Method and machine for manufacturing energy accumulating components, and components made thereby

1. A method for manufacturing electrical components of an energy-accumulating electrostatic or electrochemical type, comprising:

providing a support of an electrically nonconducting material that has a substantially polygonal cross-section;

winding, on said support, turns of a film until a first layer with a predefined thickness is provided, said first layer forming a cross-sectional contour shape that inscribes in a polygon;

arranging spacers at locations of said first layer shape that correspond to corners of said polygon; and

winding around said first layer shape with the spacers arranged at corners, further turns of film that form a second layer of film.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said film is made of an electrically nonconducting dielectric material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said nonconducting material is a plastic, polymeric material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said non-conducting material is provided with a metallized surface.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a portion of said film with metallized surface that makes contact with said spacers is provided devoid of metalization.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said portion of said film is subjected to a treatment for removing the metallized surface.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein said nonconducting material is a plastic material, in particular a natural rubber.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein said nonconducting material is paper.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein said nonconducting material is fabric.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said film is made of electrically conducting material, being constituted by a conductor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said conducting material is provided with a surface coated with a dielectric.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said film is made of a composite material that behaves as a semiconductor.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing a sequence of first and second layers, with respective spacers being provided arranged between said layers at spaces of discontinuity between one inner layer and an outward respective layer.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compaction of the wound layers by way of thermal and mechanical cycles, deposition of electrically conducting material on a surface of the component for application of electrical terminals thereon, and covering the component with insulating material.

15. The method of claim 3 , comprising compaction of the wound layers through mechanical cycles, and deposition of electrically conducting material on a surface of the component for application of electrical terminals thereon.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support has a triangular cross-section.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support has a square cross-section.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support has a rectangular cross-section.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support has a trapezoidal cross-section.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein all internal polygonal corners of said support are provided to measure less than 180°.

21. An electrical or electrochemical energy-accumulation component made according to the method of claim 1 , being constituted by film windings made of a plastic material that are metallized and mutually adjacent, wherein the component has a substantially polygonal shape that reproduces a shape of an internal support on which the film has been wound, and is constituted by a plurality of layers of wound film, said layers being superimposed and mutually separated by way of spacers arranged at each outer corner of a polygonal shape constituted by each layer.

22. The component of claim 21 , wherein each one of said layers has a thickness of no more than 50 mm.

23. The component of claim 22 , wherein each one of said layers has a preferred thickness of about 5 mm.

24. The component of claim 21 , wherein said layers are at least two.

25. The component of claim 21 , covered with nonconducting material.

26. The component of claim 21 , embedded in a thermosetting resin.

27. The component of claim 21 , shaped like an irregular polygon that is complementary to a space provided for accommodation thereof in use.

28. The component of claim 21 , being a supercapacitor.

29. The component of claim 21 , being an electrolytic capacitor.

30. The component of claim 21 , being a polymeric electrolytic capacitor.

31. The component of claim 21 , being a double-layer capacitor.

32. The component of claim 21 , being a hybrid double-layer capacitor.

33. The component of claim 21 , being a lithium battery.

34. The component of claim 21 , being a lithium-polymer battery.

35. The component of claim 21 , being a lithium ion battery.

36. A machine for manufacturing electrical components of an energy-accumulating electrostatic or electrochemical type, comprising:

a speed- and position-controlled motor that has a rotating output shaft;

a frame, fixed for rotation on said output shaft, said frame comprising a central part and branches departing therefrom, said branches having thereon a plurality of fixing holes;

a support, made of an electrically nonconducting material, that has a substantially polygonal cross-sectional shape with corners forming angles;

a plurality of spacers;

a plurality of rolls for storing film thereon;

wherein said support is fixed at said central part of the frame so that the branches thereof lay along bisecting lines of the angles formed by said corners of the support, with said fixing holes distributed along, and aligned on said branches so that each one of said fixing holes is adapted to accommodate a respective spacer, and wherein film unwound from said rolls is windable about said support to form successive polygonal film layer configurations with spacers interposed at corners of respective ones of the layer configurations.

37. The machine of claim 36 , wherein said support has edges that are radiused along radii of less than 40 mm.

38. The machine of claim 37 , wherein said support has edges that are radiused along radii of approximately 1 mm.

39. The machine of claim 36 , wherein each one of said spacers is arranged at a discontinuity space formed between an outer layer and an inner layer of wound film, the spacers having each a circular arc-shaped cross-sectional region at a portion that is arrangeable to make contact with an outer surface of the film of the inner layer and an edge-like cross-section, with a vertex angle identical to a corresponding angle of said support with which the support is aligned, at a portion that is arrangeable to make contact with an inner surface of the film of the outer layer.

40. The machine of claim 39 , wherein the outer layer has, at said spacers, a radius of curvature that is substantially equal to a thickness of the outer layer plus a radius of curvature of a corresponding one of said supports.

41. The machine of claim 36 , wherein each one of said spacers is arranged at a discontinuity space between an outer layer and an inner layer of wound film, and has a substantially cylindrical shape.

42. The machine of claim 36 , further comprising removal means for removing metalization of the film at portions of film that are proximate to the spacers and a management and control unit for driving and controlling said removal means.

43. The machine of claim 42 , wherein said removal means comprises a laser emitter that is trained onto the metallized surface and is driven by said management and control unit.

44. The machine of claim 42 , wherein said removal means comprises an electronic device for abrading a surface of the film.

45. The machine of claim 42 , wherein said removal means comprises a mechanical device for abrading a surface of the film.

46. The machine of claim 42 , comprising actuators adapted to insert said spacers at said holes, said actuators being driven by said management and control unit, and sensors for measuring a thickness of each layer and comparing said thickness with a preset thickness.