KR20020042525A - Low profile six-volt lead-acid battery with front terminals - Google Patents

Abstract

A 6 volt battery having a 1 × 3 cell configuration with a front cell, an intermediate cell, and a rear cell is disclosed, with battery terminals disposed along the front of the battery proximate the front cell. The cell elements are electrically connected between the front cell and the intermediate cell and the rear cells. The projection of the front cell coupled to the intermediate cell is connected to the terminal bushing. The projection of the rear cell, which is not coupled to the intermediate cell, is electrically similarly connected through a conventional strap and post arrangement, while the post is connected to the second front cell terminal through the connection bar. The connection bar engages the second front battery bushing and the rear battery post terminated at the second front battery terminal.

Description

Low profile six-volt lead-acid battery with front terminals}

Lead-acid batteries have been used in a wide variety of applications. For example, such cells and batteries have been used for what have been referred to as "stop" battery applications, where lead-acid batteries provide standby power when power is interrupted. As an example of this type of application, such a stationary battery is typically maintained in full charge and ready for use by float maintenance charging at a predetermined constant voltage. By way of example, such a stationary battery can be used for communications, utility products, and the like.

In many applications, the space allocated to batteries is limited, but there is a need for batteries with increased electrical capacity. For example, in some stationary applications, the battery is placed on a rack. Using a battery with an upper terminal requires more battery space, since a gap must be provided on top of the battery so that the installer can access from above the battery to make a proper electrical connection. Using a shelf that slides out can reduce some of the required clearance, but adds additional cost for the required rack structure.

Moreover, as is known, current lead-acid battery designs place a limit on the height of the grid used. Thus, in general and, as is known, the height of the grid that can be used is determined by the requirements involved in the sealing of the lid to the battery container (typically heat sealing) and the requirements in providing a suitable internal electrical connection. Limited.

Accordingly, there is a need for lead-acid batteries having terminals positioned to be accessible from the front of a battery rack or the like. Moreover, there is a need for lead-acid batteries, ie low profile batteries, which have improved electrical performance without the need for undesirably high batteries. However, such a battery must be able to be assembled to provide a reliable battery without the need for excessive modification of equipment or the assembly process of commonly used lead-acid batteries.

The present invention relates to a 6 volt lead acid battery, and more particularly to a low profile 6 volt lead acid battery having a front terminal.

1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a 6 volt battery according to the present disclosure.

2 is a plan view of a container used in the battery of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 as a whole.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 as a whole.

5 is a plan view of an intermediate cover used in the battery of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the intermediate cover taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and showing one of the front cell terminals.

FIG. 7 is another cross-sectional view of the intermediate cover taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 showing the rear connection bushing and another front cell terminal.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the middle lid of FIG. 5 and shows the positioning of each of the alignment guides for the reception of a 6 volt battery as well as a 12 volt battery.

9 is a plan view of the last cover of the battery as shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the last lid of FIG. 9; FIG.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial view of the post and rear connection bushing of FIG. 12. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a top assembly view of the container of FIG. 1 showing the battery element, internal cell welds, and connections, and an intermediate cover. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly generally taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12 and showing internal cell connections.

FIG. 14 is an end view of the assembly of FIG. 12 taken along lines 14-14 in FIG. 12 as a whole.

FIG. 15 is a connection arm of the first embodiment for the 6 volt battery of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting part taken along line 16-16 in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the connecting part taken along the line 17-17 in FIG. 15. FIG.

18 is an assembly view of a battery assembly illustrating another embodiment of a connection bar and connecting the connection bar to an internal component.

FIG. 19 is an assembly view of a battery assembly showing the third embodiment of a connection bar and connecting the connection bar to the internal components. FIG.

20 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the post and connection bars of FIG. 18 and FIG. 19.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a battery that can be effectively used when placed in a battery rack without the use of sliding shelf shelves and excessive clearance above the battery.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a low profile battery with improved electrical performance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a low profile, front terminal battery that can be manufactured using existing lead-acid battery assembly techniques.

Other objects and advantages of the invention can be understood from the following description of the invention.

