Patent ID: 6861174

Claim:
An electrochemical battery cell comprising: a metal container comprising a closed bottom, a vertical side wall, and an initially open top, the open top having a terminal edge; a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte disposed within the container; a positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode current collector; and a metal cover, having a peripheral flange with a terminal edge, disposed across the open top of the container for sealing the electrodes, separator, and electrolyte within the cell; wherein: the metal container is electrochemically nonactive with the electrodes and electrolyte; one of the positive and negative electrodes is in direct contact with an inner surface of the side wall such that the side wall is at least a part of the current collector of the electrode with which it is in direct contact; the side wall is shaped inward below an uppermost part of the container to form a neck, such that a neck outer surface width is smaller than a container outer surface width above the neck; the cover flange is shaped around the outside of the side wall above the neck to form a sealing interface between the cover flange end the side wall above the neck without the cover flange being disposed between adjacent layers of the can side wall; the terminal edge of the cover flange has a width that is smaller than a width of the side wall above the neck; and the terminal edge of the container is shaped radially outward and downward.