Patent ID: 7206186

Claim:
A capacitor, comprising (a) a metal case, having an open side; (b) an capacitor element positioned inside the case; (c) an electrolyte solution contained in the case and in contact with the capacitor element; (d) a metal lid bonded to the open side of the case, the lid having an orifice and a metal post positioned in the orifice, wherein the metal post is electrically insulated by a metal-glass-metal hermetic seal positioned in the orifice; (e) a liquid seal between the metal post and the electrolyte solution formed by an elastomeric ring compressed between an underside of the lid and a terminal plate, wherein the elastomeric ring encircles the metal post, wherein the terminal plate has a wet side, facing away from the lid, and a dry side, facing the lid, (f) a first electrical connection between the wet side of the terminal plate and the capacitor element, and (g) a second electrical connection between the dry side of the terminal plate and the metal post, whereby the compression of the elastomeric ring between the lid and the terminal plate is maintained by the second electrical connection.