The present invention has a low profile, having both positive and negative terminals disposed along the front of the battery, i.e. both terminals are disposed along the front cell so that the connection can be easily made to the terminal when the battery is placed on the shelf. To provide a 6 volt battery. The battery container is divided into three cells arranged in 1x3 with front, middle and rear cells by partition walls, each having alternating positive and negative plates separated by separators. The projections of the positive electrode plate and the projections of the negative electrode plate are electrically connected by the positive electrode and the negative electrode strap, respectively, and the straps of the adjacent cells are electrically connected by conventional means such as a partition weld or the like.

According to the invention, the elements of the front cell are electrically coupled to the front terminal via the front cell terminal bushing along the front of the battery, while the elements of the rear cell are in front of the battery, ie by means of a connector bar. And electrically connected to the front cell. The connection bar then couples the post to the front cell terminal bushing representing the terminal along the front of the battery. The connection to the post may be direct, or alternatively, the strap bushing may be welded to the post and the connection bar coupled to the strap bushing.

The terminals are along the front wall, along the top of the battery substantially close to the front wall, along the sides of the battery substantially close to the front wall, or as dual terminals substantially close to the front wall, ie the side or front terminals. It can be arranged as a combination of the upper terminals having a. In this way, the user can easily access the terminals even when the battery is placed on a shelf which the user cannot reach in between.

Moreover, the battery can be easily constructed according to methods known in the art. The present invention provides a high quality durable battery that can be manufactured economically and effectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lead-acid battery 10 includes a container 12 having a side wall 14, a front wall 16, and a rear wall 18. The composite cover, shown generally at 20, is a middle cover attached to container 21 or otherwise attached to container 12 as shown in reference numeral 22 as a whole, and a final cover 24 sealed to intermediate cover 22. It is provided. The battery 10 has, according to a preferred embodiment, a flame arrestor as indicated at 26 and positive and negative terminals 28, 30.

Containers 12 are transverse bulkheads that divide a container into a 1 × 3 cell configuration having a front cell 38, an intermediate cell 40, and a rear cell 42, as shown in FIGS. 34). The terminal cells are thus defined by the inner surface of the sidewall 14 (see FIG. 4), the front and rear walls 16, 18, and the surface of the transverse bulkhead 34. Although a 6 volt battery configuration is shown, the size of the cell can vary as required to meet the space and electrical performance requirements of a particular application.

As an optional feature, a structure may be provided in which the battery can be lifted, whether by hand or by other means. As shown in FIG. 3, the container 12 is provided with holes 46 located on the front wall 16 and the rear wall 18 to accommodate a rope or other handle (not shown).

The illustrated embodiment uses a cover with two parts 20, namely an intermediate cover 22 and a cover with a final cover 24. As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the intermediate cover 22 is configured complementary to the container 12 such that the use of conventional heating sealing equipment can seal the intermediate cover and container components together. In the preferred embodiment shown, the intermediate cover can likewise be used as a 12 volt battery configuration with a 2x3 cell arrangement as opposed to the 1x3 cell arrangement shown in FIGS. Thus, the intermediate cover 22 has a base structure shown generally at 50 as divided by an intermediate cover central partition 52 (see FIG. 8) configured to align with an intermediate partition of a 12 volt container (not shown). .

Access to the front cell 38 is provided by the charging hole 54, while the charging holes 56 and 58 provide access to the intermediate cell 40 and the rear cell 42, respectively.

Optionally and preferably, the intermediate cover 22 is arranged in a 12 volt battery, preferably with a guide pin 70 (positioned close to both the location of the central bulkhead and both of the intermediate cover wall 68) in order to facilitate assembly. 8) similarly. Any desired configuration of the guide pin can be used.

Moreover, the preferred embodiment of the intermediate lid 22 is designed to provide a common head space for the cells 38, 40, 42 and also to enable pressure testing to ensure that adequate sealing has been provided. As can be seen from FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, a common head space is provided through the filling holes 54, 56, 58 and the upright structure 78.

