Reinforced bipolar battery assembly

A battery assembly comprising:

• a) one or more stacks of a plurality of electrode plates comprising one or more bipolar plates having a substrate with an anode on one surface and a cathode on an opposing surface;
• b) two or more end plates at opposing ends of the one or more stacks of the plurality of electrode plates, wherein each of the two or more end plates include a reinforcement structure;
• c) two or more current conductors, wherein each individual current conductor of the two or more current conductors is affixed to an individual end plate of the two or more end plates;
• d) a separator and an electrolyte located between adjacent pairs of the electrode plates of the one or more stacks;
• e) a terminal cover located adjacent to the plurality of electrode plates which covers only a single side of the one or more stacks of the plurality of electrode plates and traverses across the plurality of electrode plates and the two or more end plates, wherein the terminal cover includes one or more openings which are reinforced by one or more reinforcement structures, wherein the one or more reinforcement structures include one or more ribs, stakes, gussets, backing plates, fiber fillers, or any combination thereof;
• f) two or more terminals which are each separate from and in electrical communication with an individual current conductor of the two or more current conductors, and the two or more terminals are configured to transmit electrical current from the battery assembly to an exterior load, wherein the two or more terminals pass from an interior of the battery assembly to the outside of the battery assembly through at least one of the one or more openings in the terminal cover, and wherein the two or more terminals include one or more posts;
• g) two or more buss bars which are comprised of one or more conductive materials, wherein the two or more buss bars are located between the terminal cover and the one or more stacks of the plurality of electrode plates, wherein the two or more buss bars are molded into the terminal cover and substantially parallel to an inward facing surface of the terminal cover, wherein each of the two or more buss bars include one or more terminal retainers which extend away from the plurality of electrode plates from a surface of a buss bar of the two or more buss bars, and wherein the one or more terminal retainers include one of the two or more terminals located therein;
• h) two or more connection pads, wherein each of the two or more end plates include at least one of the two or more connection pads located on a surface of the two or more end plates opposite the reinforcement structure and facing toward the plurality of electrode plates;
• wherein each of the two or more buss bars are separate from and in electrical communication with an individual terminal of the two or more terminals, are substantially parallel to one or more peripheral edges of the plurality of electrode plates, and traverse across the one or more peripheral edges of at least some of the plurality of electrode plates;
• wherein each of the two or more terminals pass through, are in contact with, or both pass through and are in contact with a corresponding buss bar of the two or more buss bars;
• wherein the two or more terminals pass through the terminal cover such that the two or more terminals are exposed outside of the battery assembly;
• and
• wherein each of the two or more current conductors are in physical contact and electrical communication with a respective buss bar of the two or more buss bars to form the electrical communication with the individual terminal;
• wherein the one or more terminal retainers are substantially cylindrical, spherical, conical, cuboidal, cubical, prismed, or any combination thereof and include a hollow opening throughout an entire length of the one or more terminal retainers in which the one of the two or more terminals is located;
• wherein the two or more connection pads are substantially planar and parallel to an inwardly facing surface of the two or more end plates;
• and
• wherein the two or more connection pads are arranged to form a straight line, a J-shape, an L-shape, a T-shape, or a combination thereof on the two or more end plates.

A battery assembly comprising:

• a) one or more stacks of a plurality of electrode plates comprising one or more bipolar plates having a substrate with an anode on one surface and a cathode on an opposing surface;
• b) two or more end plates at opposing ends of the one or more stacks of the plurality of electrode plates;
• c) two or more current conductors, wherein each individual current conductor of the two or more current conductors is affixed to an individual end plate of the two or more end plates;
• d) a separator and an electrolyte located between adjacent pairs of the electrode plates of the one or more stacks;
• e) a terminal cover located adjacent to the plurality of electrode plates which covers only a single side of the one or more stacks of the plurality of electrode plates and traverses across the plurality of electrode plates and the two or more end plates, wherein the terminal cover includes one or more openings which are reinforced by one or more reinforcement structures, wherein the one or more reinforcement structures include one or more ribs, stakes, gussets, backing plates, fiber fillers, or any combination thereof;
• f) two or more terminals which are each separate from and in electrical communication with an individual current conductor of the two or more current conductors, and the two or more terminals are configured to transmit electrical current from the battery assembly to an exterior load;
• g) two or more buss bars which are comprised of one or more conductive materials, wherein the two or more buss bars are located between the terminal cover and the one or more stacks of the plurality of electrode plates, wherein each of the two or more buss bars is directly affixed to each of the two or more end plates, wherein each of the two or more buss bars include one or more terminal retainers which extend away from the plurality of electrode plates from a surface of a buss bar of the two or more buss bars, and wherein the one or more terminal retainers include one of the two or more terminals located therein;
• i) two or more connection pads, wherein each of the two or more end plates include at least one of the two or more connection pads affixed thereto such as to face toward the plurality of electrode plates;
• wherein each of the two or more current conductors are in physical contact and electrical communication with a respective buss bar of the two or more buss bars to form the electrical communication with an individual terminal;
• wherein each of the two or more terminals pass through, are in contact with, or both pass through and are in contact with a corresponding buss bar of the two or more buss bars;
• wherein the two or more terminals pass through the terminal cover such that the two or more terminals are exposed outside of the battery assembly;
• wherein each of the two or more buss bars are separate from and in electrical communication with an individual terminal of the two or more terminals, are substantially parallel to one or more peripheral edges of the plurality of electrode plates, and traverse across the one or more peripheral edges of at least some of the plurality of electrode plates;
• wherein the one or more terminal retainers are substantially cylindrical, spherical, conical, cuboidal, cubical, prismed, or any combination thereof and include a hollow opening throughout an entire length of the one or more terminal retainers in which the one of the two or more terminals is located;
• and
• wherein the two or more connection pads are arranged to form a straight line, a J-shape, an L-shape, a T-shape, or a combination thereof on the two or more end plates.