2003results about "Vent arrangements" patented technology

A secondary battery comprising an electrode assembly having a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator between the positive and negative electrodes is provided. The secondary battery further comprises a case for containing the electrode assembly, and a cap assembly connected to the case. The cap assembly comprises positive and negative terminals electrically connected to the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, respectively. Lead connectors are electrically connected to the positive and negative electrode plates and the positive and negative terminals. A support is connected to each end of the electrode assembly and surrounds the lead connectors. The supports are adapted to fit between the electrode assembly and the case.

A cordless power tool has a housing which includes a mechanism to couple with a removable battery pack. The battery pack includes one or more battery cells as well as a vent system in the battery pack housing which enables fluid to move through the housing. A mechanism is associated with the battery pack to dissipate heat from the battery pack.

The case 20 housing a plurality of cells 100 is divided, by a circuit board 30 provided at the same sides of the cells 100, into a housing space 50 housing the cells 100 and an exhaust duct 60 for releasing a gas from the vents 8a of the cells 100 to outside the case 20. The vents 8a of the cells 100 communicate with the exhaust duct 60 through openings 30a formed in the flat plate 30. The exhaust duct 60 is divided into a first space 61 and a second space 62 by a partition 40 provided between the flat plate 30 and an external plate 21 of the case 20. The first space 61 communicates with the second space 62 through holes 40a formed in the partition 40.

The invention is a method for increasing the airflow to a zinc-air battery such that the energy density is 500 mwh/cc to 1000 mwh/cc. This allows 8 to 16 hours use as a primary (throw-away) battery, with, for example, high-duty cycle, high-drain cochlear implants, and neuromuscular stimulators for nerves, muscles, and both nerves and muscles together. The systems incorporating the high energy density source are also part of the invention, as well as the resulting apparatus of the method. The uses of this inexpensive, i.e., a $1.00 per day, throw-away primary battery are new uses of the modified zinc-air battery and are directed toward helping people hear again, walk again, and regain body functionality which they have otherwise lost permanently.

The invention relates to an article comprising: a) one or more stacks of battery plates comprising one or more bipolar plates; b) located between each plate is a separator and a liquid electrolyte; further comprising one of more of the features: 1) c) the one or more stacks of battery plates having a plurality of channels passing transversely though the portion of the plates having the cathode and/or the anode deposited thereon; and d) i) one or more seals about the periphery of the channels which prevent the leakage of the liquid electrolyte into the channels, and/or posts located in one or more of the channels having on each end an overlapping portion that covers the channel and sealing surface on the outside of the monopolar plates adjacent to the holes for the transverse channels and applies pressure on the sealing surface of the monopolar plates wherein the pressure is sufficient to withstand pressures created during assembly and operation of electrochemical cells created by the stacks of battery plates; 2) c) a membrane comprising a thermoplastic polymer is disposed about the entire periphery of the edges of the stack of plates; 3) wherein the separator is in the form of a sheet having adhered to its periphery a frame; and 4) c) an integrated valve and integrated channel communicating with the valve.

Disclosed herein are a pack case constructed in a structure in which a plurality of battery cells are mounted in the pack case to electrically connect the battery cells with each other, wherein the pack case includes an upper case and a lower case constructed in a hollow structure in which the upper case and the lower case are coupled with each other while the battery cells are mounted between the upper case and the lower case, each case is integrally provided at the inner part thereof with a plurality of spacers for supporting the battery cells, and each case is provided at the outer part thereof with a plurality of ventilation openings which communicate with the interior of each case, and a battery pack including the pack case. The pack case according to the present invention has effects in that a plurality of battery cells are stably mounted in the pack case in a compact structure through a simple assembly process, heat generated from the battery cells is effectively removed during the charge and discharge of the battery cells, and an additional safety unit, such as a detection member and/or a protection circuit module, is easily mounted to the pack case.

An outer case (10, 20, 35, 40) for housing a rechargeable battery (1, 31, 41) and a battery circuit therein is composed of an upper case (7, 21, 42) and a lower case (8, 22, 43), each being formed as a half-shell body. The respective bottom faces of the upper case (7, 21, 42) and the lower case (8, 22, 43) are formed of film members (7b, 8b, 32, 34, 42b, 43b), and are integrally formed with resin moldings (7a, 8a, 33, 42c, 43c) forming circumferential side faces.

