Electrolyte capacitor and method of making the same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Present electrolytic capacitors are usually constructed by tightly winding the anode, separator and cathode and holding the roll together with an adhesive tape.
As shown in FIG.
1.
, a capacitor is made by rolling an anode foil 1, with a cathode foil 2, separated by a material such as kraft paper 3.
Connections are made via tabs 4.
The rolled construction is held together as indicated in FIG.
1A by a strip of adhesive tape 5.
The present invention facilitates construction of a flat capacitor as depicted in FIG.
2.
Referring to FIG.
2 there is shown in exaggerated form the basic laminate or sandwich layer structure 10 which constitutes one layer of a capacitor.
The drawing indicates the anode 11, usually a highly etched foil (the etching is not shown in this view).
The cathode layer is indicated by layers 12.
Between the cathode and anode is the adhesive indicated by layer 13.
This adhesive layer may be the solid electrolyte alone or it may be a separator impregnated with the elastomeric solid electrolyte.
The adhesive/electrolyte is liquid at the time of application.
It is applied to fill the highly etched pores of anode 11 and to contact the whole surface area of the layer.
Where a separator is present, the electrolyte saturates the separator and thus provides ionic electrical conductivity from the oxide coating on the anode to the cathode.
The anode can be formed from single, double or multiple plates.
FIG.
3 depicts the basic laminate or sandwich layer structure of a multiple anode capacitor as indicated at 14.
FIG.
3 indicates the anodes 15, 16, 17, the separator 18 and cathode 19.
During preparation the anode may be held in position with respect to the cathode by a press or other means.
The adhesive/electrolyte in this case holds the multiple layers of anode together and provides conduction to the cathode.
In this case the anode layers 15 and 17 must be porous.
FIG.
3 depicts a capacitor constructed with a separator 18 filled with the adhesive, but the same principles apply in capacitors which do not have a separator, but use the adhesive only