As long as the battery is operated under pressure, the intermediate lid 22 may also have a valve 76 as can be seen in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8. In operation, valve 76 operates to release pressure when a given pressure is exceeded in battery 20.

9-10 show a preferred embodiment of the final cover 24. The lid portion has a final lid base 82 that is complementarily shaped to fit over the intermediate lid 22. The final lid 24 thus has a front sealing surface 84, a rear cell sealing surface 86 and a side surface 88, all of which are complementarily sized relative to the intermediate lid 22. . The final cover 24 likewise has a structure that is suitably shaped and positioned with respect to the structure 789 of the intermediate cover 22 and the filling holes 54, 56, 58 to enable a common head space. Appropriate venting to such a common head space can be achieved through venting techniques known in the art. The flame breaker 26 may likewise be provided in the final cover 24.

Returning to the middle cover 22 and now referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the battery is shown having the middle cover 22 and the cell components in place. Each of the three cells 38, 40, 42 has a series of alternating positive electrode plates (not shown) and negative electrode plates, with separators 102 positioned therebetween, as known in the art. It has a battery element with 100 (the battery element is only schematically shown in FIG. 12 to exclude excessive lines). As shown in FIG. 13, the negative electrode plate 100 has upwardly extending protrusions 104 electrically connected together in each cell by the negative electrode straps 106 and 108. The positive electrode plates of each cell are provided with the projections 110 electrically connected together in each cell by the positive electrode straps 112 and 114. The positive electrode and the negative electrode straps 112 and 108 of the adjacent battery may be electrically connected by a conventional internal battery connection. 12 and 13, internal cell welds 116 may be provided with the conventional tombstone 118 of adjacent cells 38, 40, 40, 42 positive and negative electrode straps 112, 108. Connect via).

The specific shape and number of plates and their individual sizes can be varied as needed for a particular application. Moreover, the present invention can be used whether the lead-acid cell is a floated electrolyte type or a sealed type (ie VRLA or valve controlled lead-acid). Suitable grids and alloys are known and can be used, as are suitable separate materials.

The intermediate cover 22 also has a structure that houses the terminals 28 and 30 and allows for proper electrical connection to such terminals. As most clearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 12, a negative terminal bushing 120 having an opening 122 is provided. The negative strap 76 of the front cell 38 is connected to the straight post 124, which is provided in the opening 122 to indicate the terminal 30 for connection. Bushing 120 and post 124 are joined by any suitable method known in the art, such as by welding, to provide electrical connection to negative terminal 30. In order to facilitate the formation of the battery 12, the bushing 120 further includes a forming adapter 126, with which a lead (not shown) can be coupled during formation.

1 × 3 cell arrangements, as shown in the drawing, typically have a first polarity terminal at one end of the container proximate one cell and a second polarity at the opposite end of the container proximate the cell disposed at the opposite end. Those skilled in the art will understand that making a terminal of This is due to the structural arrangement, whereby the strap 106 of one polarity (in this case the negative strap) is placed close to one end of the battery 10 proximate the front cell, while the strap of opposite polarity ( 114 (positive strap in this case) is disposed at the opposite end of battery 10 proximate rear cell 42.

However, according to the invention, both the positive and negative terminals can be arranged along the same end of the battery 10 in close proximity to a single cell, in this case the front cell 38. In this way, when placed on top of a battery rack or the like, the positive and negative terminals 28, 30 can be easily accessed as needed for maintenance. To enable both terminals 28, 30 to be placed close to a single cell, in this case close to the front cell 38, the strap 106 of the front cell 38 is the front cell 38 of the battery. Is connected to the terminal 30, while a connection or metallic bar 130 is provided to electrically connect the strap 114 proximate the rear cell 42 to the terminal 28 substantially proximate the front cell 38. Connect with The individual arrangement of the terminals 20, 30 is characterized by the negative cell strap 106 of the front cell 38 being directly connected to the front cell negative terminal 30 and the front cell positive terminal 28 by means of the connection bar 130. As will be described with respect to the positive electrode strap 114 of the rear cell 42 coupled to the front cell, the front positive electrode strap is connected directly to the front cell terminal and the rear cell negative strap is connected to the front of the battery by an elongated connection bar. The arrangement can be reversed to engage.

