Lead acid battery

• US 5,419,983 A
• Filed: 07/20/1993
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yoshie, Hirano, Fujio
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US08/093,708
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 429/7, 429/65, 429/86, 429/87, 429/89, 429/150, 429/177-180
• US Class Current: 429/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/12 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• 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 sealed lead acid battery having a thermostat or thermal protector as a protector of battery from heat is provided, which comprises a battery container comprised of cell chambers each containing a cell element. A terminal box is provided at the end of the battery container. The battery container is provided at the end thereof with the terminal box. The thermostat or thermal protector is mounted in the terminal box to be highly sensitive to heat, thus protecting the lead acid battery from heat. In the terminal box are inserted a pair of charge and discharge terminals and the thermostat or thermal protector, so that safe positioning of the thermostat or thermal protector and good heat conduction from the cell element to the thermostat or thermal protector are secured.

Claims

1. A lead acid battery comprising:

a battery container comprised of a plurality of cell chambers each containing a cell element, said battery container being provided at one end thereof with a terminal box partitioned by a partition wall from an end one of said cell chambers;

said terminal box containing a pair of charge and discharge terminals, a thermoswitch and a terminal holder holding said pair of charge and discharge terminals, and a rib monolithically formed together with said partition wall and holding said thermoswitch therein, a surface of said thermoswitch being in contact with said partition wall.

2. The lead acid battery according to claim 1, wherein said rib is in contact with at least one surface of said thermoswitch.

3. The lead acid battery according to claim 1, wherein a heat-insulating air layer is provided between said rib and said terminal holder.

4. The lead acid battery according to claim 1, wherein said terminal holder also functions as a support for fixing a position of said thermoswitch at a given position.

11. The lead acid battery according to claim 1, wherein said rib comprises two L-shaped portions which hold said thermoswitch between said two L-shaped portions.

12. The lead acid battery according to claim 11, wherein said two L-shaped portions define a slit through which a side of said thermoswitch remote from said partition wall is exposed.

5. A lead acid battery comprising a battery container comprised of a plurality of cell chambers each containing a cell element, said container being provided at one end thereof with a terminal box partitioned by a partition wall from an end one of said cell chambers, said terminal box containing a pair of charge and discharge terminals, a thermal protector and a terminal holder holding said charge and discharge terminals and said thermal protector, wherein said thermal protector is held by said terminal holder to face said partition wall across a space between said thermal protector and said partition wall.

6. A lead acid battery comprising:

a battery container having a plurality of first partition walls which define a plurality of cell chambers each containing a cell element, said container being provided at one end thereof with a terminal box partitioned by a second partition wall from an end one of said cell chambers;

a pair of charge and discharge terminals contained in said terminal box;

a lead wire positioned at tops of said first partition walls and connecting one of said terminals in said terminal box to a terminal of the cell element contained in one of said cell chambers which is most distant from said terminal box; and

a cap covering said battery container, said cap being adhered to said battery container by an adhesive placed on one side of said cap, said lead wire being embedded in said adhesive.

7. The lead acid battery according to claim 6, wherein said lead wire is mated and fixed to indents provided on the tops of first partition walls partitioning said battery container in said cell chambers.

8. The lead acid battery according to claim 6, wherein said indent for fixing said lead wire is a notch or slit with a small projection monolithically made together with said first partition wall and slightly projecting at the top of said first partition wall.

9. A sealed lead acid battery comprising:

a battery container comprised of a plurality of cell chambers each containing a cell element;

an intermediate cap for said battery container, said intermediate cap being provided on a top thereof with safety valves facing upwardly;

a top cap covering said intermediate cap and having a back side which faces said intermediate cap; and

a liquid-absorbing sheet positioned between said intermediate cap and said top cap;

said top cap being provided at the back side thereof with a plurality of first projections and first holes and said intermediate cap being provided on said top with a plurality of second holes and second projections at positions corresponding to positions of said first projections and first holes, respectively;

said top cap and said intermediate cap being fixed with the second holes and second projections of said intermediate cap mated and fused to said first projections and first holes, respectively, of said top cap;

said intermediate cap being provided on a flat portion of the top thereof with a plurality of small third projections and said liquid-absorbing sheet being provided with through-holes at positions corresponding to positions of said small third projections, and said small third projections of said intermediate cap being adhered through said through-holes to said back side of said top cap.

13. The lead acid battery according to claim 9, wherein said liquid-absorbing sheet has vent holes formed therein at positions corresponding to positions of said safety valves.

17. The lead acid battery according to claim 9, wherein said small third projections are adhered to said back side of said top cap by fusion with ultrasonic waves.

10. A sealed lead acid battery comprising:

a battery container comprised of a plurality of cell chambers each containing a cell element; and

a cap for said battery, said cap having a main portion and cylindrical vents formed in said main portion to extend from said main portion in a first direction over each of said cell chambers, said vents being capped with cap-type safety valves, said cap being adhered by an adhesive to said battery container, each of said vents having an inside vent portion extending from said main portion in a second direction opposite to said first direction and surrounded by an annular rib having a height higher than a height of said inside vent portion.

14. The lead acid battery according to claim 10, wherein said first direction is oriented away from said battery container and said second direction is oriented toward said battery container.

15. A lead acid battery comprising:

a battery container divided into a plurality of cell chambers and a terminal box for terminals , said battery container comprising a partition wall separating said terminal box from said plurality of cell chambers;

a thermoswitch disposed in said terminal box; and

a rib means, formed monolithically with said partition wall, for holding said thermoswitch against said partition wall.

16. A lead acid battery comprising:

a battery container;

an intermediate cap attached to said battery container;

a top cap attached to said intermediate cap on a side of said intermediate cap remote from said battery container; and

a liquid-absorbing sheet disposed between said intermediate cap and said top cap.