A contact plate for a battery stack for electrically connecting battery cells of the battery stack in parallel and a method for producing the same, is provided. In the battery stack, the battery cells are arranged in an upper battery level and a lower battery level and the contact plate is arranged in the battery stack between the upper battery level and the lower battery level. A battery stack including at least one upper battery level, a lower battery level and a contact plate is further provided. A respective plurality of battery cells are arranged in the upper battery level and the lower battery level and the contact plate is arranged between the upper battery level and the lower battery level.

A method for producing a garnet type oxide solid electrolyte that is inhibited from a reaction of a flux and a crucible in heating and from a contamination with a crucible component produced by the reaction. The method for producing a garnet type oxide solid electrolyte represented by a general formula (Li.sub.a1, A.sub.a2)La.sub.3-bE.sub.bZr.sub.2-cM.sub.cO.sub.12 may comprise the steps of: preparing raw materials for the garnet type oxide solid electrolyte at a stoichiometric ratio of the above general formula; preparing flux raw materials by using NaCl and KCl at a molar ratio of NaCl:KCl=x:(1x) where x satisfies 0x1; mixing the solid electrolyte raw materials prepared in the above step and the flux raw materials prepared in the above step; and heating a mixture of the solid electrolyte raw materials and the flux raw materials at a temperature of less than 1100 C.

A flexible secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator between the first and second electrode plates; and a pouch comprising a plurality of outwardly extending protrusions, the pouch sealing the electrode assembly and an electrolyte therein, wherein the pouch is configured such that a degree of strain of the electrode assembly resulting from bending of the pouch is lower than a degree of strain on the pouch from formation of the protrusions.

A mandrel that can uniformly form a thickness of an electrode assembly and minimize deformation of an electrode plate upon swelling. The mandrel that is configured to wind an electrode of a rechargeable battery includes: a first reel and a second reel with a gap therebetween, wherein the first reel includes a gap surface facing the second reel, a first front surface and a second front surface that are connected by the gap surface, and a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface that connect the first front surface and the second front surface, wherein the first inclined surface is longer than the second inclined surface.

A high speed deposition apparatus for the manufacture of solid state batteries. The apparatus can be used for the manufacture of solid state multilayer stacked battery devices via a vacuum deposition process. In various embodiments, the manufacturing apparatus can include a containment vessel, a reactor region, a process region, a work piece, one or more vacuum chambers, and an energy source. A complete stack of battery layers can be manufactured in a single vacuum cycle, having background gas, pressure, and deposition rate optimized and controlled for the deposition of each layer. The work piece can include a drum and a substrate, which can be a commercial polymer or metallic web, that are temperature controlled. Masks can be used to delineate or shape layers within the multi-layer stacked electrochemical device manufactured by embodiments of the apparatus.

The present disclosure provides a pressing device which includes: at least two floating heads which are arranged side by side; a positioning member connecting with each floating head and defining a position of each floating head; a cover plate positioned above each floating head; and elastic members, each elastic member being provided between the cover plate and the corresponding floating head so as to make the cover plate slide up and down relative to each floating head. The pressing device can be adapted to a step type cell or a step type battery having a certain tolerance in thickness and can ensure that every step surface of the step type cell or the step type battery is uniformly pressed, thereby improving the quality of the battery.

A separator for a bobbin-style electrochemical cell is inserted into an interior opening within a ring-shaped cathode in an electrochemical cell can. An expansion force is then applied to an interior surface of the separator to press the separator against the interior walls of the cathode. A tool may then remove various creases and/or wrinkles in the separator and/or may then heat seal at least a portion of the tubular walls of the separator to minimize the void space between the separator and active material (e.g., cathode and/or anode) within the electrochemical cell.

Circuit module for coupling a plurality of battery cell units. The circuit module includes a first set of terminals having a positive terminal and a negative terminal for coupling to a first battery cell unit, and a second set of terminals having a positive terminal and a negative terminal for coupling to a second battery cell unit. The positive terminal of the first set of terminals is coupled to the negative terminal of the second set of terminals either directly or via one or more passive components, and the negative terminal of the first set of terminals and the positive terminal of the second set of terminals each is coupled to a switching assembly. The switching assembly is operatively configured to selectively connect or bypass each one of the battery cell units. The invention is also directed to a battery system including the circuit module and a plurality of battery cell units.

An electrochemical energy-storage cell comprises a flexible positive electrode and a flexible negative electrode including a gallium-based liquid metal dispersed on a flexible wire mesh. The electrochemical energy-storage cell also comprises a membrane having one face in contact with the flexible positive electrode and an opposing face in contact with the flexible negative electrode.

Designs, strategies and methods for forming micro-batteries are described. In some examples, ultrasonic welded seals may be used to seal battery chemistry within the micro-battery. In some further examples, the micro-battery is encapsulated by a copper film where at least a portion of the copper film is formed by electroless plating.