Battery assembly

• US 4,547,438 A
• Filed: 12/18/1984
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Duracell Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Duracell Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelm, Roger W., McArthur, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US06/683,163
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 429/82, 429/86, 429/157, 429/159, 429/178, 429/179, 429/28, 429/27, 429/101, 429/156, 429/72
• US Class Current: 429/82
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/216 adapted for button or coin cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The disclosure describes a battery assembly which comprises several gas depolarizable electrochemical cells, e.g., metal/air cells, stacked electrically in series along a first dimension. Each cell has first and second electrodes of opposite polarities. The battery assembly also comprises a housing for containing the stack of cells. The housing includes a structure for ventilating the interior of the housing and further includes first and second opposite end walls which lie perpendicular to the first dimension. The stack of cells is arranged within the housing with the first electrode of the initial cell of the stack facing the first wall and the second electrode of the final cell of the stack facing the second wall. The battery assembly further includes first and second electrically conductive connectors disposed within the housing. The first connector has a first end electrically coupled to the first electrode of the initial cell and a second end disposed adjacent the first wall. The second connector has a first end electrically coupled to the second electrode of the final cell and a second end also disposed adjacent the first wall. The battery assembly further comprises first and second terminals which are electrically coupled to the first and second connectors, respectively, and extend through the first wall to the exterior of the housing.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising a plurality of gas depolarizable electrochemical cells, each cell having first and second electrodes of opposite polarities and the plurality of cells being stacked electrically in series along a first dimension, a housing for containing the plurality of cells, the housing including means for ventilating the interior of the housing and further including first and second opposite walls perpendicular to the first dimension, the stack of cells being arranged within the housing with the first electrode of the initial cell of the stack facing the first wall and the second electrode of the final cell of the stack facing the second wall, first and second electrically conductive connectors disposed within the housing, the first connector including first end means electrically coupled to the first electrode of the initial cell and second end means disposed adjacent the first wall and the second connector including first end means electrically coupled to the second electrode of the final cell and second end means disposed adjacent the first wall, and first and second electrically conductive terminal means electrically coupled to the second end means of the first and second connectors, respectively, and extending through the first wall to the exterior of the housing.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing is configured as a rectangular parallelpiped having a long dimension extending in the direction of the first dimension.

3. The battery assembly of claim 1 further comprising an air-tight container and wherein the housing and first and second terminal means are disposed entirely within the container.

4. The battery assembly of claim 3 wherein the container comprises a sealed pouch fashioned from a metallic polyester film.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing further includes at least a third wall extending between the first and second walls, said third wall being fashioned from a generally impervious material and wherein the ventilating means includes at least one aperture in the third wall and further includes a member fashioned from a porous polymeric material, said battery assembly further comprising means for blocking the aperture of the third wall with the porous member whereby access into the housing through the aperture is limited by the porous polymeric member.

6. The battery assembly of claim 5 wherein the third wall is fashioned from an impervious polymeric material and the porous member is fashioned from a hydrophobic porous polymeric material.

7. The battery assembly of claim 5 wherein the blocking means includes means formed in the housing and disposed proximate the aperture for engaging the porous member and wherein the porous member comprises a thin insert disposed adjacent the aperture within the engaging means.

8. A battery assembly comprising a plurality of cylindrically shaped electrochemical cells stacked along a first dimension, a housing for containing the plurality of stacked cells, the housing having a plurality of walls, means for limiting movement of at least one cell perpendicular to the first dimension including at least one pair of spaced projections facing one another along a line perpendicular to the first dimension and extending from one wall into the interior of the housing proximate the side wall of the cell and further including an arc shaped channel disposed along one wall parallel to the first dimension, the radius of the arc corresponding to the radius of the side wall of the cell and the cell being disposed within the channel with the axis of the cell parallel to the first dimension, and means for limiting movement of at least one cell parallel to the first dimension including first and second connector means respectively disposed against the first and second ends of the stack, at least one of the connector means including spring means for compressing the stack along the first dimension.

9. The battery assembly of claim 8 wherein the arc shaped channel and the pair of spaced projections are located in the same wall, with the arc shaped channel disposed between the spaced projections.

10. The battery assembly of claim 8 wherein the perpendicular movement limiting means further comprises a second arc shaped channel disposed in a second wall of the housing opposing the other arc shaped channel.

11. A battery assembly comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells, each cell having first and second electrodes of opposite polarities and the plurality of cells being arranged electrically in series, a housing for containing the cells, the housing including first and second opposite walls and at least a third wall extending between the first and second walls, first and second electrically conductive connectors, the first connector including first end means electrically coupled to the first electrode of the initial cell of the arrangement and second end means disposed adjacent the first wall and the second connector including first end means electrically coupled to the second electrode of the final cell of the arrangement, second end means disposed adjacent the first wall, and intermediate means for electrically interconnecting the first and second end means, ledge means disposed along at least one wall for supporting at least one connector, first separating means disposed along the first wall for separating the second end means of the first and second connectors, and second separating means for separating the intermediate means from the arrangement of cells.

12. The battery assembly of claim 11 wherein the ledge means comprises first and second ledges proximate the first and second end means, respectively, of the second connector.

13. The battery assembly of claim 12 wherein the first ledge is disposed along the third wall and the second ledge is disposed along the first wall.

14. The battery assembly of claim 11 wherein the first separating means comprises a raised portion of the first wall between the second end means of the first and second connectors, wherein the second end means of the first connector is disposed in slots adjacent the first wall and wherein the first end means of the first connector resiliently engages the raised portion locking the first connector in place.

15. The battery assembly of claim 11 wherein the second separating means includes a slot adjacent the first end means of the second connector, the second connector being disposed in the slot, and a stop adjacent the second end means whereby the intermediate means is maintained in position along the first wall.

16. The battery assembly of claim 11 wherein the second separating means includes a bow in the intermediate means directed away from the arrangement of cells.