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Help narrow US patent applications before they become patents HERE

QUESTION - Have you seen anything that was published before August, 2010 that discusses:

A capacitor with a 3 dimensional electrode made of sintered material

If so, please submit evidence of prior art as an answer to this question. Only one piece of prior art per answer below. We welcome multiple answers from the same individual.

TITLE: Sintered Capacitor Electrode Including a 3-Dimensional Framework

Summary: This patent relates generally to sintered electrodes including a 3-Dimensional (“3D”) framework with specific applications to batteries in medical devices.

  • Publication Number: US20130041420 A1

  • Assignee: Gregory Sherwood

  • Prior Art Date: Seeking prior Art predating August, 2010

  • Open for Challenge at USPTO: Open through October 1, 2013

  • Note: This application has an August, 2011 priority date, so prior art should preferably predate August, 2010 but art prior to June, 2011 can also be used.

Claim 1 requires each and every element below:

An apparatus, comprising:

  1. a capacitor case sealed to retain electrolyte;

  2. at least one electrode disposed in the capacitor case, the at least one electrode comprising a sintered portion disposed on a current collector formed of a framework defining cells extending to three axes;

  3. a conductor coupled to the current collector in electrical communication with the sintered portion, the conductor sealingly extending through the capacitor case to a terminal disposed on an exterior of the capacitor case with the terminal in electrical communication with the sintered portion;

  4. a second electrode disposed in the capacitor case;

  5. a separator disposed between the electrode and the second electrode; and

  6. a second terminal disposed on the exterior of the capacitor case and in electrical communication with the second electrode, wherein the terminal and the second terminal electrically are isolated from one another.

In English this means:

  1. A sealed capacitor with electrolyte inside a case

  2. A 3D electrode made of sintered material as part of the capacitor

  3. A wire or other conductor that connects the inside of the capacitor to a terminal on the ouside of the case

  4. Another (2nd) electrode inside the case

  5. That second electrode isolated from the first one

  6. Another terminal on the outside of the case, electrically coupled to the second electrode, but isolated from the first terminal

Good prior art would be evidence of a device that had each and every one of these elements prior to August, 2010.

Schematic of Medical System including Sintered Capacitor from the Applicant.

What is good prior art? Please see our FAQ

Want to help? Please vote or comment on submissions below. We welcome you to post your own request for prior art on other questionable US Patent Applications.

2 Answers 2

1

The claims are visible in this paper from Japan (in English) from 2003:

https://www.jsap.or.jp/jsapi/Pdf/Number08/04_InvitedReviewPaper.pdf

Search for 'sinter'.

esp. page 5 discusses various sintering materials.

The paper is about ceramic capacitors, which have a 3D structure with many electrodes arranged in a 3D pattern (see Figure 3).

These also discuss sintered electrodes:

[2004]
http://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/WO2004093106

[2009]
http://www.google.com/patents/US20110149475

http://www.google.com/patents/US7423863

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CHwQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Fpatents%2Fdownload%2F3299326_SOLID_ELECTROLYTIC_CAPACITOR_WIT.pdf%3Fid%3Dm9tbAAAAEBAJ%26output%3Dpdf%26sig%3DACfU3U0z_WdFl_07e3BVhIoT4QISEvvGaA%26source%3Dgbs_overview_r%26cad%3D0&ei=K-7vUYyUBsnVswaBnoGYDw&usg=AFQjCNFkmUvf-CnuIvgOZqXcvZUQMH0g6w&sig2=boO-m0ITOYkfXeOMnnpV2A&bvm=bv.49641647,d.Yms

Note that MLC (Multi-layer ceramic) capacitors are inherently 3D because they have multiple stacked layers which are connected to the electrodes.

If you need something that isn't an MLC, but that has a more 'traditional' electrolyte, and discusses 3D electrodes, look at page 195 here: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6gjGZfE0rnEC&pg=PA195&lpg=PA195&dq=sinter+electrode+capacitor&source=bl&ots=6lc28INtqB&sig=oXhXNdehgAfsECLQsaUVwMOP4Lg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mvbvUcqDCsSatAbj2YBY&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCDgU#v=onepage&q=sinter%20electrode%20capacitor&f=false [from 1997].

1

Isn't that essentially a wet electrolyte tantalum capacitor? A Vishay datasheet dated 2003-09-01: http://www.vishay.com/docs/40021/wtintro.pdf

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