Recombinant lead-acid cell and long life battery

• US 6,667,130 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C&D Technologies Incorporated (Angel Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: C&D Technologies Incorporated (Angel Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Wagner, Franz, Misra, Sudhan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wills, Monique
• Application Number:
  US10/164,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20020155346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 429/225, 429/228, 429/153, 429/154, 429/155, 429/157, 429/159, 429/163, 429/123, 429/96, 429/100, 429/131
• US Class Current: 429/225
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/20 with direct contact, e.g. using "mirror"
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7802 Positioning the parts to be joined, e.g. aligning, indexing or centring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53461 joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72521 comprising corrugated cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7254 honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7146 Battery-cases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/12 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/16 Suspending or supporting electrodes or groups of electrodes in the case
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/342 Gastight lead accumulators H01M10/121 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 : arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 : with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 : with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 : Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/73 : for lead-acid accumulators, e.g. frame plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 : prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/169 : by welding, brazing or soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 : adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/253 : adapted for specific cells, e.g. electrochemical cells operating at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/466 : U-shaped, bag-shaped or folded
• 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 lead-acid cell includes a case, positive and negative plates within the case, microporous separator material between adjacent plates and electrolyte in a starved amount, with the case having jar and covers joined by a weldment along overlapping cover and jars. The positive plates include a grid frame with an intermediate member extending between spaced apart generally peripheral portions of the frame, with pasted active material on the grid frame separated substantially into two portions by the intermediate member. Compressive force is adjustably continuously applied to the positive and negative plates within the case. The plates are suspended within the case at positions removed from the wall of the case, while plate growth is permitted in a manner that plate shorting is avoided.

Claims

1. A recombinant lead-acid cell, comprising:

a. a case;

b. positive and negative lead metal plates within said case;

c. microporous glass mat separator material being wrapped about respectively longitudinally extending edges of said plates.

2. A recombinant lead-acid cell, comprising:

a. a case;

b. positive and negative lead metal plates within said case, said plates each having an elongated body with spaced-apart first and second longitudinal edges, wherein said first longitudinal edges of said plates generally face in a first direction, said second longitudinal edges of said plates generally face in a second direction different from said first direction;

c. microporous separator material between said respective positive and negative plates;

i. respective positive and negative plates being wrapped in individual sheets of microporous separator material;

ii. said sheets being wrapped about respective said first edges of said positive plates and about respective said second edges of said negative plates.

3. The cell of claim 2 wherein said first and second edges of said positive and negative plates are substantially parallel.

4. A recombinant lead-acid cell, comprising:

a. a case;

b. positive and negative lead metal plates within said case, each said plate having an elongated body with spaced-apart first and second longitudinal edges and opposing first and second faces extending between said longitudinal edges, wherein said first longitudinal edges of said plates generally face in a first direction, said second longitudinal edges of said plates generally face in a second direction different from said first direction; and

c. at least one sheet of microporous separator material wrapped about at least one of said positive plates and about at least one of said negative plates, wherein said wrapped positive plates are each wrapped with said sheet about said first longitudinal edge and along both said first and second faces, said second longitudinal edge not being covered by said sheet, and wherein said wrapped negative plates are each wrapped with said sheet about said second longitudinal edge and along both said first and second faces, said first longitudinal edge not being covered by said sheet.

5. The cell of claim 4 wherein said first and second edges are substantially parallel.

6. The cell of claim 4, wherein said microporous separator material is glass mat separator material.

7. The cell of claim 4, wherein said sheet extends from both said first and second faces of each said wrapped positive plate beyond respective said second longitudinal edge thereof.

8. The cell of claim 7, wherein said sheet extends from both said first and second faces of each said wrapped negative plate beyond respective said first longitudinal edge thereof.

9. The cell of claim 4, wherein said sheet extends from both said first and second faces of each said wrapped negative plate beyond respective said first longitudinal edge thereof.