MODULAR BATTERY CONSTRUCTION

• US 3,844,841 A
• Filed: 12/29/1972
• Issued: 10/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernard Baker
• Original Assignee: Bernard Baker
• Inventors: Baker, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US05/319,913
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 136/111,108-110,166,171-173,12R,58-59,135R,135S,181
• US Class Current: 429/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/258 Modular batteries; Casings provided with means for assembling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/529 Intercell connections through partitions, e.g. in a battery casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A modular battery construction comprising one or more cells, each cell having positive and negative electrodes formed by parallel, thin sheets of porous, inert material impregnated with finely divided electrode materials, and a thin sheet of porous inert material impregnated with electrolyte is sandwiched between the electrodes. A stack of cells is mounted in each casing, which casings are nestable together in any desired number. Each casing has an end wall and a peripheral side wall adapted to nestingly engage the side wall of an adjacent casing.

Claims

1. A modular battery comprising:

a. a plurality of stacks of thin flat cells, each cell having a positive and a negative electrode plate and a thin sheet member containing an electrolyte disposed between such electrode plates;

b. a plurality of nestable means for defining an outermost casing for said battery and for separately containing said cell stacks, each said nestable means comprising an end wall of wall area larger than the area of any one of said cell plates and sheet members and sidewalls supported on each edge of said end wall and extending beyond both sides thereof, the sidewalls of adjacent of said nestable means being engageable and thereupon defining with the end walls of said adjacent nestable means separate adjacent containers for said cell stacks, said end walls each defining an aperture Therethrough, the end wall apertures of adjacent of said nestable means being axially aligned upon such engagement of said sidewalls; and

c. pressure sensitive probe means for monitoring the gas pressures in said separate cell stack containers comprising hollow tube means extending through said end wall apertures for defining pressure-sensing openings extending from said hollow tube means into each of said separate containers.

2. The modulator battery claimed in claim 1 wherein each said cell comprises positive and negative electrode plates formed by parallel, thin sheets of porous, inert material impregnated with finely divided electrode material and a thin sheet of porous, inert material impregnated with said electrolyte.

3. The modular battery claimed in claim 1 wherein each said end wall includes first and second electrically conductive pin members extending therethrough, said battery further including first and second connector means for connecting said first and second pin members respectively to the positive and negative electrode plates of the cell stack adjacent one side of said end wall.

4. The modular battery claimed in claim 3 including further connector means for electrically connecting together all said first pin members and for electrically connecting together all said second pin members.

5. The modular battery claimed in claim 3 including further connector means for electrically connecting at least one of said first pin members to a second pin member extending through an end wall other than the end wall through which said one first pin member extends.

6. A modular battery comprising:

a. a plurality of stack of cells, each cell having a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a sheet member containing an electrolyte disposed between such electrode plates;

b. a plurality of nestable means for defining an outermost casing for said battery and for separately containing said cell stacks, each said nestable means comprising an end wall of wall area larger than the area of any one of said cell plates and sheet members, each said end wall supporting first and second pin members extending therethrough, and sidewalls supported on each edge of said end wall and extending beyond both sides thereof, the sidewalls of adjacent of said nestable means being engageable and thereupon defining with the end walls of said adjacent nestable means separate containers for said cell stacks; and

c. connector means disposed within each said separate container for connecting the cell positive and negative plates therein respectively to first and second pin members extending through a common one of said end walls.

7. The modular battery claimed in claim 6 including further connector means for electrically connecting together all said first pin members and for electrically connecting together all said second pin members.

8. The modular battery claimed in claim 6 including further connector means for electrically connecting at least one of said first pin members to a second pin member extending through an end wall other than the end wall through which said one first pin member extends.