Quasi-bipolar battery requiring no casing
First Claim
1. A battery, comprising:
- two stack end plates;
a battery cell stack between the two stack end plates, the battery cell stack having a repeating pattern of cell layers stacked along an axis and a terminal associated with each end of the battery cell stack, includinga conductive separator sheet,a first active material,a biplate having first and second sides,a compliant sealing material on the first side of the biplate, and a compliant sealing material on the second side of the biplate, anda second active material;
wherein each compliant sealing material forms a framed, middle region on the biplate, and each compliant sealing material also forms an engagement between the biplate and at least one of a separator sheet and a stack end plate, each compliant sealing material effective upon compression of the battery cell stack along the axis to form a gas-tight seal and retain gasses and active materials within boundaries associated with the engagement; and
a compression mechanism that axially compresses the battery cell stack to thereby create the gas-tight seals and isolate each cell of the battery cell stack, and thereby retain the active materials of the battery cell stack in a gas-tight, sealed relationship within the battery cell stack.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A quasi-bipolar battery is disclosed which has no casing, making it especially suitable for high-voltage, high-current applications where battery weight and cost are considerations. The quasi-bipolar battery is constructed of alternating bipolar plates and separator sheets, each of which has a frame of hard rubber which has been injection-molded thereon. This frame forms a gas-tight seal when these sheets and plates are stacked and compressed together to form the battery. Each biplate is formed with a tube of woven lead yarn which is slipped over a non-conductive biplate during the manufacturing process and prior to the injection-molding of the rubber frame. The injection-molded rubber frames bond beyond to the edges of the biplate and the lead yarn, and thereby prevent electrolyte leakage between cells by migration along the strands of lead yarn. When the battery cell stack is assembled and compressed axially, the compliant rubber frames interface with one another to form the seal and to permit lateral heat transfer. A thermal insulator at each axial and longitudinal end of the battery cell stack prevents axial heat transfer, thereby maintaining all the battery cells at a single, preferred operating temperature that provides maximum efficiency. Venting passages are also formed within the rubber frames to discharge gas buildup, which might occur under certain conditions.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A battery, comprising:
-
two stack end plates; a battery cell stack between the two stack end plates, the battery cell stack having a repeating pattern of cell layers stacked along an axis and a terminal associated with each end of the battery cell stack, including a conductive separator sheet, a first active material, a biplate having first and second sides, a compliant sealing material on the first side of the biplate, and a compliant sealing material on the second side of the biplate, and a second active material; wherein each compliant sealing material forms a framed, middle region on the biplate, and each compliant sealing material also forms an engagement between the biplate and at least one of a separator sheet and a stack end plate, each compliant sealing material effective upon compression of the battery cell stack along the axis to form a gas-tight seal and retain gasses and active materials within boundaries associated with the engagement; and a compression mechanism that axially compresses the battery cell stack to thereby create the gas-tight seals and isolate each cell of the battery cell stack, and thereby retain the active materials of the battery cell stack in a gas-tight, sealed relationship within the battery cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
4. A battery according to claim 4, wherein:
-
the battery cell stack is composed of a plurality of quasi-bipolar cells; the biplate of each layer is electronically and ionically insulative, and further, has edges defining a width and a length of the biplate; and the repeating pattern of cell layers includes an electrically-conductive material that is placed in contact with each of the first and second sides of the biplate and is folded about at least one of the edges of the substrate sheet, the first active material being placed in contact the electrically-conductive material on the first side of the biplate and the second active material being placed in contact with the electrically-conductive material on the second side of the biplate. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
-
Specification