GB2158634A - Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve - Google Patents

Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2158634A
GB2158634A GB08510374A GB8510374A GB2158634A GB 2158634 A GB2158634 A GB 2158634A GB 08510374 A GB08510374 A GB 08510374A GB 8510374 A GB8510374 A GB 8510374A GB 2158634 A GB2158634 A GB 2158634A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
valve
battery
hollow body
vent
valve member
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08510374A
Other versions
GB8510374D0 (en
GB2158634B (en
Inventor
Peter Edward Langston
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ZF International UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Lucas Industries Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB848411868A external-priority patent/GB8411868D0/en
Application filed by Lucas Industries Ltd filed Critical Lucas Industries Ltd
Priority to GB08510374A priority Critical patent/GB2158634B/en
Publication of GB8510374D0 publication Critical patent/GB8510374D0/en
Publication of GB2158634A publication Critical patent/GB2158634A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2158634B publication Critical patent/GB2158634B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/30—Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
    • H01M50/308—Detachable arrangements, e.g. detachable vent plugs or plug systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/30—Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
    • H01M50/383—Flame arresting or ignition-preventing means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/30—Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
    • H01M50/394—Gas-pervious parts or elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/30—Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
    • H01M50/317—Re-sealable arrangements
    • H01M50/325—Re-sealable arrangements comprising deformable valve members, e.g. elastic or flexible valve members
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A vent valve of simple and reliable construction is mounted in a sleeve 1 defining a vent passage in a field electric storage battery. The valve comprises a hollow body 10 which is a friction fit in the sleeve 1 and which has a transverse wall provided with a valve opening 12. A one-piece valve component 14 is disposed in the body 10 and comprises a dished valve member portion 15, a circular end wall portion 16, equi-angularly spaced webs 17, and an upper annular mounting flange 18. The webs 17 serve to urge the valve member 15 into sealing contact with the transverse wall 11 around the opening 12. The mounting flange 18 is held in position by a plastics retainer cap 26 acting thereon through a flame retardant, gas permeable disc 25. The retainer cap 26 is provided with vents 29 therein to allow escape of gas when valve member portion 15 is urged by internal gas pressure away from end wall 11. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve This invention relates to sealed electric storage batteries and particularly, but not exclusively, to recombinant-type batteries operating on an oxygen-cycle.
The use of non-return vent valves in sealed electric storage batteries is known. It is desirable for such valves to operate reliably at pressures of about 3 p.s.i. (20.7 KPa) and to be made of electrolyte resistant material.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable non-return vent valve in a sealed electric storage battery.
According to the present invention, there is provided a sealed electric storage battery having a container for one or more cells, a vent passage in the container, and vent valve for controlling gas flow through the vent passage, wherein said vent valve comprises (1) a hollow body having a transverse wall disposed within said vent passage and a surface portion which is sealingly engaged with a wall of the vent passage, (2) a valve opening in said transverse wall, said valve opening communicating with the vent passage, (3) a movable valve member disposed in said hollow body, (4) resilient means in said hollow body urging said valve member into engagement with said transverse wall of the hollow body so as to seal said valve opening, said valve member and said resilient means being defined by a single moulding of an electrolyte-resistant elastromeric material, and (5) at least one outlet in the hollow body providing communication between the interior of the latter and ambient atmosphere.
Preferably, the moulding further includes a mounting flange disposed at an opposite end of the resilient means to the valve member.
The mounting flange is preferably engaged against an internal shoulder in the hollow body.
Conveniently, the hollow body includes a snap-fit retaining cap serving to retain the mounting flange in abutment with the interal shoulder, said cap being provided with said at least one outlet therein.
Preferably, a gas-permeable disk is disposed between the mounting flange and the cap to act as a flame retardant.
Preferably also, the valve member is of dished form. The rim of the dished valve member preferably engages a planar surface of the transverse wall around the valve opening.
Conveniently, the hollow body is a friction fit within the vent passage.
The use of plastics materials in all of the components of the vent valve of the present invention is preferred as this confers resistance to the corrosive electrolytes found in electric storage batteries.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a cross-sectional view through part of a sealed electric storage battery according to the present invention.
The sealed electric storage battery in this embodiment is of the so-called recombinant type operating on an oxygen cycle. Such batteries are well known in the art and will be be described herein in any detail except to state that they have cells mounted in a container (or battery box). Such batteries are sealed but fitted with a vent valve to release excess internal pressure which may build up as a result of excessive gassing caused by overcharging of the battery. Referring now to the drawing, the battery is only partly illustrated therein and has a vent valve which is mounted in a vent passage leading from the cells to the outside of the battery. The vent valve closes the vent passage which is defined by a sleeve 1 formed integrally with and depending from an internal surface of a lid 2 forming part of the battery container.The vent valve comprises a generally cylindrical hollow, polypropylene valve body 10 having, relative to flow through the valve, an upstream transverse end wall 11 with a valve opening 12 in its central portion. A plurality of annular grooves 13 are provided in an outer peripheral surface of the valve body 10. The body 10 is sealingly engaged with the internal surface of the sleeve 1 and is a frictionfit therein. An acid-resistant elastomeric moulded valve component 14 is formed, in this embodiment, of polychloroprene (eg neoprene) and is disposed within the body 10. The valve component 14 includes a dished valve member portion 15 joined to the underside of a circular end wall portion 16 having a series of (in this embodiment three) equiangularly spaced webs 17 extending upwardly therefrom.The upper ends of the webs 17 are joined to an upper, annular mounting flange 18 extending outwardly of the webs 17 and wall portion 16. The valve member 15 is situated above the vent 12 in the end wall 11. The three webs 17 have their long axes parallel to the axis of the valve body and are a close fit within the body 10. The mounting flange 18 engages a lower annular step 19 of a stepped region in the wall of the valve body 10. The stepped region includes an upper annular step 21 and an annular groove 22 is provided in the wall of the body adjacent the upper, open end thereof. The annular groove 22 serves to receive a corresponding annular ridge 23 on a snapon valve cap assembly 24. The valve cap assembly 24 comprises a flame retardant gas permeable disk 25 made of synthetic plastics material, and a plastics retainer cap 26 provided with four vents 29 therethrough.The cap 25 is provided with a depending sleeve 27b whose lower end abuts agains the upper step 21 in the body when the ridge 23 which is provided on the sleeve 27 is engaged in the groove 22. An annular recess 28 is provided in the outer surface of the battery lid 2 around the vent passage 1 to accommodate the retainer cap 26 which is of larger diameter than the valve body 10. When the valve is in position, the retaining cap 26 is flush with the outer surface of the battery lid 2. The disc 25 which is disposed within the sleeve 27 engages against the upper surface of the mounting flange 18.
In use, the webs 17 are held in compression by the valve cap assembly 22 and act as resilient means urging the valve member 15 into sealing engagement with the planar surface of the end wall 11 around the valve opening 12. When the force exerted on the valve member 15 due to the internal pressure in the battery box greater than the force exerted upon it by the compressed webs 17, the compressed webs 17 distort and the valve member moves away from the vent opening 12, thus allowing the built up gases to escape through the vent valve. Escape of gases occurs through the spaces between the webs 17 and thence through the flame retardant disk 25 and out of the battery via the vents 27. When the pressure within the battery box has dropped such that the force exerted on the valve member 15 is less than the force exerted by the webs 17, the valve member 15 is urged back into its sealing position around the vent opening 12, thus preventing either further loss of gas or the influx of atmospheric air. In this embodiment the valve is constructed so that it opens when the pressure within the battery box is greater than 6.90 - 20.70 KPa and closes when the pressure is less than 3.45 KPa.

