In-line printing of electrolyte patterns of electrochemical cells

Abstract

An electrolyte is formulated as a printing ink and laid down by an in-line press for manufacturing printed electrochemical cells. A curing station transforms the electrolyte to perform additional functions such as separating electrodes, preventing leakage, bonding cell layers, and resisting evaporation.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of in-line printing electrolyte patterns of electrochemical cells comprising the steps of: 
 formulating an electrolyte composition having low adhesive properties;    printing the electrolyte composition having low adhesive properties in a repeating pattern along an advancing web; and    chemically transforming the electrolyte composition of the printed electrolyte patterns along the advancing web from an electrolyte composition having low adhesive properties to an electrolyte composition having high adhesive properties.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the electrolyte composition is formulated for transfer printing and said step of printing includes transfer printing the electrolyte composition.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which said step of chemically transforming includes polymerizing the electrolyte composition.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  in which the chemically transformed electrolyte composition is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  in which said step of chemically transforming includes transforming the electrolyte composition from an electrolyte composition that exhibits low stickiness to an electrolyte composition that exhibits high stickiness.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  including the further steps of: 
 (a) printing more of the electrolyte composition having low adhesive properties over the chemically transformed electrolyte patterns; and  
 (b) chemically transforming the overprinting electrolyte composition from an electrolyte composition having low adhesive properties to an electrolyte composition having high adhesive properties for increasing the total thickness of the electrolyte composition having high adhesive properties on the web.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which said step of formulating includes formulating the electrolyte composition so that the printed electrolyte composition having low adhesive properties flows under a force of gravity.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising a step of forming a succession of reservoirs having a boundary shape along the advancing web.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  in which said step of printing includes injecting metered volumes of the electrolyte composition into the succession of reservoirs.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  in which said step of forming includes applying a masking layer to the advancing web for forming the succession of reservoirs.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  including the further step of patterning the masking layer with the boundary shape of the reservoirs.  
     
     
         12 . A method of in-line printing electrolyte patterns of electrochemical cells comprising the steps of: 
 forming a succession of reservoirs having a boundary shape along an advancing web;    injecting metered volumes of an electrolyte composition into the succession of reservoirs;    formulating the electrolyte composition so that the injected volumes of the electrolyte composition conform to the shape of the reservoirs; and    transforming the injected volumes of the electrolyte composition into a more permanent shape matching the shape of the reservoirs.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of formulating includes formulating the electrolyte composition so that the injected volumes of the electrolyte composition flow under a force of gravity.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  in which said electrolyte composition is formulated with a zero yield value.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of forming includes applying a masking layer to the advancing web for forming the succession of reservoirs.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  including the further step of patterning the masking layer with the boundary shape of the reservoirs.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of forming includes successively impressing the boundary shape into the advancing web.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of injecting includes injecting the volume of electrolyte composition onto a printed electrode pattern.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of transforming includes chemically transforming the electrolyte composition from a state of lower viscosity to a state of higher viscosity.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of transforming includes chemically transforming the electrolyte composition from a state of lower adhesiveness to a state of higher adhesiveness.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of formulating includes formulating the electrolyte composition to contain an electrolyte and a monomer.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  in which said step of transforming includes converting the monomer into a polymer that forms a matrix within which the electrolyte is embedded.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12  in which said step of forming includes forming a dual succession of reservoirs having boundary shapes along the advancing web.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  including a further step of pressing the dual reservoirs together to join the injected volumes of electrolyte.  
     
     
         25 . A method of printing electrochemical cells comprising the steps of: 
 separately formulating at least one electrode composition and an electrolyte composition in transfer printable inks;    transfer printing the at least one electrode composition and the electrolyte composition from successive printing stations of the in-line press in repeating patterns on at least one of two web layers;    chemically transforming the electrolyte composition into an electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive; and    using the electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive to bond the two web layers and to complete at least a portion of an ionically conductive pathway between two electrodes of a progression of transfer-printed electrochemical cells.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  in which said step of transfer printing includes transfer printing the at least one electrode composition in a repeating pattern on a first of said two web layers and transfer printing the electrolyte composition in a repeating pattern on the at least one electrode composition.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  including the further steps of transfer printing more of the electrolyte composition over the electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive and chemically transforming the electrolyte composition into more of the electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive for increasing thickness of the electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  in which said step of using the electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive includes bonding a succession of printed electrodes supported on one of the two web layers to a succession of electrodes supported on the other of the two web layers.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  in which said step of using the electrolytic pressure-sensitive adhesive includes electronically isolating the electrodes supported on the one web layer with the electrodes supported on the other of the two web layers.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  in which said step of chemically transforming includes polymerizing the electrolyte composition.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25  in which said step of transfer printing includes flexographic printing the at least one electrode composition and the electrolyte composition.  
     
     
         32 . A method of printing electrochemical cells comprising the steps of: 
 advancing at least one web supporting anode and cathode layers in a succession of patterns;    laying down a first layer of electrolyte in a succession of patterns on said anode layer;    laying down a second layer of electrolyte in a succession of patterns on said cathode layer;    curing the first and second layers of electrolyte while in contact with the anode and cathode layers; and    laminating the first layer of electrolyte together with the second layer of electrolyte for completing ionically conductive pathways between the anode and cathode layers.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  in which the first and second layers of electrolyte laid down in patterns include a monomer mixed with the electrolyte.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  in which said step of curing includes transforming the monomer into a polymer that forms a matrix within which the electrolyte is embedded.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32  in which the first and second layers of electrolyte laid down in patterns have low adhesive properties.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  in which said step of curing increases the adhesive properties of the first and second layers of electrolyte.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32  in which said step of curing includes polymerizing the electrolyte layers.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32  in which the cured electrolyte layers are transformed into pressure-sensitive adhesives.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32  in which said step of curing includes a first sub-step of radiation curing the first electrolyte layer and a second sub-step of radiation curing the second electrolyte layer.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  in which said step of laminating joins the separately cured electrolyte layers together.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising a step of forming a succession of reservoirs having a boundary shape along the advancing web.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  in which at least one of said steps of laying down includes injecting metered volumes of the electrolyte composition into the succession of reservoirs.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  in which said step of forming includes applying a masking layer to the advancing web for forming the succession of reservoirs.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  including the further step of patterning the masking layer with the boundary shape of the reservoirs.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 32  in which the steps of laying down include transfer printing at least one of the first and second layers of electrolyte.  
     
     
         46 . A succession of electrochemical cells made according to the method of claim  32 .