, which are based on lithium-manganese oxide chemistry) are sized so that they can easily become lodged in a person's throat, thus causing electrolysis of bodily fluids and / or burning of moist esophageal / organ tissue (if swallowed). Of course, if successfully swallowed, such batteries can also cause significant stomach pain. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A battery with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis is provided. The battery includes a casing comprising a first electrode and a second electrode. At least one electronic conductor is electronically coupled to one of the first and second electrodes. A spacer comprising an electronically insulating material is provided between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second electrodes, thereby preventing electronic coupling between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second electrodes. The spacer is capable of undergoing a physical change in the presence of an aqueous solution, thereby enabling electronic coupling between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second electrodes.

[0007] An additional exemplary battery with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis is also provided. The battery with the safety mechanism includes a casing having a first electrode and a second electrode, an electronic conductor, and a first spacer and a second spacer. The first and second spacers comprise electronically insulating material. The first spacer is disposed between the first electrode of the battery and the electronic conductor, and the second spacer is disposed between the second electrode of the battery and the electronic conductor, wherein the electronic conductor is disposed between and in contact with both the first and second spacers. The spacers are capable of undergoing physical changes in the presence of an aqueous solution, and the electronic conductor is adapted to establish electronic contact with both the first and second electrodes in the presence of the aqueous solution. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Although this specification concludes with claims that specifically point out and explicitly claim protection for the subject matter regarded as forming the basis of the invention, the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings described below illustrate various aspects of the battery disclosed herein. It should be understood that each figure illustrates an exemplary aspect of the battery disclosed herein having safety mechanisms suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis.

[0009] Figure 1 A conventional button cell is shown;

[0010] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A battery in the form of a button cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis.

[0011] Figure 3 A graph showing the relationship between cell voltage and time for two different batteries is shown, wherein the first battery is a conventional coin cell and the second battery is a coin cell having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Another battery in the form of a button cell, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown, having a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis.

[0013] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Another battery in the form of a button cell, according to an additional exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis.

[0014] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Another battery in the form of a button cell, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown, having a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis.

[0015] Figure 7 Another battery in the form of a button cell, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown, having a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis.

[0016] Figure 8 Another battery in the form of a button cell, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown, having a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Electrochemical battery cells or batteries can be primary or secondary. A primary battery means that it is discharged (e.g., until depleted) only once and then discarded. A primary battery is described, for example, in David Linden's *Handbook of Batteries* (McGraw-Hill, 4th edition, 2011). A secondary battery is designed to be recharged. A secondary battery can be discharged and then recharged many times, for example, more than fifty times, more than one hundred times, or more than one thousand times. A secondary battery is described, for example, in David Linden's *Handbook of Batteries* (McGraw-Hill, 4th edition, 2011). Batteries can contain aqueous or non-aqueous electrolytes. Therefore, batteries can include a variety of electrochemical pairs and electrolyte combinations. Consumer batteries can be either primary or secondary. However, due to the charge stored in the battery and due to the exposed electrodes, it is advantageous to protect consumer batteries (especially small consumer batteries) from harm to the consumer when exposed to wet tissues. In particular, it is advantageous to protect the battery from exposure to electrolysis or burns, both of which can occur, for example, if the battery is swallowed. In this regard, if the positive and negative electrodes of the battery are exposed to wet bodily fluids, water electrolysis may occur, which can lead to the generation of hydroxide ions and burns to tissues near the negative electrode, as well as potentially direct oxidation of tissues, particularly those adjacent to the positive electrode (or cathode box). Furthermore, significant oxidation of the cathode box itself can cause pores to form within it, thereby allowing the release of the battery's toxic contents. This application provides a safety mechanism for short-circuiting a battery in the presence of an aqueous solution. By short-circuiting the battery in the presence of an aqueous solution, the disclosed safety mechanism advantageously reduces the cell voltage of the ingested battery and thus effectively prevents tissue damage and other harmful effects due to uncontrolled discharge of the ingested battery.

[0018] A battery with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis is provided. The battery includes a battery casing comprising a first electrode and a second electrode. At least one electronic conductor is electronically coupled to or in electronic contact with one of the first and second electrodes. It should be noted that the terms "electronic coupling" and "electronic contact" are used interchangeably herein to describe the relationship between the listed components where electron flow can occur. The electronic conductor can be electronically coupled to one of the first and second electrodes because the electronic conductor is in direct physical contact with it. Alternatively, one or more additional intermediate electronically conductive materials can be present between the electronic conductor and said one of the first and second electrodes.

[0019] A spacer comprising an electronic insulating material is provided between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second electrodes, thereby preventing electronic coupling between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second electrodes. The spacer is capable of undergoing physical changes (including but not limited to undergoing chemical changes that lead to changes in physical properties) in the presence of an aqueous solution, thereby enabling electronic coupling between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second electrodes.