To achieve this goal, the positive strap 114 of the rear cell 42 has a sun post 132 that is similarly straight to the negative post 124 of the front cell 38. Posts 132 are received in openings 134 or connection bushings in anode strap bushings 136 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13. As the negative terminal bushing 120, the positive strap bushing 136 has a forming adapter 138 to which a lead (not shown) can be coupled during formation of the battery. However, compared to the negative terminal bushing 120, the positive strap bushing 136 does not have a positive terminal 28. To represent the positive terminal 28 for connection, the positive terminal bushing 140 is likewise provided along the front cell 38. The positive terminal bushing 140 has a positive terminal 28 shown in front of the battery 12.

In order to couple the anode strap bushing 136 to the anode terminal bushing 140, the bushings 136, 140 are provided with straight line coupling structures 138, 142 in the form of hollow posts, respectively. The connection bar 130 has openings 144 and 146 at either end, which can receive posts 138 and 142 that electrically connect the positive strap bushing 136 to the positive terminal bushing 140. Connection bar 130 may be coupled to posts 138 and 142 in a conventional manner, such as by welding. In this way, the rear cell 42 is connected directly to the front terminal 28 so that the positive and negative terminals 28, 30 can be accessed from the front of the battery. As a result, when such a battery 12 is stored in a rack (not shown), the terminals 28 and 30 can be easily accessed without the need for the shelf of the rack to move even if the shelf is approached and spaced apart.

It will be appreciated that the straight line coupling structure 138 of the positive electrode strap bushing 136 can likewise be used during formation of the battery 12, as a forming adapter, or for placement of the leads of the battery 12. Coupling structure 138 of lead strap bushing 136 for attachment and formation of cathode terminal bushing 120 The use of adapter 126 may require the manufacturer to assemble prior to assembly of connection bar 130 and welding it in place. acid) is put into the cells 38, 40 and 42 so that the battery 12 can be cleaned.

The connection bar 130 is preferably formed of copper to provide minimal resistance. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the elongated copper rod 150 is at least partially embedded in the lead 152 and offset from the attachment point or openings 144, 146 at either end. ). It will be appreciated that the battery 12 can be formed and cleaned as described above prior to assembling the connection bar 130 to the battery, thereby minimizing the opportunity for interaction between the acid and the copper of the bar 130. Furthermore, in order to protect the bar 130, the final cover 80 may be heat sealed to the intermediate cover 28, or the intermediate cover (not shown) may be provided with the bar 13. 22) may be heated to cover the compartment within.

It will be appreciated that the connection bar 130 may alternatively be laid and / or coupled between the strap 114 of the rear cell 42 and the terminal 28 of the front cell 38. By way of example only, as shown in FIG. 18, the connection bar 160 may be straight rather than stepped. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 18, as well as the embodiment shown in FIG. 19 having a stepped bar 170 directly connected to the positive terminal bushing, the bar 160 is directly connected to the positive strap post 168. Can be connected. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the bushing 172 is molded into the intermediate cover 174 as shown in FIG. 20. Proper welding or the like is then made to electrically connect the post 168 to the bushing 172 and the bushing 172 to the connection bars 160, 170. Alternatively, the connection bar can be molded into the intermediate cover itself.

It should be understood that the specific shape of the terminal itself may vary as needed for the service requirements of the particular application. Internally threaded configurations, as shown, are often employed in stationary applications, where several batteries need to be electrically connected together. Moreover, the illustrated embodiment has a front terminal located proximate to the front wall 16 of the battery, whereas the upper terminal can alternatively be provided alone or as a dual terminal with the front terminal shown. This should be understood. Indeed, if desired, the terminals may be located as side terminals proximate to the front of the side wall 14, either alone or in a dual terminal configuration. In any case, the terminals employed are located at least close to the front wall 16 to allow easy access in service.

It will likewise be appreciated that the connector bar arrangement can equally be applied to any arrangement of cells having an odd number of cell rows extending rearward from the front wall of the battery. For example, the connection bars can be used in 3 × 3 or 3 × 5 arrangements.

