Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Current producing cell – elements – subcombinations and... – Cell enclosure structure – e.g. – housing – casing – container,...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-12
2001-02-06
Chaney, Carol (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Current producing cell, elements, subcombinations and...
Cell enclosure structure, e.g., housing, casing, container,...
C429S178000, C429S180000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183905
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to conducting terminals attached to the container of an electrolytic device, and in particular to a battery terminal seal.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known in the art of manufacturing electrochemical cells that one of the critical issues is the construction and maintenance of a hermetic seal between the conducting terminals and the cover of the container. A related problem is to electrically insulate terminals of opposite polarity, in order to prevent short-circuits which would impede proper functioning of the electrolytic process in the cell. In the case of a container having a metallic supporting surface, at least one of the polarity terminals must be hermetically sealed and electrically insulated from the container, and the container itself may be used as the second polarity terminal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,015 to Hooke et al. and assigned to “Hawker Energy Products, Inc.”, discloses a method of making a battery terminal seal. A moulded plastic nut having an internal thread to mate the external thread of the battery terminal fastens the terminal trough an orifice in the lid of the battery. The gap between the top surface of the terminal and the orifice provided in the lid is filled with a curable gasketing material. While the gasketing material is still uncured, the nut is rotated to compress the gasketing material so as to fill any gap between the terminal and the lid. However, the solution disclosed in the Hooke et al. patent is rather labourious because the radial and axial spread of the gasketing material while in an uncured state has to be restricted to the combination of the terminal, the fastener, and the top surface of the terminal. In addition, two sealing parts, i.e. the gasket and an O-ring, need to be compressed against the inner lid to prevent the spread of the electrolyte. The uncured gasketing material provides no compression force. After the material is cured, leakage prevention depends on the bonding properties of the material.
Canadian Patent No. 1,067,958 to Ching et al. assigned to “The Gates Rubber Company”, discloses a sealed through-the-partition connector comprising a terminal with an enlarged and tapered bottom portion for mating with a deformable lead shroud, and for cooperating with an inverted frustroconical ramp portion defined in the connector seat. The seat should have some degree of resiliency to bias the deformable lead shroud in a mutually pressure exerting relation. If the connector seat lacks sufficient resiliency, it may creep under constant loading and to break the seal. While Ching et al. is concerned with sealing a battery terminal, it is not concerned with electrical isolation between the container and the conductive terminals.
Canadian Patent No. 298,379 to Swenson, discloses a lead nut with a tapered wall which is threaded upon a battery terminal to cause compression around the terminal. A central opening is defined in the cavity of a boss formed in the top wall of the container for receiving the external portion of the battery terminal. Two sealing parts, a rubber gasket and a rubber washer, are used for sealing the central opening when the nut is threaded downwardly on the terminal. This construction does not allow to use a metallic container, because the conductive terminals are not electrically isolated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple conductive terminal which can be used with both conductive and nonconductive supporting containers, while providing a good sealing for preventing electrolyte leakage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive battery terminal seal for reliably attaching conducting terminals to the supporting lid of a storage battery, which alleviates totally or in part the drawbacks of the prior art constructions.
Another object of this invention is to provide a battery terminal seal using a single-piece gasket to seal and to electrically isolate the conducting terminals.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive while robust sealed battery terminal.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a terminal assembly for a container of an electrolytic device is provided. A container lid includes a boss with a central opening. An insulation gasket has a base with a central orifice surrounded by a cylindrical neck extending at a right angle from one side of the base and a rim extends at a right angle from the opposite side of the base. The cylindrical neck has an internally defined outwardly tapered zone which ends with a circular margin. The diameter of the circular margin is sized to snap fit in the opening of the boss. A connector has a seating section larger than the opening in the lid, a threaded section perpendicularly extending from one face of the seating section and a head extending from the opposite face of the seating section. The threaded section is designed to be received into the cylindrical neck of the gasket. A lock nut includes a flange and a tapered sleeve extending at a right angle from said flange. The tapered sleeve has a threaded central bore with a leading edge. The leading edge of the tapered sleeve has an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the circular margin of the gasket. The threaded bore of the lock nut is adapted to receive the threaded section of the connector for advancing the tapered sleeve inside the cylindrical neck of the gasket for generating radial and axial compression forces on the cylindrical neck. The cylindrical neck is deformed and wrapped around the opening of the boss, such that it becomes interposed between the tapered sleeve of the lock nut and the seating section of the connector. A tight seal between said lid said connector and said lock nut is provided, while the connector is secured to the container.
In another embodiment of the invention, a method of mounting a terminal on a container of an electrolytic device is provided. A connector, a deformable insulating gasket and a lock nut are provided. The connector has a seat and a threaded post extending from said seat. The lock nut includes a flange and a tapered sleeve having a threaded central bore adapted to receive the threaded post of the connector. The insulating gasket has a base with a central orifice surrounded by a cylindrical neck extending from one side of the base. The gasket is inserted in an opening provided in a lid of the container such that the cylindrical neck protrudes through the opening of the lid and snaps fit. The connector is then inserted through the central orifice of the gasket such that said threaded post is received inside the cylindrical neck and protrudes through said opening of said lid. As the lock nut is threaded onto the post of the connector the tapered sleeve of the lock nut advances inside the cylindrical neck of the gasket for generating radial and axial compression forces on the cylindrical neck. The cylindrical neck is deformed and forced to wrap around the opening in the lid and to become interposed between the tapered sleeve of the lock nut and the seat of the connector. A tight seal between the lid, the connector and the lock nut is provided.
The battery terminal seal according to the invention is simple, yet it provides reliable insulation and sealing, because it generates both axial and radial compression forces on the container lid. No precision tooling or machinery is required. The assembly of the terminals may be performed manually.
Another advantage of the present invention is the versatility of the battery terminal which can be used with both conductive and non-conductive supporting surface battery containers. In addition, the terminals provide a very good sealing against leakage and this makes them suitable for use with an electrolytic device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4317870 (1982-03-01), Oellerich
patent: 5472802 (1995-12-01), Holland et al.
patent: 5663015 (1997-09-01), Hooke et al.
patent: 298379 (1929-01-01), None
patent: 1067958 (1979-12-01), None
Bloom Leonard
Chaney Carol
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