Modular battery plant system assembly comprising multiple unit cell modules

• US 4,957,829 A
• Filed: 06/26/1989
• Issued: 09/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.), Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Holl, Joel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US07/371,368
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 429/9, 429/97, 429/99, 429/158, 429/159, 429/186
• 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 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery plant system is comprised of an array of unit battery cells designed to interlock with each other. The interlocked unit cells are electrically connected to create battery cell assembly modules of the desired voltages. The interlocked unit battery cells are mounted on a multiple unit battery cell support member to form a battery cell assembly module. A stratum of battery cell assembly modules are installed on an assembly support tray. Pluralities of assembly support trays are stacked vertically and the battery cell assembly modules are interconnected into an interlocked spatial array to form the battery plant with ready accessibility provided to each battery cell assembly module for monitoring, maintenance and replacement.

Claims

1. A battery plant system, comprising:

a plurality of unit battery cells, each unit cell including;

positive and negative terminals and having keyed accepting detents in opposing sides of each unit cell, an interlocking mechanism engaging keyed accepting detents of adjacent unit battery cells for serially joining the unit battery cells into a battery cell assembly module,

a base support for supporting the unit battery cells interlocked into a battery cell assembly module, at least first and second assembly busses for electrically joining electrical terminals of the unit battery cells and including output terminals included in the busses located at an exposed end of the battery cell assembly module to form the positive and negative output terminals of the battery cell assembly module,

a supporting receptacle for holding a single stratum of a plurality of battery cell assembly modules,

a frame work for accepting mounting of the supporting receptacles in vertical tiers and a plurality of plant busses connected for electrically joining the output terminals included in the assembly busses to form a battery plant.

2. A battery plant system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each unit battery cell having at least one side including opposing dovetails tapered towards each other, and

a linking device having opposing tapered V-grooved sides for engaging adjacent ones of the opposing dovetails of two adjacent unit battery cells and interlock adjacent unit battery cells together.

3. A battery plant system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the output terminals are all located at a front end of the battery cell assembly module.

4. A battery plant system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the output terminals are located at both ends of the battery cell assembly module.

5. A battery plant system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a bottom of each unit battery cell is undercut to fit into a recess in the base support.

6. A battery plant system as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the supporting receptacles have a channel cross section and each include two side walls having a connecting mechanism for securing the supporting receptacle to the frame work.

7. A battery plant system, comprising:

a plurality of unit battery cells interlocked with each other into a battery cell assembly module,

the unit battery cells in each module electrically connected to accessible terminals at an outer perimeter of each battery cell assembly module,

a plurality of battery cell assembly modules being mounted as a stratum on battery cell assembly support trays,

a plurality of support trays being stacked in a tier and attached to a vertical support frame, and

the accessible terminals being interconnected to form a battery plant.

8. A battery plant system as defined in claim 7 wherein the each plurality of unit battery cells is interconnected electrically by means of busses interconnecting terminals of the unit battery cells.

9. A battery plant system as defined in claim 8 wherein the each of the unit battery cells are mounted on a base support in which a bottom of each unit cell is undercut to fit into a recess in the base support.

10. A battery plant system as defined in claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of unit battery cells has tapered dovetails in at least one sidewall and

a linking device for simultaneously engaging the dovetails of adjacent sides of two unit battery cells.

11. A battery plant system as defined in claim 10 wherein the support trays have a connecting mechanism for securing them to the vertical support frame.