GB2136193A

GB2136193A - Closed cylindrical storage battery

Info

Publication number: GB2136193A
Application number: GB08305921A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chun-Tsai Yeh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-03
Filing date: 1983-03-03
Publication date: 1984-09-12
Also published as: GB8305921D0; GB2136193B

Abstract

A closed cylindrical lead acid storage battery comprises in combination: a cylindrical positive grid (1) having an end terminal (10) extending out of the top plate thereof; a cylindrical negative grid (2) with a larger internal diameter covered around the positive grid (1) through a cylindrical separator (3) interposed therebetween; and a hollow cylindrical casing body (5) having a top cover (4) and a bottom cover (6) respectively secured at both ends holding the positive and the negative grid structure (1, 2) therein with the positive end terminal (10) thereof protruding from the top cover (4). After the required electrolyte is filled therein and the cylindrical casing body (5) sealed up thereat, a novel structure of cylindrical storage battery with increased reactive area between the positive and negative grids (1, 2) is accomplished accordingly. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Closed cylindrical storage battery This invention relates to a lead-acid storage battery, and more particularly, to a closed cylindrical storage battery characterized by the increased reactive area between the cylindrical positive and negative grids and by the miniaturization of the structure thereof.

Conventionally, the lead-acid storage battery used at present is usually constructed in such a way that the plates are of a flat type and opposingly arranged in the battery case without any separator disposed therebetween.

Shown in Fig. 1 (A,B) is a prior art cylindrical storage battery of a lead-acid type recently developed by Japanese Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. The structure of this cylindrical storage battery includes an enclosed outer casing made of synthetic resin with two terminal openings formed in the top cover, a pair of halfround cylindrical plates (one positive and one negative) opposingly disposed in the outer casing with the flat surfaces thereof facing to each other and the terminals of the plates respectively extending out of the openings of the top cover thereof, and a flat separator disposed between the opposing surfaces of the two plates.

In this known cylindrical lead-acid storage battery, although the half-round plates are full of pores or formed with pleats, the reactive area of the lead-acid oxidation and reduction produced between the plates is still restricted by the giometric conformation of the flat surfaces thereof because of the plane structure of the plates. As a result, in order to obtain a storage battery with a larger capacity, the build of the storage battery has to be increased or additional number of plates to be provided, so that, not only the manufacturing cost is high, but also the miniaturization of the normal storage battery is out of the question.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a closed cylindrical storage battery with a round plates structure made in cylindrical grid type by being superimposed one around the other so as to increase the reactive area within the battery as well as to facilitate the miniaturization of the battery structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closed cylindrical storage battery with an interposed cylindrical grid structure so as to simplify the construction and reduce the manufacturing cost as well as the weight of the storage battery.

According to the present invention, these and other objects are achieved by providing a closed cylindrical storage battery, which comprises a cylindrical positive grid having an end terminal formed at the top plate thereof, a cylindrical negative grid with a larger internal diameter covered around the positive grid through a cylindrical separator interposed therebetween, and a hollow cylindrical casing body having a top cover and a bottom cover respectively secured at both ends for serving as a cell tank thereof and for holding the positive and the negative grid structure therein with the positive end terminal projecting from the top cover. After the electrolyte is filled in the cell tank defined by the outer casing, and the top cover and bottom cover are sealed up at both ends, a novel structure of a cylindrical storage battery is accomplished accordingly.

Other advantages and salient features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of this inventioii, in which: Figure 1A is a longitudinal sectional view of a known cylindrical storage battery; Figure 1 B is an exploded and perspective view of the plates structure shown in Fig. 1 A; Figure 2 is an exploded and perspective view of a round plates structure in a cylindrical storage battery embodying this invention; Figure 3 is an exploded and perspective view of an outer casing body of a cylindrical storage battery for housing the round plates structure shown in Fig. 2 according to a preferred embodiment of this invention; and Figure 4 is-a three-dimensional#view of an assembled cylindrical storage battery according to the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 2 and Fig.

3.

Referring to Fig. 2, a preferred embodiment of a closed cylindrical storage battery according to this invention comprises a cylindrical positive grid 1 combined by a multiplicity of semi-circlets annularly arranged along a plurality of supporting columns forming a cylindrical shape thereat with a top plate and an end terminal 10 projecting outward in the middle integrally provided at the top end. The cylindrical positive grid 1 can be made of Pb or Pb-Cd alloy, or the alloys of Pb Ag, Pb-Ag-Sn, Pb-Ag-Cu-Bi, etc. in porous structure and being filled with active materials such a litharge. In the active material some adequate additives, such as foaming silicone or silica gel, are added for improving the high-rate discharging characteristic of the storage battery.A cylindrical negative grid 2, of which the structure is the same as that of the positive grid 1 except that the internal diameter is larger than the external diameter of the positive grid 1 and both ends are open, is fitted over the periphery of the positive grid 1 through a cylindrical separator 3 interposed between the two grids 1 and 2. The negative grid 2 can be made of the material known in the prior art of the lead-acid storage battery while the cylindrical separator 3 is made of glass fiber cloth or polypropylene fabric so as to prevent the active material on the positive grid 1 from shedding thereat as well as to keep the electrolyte thereof in stable condition.