Claims (10)

1. A sealed electric storage battery having a container for one or more cell, a vent passage in the container, and vent valve for controlling gas flow through the vent passage wherein said vent valve comprises (1) a hollow body having a transverse wall diposed within said vent passage and a surface portion which is sealingly engaged with a wall of the vent passage, (2) a valve opening in said transverse wall, said valve opening communicating with the vent passage, (3) a movable valve member disposed in said hollow body, (4) resilient means in said hollow body urging said valve member into engagement with said transverse wall of the hollow body so as to seal said valve opening, said valve member and said resilient means being defined by a single moulding of an electrolyte-resistant elastomeric material, and (5) at least one outlet in the hollow body providing communication between the interior of the latter and ambient atmosphere.
2. A battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moulding further includes a mounting flange disposed at an opposite end of the resilient means to the valve member.
3. A battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting flange is engaged against an internal shoulder in the hollow body.
4. A battery as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hollow body includes a snap-fit retaining cap serving to retain the mounting flange in abutment with the internal shoulder, said cap being provided with said at least one outlet therein.
5. A battery as claimed in claim 4, wherein a gas- permeable disk is disposed between the mounting flange and the cap to act as a flame retardant
6. A battery as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the valve member is of dished form.
7. A battery as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rim of the dished valve member engages a planar surface of the transverse wall around the valve opening.
8. A battery as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hollow body is a friction fit within the vent passage.
9. A sealed electric storage battery including a vent valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
10. A vent valve as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9 for controlling gas flow through a vent passage in a sealed electric storage battery.
GB08510374A 1984-05-09 1985-04-24 Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve Expired GB2158634B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08510374A GB2158634B (en) 1984-05-09 1985-04-24 Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB848411868A GB8411868D0 (en) 1984-05-09 1984-05-09 Sealed electric storage battery
GB08510374A GB2158634B (en) 1984-05-09 1985-04-24 Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8510374D0 GB8510374D0 (en) 1985-05-30
GB2158634A true GB2158634A (en) 1985-11-13
GB2158634B GB2158634B (en) 1987-08-05