[0020] Generally, this disclosure provides a battery capable of being mechanically and / or electronically short-circuited by forming an electronic connection across the two battery terminals through electronic coupling. The electronic connection across the positive and negative battery terminals is formed only after the battery has been exposed to a “safe condition”, which refers to the environmental conditions encountered when the battery is lodged in the throat of a person, infant, or pet. In these cases, when a person, infant, or pet swallows the battery, it can come into contact with saliva, gastric juice, or other aqueous fluids. Therefore, the battery, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, is constructed and designed to short-circuit in the presence of aqueous solutions. The resulting short-circuit circuit can reduce the battery voltage below a desired threshold level, thereby reducing and / or effectively preventing the electrolysis of water and the resulting harmful electrochemically generated ions (e.g., hydroxide ions). The desired threshold level can vary; however, in some examples described in detail herein, the battery cell can advantageously be short-circuited to below 1.5V, including below 1.4V, below 1.3V, below 1.2V, below 1.1V, below 1.0V, below 0.9V, below 0.8V, below 0.7V, below 0.6V, below 0.5V, below 0.4V, below 0.3V, below 0.2V, below 0.1V, and even down to approximately 0V. Under “normal use conditions,” such as when the battery is not in use, for example, when the battery is being stored or transported, or when the battery is operating in an electronic device, no electronic connection is formed and a short circuit is avoided.

[0021] In one embodiment, the battery according to this disclosure includes an electronic conductor that initially makes electronic contact with only one of the first and second electrodes of the battery. Spacers comprising electronic insulating material prevent the electronic conductor from establishing electronic contact across the two electrodes under normal operating conditions (i.e., before the battery comes into contact with an aqueous solution). On the other hand, when the battery is exposed to or in contact with an aqueous solution such as saliva, gastric juice, water, or other aqueous fluids, the electronic insulating material can undergo physical changes; for example, the electronic insulating material can dissolve because it is soluble in aqueous fluids. The electronic conductor is biased toward electronic contact with the other electrode of the battery, but under normal operating conditions, the resistance of the spacers is greater than or equal to the biasing force of the electronic conductor. However, after significant dissolution of the electronic insulating material, there is essentially no such resistance, and the electronic conductor can establish electronic contact with the other electrode of the battery, thereby short-circuiting the battery. The electronic conductor may be biased, for example, during crimping of the cathode box (or its extension) and / or during crimping of electronic conductors in discrete components separate from the cathode box.

[0022] In another example, the battery according to this disclosure also includes an electronic conductor that initially makes electronic contact with only one of the first and second poles of the battery. Spacers comprising electronic insulating material prevent the electronic conductor from establishing electronic contact across the two battery poles under normal operating conditions (i.e., before the battery comes into contact with an aqueous solution). On the other hand, when the battery is exposed to or in contact with an aqueous solution such as saliva, gastric juice, water, or other aqueous fluids, the electronic insulating material can undergo physical changes; for example, it can expand and / or soften in the presence of an aqueous fluid, because the electronic insulating material comprises a polymer that expands upon exposure to an aqueous solution. The electronic conductor is biased toward electronic contact with the other pole of the battery, but under normal operating conditions, the resistance of the spacers is greater than or equal to the bias force of the electronic conductor. However, after the electronic insulating material expands and / or softens, the resistance of the spacers decreases significantly, and mechanical deformation, tensioning, or displacement of the spacers can occur because the bias force of the electronic conductor “overcomes,” tensions, or moves the electronic insulating material of the spacers, thereby establishing an electronic connection between the two poles and short-circuiting the battery. In one improvement, the electronic insulating material is a hydrogel that, in the presence of an aqueous fluid, forms a gel that cannot resist the biasing force provided by the electronic conductor. The electronic conductor can be biased, for example, during the crimping of a cathode box (or its extension) and / or during the crimping of electronic conductors in discrete components separate from the cathode box.

[0023] For example, the electronic conductor described herein may be formed of a metal, or, for example, of any suitable electronically conductive material. Suitable electronically conductive materials for forming the electronic conductor include, but are not limited to: (i) metal alloys, including but not limited to steel, such as stainless steel, nickel-plated steel, or zinc-plated steel; (ii) conductive ceramics, including but not limited to carbides, oxides, nitrides, and combinations thereof; (iii) conductive polymers; (iv) conductive composites; and any combination thereof. The electronic conductor may be biased, for example, during the crimping of a cathode box (or its extension) and / or during the crimping of an electronic conductor in a discrete component separate from the cathode box.

[0024] The electronic conductors disclosed herein typically have a temperature of less than approximately 5 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C. -5 Ohm-cm, or less than 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C. -5 Ohm-cm, or approximately 0.5 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C. -5 The ohm-cm ratio is approximately 5 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C. -5 The resistivity value in ohm-cm. In some examples, the resistance of an electronic conductor is less than 20 ohms, less than 10 ohms, or less than 5 ohms; for example, the resistance could be about 10 ohms, about 5 ohms, or about 1 ohm. In some examples, the resistance of an electronic conductor ranges from about 0.1 ohms to about 20 ohms.

[0025] The resistance of electronic insulating materials is always greater than that of electronic conductors. In some examples, the resistance of electronic insulating materials is greater than 0.5 megohms (MΩ), greater than 5 megohms, greater than 10 megohms, greater than 100 megohms, or greater than 500 megohms. For example, the resistance of electronic insulating materials can be approximately 1 megohm, approximately 20 megohms, approximately 200 megohms, or approximately 1000 megohms. In some examples, the resistance of electronic conductors ranges from approximately 0.5 megohms to approximately 1000 megohms.

