Patent ID: 8283066

Claim:
An electrochemical cell, comprising: a substantially round, cylindrical container comprising a conductive material, said container having: a closed end with a negative terminal, an open end sealed by an end assembly that is electrically insulated from the container and has a positive terminal and a sidewall extending between the closed end and the open end; a nonaqueous, organic electrolyte; a jellyroll electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode, a separator and a negative electrode consisting essentially of lithium or a lithium alloy of at least 90 wt. % lithium and having a length, a width and a cumulative surface area; an internal lead connected to less than 0.7% of the cumulative surface area of the negative electrode at an edge of the negative electrode that is proximate to the closed end of the container; wherein the lead extends a distance across the negative electrode measured along a longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly from the edge of the negative electrode that is greater than 10% and less than 88% of the width of the negative electrode; wherein a portion of the lead is folded and extends upward to make electrical contact with the container sidewall by pressure only, said portion of the lead having an integrally formed groove to bias the lead against the sidewall; and wherein the maximum difference between the container inside diameter and the electrode assembly diameter is defined by one equation selected from the group consisting of: i ) ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ R · ( 1 - cos ⁡ ( W / ( 2 ⁢ R ) ) ) + ID - ID 2 ⁡ ( 2 ⁢ R ⁢ ⁢ sin ⁡ ( W / ( 2 ⁢ R ) ) ) 2 2 + t , wherein W is the width of the lead measured along a surface of the lead, t is the material thickness of the lead, R is the radius of an arc formed between two longitudinal edges of the lead, ID is the inside diameter of the container, and (W/R).≦πr; and ii ) ⁢ ⁢ ( W 2 ) · sin ⁡ ( 180 - θ 2 ) + ( ID - ID 2 - ( W 2 / 2 ) · ( 1 - cos ⁢ ⁢ θ ) 2 ) + t , wherein W is the width of the lead measured along a surface of the lead, t is the material thickness of the lead, θ is an angle between 0 and 180 degrees defined by two longitudinal edges of the lead, and ID is the inside diameter of the can.