Patent ID: 6885548
Filing Date: 2005-04-26
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating an anode layer of an electrolytic capacitor from a plurality of anode sheets comprising: providing the plurality of anode sheets fabricated of a formed valve metal each having first and second sheet sides bounded by an anode sheet edge, stacking the plurality of anode sheets in side-by-side relation in an anode sheet stack having first and second stack sides and a stack height between the first and second stack sides positioning the anode stack in a press fixture comprising a first plate assembly facing the first stack side and a second plate assembly facing the second stack side, the first plate assembly further comprising a plurality of first cold weld dies each having a first cold weld pin extending from a first cold weld die body, the first weld dies mounted in a first planar array with respect to a first force plate for distributing force to the plurality of first cold weld die bodies and such that the first cold weld pins extend toward the first stack side, and the second plate assembly further comprising a plurality of second cold weld dies each having a cold weld pin extending from a cold weld die body, the second cold weld dies mounted in a second planar array with respect to a second force plate for distributing force to the plurality of second cold weld die bodies and such that the second cold weld pins extend toward the second stack side, first and second planar arrays dimensionally aligned to axially align each first cold weld pin of the first planar array with a respective second cold weld pin of the second planar array; advancing one or both of the first and second plate assemblies toward the first and second stack sides, respectively, to advance the first cold weld pins into the first stack side and the second cold weld pins into the second stack side; and stopping the advancement of the first and second cold weld pins into the first and second stack sides, respectively, when the first and second cold welds are advanced to substantially equal first and second cold weld depths into the respective first and second stack sides, whereby the valve metals of the anode sheets are cold welded together.