[0026] The electronic insulating material of the spacer can be formed from any number of electronic insulating materials that undergo physical changes (including but not limited to electronic insulating materials that undergo chemical changes leading to changes in physical properties) in the presence of water, including but not limited to suitable water-softening materials, suitable water-soluble materials, and / or water-swellable materials. The term "water-softening" as used herein refers to a material having a Young's modulus that decreases in the presence of an aqueous solution. Useful water-softening materials have a Young's modulus high enough under normal operating conditions to provide resistance to bias forces greater than those of the electronic conductor. After the presence of an aqueous solution, useful water-softening materials also have a Young's modulus low enough to allow sufficient deformation of the material when a bias force of the electronic conductor is applied thereto, such that electronic coupling can be established between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second cell electrodes. Useful water-softening materials typically also have a Young's modulus that decreases to the range between 0.0003 and 0.15 GPa after the presence of an aqueous solution. Various testing systems can be used to determine this modulus, for example, the 8802 servo-hydraulic testing system available from Instron. Water-softening materials can be water-soluble. Useful water-soluble materials have solubility in water greater than 50 mg / L, greater than 100 mg / L, greater than 500 mg / L, or even greater than 1000 mg / L. Useful water-swellable materials are typically capable of absorbing greater than 30 wt.% pure water, preferably at least 100% (by weight). In the presence of an aqueous solution, useful water-swellable materials allow the material to deform sufficiently when a bias force of an electronic conductor is applied to it, enabling electronic coupling to be established between the electronic conductor and the other of the first and second battery electrodes.

[0027] Based on the weight of the spacer (i.e., based on the weight of the solids used to provide the spacer), electronic insulating materials can be present in amounts between 5 wt.% and 100 wt.%, for example between 10 wt.% and 99 wt.%, between 50 wt.% and 99 wt.%, and / or between 70 wt.% and 99 wt.%. Any amount of water-softening, water-soluble, and / or water-swellable polymers can be used alone or in combination to form the spacer. Non-limiting examples of water-soluble, water-soluble, and / or water-swellable materials include, but are not limited to, sugars, polyethers (such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylene oxide (PEO)), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyamide (PA), polyacrylates, polyvinyl alcohol and modified polyvinyl alcohol, acrylate copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, pullulan, gelatin, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose, polysaccharides, natural polymers (including but not limited to agar, guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, and starch, modified starch (including but not limited to ethoxylated starch and hydroxypropyl starch)), copolymers of the above, salts thereof, and combinations of any of the above. Water-softening, water-soluble, and / or water-swellable materials are preferably bioinert materials and are non-toxic or have very low toxicity.

[0028] Beneficial solids such as NaHPO4, sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), baking soda, sugars, sugar-like substances, and citric acid can be optionally combined with electronic insulating materials to provide spacers. Based on the weight of the spacer (i.e., based on the weight of the solids used to provide the spacer), the benign solids can be present in amounts between 0 wt.% and 30 wt.%, for example between 0 wt.% and 20 wt.%, between 1 wt.% and 30 wt.%, and / or between 1 wt.% and 20 wt.%.

[0029] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A battery 50 is shown, which can be any type of primary or secondary battery, and in the example shown, it is a coin cell type battery. The battery 50 includes a battery casing surrounding the battery. The battery casing includes a cathode box 54 and an anode cup 58. A cathode 52 is disposed in the cathode box 54 and an anode 56 is disposed in the anode cup 58. The cathode 52 and anode 56 are electronically separated by a separator 60 within the battery 50. Each of the cathode box 54 and the anode cup 58 forms a different electrode of the battery 50, wherein the cathode box 54 forms the positive electrode and the anode cup 58 forms the negative electrode.

[0030] Cathode 52 and anode 56 are separated by an insulating separator 60 extending across the lateral extent of cathode 52 (e.g., substantially across the diameter of battery 50). The insulating separator 60 is made of a material capable of freely conducting ions through it. An insulating gasket 62 electronically isolates cathode box 54 from anode cup 58, prevents any part of anode cup 58 from contacting cathode box 54, and seals battery 50 to prevent electrolyte loss.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating gasket 62 extends into the cathode box 54 and completely surrounds the anode cup 58, preventing the anode cup from contacting the cathode box 54. However, the opposite configuration can also be used, wherein the anode cup 58 surrounds the cathode box 54 and the insulating gasket 62 extends into the anode cup 58 and completely surrounds the cathode box 54. It should be understood that, although each illustrated embodiment explicitly shown herein (including...) Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A and Figure 6B The image shows an insulating gasket 62 (or corresponding reference numeral) extending into the cathode box 54 (or the corresponding reference numeral) and completely surrounding the anode cup 58 (or the corresponding reference numeral) so that the anode cup cannot contact the cathode box 54 (or the corresponding reference numeral), in which a battery with a safety mechanism of the opposite construction can be conceived.

[0032] The battery 50 also includes an exemplary safety mechanism according to this disclosure, adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis, comprising an electronic conductor 66 extending wholly or partially around the outer edge of the cathode box 54. As described above, the electronic conductor 66 may be formed of a metal, such as a metallic alloy. The electronic conductor 66 includes an attachment segment 68 which is securely mounted to the outer surface of the cathode box 54. The electronic conductor 66 can be mounted to the cathode box using any suitable interconnect. For example, the attachment segment 68 may be mechanically attached via an interference fit with a groove (not shown) along the outer wall of the cathode box 54. In other examples, the attachment segment 68 may be attached to the outer sidewall of the cathode box 54 by applying an adhesive or by forming a welded joint.