Shown in Fig. 3 is an outer casing body of the embodiment of Fig. 2. This outer casing body, which holds the round plate structure of Fig. 2 within the body, and serves as a cell tank therewith, comprises a hollow cylindrical casing 5 made of lead material, a top cover 4 made of plastics substance, and a bottom cover 6 made of copper or nickle material for serving as the negative terminal thereof. The top cover 4 has an opening 41 formed in the middle correponding to the end terminal 10 (shown in Fig. 2) of the positive grid 1, and a safety valve 42 integrally provided at a proper place of the top surface for permitting escape of locai-action gas or gas generated in the charging process.After the cylindrical grids structure as shown in Fig. 2 are arranged in the hollow section of the cylindrical casing 5 with the end terminal 10 of the positive grid 1 protruding out of the opening 41 of the top cover 4 secured at the top end thereof, and the bottom cover 6 attached to the bottom end of the casing 5, electrolyte is filled in and the cylindrical outer casing body is sealed up for preventing the casing 5 from oxidation.

The complete set of the preferred embodiment of the closed cylindrical storage battery according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 4. It will be appreciated that the bottom cover 6 attached to the bottom end of the cylindrical casing 5 only makes contact with the negative grid 2 so that the negative terminal of this embodiment is provided by the bottom cover 6 thereat so as to simplify the structure and facilitate the miniaturization of the storage battery.

While a preferred embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A closed cylindrical storage battery characterized by: a round-plate structure having positive and negative arrangement made thereof; and a hollow cylindrical outer casing body, holding said round-plate structure in the hollow section with respect to said positive and negative arrangement thereof and sealed up at both ends, whereby, the reactive area of said round-plate structure is effectively increased for facilitating the miniaturization of the storage battery therewith. 2. A closed cylindrical storage battery as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said round-plate structure is characterized by: a cylindrical positive grid having an end terminal integrally formed at one end; a cylindrical separator interposed around the periphery of said cylindrical positive grid; and a cylindrical negative grid with a larger internal diameter and both open ends being fitted around said positive grid through said cylindrical separator interposed therebetween so as to form a round-plate structure for being held within said cylindrical outer casing body. 3. A closed cylindrical storage battery as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said cylindrical battery as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said cylindrical positive grid and said cylindrical negative grid are characterized in a structure respectively combined by a multiplicity of semi-circlets annularly arranged along a plurality of supporting columns forming a cylindrical shape thereat, and an end terminal provided at one end of said cylindrical positive grid. 4. A closed cylindrical storage battery as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said cylindrical outer casing body is characterized by: a hollow cylindrical casing made of metal material for housing said round-plate structure therein and serving as a cell tank thereof; a top cover made of plastics having an opening in the middle corresponding to said end terminal of said cylindrical positive grid, and a safety valve integrally provided thereto for permitting escape of gas thereof being secured at the top open end of said cylindrical casing with said end terminal protruding out of said opening; and a bottom cover made of metal material being fixed at the bottom open end of said cylindrical casing by making contact only with said cylindrical negative grid for serving as the negative terminal thereof, so that, after the electrolyte is filled therein, said cylindrical outer casing body is sealed up as a complete set of a storage battery. 5. A closed cylindrical storage battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig.'s 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings. Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect:~ (b) New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:~ CLAIMS

1. A storage battery comprising a cylindrical casing sealingly enclosing a positive electrode arrangement and a negative electrode arrangement, wherein one of said electrode arrangements is arranged at least substantially to surround the other of said electrode arrangements, there being provided an insulating separator member between said electrode arrangements, wherein the construction of said electrode arrangements is reticulate to enhance the reactive area thereof.

2. A battery as claimed in claim 1 wherein the negative electrode arrangement is arranged at least substantially to surround the positive electrode arrangement.

3. A battery as claimed in claim 2 wherein the positive electrode arrangement has an end terminal integrally formed at one end thereof, the separator member being at least partially cylindrical and surrounding the positive electrode arrangement.

4. A battery as claimed in claim 3 wherein the positive electrode arrangement comprises two semi-cylindrical electrodes each surrounded by one of two of said separator members.

5. A battery as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the electrode arrangements are in the form of grids having an arcuate or hollow tubular configuration.

6. A battery as claimed in any one of claims 3, 4 and 5, wherein the positive and negative electrode arrangements include a plurality of arcuate grid portions annularly arranged along a plurality of supporting columns so as to form a cylindrical shape, and said end terminal provided at one end of the positive electrode grid.

7. A battery as claimed in claim 5 wherein there is provided a hollow cylindrical metallic casing for housing the electrode arrangements therein and serving as a cell tank therefor; a top cover made of plastics material and having an opening in a central area thereof corresponding to said end terminal of the positive grid, and a safety valve integrally provided for permitting escape of gas therefrom being secured at the top open end of said cylindrical casing with said end terminal protruding out of said opening; and a bottom plate made of metal being fixed at the bottom end of said cylindrical casing and making contact only with the negative grid, for serving as the negative terminal thereof, so that, after the electrolyte is filled therein, said cylindrical outer casing body is sealed up as a complete unit of a storage battery.

8. A storage battery substantially as hereinbefore described with saference to and shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.