Disclosed herein is a cylindrical secondary battery including a cap assembly constructed in a structure in which a vent, which intercepts electric current and discharges pressurized gas when the interior pressure of the battery is increased due to abnormal operation of the battery, is in contact with a top cap having a protruding central part, wherein the end of the vent is bent to surround the outer circumferential surface of the top cap, and a groove for preventing the leakage of an electrolyte and preventing the occurrence of defectiveness of the battery during the assembly of the battery is formed at interfaces between the vent and the top cap such that the groove is arranged in parallel with the outer circumferential surface of the top cap. The secondary battery according to the present invention has the effect of accomplishing high charging and discharging rate, providing uniform output even when external physical impacts, such as vibration or dropping, are applied to the secondary battery, and preventing the occurrence of defectiveness during the assembly of the secondary battery. Furthermore, the leakage of the electrolyte out of the battery is restrained under these conditions. Consequently, the secondary battery according to the present invention can be preferably used as a high-output power source.

The present invention relates to a pouch type case having trimming portions formed on both sides or four corners thereof and a battery pack including the same. The trimming portions are formed on the corners of the pouch type case such that the trimming portions are indented toward an electrode assembly accommodating part to reduce a unit area so as to increase pressure applied to unit cells when a battery pack is assembled, thereby facilitating assembling of the battery pack and increasing cell capacity per unit area. Furthermore, the unit cells can be fixed in the battery pack more stably. The pouch type case reduces the unit area so as to include a relatively large number of cells for pressure applied to the cells when the battery pack is assembled to thereby increase the cell capacity.

Mechanically and thermally improved rechargeable batteries, modules and fluid-cooled battery pack systems. The battery is prismatic in shape with an optimized thickness to width to height aspect ratio which provides the battery with balanced optimal properties when compared with prismatic batteries lacking this optimized aspect ratio. The optimized thickness, width and height allow for maximum capacity and power output, while eliminating deleterious side affects. The battery case design allows for unidirectional expansion which is readily compensated for by applying external mechanical compression counter to that direction. In the module, the batteries are bound within a module bundling/compression means under external mechanical compression which is optimized to balance outward pressure due to expansion and provide additional inward compression to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby increasing overall battery power. The fluid-cooled battery pack includes; 1) a battery-pack case having coolant inlet and outlet; 2) battery modules within the case such that the battery module is spaced from the case walls and from other battery modules to form coolant flow channels along at least one surface of the bundled batteries; and 3) at least one coolant transport means. The width of the coolant flow channels allows for maximum heat transfer. Finally the batteries, modules and packs can also include means for providing variable thermal insulation to at least that portion of the rechargeable battery system which is most directly exposed to said ambient thermal condition, so as to maintain the temperature of the rechargeable battery system within the desired operating range thereof under variable ambient conditions.

The present application provides for various embodiments of energy storage devices and various methods of utilizing the same.

A package case is structured by a plurality of substantially identical and flat frames stacked on one another. Flat laminate cells (accumulator cells) are individually accommodated in the frames and stacked on one another, so that the number of flat laminate cells (accumulator cells) can readily be changed simply by increasing/decreasing the number of frames to be stacked to meet energy needs and the like. The accumulator device is segmented using the plurality of flat frames, so that externally applied impacts can readily be dispersed and the impact transmitted to the flat laminate cells (accumulator cells) can be reduced without reinforcing the accumulator device 1 with more than necessary strength.

A battery pack includes a plurality of batteries (2) and a plurality of holding frames (3) each of which is capable of accommodating and holding a corresponding one of the batteries (2) with spaces (10a, 10b) provided therein and which are opened on both side faces opposed to each other to form openings. When the holding frames (3) respectively accommodating and holding the batteries (2) are arranged with their openings aligned; end plates (4a, 4b) are arranged at both ends of the holding frames (3); and the end plates (4a, 4b) and the holding frames (3) are jointed as a unit so as to form an outer case (5) that forms a cooling space (6) surrounding each battery (2), a gas-discharge passage portion (18) is provided in each holding frame (3), which seals and covers a space surrounding a gas-discharge port (8) provided in the battery (2) and has connection ports (19a, 19b) opened on both side faces of the holding frame (3).

The battery module comprises a plurality of cells encased in prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls coupled together as one piece. Each of the cells accommodates therein a group of electrode plates and liquid electrolyte, wherein collector plates are connected respectively to the groups of positive and negative electrode plates at opposite lateral edges thereof. Connection holes are formed at upper edge portions of the short lateral walls of the cell cases, and the collector plates are formed with connection bosses that fit into the connection holes, so that the connection bosses of the collector plates in neighboring cells are abutted each other and welded together, whereby two adjacent cells are connected to each other.