[0033] In the opposite configuration (not shown, briefly described above), in which the insulating washer 62 extends into the anode cup 58 and surrounds the cathode box 54 so that the cathode box cannot contact the anode cup 58, the electronic conductor 66 extends completely or partially around the outer edge of the anode cup 58 and can be secured to the anode cup as described above in conjunction with the cathode box 54.

[0034] like Figure 2BAs shown, the attachment segment 68 of the electronic conductor 66 is electronically coupled to the cathode box 54. In the illustrated configuration, the electronic conductor 66 is in direct physical contact with the cathode box 54. The electronic conductor 66 also includes a grounding segment 70 extending from the attachment segment 68. Typically, the grounding segment 70 extends in an orthogonal or substantially orthogonal direction relative to the attachment segment 68.

[0035] The grounding segment 70 is spaced apart from the anode cup 58 during normal operation of the battery 50 to prevent electronic coupling between the positive and negative terminals and thus to prevent short-circuiting of the battery 50. In the illustrated example, the spacing between the grounding segment 70 and the anode cup 58 is achieved by providing a spacer 64 that includes an electronically insulating material between the grounding segment 70 and the anode cup 58. Figure 2B As shown, a spacer is disposed between the suspended portion of the ground segment 70 and the other of the first and second poles (here, the anode cup 58), such that when the spacer 64 is present, such as during normal use conditions, the ground segment 70 of the electronic conductor 66 is not electronically coupled to the anode cup 58 (and therefore the negative pole of the battery 50). The spacer 64 may extend to or even beyond the distal suspended portion of the ground segment 70.

[0036] Spacer 64 may include a material capable of undergoing physical changes (e.g., dissolving upon exposure to a safe condition, typically saliva, gastric juice, or other aqueous fluid) such that, after spacer 64 dissolves, the bias force of electronic conductor 66 can cause ground segment 70 to make electronic contact with anode cup 58 (e.g., its top or sidewall surface) to short-circuit battery 50. In other examples, spacer 64 may include a material capable of being overcome, tensioned, or moved, for example, by softening, swelling, or otherwise mechanically weakening spacer 64 in response to exposure to a safe condition, typically saliva, gastric juice, or other aqueous fluid. For example, spacer 64 may be mechanically weakened when an aqueous fluid comes into contact with battery 50 and is absorbed by spacer 64, causing spacer 64 to soften, swell, and / or form a gel. For example, during a safe condition (or other contact of battery 50 with an aqueous fluid), due to this mechanical weakening of spacer 64, the bias force of electronic conductor 66 can cause ground segment 70 to engage and make electronic contact with anode cup 58, thereby short-circuiting battery 50. As discussed above, a safe condition may occur when a person, infant, or pet ingests battery 50, thereby exposing battery 50 to an aqueous solution in the form of saliva or gastric juice. In the illustrated embodiment, insulating gasket 62 is shown as a separate component from spacer 64, so that it can remain intact after battery 50 comes into contact with an aqueous fluid and spacer undergoes physical changes, thereby retaining the cathode 52 and anode 56 material inside battery 50. However, in another embodiment, insulating gasket 62 and spacer 64 can be integrally constructed, wherein spacer 62 also serves and effectively provides insulating gasket 64. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no separate insulating gasket 64, and the spacer 62, which includes electronic insulating material, extends into the cathode box 54 and completely surrounds the anode cup 58, in addition to being disposed between the grounding segment 70 and the anode cup 58, so that the anode cup 54 cannot contact the cathode box 54. Of course, it is conceivable that a battery with a safety mechanism using the opposite construction as mentioned above could also be conceived.

[0037] like Figure 2B As shown in the example, the electronic conductor 66 comprises two segments, an attachment segment 68 and a ground segment 70. Each segment 68, 70 is electronically coupled to a first electrode of the battery 50 (e.g., cathode box 54) and each segment 68, 70 is electronically isolated from a second electrode of the battery 50 (e.g., anode cup 58) by a spacer 64. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment segment 68 is electronically coupled to the cathode box 54 (i.e., the positive electrode) (and is in actual direct physical contact with the cathode box 54), and the ground segment 70 of the electronic conductor 66 is not electronically contacted with the anode cup 58 (i.e., the negative electrode) but is biased toward engagement with the anode cup 58.

[0038] It will be understood that, under normal use or storage conditions, either the positive or negative terminal of the battery 50 can be electronically connected to the electronic conductor 66, wherein the other of the two terminals is electronically isolated from the tensioned conductor 66. It will be further understood that the spacer 64 can therefore be positioned adjacent to the positive or negative terminal of the battery 50 to prevent electronic contact between the electronic conductor 66 and said positive or negative terminal under normal use or storage conditions. Therefore, it is also conceivable that the electronic conductor 66 can alternatively be positioned around the battery 50 such that, during normal use conditions, the electronic conductor is electronically coupled (e.g., in direct physical contact) to the top surface of the anode cup 58 and spaced apart from the sidewall of the cathode box 54 by the spacer 64 disposed between the electronic conductor 66 and the cathode box 54.

