Sealed storage battery and modular system therefor

Details Sealed storage battery and modular system therefor Sealed storage battery and modular system therefor

1999-03-23

2001-12-04

Kalafut, Stephen (Department: 1745)

Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and

Current producing cell, elements, subcombinations and...

Plural cells

C429S099000, C429S148000, C429S176000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06326103

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sealed storage battery, especially a sealed storage battery that includes a large number of cells and is used as a high-voltage, large-capacity emergency power source, as well as to a modular-type battery system assembly for accommodating the sealed storage battery therein.
High-voltage, large-capacity storage batteries are used for the back-up power source of, for example, the telephone switchboard and the computer, and the power source for emergency lighting. With a view to simplifying the maintenance, the use of sealed lead-acid storage batteries that take advantage of the oxygen cycle, in which gaseous oxygen evolved in the course of charging is absorbed by the negative electrode, has been increasing for such applications. A number of the large-capacity storage batteries, however, have a large total weight, which results in increasing the required parts of a battery system for accommodating the batteries therein, complicating its structure, and thereby raising the manufacturing cost of the battery system.
The battery evolves heat in use. In the case where a plurality of batteries are used in the form of a battery assembly, the heat remains and hardly diffuses on the central portion. The battery located near the center is accordingly worked at a higher temperature than the batteries located outside. Namely there is a difference in working environmental temperature between the batteries located inside and outside. The temperature difference results in a difference in properties between the batteries. Such difference is accumulated when the batteries are used over a long time period. This adversely affects the reliability of the power source system. The temperature difference is further increased when a plurality of the battery assemblies are laid one upon another to constitute a high-voltage battery system assembly.
In order to dissipate the heat evolved in the battery and eliminate the adverse effect of the temperature difference, one proposed structure has ribs extending in the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the battery container to define spaces between the battery container of the adjoining battery (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. Hei 6-54192). When the plurality of batteries are arranged in the sidelong orientation, the spaces defined by the ribs of the adjoining batteries are made parallel to the outer surfaces of the battery containers. In this case, the heat evolved in the battery assembly can not be dissipated upward by the air current.
In one proposed modular system for accommodating batteries to solve the above problem, a plurality of batteries are laid one upon another in such a manner that terminals are located on the left and right sides of the modular system and each battery is inserted in a space defined by a top plate, supporting columns, and a bottom plate (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 6-89706). Since the batteries are laid one upon another, there is no empty space between the adjoining upper and lower batteries. This arrangement does not allow the heat evolved in use, especially in the course of charging, to be dissipated. When the batteries are used over a long time period, a significant difference tends to occur between the properties of the batteries included in the modular system. The power source system is generally charged with a constant voltage. A gradual increase in temperature of the battery accordingly lowers the charging voltage of the battery. This may cause release of the heat that increases the charging current and thereby result in fatal failures.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is thus to provide a sealed storage battery having a structure that enables heat evolved in a battery assembly, where a plurality of single batteries may be arranged side by side either in an upright orientation or in an sidelong orientation, to dissipate upward through the air current.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular system for accommodating batteries, which has a simple structure that ensures dissipation of heat in connection with the shape of the batteries and improves the reliability of the batteries.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a large-size modular-type battery system assembly that include a plurality of the above modular systems.
At least part of the above and the other related objects is attained by a sealed storage battery including: a stack of electrode plates, in which positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are alternately laid -one upon another via separators; a battery container that has an upper opening and receives the stack of electrode plates and an electrolyte therein; and a cover that has a positive electrode terminal, a negative electrode terminal, and a safety valve and seals the upper opening of the battery container, wherein the battery container has a plurality of first ribs that are formed on a specific pair of opposite outer surfaces of the battery container in such a manner as to extend in a longitudinal direction, be arranged via a predetermined first space, and have concaves formed at regular intervals.
The present invention is also directed to a first modular system for accommodating batteries. The first modular system includes: a top plate and a bottom plate that respectively have a plurality of beams spanned and fixed over a longitudinal axis thereof; left and right side plates that respectively join left ends and right ends of the top plate and the bottom plate; a supporting column arranged at least on a rear side of the top plate and the bottom plate; and a plurality of single batteries arranged side by side between the top plate and the bottom plate to locate covers of the batteries with terminals on a front side of the top plate and the bottom plate. Each of the single batteries has a plurality of ribs that are formed on a specific pair of opposite outer surfaces in such a manner as to extend in a longitudinal direction of the single battery, that is, from the front side to the rear side of the top plate and the bottom plate, and have concaves formed at regular intervals. The plurality of ribs formed on each outer surface of each single battery are in contact and joined with the plurality of ribs formed on a matching outer surface of an adjoining single battery. The joint surfaces of the adjacent single batteries form connection grooves that are defined by the concaves of the ribs and extend perpendicularly to the top plate and the bottom plate.
In the first modular system, it is preferable that both the top plate and the bottom plate have the beams fixed on an inner surface thereof and a large number of openings to ensure the air current.
It is also preferable that both the top plate and the bottom plate have a suspended piece that is obtained by bending the rear side of each plate inward to be in contact with the beam located on the rear side, and the suspended piece is brought into contact with a bottom of each single battery to position the battery in the longitudinal direction.
In accordance with another preferable application of the first modular system, both the top plate and the bottom plate have a projected end piece that is obtained by bending the front side of each plate inward, and the projected end pieces have apertures that receive fixtures therein to secure end portions of the adjoining batteries.
In accordance with still another preferable application of the first modular system, both the left and right side plates have notches at positions corresponding to the beams and folded pieces on upper and lower positions thereof to be in contact with the top plate and the bottom plate, and the top plate and the bottom plate are joined with each other via supporting columns fitted in the notches.
The present invention is further directed to a second modular system for accommodating batteries. The second modular system includes: a top plate and a bottom plate that respectively have a plu

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