Moreover, the manner and structure used to make the electrical connections can be varied as needed in accordance with the purpose of the present invention. Therefore, the most important is that the terminals can be accessed from the front of the battery and are positioned to minimize the profile of the battery.

The invention can be used in the manufacture of batteries.

Claims (20)

A 6 volt lead-acid battery having terminals accessible from the front of the battery, comprising a front wall, side walls and a rear wall and first and second transverse bulkheads extending between the side walls, The transverse bulkhead may comprise the container including a front wall and a side wall of the container, a front cell defined by the first cross partition wall, an intermediate cell defined by the side wall of the container and the first and second partition walls, and Divided into a side wall and a rear wall of the container, and a rear cell defined by the second transverse bulkhead, Each cell has an element having a positive electrode and a negative electrode plate, and a separator therebetween, the plate having protrusions for electrically connecting the plates together, the cell elements being electrically connected together, A cover complementary to and sealed with the container side wall, the front wall, and the rear wall, the cover having a first terminal electrically connected to the battery element in the front cell, and having a second terminal; The first and second terminals are located in the intermediate cover proximate to the front cell to provide access to it from the front of the battery, wherein the intermediate cover is a 6 volt lead having an electrolyte filling hole for access to the cell. -Acid battery. The method of claim 1, Further comprising a rear battery strap coupling projections of a plate of a given polarity provided in said at least one rear battery, a rear battery post electrically connected to said rear battery strap, and wherein said connection is electrically connected to said rear battery post Battery characterized in that it is coupled. The method of claim 2, And a rear cell bushing electrically connected to the rear cell post, wherein the connection bar is electrically connected to the rear cell bushing. The method of claim 1, The connection bar is metallic and has a stretched copper bar. The method of claim 1, And a final lid placed on and sealed to said lid. The method of claim 5, The intermediate cover has an upper surface, wherein the connection bar is disposed along the intermediate cover upper surface, and wherein the final cover lies on top of the connection bar. The method of claim 1, The intermediate cover has an inner surface sealed to the container sidewall and the partition wall, the inner surface having the cover partition wall surface aligned with each container partition wall and having an alignment guide. A battery having a front wall, a side wall, and a rear wall and a container having partition walls for dividing the container into a front cell and a cell having a rear cell, each cell comprising a positive plate and a negative plate, and a separator therebetween. Wherein the plates have protrusions to electrically connect the plates together, the battery elements are electrically connected together, and the first front cell terminal bushing is electrically connected to the elements of the front cell. And the first front battery terminal bushing has a first terminal, the first terminal is disposed substantially in proximity to the front battery, and the second front battery terminal bushing has a second terminal. And the second terminal is disposed substantially in proximity to the front cell, and the connection bar is a second front cell terminal. Bushing, and, by being electrically connected to the elements of the rear cell, the first and the second battery terminal are shown along the front end of the battery. The method of claim 8, And the battery has an odd number of cell rows extending from the front wall. The method of claim 9, The battery having three cells in a single row extending from the front wall. The method of claim 8, Further comprising a rear battery strap for engaging projections of a plate of a given polarity provided in the rear battery, wherein the rear battery post is electrically connected to the rear battery strap, and the connection bar is electrically coupled to the rear battery post. Battery characterized in that. The method of claim 11, And a rear cell bushing electrically connected to the rear cell post, wherein the connection bar is electrically connected to the rear cell bushing. The method of claim 8, The connection is a metallic bar, the battery comprising an elongated copper bar. The method of claim 8, The battery is a valve-controlled lead-acid battery. The method of claim 8, And the first and second terminals are disposed along the front surface of the battery. The method of claim 8, And the first and second terminals are disposed along an upper surface of the battery. The method of claim 8, And the first and second terminals are disposed along sidewalls of the battery. The method of claim 16, The battery further comprises a first and a second dual terminal bushing. The method of claim 1, And the connection bar is molded into the cover. The method of claim 8, And the connection bar is molded into the cover.