GB810549A - Improvements in or relating to primary and secondary electric cells and batteries - Google Patents

Abstract

810,549. Batteries. YARDNEY INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION. April 12, 1955 [April 9, 1954; July 6, 1954], No. 10553/55. Class 53. A primary or secondary cell is activated by breaking the common partitioning wall between two separate compartments formed within a substantially fluid-tight chamber, the first compartment containing the cell electrodes and the other containing the electrolyte, the electrode compartment being at a lower pressure. Fig. 1 shows a silver-zinc cell having a fluid-tight casing 10 arranged to accommodate within it an electrolyte container 21, the cell electrodes being located at the lower part of the casing. The container 21 has a centrally positioned hollowed rod 36 having its upper end held in the closure member 38. The rod top end is made fluid tight by a foil 40. When the rod 36 is hit by a cam 41 or by any other striking means, the weakened bottom part 34 of the container 21 is broken away. Simultaneously, the foil 40 is ruptured so that the electrolyte is under atmospheric pressure and thus discharged into the compartment containing the electrodes. The electrode compartment should be maintained at a sub-atmospheric pressure by exhausting, during assembly, the air through a passage 44 arranged as in Fig. 3 (not shown). In Fig. 4, the electrolyte container 52 has an aperture 68 closed by a diaphragm 69 which is capable of being ruptured when a hollow rod 74 is urged downwardly. The rod 74 is slidably mounted in a guide 40 having at its lower end a diaphragm 76 also capable of being ruptured by the rod 74.