The present invention relates to a bipolar battery, especially a NiMH battery, having: a sealed housing, a negative end terminal, a positive end terminal, and at least one biplate assembly comprising a biplate, a positive and a negative electrode. A separator is arranged between each negative and positive electrode forming a battery cell, said separator includes an electrolyte. An inner barrier of a hydrophobic material is arranged around at least one electrode, whereby said inner barrier prevents an electrolyte path from one cell to another cell, and a frame is present to provide predetermined cell spacing between each biplate and/or biplate and end terminal. The frame is attached in such a way to each biplate to permit ambient gas to pass between adjacent cells, thereby creating a common gas space for all cells in the battery. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a bipolar battery.

A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a pressure-sensitive elastic element reliably operating at a desired operating pressure. The battery includes an outer can having an opening; an electrode assembly which is housed in the outer can and comprises a positive electrode having a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode having a negative electrode current collector; a sealing plate sealing the opening; an external electrode terminal whose one end is engaged with the throughhole of the sealing plate and whose other end projects outside the sealing plate; and a pressure-sensitive elastic element which is disposed inside the sealing plate in the battery and deforms in accordance with an increase in the gas pressure in the battery, the external electrode terminal. The external electrode terminal includes therein a hole connecting the outside of the battery and the space in contact with the outer side of pressure-sensitive elastic element.

The present invention discloses a rechargeable battery that has an improved mounting structure for an electrode terminal and a second protective device used therein. This improved structure improves the function of the rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery comprises an electrode assembly that has first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator for insulating the electrode plates from each other, all of which are wound together. It also includes a can that contains the electrode assembly therein, a cap assembly that has a cap plate for sealing a top opening of the can, an electrode terminal that is insulated and inserted into a terminal through-hole formed on the cap plate, and a terminal groove formed on the top of the terminal through-hole with a shape corresponding to that of the head of the electrode terminal so that the head of the electrode terminal can be housed therein. The rechargeable battery of the present invention also includes a protective device groove spaced at a predetermined distance from the terminal groove and a second protective device housed in the protective device groove with one end connected to the top surface of the electrode terminal.

A battery pack structure includes a battery including a plurality of stacked battery cells, a battery casing accommodating the battery, and a restraint band generating a fastening force in a direction of stacking of the battery cells to hold integrally the plurality of battery cells. The restraint band is fixed to the battery casing. This structure provides the battery pack structure that fixes the battery to the casing body while suppressing increase in number of parts.

The invention provides a battery pack and a battery-equipped device in which, even if a battery experiences an abnormal event to cause thermal runaway, and generates heat, temperature increase in the battery pack and batteries except for the battery which experienced the abnormal event can be prevented. For this purpose, a heat absorbing member 4 is arranged in space inside a battery pack 1 between a casing 2 and batteries 3. Even if one of the batteries 3 experiences thermal runaway, the heat absorbing member 4 absorbs heat generated by the battery 3, thereby preventing the thermal runaway from occurring in the other batteries 3.

A thin battery includes a flat battery body having a positive electrode and a negative electrode having an electrolyte layer disposed between the electrodes. A flexible encapsulating bag seals the battery body with a sealing portion. A positive electrode collector tab and a negative electrode collector tab are respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes. The tabs penetrate the encapsulating bag. At least one of the tabs includes first and second collector tabs and a safety device so that an electrical connection between the first and second collector tabs may be interrupted when the internal pressure of the encapsulating bag exceeds a predetermined value.

A rechargeable electrochemical cell is provided having a pressure-responsive apparatus for determining a charge termination point. In particular, a reversible pressure-responsive switch may be disposed in a cap at the open end of a rechargeable metal hydride cell. The reversible pressure-responsive switch may also contain a vent system for releasing the cell internal pressure. Alternatively, a rechargeable cell may include a strain gauge disposed in its outer surface whose resistance changes as the outer surface of the battery expands due to internal pressure accumulation during charging. Additionally, a rechargeable cell is used combination with a charging source that can supply constant voltage, constant current, alternating current, or voltage that varies between a minimum threshold and a maximum threshold.

A rechargeable battery includes: an electrode assembly including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; a case containing the electrode assembly; and a cap assembly coupled to the case. The cap assembly includes a cap plate and a short circuit member attached to the cap plate. The short circuit member includes a portion having a different thickness from another portion of the short circuit member.

A battery module includes a plurality of batteries stacked together; a plate between adjacent ones of the batteries, the plate comprising a plate body; and a connecting tab extending from an edge of the plate body; and a first connection member extending along the batteries, wherein the first connection member has a coupling portion through which the connecting tab extends.

The construction of an electrically conductive terminal of a lead-acid battery seals a terminal post from the acid in the battery box interior by an collar that is mounted on the exterior of the terminal and that sandwiches a seal between the collar and a plate strap of the battery in the interior of the battery box. The collar is sealed to the battery casing.