[0039] Furthermore, while the attachment segment 68 and the ground segment 70 are shown as an integral construction and thus directly connected to each other in the illustrated example, such that they are continuously electronically coupled to each other, in other examples, the attachment segment 68 and the ground segment 70 of the battery safety mechanism (not shown) may be electronically isolated from each other during normal battery operation, becoming electronically coupled to each other only during safety conditions such as in response to the presence of aqueous solutions or bodily fluids. Thus, in another example, the attachment segment 68 may be electronically contacted with either the positive or negative electrode of the battery 50, and the ground segment 70 may be electronically contacted with the other of the positive and negative electrodes of the battery 50, including a spacer 64 of insulating material positioned between the two segments 68, 70, such that the segments 68, 70 are not electronically coupled to each other during normal battery operation (and therefore the positive and negative electrodes are not electronically coupled to each other). Upon encountering a safety condition (or other contact between battery 50 and an aqueous fluid) that causes the electronic insulation material of spacer 64 to dissolve, soften, and / or expand, grounding segment 70 can engage and make electronic contact with attachment segment 68 to short-circuit battery 50. As discussed above, a safety condition can occur when a person, infant, or pet ingests battery 50, thereby exposing battery 50 to an aqueous solution in the form of saliva or gastric juice.

[0040] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the relationship between cell voltage and time for two different types of batteries, namely a conventional coin cell (in this example, the DL2032 coin cell available from Duracell Inc.) and a similar coin cell according to this disclosure, further equipped with safety mechanisms suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, such as... Figure 2A and Figure 2BThe battery 50 shown is described. After contacting the battery with a 1M KCl solution for approximately 100 seconds, gas begins to be generated at the anode cup 58, and as the battery begins to short-circuit, the actual cell voltage of the tested battery drops. In a conventional battery, the voltage drop stops at around 1.5V after approximately 300 seconds. While 1.5V is reduced, it is still sufficient to cause water electrolysis and hydroxide ion generation. Therefore, even reduced, this voltage could still cause burns and damage to esophageal tissue if the battery were lodged in a person's throat. Of course, if successfully swallowed, the battery would also cause significant stomach pain. In contrast, the battery 50, equipped with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, is further short-circuited, causing water electrolysis to essentially cease at the anode cup 58. In fact, in the example shown, the safety mechanism further short-circuits the battery 50 to almost 0V, essentially completely. Figure 3 In the example shown, spacer 64 comprises an electronic insulating material, which is a water-soluble material capable of dissolving in saliva, gastric juice, or other aqueous fluids used. Specifically, Figure 3 The spacer 64 of the battery 50 with safety mechanism shown comprises a benign solid (in this case a benign salt, particularly NaHPO4 (approximately 10 wt.%)) and a water-soluble material (particularly polyacrylic acid (approximately 90 wt.%)).

[0041] exist Figure 4A and Figure 4B Another exemplary battery 100, also shown as a button cell, includes a cathode box 114 and an anode cup 118. A cathode 152 is disposed in the cathode box 114 and an anode 156 is disposed in the anode cup 118. The cathode 152 and anode 156 are electrically separated by a separator 160 within the battery 100. Each of the cathode box 114 and the anode cup 118 forms a different electrode of the battery 100, wherein the cathode box 114 forms the positive electrode and the anode cup 118 forms the negative electrode. An insulating gasket 162 electrically isolates the cathode box 114 from the anode cup 118, preventing any part of the anode cup 118 from contacting the cathode box 114 and sealing the battery 100 to prevent electrolyte loss. The battery 100 shares the above description in... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The battery 50 described herein contains many of the same components, and therefore, this article will only discuss the differences in general terms.

[0042] The battery 100 also includes a safety mechanism adapted to prevent tissue damage and / or electrolysis, comprising a spacer 164 and an electronic conductor 166 embedded or disposed within the spacer 164. The spacer 164 comprises an electronic insulating material capable of undergoing physical changes upon exposure to an aqueous solution such as saliva, gastric juice, water, or other aqueous fluids. The spacer 164 is disposed above an insulating gasket 162 and functions similarly to the insulating gasket 162 during normal operation, as the spacer 164 electronically isolates the cathode box 114 from the anode cup 118. In the illustrated example, the electronic conductor 166 embedded or disposed within the spacer 164 makes direct physical contact with one of the first and second battery electrodes and is thus electronically coupled to one of the first and second battery electrodes (here, the anode cup 118), while being electronically separated from the other of the first and second battery electrodes (here, the cathode box 114) by the spacer 164. In this example, the electronic conductor 166 is electronically coupled to the anode cup 118 at contact position 150. Similar to... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The electronic coupling between the cathode box 54 and the electronic conductor 66 shown in the battery 50, and the electronic coupling between the electronic conductor 166 and the anode cup 118, can be a fixed, direct physical connection maintained throughout the entire operation of the battery 100 (during normal operation and storage, and after the battery 100 encounters a safe condition). The connection between the electronic conductor 166 and the anode cup 118 at contact position 150 can be secured, for example, by welding or mechanical connection.

[0043] In the illustrated configuration, an electronic conductor 166 extends from contact location 150 into two branch arm segments that traverse a portion of the distance between the anode cup 118 and the cathode box 114 and are biased toward engagement with the cathode box 114. While only a single electronic conductor 166 is shown in this example, one or more such electronic conductors 166 may be included. Upon contact with an aqueous solution such as saliva, gastric juice, water, or other aqueous fluid, the spacer 164 dissolves, softens, and / or expands, allowing the electronic conductor 166 to deflect into electronic contact with the cathode box 114, thereby coupling the cathode box 114 electrons to the anode cup 118. Therefore, during safe conditions, such as if the battery 100 has been ingested by a person or pet, the battery 100 is short-circuited and the consumer is protected. In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating gasket 162 is shown as a separate component from the spacer 164, allowing the insulating gasket to remain intact after the battery 100 comes into contact with an aqueous fluid, thereby retaining the cathode 152 and anode 156 materials within the battery 100. However, in another embodiment, the insulating gasket 162 and the spacer 164 can be an integral construction, wherein the spacer 164 additionally serves and effectively provides the insulating gasket 162, as described above.Figure 2A and Figure 2B The spacer 64 and insulating gasket 62 are described above.

