Alkaline Battery Can Thickness Gradient
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Solution Overview
Problem
Alkaline batteries face issues with iron surface exposure during the pressing of nickel-plated sheet steel, leading to corrosion and gas formation, which increases pressure and causes liquid leakage, necessitating a nonmetallic film that raises manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical battery can with a thicker opening sealing section and a thinner electrode mixture container section, where the plate thickness of the container section is gradually reduced, reducing iron exposure and gas formation without the need for a nonmetallic film, thus lowering production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cathode can is made by pressing nickel-plated sheet steel, then the battery can structure is formed, but iron surface exposure occurs leading to corrosion and gas formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different nickel plating thicknesses to different sections of the battery can. The opening sealing section has a first plate thickness with corresponding nickel plating, while the electrode mixture container section has a second plate thickness with different nickel plating. This local differentiation ensures adequate corrosion protection where needed while managing overall manufacturing complexity.
2Strength
If multi-step pressing is used to create different thickness sections, then the opening sealing strength is sufficient, but nickel plating stripping occurs exposing iron base
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the opening sealing section has a first plate thickness greater than the second plate thickness of the electrode mixture container section. The nickel plating thickness is correspondingly differentiated to match the plate thickness variations, ensuring that each section has appropriate plating protection for its functional requirements while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nickel plating is applied to the sheet steel before the pressing process that creates the different thickness sections. This preliminary plating ensures that the protective coating is already in place before deformation, and the plating process is designed to account for the subsequent thickness variations, preventing plating stripping during forming.
3Reliability
If a nonmetallic film is applied on the inner surface of the cathode can, then iron corrosion is prevented, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the nickel plating on the battery can itself to provide the corrosion protection function. Instead of applying a separate nonmetallic film coating, the nickel plating serves dual purposes: as a structural component and as the protective barrier against corrosion. This eliminates the need for additional coating materials and application processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of the steel base material combined with the nickel plating layer. This metal composite provides both the mechanical strength of steel and the corrosion resistance of nickel, eliminating the need for nonmetallic protective films while maintaining effective corrosion prevention.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a battery can allowing for a reduced amount of gas forming therein, thus realizing lower production cost. The cathode can 11 of an alkaline battery is cylindrically shaped and closed-bottomed, comprising an opening 15, a body 17 and a bottom 18, with the body 17 being divided into an opening sealing section 31 and an electrode mixture container section 33 which are arranged in order from the opening 15, with the plate thickness t0 set for the electrode mixture container section 33, which is not less than 80% of the plate thickness t1 of the opening sealing section 31, with the plate thickness t3 of the electrode mixture container section 33 gradually reducing in the region starting at the topmost point of the electrode mixture container section 33 and ending at the set plate thickness t0.