Safety vent for storage battery or cell

• US 6,159,630 A
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renata AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Renata AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Wyser, Paul Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US09/275,884
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 429/57, 429/59, 429/163, 429/175, 429/176, 429/181, 429/185, 429/82, 429/53, 429/62, 429/65, 429/129, 429/130
• US Class Current: 429/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/12 Vents or other means allowing expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/176 for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/342 Non-re-sealable arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/375 Vent means sensitive to or responsive to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/10 with wound or folded electrodes

Abstract

Safety vent for a battery, sensitive to an abnormal rise in temperature, closed by a cover (4), separated from the active materials by an insulating element (21) and carrying two contact terminals (7, 8) electrically connected to the electrodes via connection means (5, 6), wherein at least one of the contact terminals (7, 8) is formed at least partially by a rigid metal rod (30), mounted with an annular clearance (18) in a tube (11) of which one portion (11a) of smaller diameter passes through the insulating element (21) and the cover (4), and of which a portion (11b) of larger diameter rests on the inner face (21a) of the insulating element (21), the other end (13) thereof being crimped over the outer face (4b) of the cover (4) and in that the clearance (18) formed between the tube (11) and the rod (30) is sealed by a thermofusible composition (14).

Claims

1. A safety vent, sensitive to a predetermined temperature, for a battery including a metal container within which are arranged active materials forming respectively an anode and a cathode, said container being sealed at its upper portion by a hermetically sealed cover that is separated from the active materials by an insulating element and carries two contact terminals electrically connected to the anode and the cathode via connection means, said safety vent comprising at least one of the contact terminals formed at least partially by a rigid metal rod and mounted with an annular clearance in a tube, of which one portion of smaller diameter passes through the insulating element and the cover, of which a portion of larger diameter rests against an inner face of the insulating element, and an outer end of which is crimped onto the outer face of the cover, the clearance formed between the tube and the rod being sealed by a solid thermofusible composition having a melting point at said predetermined temperature.

2. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the tube forms a sleeve whose shoulder forms a flange resting on the inner face of the insulating element and wherein the rod is extended inside the battery beyond the insulating element to form a connection means without any intermediate contact with the electrodes.

3. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the rod does not extend beyond the insulating element, wherein the portion of the tube of greater diameter extends inside the battery to form a connection means with the electrodes, and wherein the thermofusible composition is electrically conductive.

4. A vent according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the rod or the tube extends inside the battery to form the connection means, and the extended portion is flattened or squashed.

5. A vent according to claim 1, wherein an insulating washer is arranged on the external face of the cover to act as support for the crimped end of the sleeve.

6. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the cover is further provided with an annular recess which is open in the direction of the insulating element to accommodate a gasket compressed by crimping between the cover, the insulating element and the portion of the tube of smaller diameter.

7. A vent according to claim 6, wherein an insulating washer is arranged on the external face of the cover to act as support for the crimped end of the sleeve, and wherein the insulating washer and the gasket form a single part.

8. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the insulating element is rigid and forms the upper flange of a spool having a lower flange joined to said upper flange by three necks defining two openings therebetween, and supporting a non circular spiral winding including the anode and the cathode.

9. A vent according to claim 8, wherein the metal rods or the tubes of two of said safety vent terminals form connection means that pass through the spool and are housed in the openings arranged between the necks.

10. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the thermofusible composition is a eutectic alloy of metals and has a melting point between 100°

C. and 150°

C.

11. A battery provided with the safety vent, sensitive to the predetermined temperature, according to claim 1.

12. A prismatic battery provided with the safety vent, sensitive to the predetermined temperature, according to claim 1.

13. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the thermofusible composition is electrically conductive and forms an electric bridge between the tube and the rod.

14. A vent according to claim 1, wherein the thermofusible composition is a eutectic alloy of metals, and the metals are selected from among tin, bismuth, lead, cadmium and indium.