[0044] In this example, the electronic conductor 166 can be partially or completely embedded or disposed within the spacer 164, provided that the resistance of the spacer 164 is greater than or equal to the biasing force of the electronic conductor 166, such that the electronic conductor does not deflect into electronic contact with the cathode box 114 under normal operating conditions. Therefore, it should be noted that the electronic conductor 166 can be biased toward engagement with the cathode box 114, for example, the electronic conductor 166 can be biased toward engagement with the inner surface of the cathode box 114. Of course, the opposite configuration is also conceived, in which the electronic conductor 166 makes direct physical contact with the cathode box 114 and thus electrons are coupled to the cathode box 114, while being separated from the anode cup 118 by the spacer 164.

[0045] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An exemplary battery 200 with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis according to the present disclosure is shown. The battery 200 includes a cathode box 214 and an anode cup 218. A cathode 252 is disposed in the cathode box 214 and an anode 256 is disposed in the anode cup 218. The cathode 252 and anode 256 are electronically separated by a separator 260 within the battery 200. Each of the cathode box 214 and the anode cup 218 forms a different electrode of the battery 200, wherein the cathode box 214 forms the positive electrode and the anode cup 218 forms the negative electrode. An insulating gasket 262 electronically isolates the cathode box 214 from the anode cup 218, preventing any part of the anode cup 218 from contacting the cathode box 214 and sealing the battery 200 to prevent electrolyte loss. The battery 200 shares the above description in conjunction with... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The battery 50 described herein contains many of the same components, and therefore, this article will only discuss the differences in general terms.

[0046] The first cell electrode (here, cathode box 214) includes an electronic conductor 230, which is integrated into the cathode box 214 as a continuation or extension thereof. Therefore, although the electronic conductor 66 is in Figure 2B The component shown is separate from the cathode box 54, but the electronic conductor 230 and the cathode box 214 are integrally constructed. For example, the electronic conductor 230 includes a continuation or extension of the cathode box 214, which can electronically couple to a second battery electrode (here, the outer surface of the anode cup 218) to short-circuit the battery 200 after exposure to an aqueous solution such as saliva, gastric juice, water, or other aqueous fluids. The electronic conductor 230 may have protrusions (not shown) that facilitate electronic contact with the other battery electrode (the outer wall of the anode cup 218) after the battery 200 encounters a safe condition.

[0047] exist Figure 5A and Figure 5B In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic conductor 230 of the cathode box 214 is separated from the anode cup 218 by a spacer 264 comprising an electronically insulating material. The spacer 264 is integrated into the sealed region of the battery 200 and is disposed between the electronic conductor 230 and the outer wall of the anode cup 218, thereby preventing electronic contact between the electronic conductor 230 and the anode cup 218. Under normal operating conditions, the spacer 264 provides further sealing of the battery 200, which also includes a common insulating gasket 262 as described above. Together, the spacer 264 and the insulating gasket 262 prevent electronic connection between the anode cup 218 and the cathode box 214, such that the two components are electronically isolated from each other under normal operating conditions. After the battery 200 is exposed to an aqueous solution or bodily fluid and the electronically insulating material of the spacer 264 dissolves, softens, and / or expands, the continuation or extension 230 of the cathode box 214 can be biased toward engagement with the outer wall of the anode cup 218 and can contact and thus become electronically coupled to the anode cup 218. Therefore, during safe conditions, such as if battery 200 has been ingested by a person or pet, battery 100 is short-circuited and the consumer is protected. In the illustrated embodiment, insulating gasket 262 is shown as a separate component from spacer 264, such that the insulating gasket can remain intact after battery 200 comes into contact with an aqueous fluid, thereby retaining the cathode 252 and anode 256 material inside battery 200. However, in another embodiment, insulating gasket 262 and spacer 264 can be an integral construction, wherein spacer 264 additionally serves and effectively provides insulating gasket 262, as described above. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The spacer 64 and insulating gasket 62 are described above.

[0048] Typically, during the manufacturing of battery 200, an integrated continuation or extension 230 of the cathode box 214 is formed during the crimping process. In the illustrated example, the continuation or extension 230 of the cathode box 214 is formed as an extension of the sidewall of the cathode box 214. The continuation or extension 230 includes a bend and is biased toward engagement with the anode cup 218. The continuation or extension 230 can be, for example, pre-cut to form a biased electronic conductor.

[0049] Figure 6A and Figure 6BAn exemplary battery 300 with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis is shown according to the present disclosure. The battery 300 includes a cathode box 314 and an anode cup 318. A cathode 352 is disposed in the cathode box 314 and an anode 356 is disposed in the anode cup 318. The cathode 352 and anode 356 are electronically separated by a separator 360 within the battery 300. Each of the cathode box 314 and the anode cup 318 forms a different electrode of the battery 300, wherein the cathode box 314 forms the positive electrode and the anode cup 318 forms the negative electrode. An insulating gasket 362 electronically isolates the cathode box 314 from the anode cup 318, preventing any part of the anode cup 318 from contacting the cathode box 314 and sealing the battery 300 to prevent electrolyte loss. The battery 300 shares the above description in conjunction with... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The battery 50 described herein contains many of the same components, and therefore, this article will only discuss the differences in general terms.