Family

ID=26287717

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08510374A Expired GB2158634B (en) 1984-05-09 1985-04-24 Sealed electric storage battery with a vent valve

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2158634B (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0226876A1 (en) * 1985-12-23 1987-07-01 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Sealed lead storage battery
EP0601491A1 (en) * 1992-12-11 1994-06-15 Busak + Shamban GmbH &amp; Co. Closure means and sealing valve for container openings
EP0627775A1 (en) * 1993-05-27 1994-12-07 Globe-Union Inc. Vent cap with electrolyte drain and explosion attenuation capabilities
EP0756338A1 (en) * 1995-07-27 1997-01-29 HAGEN Batterie AG Plug assembly for closing individual openings of the cells of an accumulator
FR2766014A1 (en) * 1997-07-10 1999-01-15 Ind Accumulatori Spa Soc LEAD ACID ACCUMULATOR, AND CLOSING AND FILTRATION ELEMENTS FOR SUCH AN ACCUMULATOR
WO2021263122A1 (en) * 2020-06-26 2021-12-30 Cps Technology Holdings Llc Integrated valve plug and battery including the same
EP4199222A1 (en) * 2021-12-17 2023-06-21 EnerSys Delaware Inc. Battery and safety arrangement

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107394086B (en) * 2017-06-07 2023-12-01 惠州市沃瑞科技有限公司 Explosion-proof balance valve applied to battery cell module

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB676181A (en) * 1949-11-04 1952-07-23 Gen Motors Corp Improved vent cap for storage batteries
GB1238179A (en) * 1967-09-21 1971-07-07
GB1488751A (en) * 1974-03-21 1977-10-12 Accumulateurs Fixes Battery of electrochemical cells
GB2085218A (en) * 1980-09-25 1982-04-21 Chloride Group Ltd Vent for electric storage battery
GB2085217A (en) * 1980-09-25 1982-04-21 Chloride Group Ltd Vent for electric storage battery
GB2086646A (en) * 1980-09-25 1982-05-12 Chloride Group Ltd Vent valves for batteries

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB676181A (en) * 1949-11-04 1952-07-23 Gen Motors Corp Improved vent cap for storage batteries
GB1238179A (en) * 1967-09-21 1971-07-07
GB1488751A (en) * 1974-03-21 1977-10-12 Accumulateurs Fixes Battery of electrochemical cells
GB2085218A (en) * 1980-09-25 1982-04-21 Chloride Group Ltd Vent for electric storage battery
GB2085217A (en) * 1980-09-25 1982-04-21 Chloride Group Ltd Vent for electric storage battery
GB2086646A (en) * 1980-09-25 1982-05-12 Chloride Group Ltd Vent valves for batteries

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0226876A1 (en) * 1985-12-23 1987-07-01 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Sealed lead storage battery
EP0601491A1 (en) * 1992-12-11 1994-06-15 Busak + Shamban GmbH &amp; Co. Closure means and sealing valve for container openings
US5388615A (en) * 1992-12-11 1995-02-14 Busak & Luyken Gmbh & Co. Sealing means and sealing valve for container openings
EP0627775A1 (en) * 1993-05-27 1994-12-07 Globe-Union Inc. Vent cap with electrolyte drain and explosion attenuation capabilities
EP0756338A1 (en) * 1995-07-27 1997-01-29 HAGEN Batterie AG Plug assembly for closing individual openings of the cells of an accumulator
FR2766014A1 (en) * 1997-07-10 1999-01-15 Ind Accumulatori Spa Soc LEAD ACID ACCUMULATOR, AND CLOSING AND FILTRATION ELEMENTS FOR SUCH AN ACCUMULATOR
WO2021263122A1 (en) * 2020-06-26 2021-12-30 Cps Technology Holdings Llc Integrated valve plug and battery including the same
EP4199222A1 (en) * 2021-12-17 2023-06-21 EnerSys Delaware Inc. Battery and safety arrangement

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8510374D0 (en) 1985-05-30
GB2158634B (en) 1987-08-05

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19980424