Patent ID: 11961952
Assignee: ENOVIX CORPORATION
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A structure for cycling between a charged and a discharged state in a secondary battery, the structure comprising an electrode assembly and a constraint, wherein
the electrode assembly comprises a population of electrode structures, a population of counter-electrode structures, an electrically insulating separator material between members of the electrode and counter-electrode populations, an electrode bus, and a counter-electrode bus,
the electrode assembly has a shape that corresponds to a rectangular prism having opposed first and second longitudinal end surfaces separated along a longitudinal axis, and a lateral surface surrounding the longitudinal axis and connecting the first and second longitudinal end surfaces, the surface area of the first and second longitudinal end surfaces being less than 25% of the combined surface area of the lateral surface and the first and second longitudinal end surfaces,
members of the electrode population and members of the counter-electrode population are arranged in an alternating sequence in a stacking direction that parallels the longitudinal axis within the electrode assembly, and wherein each member of the electrode population has a bottom, a top, a length LE, a width WE, a height HE, a perimeter PE, and a central longitudinal axis AE extending from the bottom to the top of each such member and in a transverse direction that is generally perpendicular to the stacking direction, the length LE of each member of the electrode population being measured in the transverse direction, the width WE of each member of the electrode population being measured in the stacking direction, the height HE of each member of the electrode population being measured in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to each of the transverse and stacking directions, the perimeter PE of each member of the electrode population being the sum of the length(s) of the side(s) of a projection of each such member in a plane that is normal to the longitudinal axis AE, the ratio of LE to PE of each member of the electrode population being at least 1.25:1,
a projection of the members of the electrode population and the counter-electrode population onto the first longitudinal end surface circumscribes a first projected area, and a projection of the members of the electrode population and the counter-electrode population onto the second longitudinal end surface circumscribes a second projected area,
the constraint comprises first and second primary compression members that overlie the first and second projected areas, respectively, the first and second primary compression members being connected by first and second primary connecting members that overlie the lateral surface of the electrode assembly and pull the first and second primary compression members toward each other,
the constraint is adapted to maintain a pressure on the electrode assembly in the stacking direction that exceeds the pressure maintained on the electrode assembly in each of the transverse and vertical directions during cycling of the electrode assembly between a charged and a discharged state, and
the electrode bus and the counter-electrode bus are separated from each other in the transverse direction, the electrode bus is electrically connected to and pools current from each member of the electrode population, the counter-electrode bus is electrically connected to and pools current from each member of the counter-electrode population, and the electrode and counter-electrode buses extend in the stacking direction substantially the entire length of the alternating sequence of electrodes and counter-electrodes.