[0050] Battery 300 has the same features as batteries 100 and 200 ( Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4A and Figure 4B Features similar to those shown in the image. Figure 6BAs shown, the difference between battery 300 and battery 200 is that the safety mechanism includes a second electronic conductor 366, which can be embedded or disposed within spacer 364 and can extend around the entire circumferential portion of anode cup 318 or only along a portion of the circumferential portion of anode cup 318. The second electronic conductor 366 is in direct physical contact with anode cup 318 and is therefore electronically coupled to anode cup 318, while being electronically isolated from the first conductor 330 and thus from cathode box 314 via spacer 364. After battery 300 is exposed to aqueous or bodily fluids and when the electronic insulating material of spacer 364 dissolves, softens, and / or expands, the continuation or extension 330 of cathode box 314 can be biased toward engagement with the outer wall of anode cup 318 and can contact and thus become electronically coupled to anode cup 318. Furthermore, after the battery comes into contact with an aqueous solution such as saliva, gastric juice, water, or other aqueous fluids, causing the spacer 364 to dissolve, soften, and / or swell, the electronic conductor 366 can deflect into electronic contact with the cathode cell 314, thereby coupling the cathode cell 314 electrons to the anode cup 318. Due to these interactions, during safe conditions, such as if the battery 300 has been ingested by a person or pet, the battery 300 is short-circuited and the consumer is protected. In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating gasket 362 is shown as a separate component from the spacer 364, allowing it to remain intact after the battery 300 comes into contact with an aqueous fluid, thereby retaining the cathode 352 and anode 356 materials within the battery 300. However, in another embodiment, the insulating gasket 362 and the spacer 364 can be an integral construction, wherein the spacer 364 additionally serves and effectively provides the insulating gasket 362, as described above. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The spacer 64 and insulating gasket 62 are described above.

[0051] Figure 7 An additional exemplary battery 400 with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis is shown according to the present disclosure. Battery 400 includes a cathode box 414 and an anode cup 418. A cathode 452 is disposed in the cathode box 414 and an anode 456 is disposed in the anode cup 418. The cathode 452 and anode 456 are electrically separated by a separator 460 within the battery 400. Each of the cathode box 414 and the anode cup 418 forms a different electrode of the battery 400, wherein the cathode box 414 forms the positive electrode and the anode cup 418 forms the negative electrode. An insulating gasket 462 electrically isolates the cathode box 414 from the anode cup 418, preventing any part of the anode cup 418 from contacting the cathode box 414 and sealing the battery 400 to prevent electrolyte loss. Battery 400 shares the above description in conjunction with... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The battery 50 described herein contains many of the same components, and therefore, this article will only discuss the differences in general terms.

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown, the battery 400 includes a first electronic conductor 466 in electronic contact with a cathode box 414 and a second electronic conductor 480 in electronic contact with an anode cup 418. A spacer 464 is disposed between the first electronic conductor 466 and the second electronic conductor 480. After the battery 400 is exposed to an aqueous solution or bodily fluid and the electronic insulating material of the spacer 464 dissolves, softens, and / or swells, the second electronic conductor 480 can be biased toward engagement with the first electronic conductor, such that the second electronic conductor 480 can contact the first electronic conductor 466 and thus electronically couple the cathode box 414 to the anode cup 418. Due to these interactions, during safe conditions, such as if the battery 400 has been ingested by a person or pet, the battery 400 is short-circuited and the consumer is protected. In the illustrated embodiment, the cathode box 414 and the first electronic conductor are shown as separate components; however, it should be understood that the electronic conductor 466 and the cathode box 414 can be integrally constructed such that the cathode box 414 itself additionally functions and effectively provides the electronic conductor 466. Therefore, in this embodiment, a separate electronic conductor 466 is not required.

[0053] Figure 8 An additional exemplary battery 500 with a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis is shown according to the present disclosure. The battery 500 includes a cathode box 514 and an anode cup 518. A cathode 552 is disposed in the cathode box 514 and an anode 556 is disposed in the anode cup 518. The cathode 552 and anode 556 are electrically separated by a separator 560 within the battery 500. Each of the cathode box 514 and the anode cup 518 forms a different electrode of the battery 500, wherein the cathode box 514 forms the positive electrode and the anode cup 518 forms the negative electrode. An insulating gasket 562 electrically isolates the cathode box 514 from the anode cup 518, preventing any part of the anode cup 518 from contacting the cathode box 514 and sealing the battery 500 to prevent electrolyte loss. The battery 500 shares the above description in... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The battery 50 described herein contains many of the same components, and therefore, this article will only discuss the differences in general terms.

[0054] like Figure 8As shown, the battery 500 includes a first spacer 564 and a second spacer 564'. Spacer 564 may include discrete segments or a continuous circumferential layer surrounding the cathode box 514. Similarly, spacer 564' may include a continuous layer or discrete segments. Spacers 564 and 564' are disposed between the cathode box 514 and the anode cup 518 (corresponding to the first and second battery electrodes) and the electronic conductor 566. After the battery 500 is exposed to an aqueous solution or bodily fluid and the electronic insulating material of spacers 564 and 564' dissolves, softens, and / or swells, the electronic conductor 566 can be biased toward engagement with the cathode box 514 and the anode cup 518, thus electronically coupling the cathode box 514 and the anode cup 518. Due to these interactions, during safe conditions, such as if the battery 500 has been ingested by a person or pet, the battery 500 is short-circuited and the consumer is protected.

