Patent ID: 6855454

Claim:
An electrochemical cell comprising: a container having a bottom end and an open top end; a positive electrode disposed in said container; a negative electrode disposed in said container; a seal member disposed in the open top end of said container for closing the open top end of said container, said seal member having an opening defined by an upstanding wall; and a current collector having a shaft extending through the opening in said seal member and contacting one of the positive and negative electrodes, wherein the current collector is interference fit within the opening such that the upstanding wall of the seal member sealingly engages the shaft of the current collector when in a sealed position, and the upstanding wall of the seal member is axially movable along the shaft of the current collector to a vent position upon experiencing a predetermined pressure so as to provide a pressure relief passage between the upstanding wall of the seal member and the current collector to vent pressurized gases; wherein the upstanding wall of the seal member is retained in the scaled position by an enlarged diameter step provided on the shaft of the current collector, and the upstanding wall of the seal member is forced to move over the enlarged diameter step to the vent position.