IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,003,251
Granted Patent B2
US 8,003,251 · App. 11/608,159 · Granted Aug 23, 2011

Electrochemical cell grommet having a sidewall with a nonuniform thickness

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,003,251
App. No.
11/608,159
Granted
Aug 23, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to an electrochemical cell such as a battery, and more particularly to an improved grommet suitable for electrically insulating an anode can from a cathode can of an electrochemical cell. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an improved grommet that has a tubular sidewall that varies in thickness from top to bottom.

Claims (23)

1. A grommet for use in an electrochemical button cell to electrically insulate an anode can from a cathode can of the button cell, the grommet being constructed of a dielectric material and comprising a generally tubular sidewall, the sidewall comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an uncompressed thickness that exceeds an uncompressed thickness of the lower portion by at least 20%.

2. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the upper portion exceeds the thickness of the lower portion by at least 30%.

3. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the upper portion exceeds the thickness of the lower portion by from about 30% to about 60%.

4. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the upper portion is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.175 mm.

5. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the upper portion extends over at least 5% of the height of the sidewall.

6. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the upper portion extends over from about 10% to about 25% of the height of the sidewall.

7. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the lower portion extends over at least 50% of the height of the sidewall.

8. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the lower portion extends over from about 50% to about 90% of the height of the sidewall.

9. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the sidewall further comprises a transition portion between said upper and lower portions.

10. The grommet of claim 9 wherein said transition portion has a thickness which varies over the height thereof by at least 20%.

11. An electrochemical cell comprising:

a cathode comprising an electrically conductive cathode can having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending up from the base, the bottom wall and sidewall together defining a cavity of the cathode can;

an anode comprising an electrically conductive anode can having a top wall and a sidewall depending from the top wall, the top wall and the sidewall of the anode can together defining a cavity thereof, the anode can being at least in part disposed in the cathode can with at least a portion of the anode can sidewall in generally opposed relationship with at least a portion of the cathode can sidewall; and

a dielectric grommet having a sidewall disposed between said opposed portions of the anode can sidewall and the cathode can sidewall to electrically insulate the anode can from the cathode can, the grommet sidewall comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an uncompressed thickness that exceeds an uncompressed thickness of the lower portion by at least 20%.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the upper portion of the grommet sidewall exceeds the thickness of the lower portion of the grommet sidewall by at least 30%.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the upper portion of the grommet sidewall exceeds the thickness of the lower portion of the grommet sidewall by from about 30% to about 60%.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the upper portion of the grommet sidewall is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.175 mm.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 claim 11 wherein the upper portion of the grommet sidewall extends over at least 5% of the height of the sidewall.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the upper portion of the grommet sidewall extends over from about 10% to about 25% of the height of the sidewall.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the lower portion of the grommet sidewall extends over at least 50% of the height of the sidewall.

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the lower portion of the grommet sidewall extends over from about 50% to about 90% of the height of the sidewall.

19. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the sidewall further comprises a transition portion between said upper and lower portions.

20. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 wherein said transition portion has a thickness which varies over the height thereof by at least 20%.

Assignments (13)
AMENDED AND RESTATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 19, 2025
From: ENERGIZER BRANDS, LLC; ENERGIZER AUTO, INC.,; ENERGIZER AUTO SALES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 070565/0282 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 30, 2020
From: ENERGIZER BRANDS, LLC; ENERGIZER AUTO, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054875/0651 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2019
From: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
To: ENERGIZER BRANDS, LLC
Reel/Frame 049417/0526 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 8, 2019
From: ENERGIZER HOLDINGS, INC.; AMERICAN COVERS, LLC; ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS, LLC; CALIFORNIA SCENTS, LLC; ENERGIZER BRANDS, LLC; ENERGIZER MANUFACTURING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 048029/0246 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2019
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
To: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 049627/0139 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSOR AGENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY) REEL/FRAME 036131/0272 Recorded Jun 5, 2018
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 046301/0425 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2015
From: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 036131/0272 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2015
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
To: APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.; APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC., A CORP. OF FLORIDA; KWIKSET CORPORATION; LIQUID HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; NATIONAL MANUFACTURING CO.; PRICE PFISTER, INC.; ROV HOLDING, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; ROVCAL, INC.; ROVCAL, INC., A CORP. OF CALIFORNIA; RUSSELL HOBBS, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; SALIX ANIMAL HEALTH, LLC; SEED RESOURCES, L.L.C.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC. AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO ROVCAL, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; TELL MANUFACTURING, INC.; TETRA HOLDING (US), INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; TETRA HOLDINGS (US), INC.; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO LIQUID HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; UNITED PET GROUP, INC.; UNITED PET GROUP, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE
Reel/Frame 036102/0001 →
MERGER Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: ROVCAL, INC.
To: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 034136/0718 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 28, 2012
From: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION; UNITED PET GROUP, INC.; APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.; ROVCAL, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 029536/0634 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2009
From: GOLDMAN SACHS CREDIT PARTNERS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 022951/0236 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2007
From: AQUARIA, INC.; AQUARIUM SYSTEMS, INC.; UNITED PET GROUP, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAYOVAC CORPORATION); ROVCAL, INC.; SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOAM, INC.; TETRA HOLDING (US), INC.; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
To: GOLDMAN SACHS CREDIT PARTNERS L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 019477/0974 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2007
From: SYVERTSEN, MARC L.; CHAPMAN, JEREMY W.
To: ROVCAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 018928/0317 →