METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR JOINING METAL-AIR CELLS

摘要

Provided are metal-air cells for connecting to one another to form a battery stack. Two or more of the cells are joined by heat or chemical fusing to create the battery stack. Each of the metal-air cells have a case with an exterior surface and an interior surface that defines a chamber that contains an anode and an air cathode. The case defines air openings that extend between the exterior surface and the interior surface for supplying air from the environment exterior to the case to the air cathodes within the chamber. In one embodiment, each metal-air cell includes a plurality of protruding connector members and a plurality of protruding mechanical stops. Two cells are joined by fusing connector members of one cell to connector members of the other cell. During the fusing of the connector members, the mechanical stops of the cells being joined abut one another to arrest movement of the cells toward one another. The arresting causes a plenum to be uniformly defined between the cells. The fused connector members and abutting mechanical stops cooperate to define a three-dimensional truss-like system that provides structural integrity. In an alternative embodiment, at least one of the two metal-air cells to be joined includes a plurality of connectors and is otherwise free of stops. These connectors can be aligned with and fused to similar connectors on the other cell or be fused directly to the exterior surface of the other cell. Connector members and mechanical stops are preferably integrally formed with their case and interspersed with the air openings.