Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Current producing cell – elements – subcombinations and... – Plural cells
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-29
2001-10-30
Brouillette, Gabrielle (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Current producing cell, elements, subcombinations and...
Plural cells
C429S148000, C429S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309776
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage battery such as a nickel-hydrogen storage battery, a lithium-ion storage battery, a nickel-cadmium storage battery, a lead storage battery or the like, and more particularly to an assembled storage battery unit of the collective type composed of a plurality of storage batteries integrally assembled as a unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, development of a high performance storage battery has been required by rapid popularization of portable equipment. Under the circumstances, a sealed type alkaline storage battery superior in charge-discharge characteristics, reliability and ease of maintenance has been used as an electric power source for various kinds of portable equipment. In the sealed type storage battery, oxygen gas generated from the positive electrode in the occurrence of overcharge is absorbed by reaction with the negative electrode for maintaining the battery casing in a sealed condition. The reaction heat caused by absorption of the oxygen gas results in rise of the battery temperature. The rise of the battery temperature does not cause any problem in a small size cylindrical or parallelepiped storage battery of less than 2 Ah currently used.
However, development of a storage battery of large capacity for use in electric automotive vehicles is required in recent years. Such a storage battery of large capacity is provided in the form of an assembled storage battery unit of the collective type composed of a plurality of alkaline storage batteries integrally assembled as a unit. In the storage battery unit of the collective type, sufficient radiation of heat from the batteries is deteriorated due to an increase of the amount of heat generated at charging, and the discharge capacity of the battery unit is therefore decreased, because of the rise in battery temperature caused by accumulation of the now-dissipated heat. In addition, the charge-discharge characteristics of storage batteries located at the opposite sides and central portion of the battery unit become irregular due to a difference in temperature.
In Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 7-235326, there has been proposed an assembled alkaline storage battery unit of the sealed type wherein ventilation spaces are formed among a plurality of storage batteries located adjacent to one another. In the alkaline storage battery unit, each battery casing made of synthetic resin is formed at tis outer surface with a plurality of equally spaced parallel vertical ribs which are retained in contact with the corresponding parallel vertical ribs formed on an adjacent battery casing to form the ventilation spaces. The ventilation spaces are useful to exhaust the heat generated in the battery unit to the exterior therethrough for cooling the storage batteries respectively. This is effective to prevent the occurrence of a difference in temperature among the storage batteries located at the opposite sides and central portion of the battery unit thereby to make more uniform the charge-discharge characteristics of the storage batteries.
In the sealed type alkaline storage battery unit described above, the vertical ribs located at the opposite sides of each storage battery are formed at their upper portions with a projection and a recess respectively and at their lower portions with a recess and a projection respectively. When the storage batteries are assembled as a unit, the projection and recess of the ribs are coupled with the corresponding recess and projection formed on the ribs of the adjacent storage battery for positioning the storage batteries in place. However, engagement of the storage batteries at their ribs positioned in place does not serve to enhance the mechanical strength of the assembled storage battery unit. For this reason, reinforcement members are used for assembly of the storage batteries to enhance the mechanical strength of the assembled storage battery unit. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the storage battery unit is increased, and the assembly process of the storage batteries becomes complicated. In the case that the assembled storage battery unit is used in an electric automotive vehicle, connecting members for connecting the terminals of the storage batteries to one another are disconnected from the terminals if the assembled cells are displaced due to vibration of the vehicle. In addition, it is difficult to effect removal of gas at the recesses in the ribs during molding of the battery casings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an assembled storage battery unit of the collective type in which the battery casings can be molded in a simple manner to enhance the mechanical strength of the battery unit.
According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by providing an assembled storage battery unit of the collective type composed of a plurality of storage batteries assembled as a unit, the storage batteries each including positive and negative electrodes layered through a separator and contained in a bottomed battery casing storing therein an amount of electrolyte and a closure plate welded to an upper opening end of the battery casing to seal the interior of the battery casing, wherein the battery casings each are integrally formed with a plurality of vertical ribs spaced in parallel at one side wall thereof faced to the corresponding side wall of the battery casing adjacent thereto, and wherein the vertical ribs of each of the battery casings are coupled with the corresponding vertical ribs of the battery casing adjacent thereto to form a plurality of vertical ventilation spaces.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembled storage battery unit of the collective type composed of a plurality of storage batteries assembled as a unit, the storage batteries each including positive and negative electrodes layered through a separator and contained in a bottomed battery casing storing therein an amount of electrolyte and a closure plate welded to an upper opening end of the battery casing to seal the interior of the battery casing, wherein the battery casings each are integrally formed with plural pairs of vertical ribs spaced in parallel at one side wall thereof faced to the corresponding side wall of the battery casing adjacent thereto, and wherein the vertical ribs of each of the battery casing are coupled in pairs within vertical spaces formed between the vertical ribs of the battery casing corresponding thereto to form a plurality of vertical ventilation spaces.
REFERENCES:
patent: 502824 (1893-08-01), Morse
patent: 2385127 (1945-09-01), Carlile
patent: 3745048 (1973-07-01), Dinkler et al.
patent: 5322745 (1994-06-01), Yanagihara et al.
patent: 5663007 (1997-09-01), Ikoma et al.
patent: 5695891 (1997-12-01), Misra et al.
patent: 6033800 (2000-03-01), Ichiyanagi et al.
patent: 03291867 A (1991-12-01), None
patent: 07235326 A (1995-09-01), None
Ikezoe Michinori
Oda Takashi
Okajima Hideki
Brouillette Gabrielle
Dove Tracy
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Assembled storage battery unit of the collective type does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Assembled storage battery unit of the collective type, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Assembled storage battery unit of the collective type will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2583813