Lithium halide cell

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Pursuant to the present invention, lithium-halide primary cells can be made having a variety of lengths utilizing a single mold.
In a preferred method, the cathode and anode leads, respectively, are embedded within the side walls of a lithium anode receiving vessel to minimize any possibility of depolarizer leakage.
Generally, a method of the present invention comprises utilizing a mold in which only one end of the battery configuration is defined.
Preferably, the defined end includes rounded corners as well as a rounded end portion.
Actual assembly of the battery must be carried out in a dry room having a relative humidity of preferably less than 2%.
A substantially rectangular sheet of lithium material is positioned over the half-mold so as to extend beyond the edges of the mold cavity with preferably a parting sheet interposed therebetween.
A cavity conforming half-member having a configuration substantially identical to the half-mold cavity is positioned over the lithium sheet and pressed into the mold cavity to conform the lithium sheet thereto.
While in the cavity, a cathode assembly having a portion which conforms to the end of the half-mold is positioned on the conforming half-member.
A second half-member is positioned over the first half-member.
and the cathode assembly.
One side of the lithium blank is then folded over the second half-member and the lead from the cathode assembly is bent over this folded side so as to surround the lithium fold.
The other side of the lithium blank is then folded to lie over both the cathode lead and the first folded side.
The half-members together with the folded lithium are removed from the half-mold cavity, and the defined bottom edge of the lithium is trimmed and bent to confrom to the rounded corners of the half-members to form the rough lithium anode receiving vessel.
Thereafter, the half-members together with the formed lithium anode receiving vessel positioned thereon are repositioned within the half-mold cavity so that an anode current collector can be bonded to the exterior