Support frame for storage battery cells

• US 4,883,725 A
• Filed: 12/15/1988
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Societe Anonyme DBA
• Original Assignee: SAFT SA (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Gerard, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, Donald L.
• Application Number:
  US07/284,493
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/159, 429/148, 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/20 Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A support frame (1) for storage battery cells individually enclosed in cases (11) made of molded insulating synthetic material, the frame is constituted of a metal box comprising at least two side longitudal members (2, 3), two frame end plates (4, 5) interconnecting the ends of the side longitudinal members, and at least one element (6) for supporting said cases when said frame is lifted, two facing side longitudinal members each including a flexible wall (9, 10) which is semi-free, and sloping slightly relative to the vertical so as to narrow the passage into the frame when going down towards the bottom of the frame, and the bottom ends of said flexible walls co-operating ratchet-like with longitudinal projections (12, 13) or grooves carried by the cases of said cells on pairs of opposite faces and preventing the cases from being extracted once inserted even in the event of said frame being turned upsidedown.

Claims

1. A support frame for storage battery cells individually enclosed in cases made of molded insulating synthetic material, the frame being constituted by a metal box comprising at least two side longitudinal members, two frame end plates interconnecting the ends of the side longitudinal members, and at least one element for supporting said cases when said frame is lifted, two facing side longitudinal members each including a flexible wall which is semi-free and sloping slightly relative to the vertical so as to narrow the passage into the frame when going down towards the bottom of the frame, and the bottom ends of said flexible walls co-operating ratchet-like with longitudinal projections or grooves carried by the cases of said cells on pairs of opposite faces and preventing the cases from being extracted once inserted even in the event of said frame being turned upsidedown.

2. A frame according to claim 1, wherein said element is constituted by a section bar having its ends connected to the bottoms of said frame end plates.

3. A frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said flexible walls stop short from one of the ends of the frame over a length which is not less than the length of the case of a cell.