[0055] Throughout this specification, various instances can be implemented as components or structures described as a single instance. Structures and functions presented as individual components in the exemplary constructions can be implemented as composite structures or components. Similarly, structures and functions presented as individual components can be implemented as individual components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of this document's subject matter.

[0056] As used herein, any reference to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a specific element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The term "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0057] Some embodiments described herein use the terms "coupled" and / or "connected." For example, some embodiments are described using the terms "coupled" or "connected" to describe two or more elements shown as being in direct physical or electronic contact. However, the terms "coupled" and "connected" can also mean that two or more elements are not in direct physical contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. In this context, the embodiments are not limited.

[0058] As used herein, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” “has,” “haing,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherently present in such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to inclusive or not exclusive or. For example, any of the following satisfies element A or B: A exists and B does not exist, A does not exist and B exists, and both A and B exist.

[0059] Furthermore, the use of “a” or “an” is used to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done solely for convenience and to give the general meaning of this specification. Such description and the appended claims should be considered to include one or at least one, and a single claim may include multiple claims, unless otherwise indicated.

[0060] This specific embodiment is to be explained as an example only and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment is neither possible nor practical. Numerous alternative embodiments can be implemented using prior art or techniques developed after the filing date of this application.

Claims

1. A battery having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, comprising: The device includes a housing comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, at least one electronic conductor in contact with the electrons of the first electrode, and a spacer comprising an electronically insulating material, wherein the spacer is provided between the electronic conductor and the second electrode to prevent electronic contact between the electronic conductor and the second electrode, the spacer is capable of undergoing physical changes in the presence of an aqueous solution, such that the spacer can dissolve, soften, or swell, the resistance of the spacer is reduced to less than the bias force of the electronic conductor, and electronic coupling can occur between the electronic conductor and the second electrode, wherein: Following the physical change, electronic coupling occurs based on: (i) direct physical contact between the electronic conductor and the second electrode, or (ii) indirect physical contact between the electronic conductor and the second electrode via one or more additional intermediate electronically conductive materials disposed between the electronic conductor and the second electrode. The electronic conductor includes an attachment segment and a ground segment, each of the attachment segment and the ground segment being electron-coupled to the first pole, each of the attachment segment and the ground segment being electron-isolated from the second pole, and the ground segment being biased toward the junction with the second pole.

2. The battery according to claim 1, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The attachment segment and the grounding segment are integrally constructed.

3. The battery according to claim 1, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The second electrode is the anode cup.

4. The battery according to claim 1, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The second electrode is the cathode box.

5. The battery according to claim 1, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The first electrode is a positive electrode and the at least one electronic conductor is in electronic contact with the positive electrode, and wherein, after the battery is in the presence of the aqueous solution, the electronic conductor is adapted to establish electronic contact with the negative electrode and thus short-circuit the battery.

6. The battery according to claim 1, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The first electrode is a negative electrode and the at least one electronic conductor is in electronic contact with the negative electrode, and wherein, after the battery is in the presence of the aqueous solution, the electronic conductor is adapted to establish electronic contact with the positive electrode and thus short-circuit the battery.

7. The battery according to any one of claims 1-6, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The electronic conductor includes metals, metal alloys, conductive polymers, conductive composites, or any combination thereof.

8. The battery according to any one of claims 1-6, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The electronic insulating material includes at least one water-soluble material.

9. A battery having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The electronic insulating materials include sugars, polyethers, polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyamides (PA), polyacrylates, polyvinyl alcohol, modified polyvinyl alcohol, acrylate copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, pullulan, gelatin, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, low-viscosity hydroxypropyl cellulose, polysaccharides, natural polymers, modified starch, the above copolymers, their salts, or any combination thereof.

10. The battery according to any one of claims 1-6, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein the spacer comprises at least one hydrogel.

11. The battery according to any one of claims 1-6, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The spacer includes NaHPO4, sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), baking soda, sugar, sugar-like substances, citric acid, mixtures thereof, and any combination thereof.

12. The battery according to any one of claims 1-6, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The resistivity of the electronic conductor is less than 20 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C. -5 Ohm-cm, less than 5 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C -5 Ohm-cm or 0.5 × 10⁻⁶ at 20°C -5 Ohm-cm and 20×10 at 20°C -5 The resistance is between ohms and centimeters; and / or the resistance of the electronic insulating material is greater than 0.5 megohms, greater than 5 megohms, or greater than 500 megohms.

13. The battery according to any one of claims 1-6, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The spacer is disposed between the suspension portion of the electronic conductor and the second pole.

14. The battery according to any one of claims 1-3, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The spacer is disposed between the suspended portion of the electronic conductor and the second electrode, and the electronic conductor is attached to the cathode box of the battery.

15. The battery according to claim 13, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The electronic conductor is electronically isolated from the anode cup of the battery.

16. The battery according to claim 14, having a safety mechanism suitable for preventing tissue damage and / or electrolysis, wherein, The electronic conductor is electronically isolated from the anode cup of the battery.

Images