Vent valve and a storage cell including it

• US 20020086201A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arts Energy Co.
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Raymond, Alain, Payen, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 6,713,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/53
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/0453 the member being a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/325 comprising deformable valve members, e.g. elastic or flexible valve members
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A vent valve includes a vent cap closed by a cover plate with an orifice through it. The vent cap has a circular section and includes two diametrally opposed vent holes on its circumferential wall. An elastic seal having three vertices arranged in a triangle and connected in pairs by respective circular arcs—and preferably in the shape of a REULEAU triangle—is compressed between the bottom of the vent cap and the cover plate. The seal therefore blocks the orifice. If the fluid pressure at the orifice is sufficiently high, the fluid compresses the seal further and makes a path for itself between the seal and the cover plate and then escapes through the vent holes. The vent valve is suitable for use in a storage cell, in which case the cover plate can be used to close its casing.

Claims

1. A vent valve including an elastic seal compressed by a first wall against an orifice in a second wall and surrounded by a third wall, which seal has a section in a plane parallel to said first wall or to said second wall having three vertices disposed in a triangle, said three vertices of said section of said seal being connected in pairs by respective circular arcs.

2. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said circular arcs is on the outside of an imaginary triangle defined by said three vertices.

3. The vent valve claimed in claim 2 wherein the radius of curvature of each of said circular arcs is less than or equal to twice the length of a side of said imaginary triangle formed by said three vertices.

4. The vent valve claimed in claim 2 wherein the radius of curvature of each of said circular arcs is greater than or equal to L×

(3+{square root}3)/6 where L is the length of a side of said imaginary triangle formed by said three vertices.

5. The vent valve claimed in claim 2 wherein the radius of curvature of each of said circular arcs is equal to the length of one side of said imaginary triangle formed by said three vertices.

6. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein said third wall has a circular section.

7. The vent valve claimed in claim 6 wherein the diameter of the circle circumscribed on said three vertices of said section of said seal, when measured free of all external forces, is greater than or equal to 0.8 times the inside diameter of said third wall.

8. The vent valve claimed in claim 7 wherein the diameter of the circle circumscribed on said three vertices of said section of said seal, when measured free of all external forces, is greater than or equal to 0.9 times the inside diameter of said third wall.

9. The vent valve claimed in claim 8 wherein the diameter of the circle circumscribed on said three vertices of said section of said seal, when measured free of all external forces, is equal to the inside diameter of said third wall.

10. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein said first wall is parallel to said second wall.

11. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein the respective faces of said seal coming into contact with said first wall and said second wall are parallel.

12. The seal claimed in claim 1 wherein said flanks of said seal defining said section are all perpendicular to a common plane.

13. The vent valve claimed in claim 11 wherein said flanks of said seal defining said section are all perpendicular to two faces of said seal respectively in contact with said first wall and said second wall.

14. The seal claimed in claim 1 wherein said vertices of said section of said seal are disposed in an equilateral triangle.

15. The vent valve claimed in claim 6 wherein said orifice in said second wall is centered on the axis of said third wall.

16. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one vent opening is formed in said third wall or in said first wall.

17. The vent valve claimed in claim 16 including two vent openings in said third wall or in said first wall and diametrally opposed relative to the axis of said third wall.

18. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein the distance between said first wall and said second wall is greater than or equal to the diameter of the circle circumscribed on said three vertices of said section of said seal, as measured free of all external forces.

19. The vent valve claimed in claim 18 wherein the distance between said first wall and said second wall is greater than or equal to twice the diameter of said circle circumscribed on said three vertices of said section of said seal, as measured free of all external forces.

20. The vent valve claimed in claim 19 wherein the distance between said first wall and said second wall is greater than or equal to three times the diameter of said circle circumscribed on said three vertices of said section of said seal, as measured free of all external forces.

21. The vent valve claimed in claim 1 wherein said seal includes a plurality of stacked layers of materials.

22. A storage cell including a vent valve as claimed in claim 1.

23. The storage cell claimed in claim 22 wherein said second wall is part of a cover plate closing said storage cell.

24. The storage cell claimed in claim 22 wherein said second wall or said third wall constitutes a terminal of said storage cell.