Electrochemical cell

• US 5,786,108 A
• Filed: 10/29/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varta Automotive Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Varta Batterie AG (Michael Tojner, PhD, LLD)
• Inventors: Niggemann, Eberhard, Sprengel, Dietrich, Heydecke, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANEY, CAROL DIANE
• Application Number:
  US08/741,340
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 429/178, 429/179, 429/180, 429/183, 429/211, 429/238, 429/239
• US Class Current: 429/178
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/176 for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/529 Intercell connections through partitions, e.g. in a battery casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/567 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A prismatic electrochemical cell includes electrode plate blocks in which the stacked positive and negative electrode plates are separated by separators and are connected by current conductors to the corresponding terminal posts by crimping current conductors in the form of wires to collar-shaped portions of the terminal posts.

Claims

1. An electrochemical cell comprising a terminal post, and a plurality of electrode plates having current conductors connected with the terminal post, wherein the current conductors are wires, wherein the terminal post includes a collar for receiving the current conductors, and wherein the current conductors are connected to the collar of the terminal post by a crimping.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the current conductors are connected to the electrode plates by a weld, and wherein the current conductors are flattened along a region connecting the current conductors and the electrode plates.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the terminal post includes an additional collar receiving the collar which receives the current conductors.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 3 wherein the plurality of electrode plates include positive plates and negative plates, and wherein the terminal post is a connector extending through an intermediate wall of a multi-cell container, for receiving the current conductors of the positive plates on a first side of the wall and for receiving the current conductors of the negative plates on a second, opposite side of the wall.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the crimped connection of the collar of the terminal post defines a geometric shape.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 which further includes a nonconducting twist shield engaging the terminal post.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the cell is enclosed by a cell lid, and wherein the non-conducting twist shield is positioned below the cell lid, in frictional engagement with the crimped connection of the terminal post.

8. A process for producing an electrochemical cell including a terminal post and a plurality of electrode plates including positive plates and negative plates, comprising the steps of:

providing the positive plates and the negative plates with wire current conductors;

alternatingly stacking the positive plates and the negative plates so that the current conductors of plates of same polarity lie on the same side of the stack of plates, while inserting separators between the plates during the stacking;

bunching the current conductors of the plates of same polarity together;

inserting the bunched current conductors into a collar of the terminal post; and

crimping the collar over the inserted current conductors, electrically connecting the current conductors and the terminal post.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the cell is enclosed with a cell lid, and which further includes the step of pushing the cell lid onto the terminal post.

10. The process of claim 8 which further includes the step of securing the terminal post by engaging the collar with a form-fitting twist shield.

11. The process of claim 8 which further includes the step of attaching the terminal post to the cell lid by a nut.

12. The process of claim 8 which further includes the step of attaching the terminal post to the cell lid by a rivet connection.

13. The process of claim 8 which further includes the step of shaping the current conductors to a substantially uniform length before the inserting step.