POUCH BATTERY OR CELL

The present invention relates to the field of batteries and power cells and in particular to pouch cells in which flat tabs which protrude from a sealed pouch serve as electrical contacts. The invention provides a battery or cell comprising at least one cell unit comprising an anode, a cathode and a separator interposed between the anode and cathode, wherein first and second flat contact tabs are provided in electrical contact with the anode and cathode respectively, and wherein the battery or cell is accommodated within an enclosure comprising a flexible sheet material, characterised in that the first and second flat contact tabs are fixed in spaced apart relation to a common mounting plate, the mounting plate being sandwiched between opposing edge regions of the enclosure so as to define hermetic seals running across the mounting plate, with distal end regions of the contact tabs projecting beyond the seals to the exterior of the battery or cell. The invention also provides a contact assembly for a battery comprising one or more unit cells to be accommodated within an enclosure comprising a flexible sheet material, the contact assembly comprising a first and second flat contact tabs fixed in spaced apart relation to a common mounting plate, the contact tabs each having a proximal end region to be connected to an electrode contact of the unit cell or cells, and a distal end region which will provide an external contact of the battery. In each case the mounting plate is preferably a flexible sheet material such as Flexi-circuit base material, such as a polymer film or composite laminate film. The invention can also provide the suitable means to allow the insertion of other objects in addition to the contact tabs through the pouch cell seal(s) without compromising the integrity of the seals as well as provide a robust method of securely fixing these objects through the pouch cell seal and within the pouch cell seals or within the electrode stack. The objects could sensors, probes, hollow tubes or lengths of various materials. La présente invention concerne le domaine des batteries et des cellules d'alimentation et, en particulier, des cellules de poche dans lesquelles des pattes plates qui font saillie à partir d'une poche scellée servent de contacts électriques. La présente invention concerne une batterie ou une cellule comprenant une ou plusieurs unités de cellule dotées d'une anode, d'une cathode et d'un séparateur intercalé entre l'anode et la cathode,