Thin Flexible Electrochemical Cell Manufacturing via Printed Ink
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for low-cost, low-profile, thin, and flexible power sources suitable for high-volume production to power devices requiring low power, such as RFID devices, sensors, and interactive media, as conventional batteries lack these attributes.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing electrical devices that involves providing a substrate with an electrochemical cell integrated or attached, using cured or dried ink for the cell's layers and conductive connections for structural and electrical connections, allowing for the production of thin, flexible batteries that can be easily integrated with electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional batteries are used, then power supply is provided, but the devices cannot achieve low-profile and thin design
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is divided into multiple thin layers (anode layer, cathode layer, electrolyte layer, current collectors) that can be stacked or arranged in a compact configuration, enabling the power source to achieve thin profile while maintaining adequate capacity and reliability for low-power devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin-film structures for electrodes and electrolytes, replacing conventional bulky battery components with flexible, thin-layered architectures that maintain electrical performance while dramatically reducing thickness to enable low-profile device integration
2Length of moving object
If thin flat cells are developed, then low-profile design is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges battery production with printed circuit board fabrication, using the same substrate (flexible PCB) to support both the electronic circuit and the battery layers, eliminating separate assembly steps and reducing manufacturing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: as the structural base for the circuit, as the current collector for the battery, and as the flexible support enabling thin-profile design, thereby simplifying the overall structure and reducing manufacturing steps
3Adaptability or versatility
If batteries are integrated with circuit on flexible substrate, then versatility is improved, but connection reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The battery electrodes are directly patterned on the flexible substrate in the same manufacturing process as the circuit traces, creating inherent electrical connections through the substrate material itself, which eliminates separate connection interfaces and improves connection reliability while maintaining integration versatility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the creation of thin, flexible, and cost-effective batteries that can be mass-produced, providing reliable power for low-power devices across various applications, including those requiring low temperatures, with improved performance and extended shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically conductive connection that provides both a structural connection and an electrical connection between the first electrical contact and the first electrode contact
Implementation Method 2
at least one electrochemical layer comprising a cured or dried ink
Implementation Method 3
cured or dried ink
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an electrical device comprises the steps of providing a substrate, providing an electrical component on the substrate, providing a first electrical contact on the substrate that is electrically connected to the electrical component, and providing an electrochemical cell on or integrating the substrate for providing electrical energy to said electrical component. The electrochemical cell comprises at least one electrochemical layer comprising a cured or dried ink and a first electrode contact electrically connected to said at least one electrochemical layer. The method further includes the step of securing the electrochemical cell to the substrate through an electrically conductive connection that provides both a structural connection and an electrical connection between the first electrical contact and the first electrode contact.