Storage battery with thermoplastic casing having internal members for immobilizing the battery plates

• US 4,221,850 A
• Filed: 11/10/1976
• Issued: 09/09/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fraubose, Fritz, Attinger, Manfred, Makkens, Lothar, Eisenacher, Werner, Niemann, Gert
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, Donald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/740,380
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 429/186, 429/175, 429/160
• US Class Current: 429/160
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/16 Suspending or supporting electrodes or groups of electrodes in the case
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/147 Lids or covers
• 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

Downwardly extending members are molded on the inside of a synthetic resin battery case cover and bear against the bridging members of battery plate assemblies or upward bulges of the battery plates to hold the latter vertically in place. The downwardly extending thermoplastic members may be heat-softened at their ends at the time the cover is fused onto the rest of the battery case, or they may be made so that they will flex at that time or they may be made of two members that will telescope together against strong pressure, so that they will still bear against the electrode plates after the cover has been fused onto the rest of the casing.

Claims

1. A multi-cell lead-acid storage battery having a case (35) and a one-piece cover (32) both made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, said cover being fastened to said case by a fusion joint, said case being subdivided by partitions integral therewith into cell containers (14,14'"'"',14", . . . ) each containing a battery plate block (15,15'"'"',15",30,40) constituted by an assembly of electrode plates and plate separators equipped with pole bridges (16,16'"'"') respectively connecting together the plates of the same polarity of a cell, the pole bridges of the several cells being further interconnected to constitute a battery electrically, and terminals being provided for external connection, wherein, for improvement of the battery:

at least one downwardly extending member (38,41) of said cover is of a cross-section providing forked extremities, said forked extremities embracing and bearing against bulging portions (39) of one or more of said electrode plates and being deformed thereby, for restriction of movement of said plate block in said casing, said bulging portions (39) of said plates being provided on electrode plate edges which are the nearest to said cover (32) of the edges of one or more of said electrode plates (N",P") and extending towards said cover to a height at least equal to that of the adjacent aforesaid separators (S).

2. A lead-acid storage battery having a case (10,35,50) and a one-piece cover (11,32,49) both made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, said case being subdivided by partitions integral therewith into cell containers (14,14'"'"',14", . . . ) each containing a battery plate block (15,15'"'"', 15",30,40) constituted by an assembly of electrode plates and plate separators equipped with pole bridges (16,16'"'"') respectively connecting together the plates of the same polarity of a cell, the pole bridges of the several cells being further interconnected to constitute a battery electrically, and terminals being provided for external connection, wherein for improvement of the battery:

said cover has downwardly extending portions (43) on the side of said cover which faces the cell containers, at least one of said downwardly extending portions having its end surface or surfaces located so as to bear against each of said plate blocks,

each of said downwardly extending portions of said cover including a tubular member (43) integral with said cover and a plug member (46) engaged in the inside of said tubular member and adjustable therein only by application of strong pressure, said plug member having an end portion of relatively larger lateral dimensions bearing on an upwardly prominent portion of the respective plate block, thereby restricting movement of said plate block in said casing.

3. A lead-acid battery as defined in claim 2, in which said tubular member of said downwardly extending members and said plug members thereof are slightly tapered so as to provide a snug tapered fit.

4. A lead-acid battery as defined in claim 3, in which said tubular member integral with said cover has at least one longitudinal slot (47).

5. A lead-acid battery as defined in claim 2, in which the inside of said tubular member and the surface of said plug member fitting into said pivoted member are provided with transverse serrations.

6. A lead-acid battery as defined in claim 5, in which said tubular member integral with said cover has at least one longitudinal slot (47).

7. A lead-acid battery as defined in claim 2, in which said tubular member integral with said cover has at least one longitudinal slot (47).