Lead acid bipolar battery plate and method of making the same

A bipolar battery comprising:

• (a) a plurality of non-conductive frames stacked in an abutting and seal tight relationship;
• (b) an end block at each end of the stacked frames and together with said frames defining an enclosed space therein;
• (c) a plurality of planar members having major surfaces secured around the circumference thereof to said frames and partitioning the defined space into a plurality of smaller spaces lying between said adjacent planar members, each of said planar members comprising a conductive plastic substrate, a metallic grid partially embedded in each major surface of said planar members, positive acting material lying over said metallic grid and adhered to one of said major surfaces of said members and negative active material lying over said metallic grid and adhered to the other of said major surfaces;
• and
• (d) separator means for immobilizing electrolyte positioned within said smaller spaces and in an abutting relationship with said active material.

A method of fabricating bipolar plates comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a planar member of conductive plastic material of selected length and width;
• (b) placing a grid of metallic wire in contact with each of the major surfaces of said planar member;
• (c) applying pressure and heat sufficient to cause a melting of the planar member to cause a melting of the planar member at the interface with said metallic grid such that the metallic grid becomes embedded a predetermined depth of the diameter of said wire in said planar member;
• and
• (d) adhering positive active material to one of said major surfaces over said metallic grid embedded therein and negative active material to the other of said major surfaces over said metallic grid embedded therein.