Bipolar battery and assembly method

A method of making a multicell electric storage battery having a container including a cover and comprising a plurality of walls defining a plurality of individual cell compartments, one of said walls being an intercell partition separating one cell compartment from the next and having a section which is thicker than the remainder of said partition and adapted to receive an intercell connector means therein, an opening through said section connecting adjacent cell compartments said opening having a mouth at each end thereof confronting one of said compartments, a galvanic cell element in each of said compartments comprising a stack of positive and negative polarity plates alternately interleaved one with the other and separated one from the other by an electrolyte permeable separator, and intercell connector means electrically series connecting adjacent said cell elements together through said opening and comprising a current collecting border along at least one edge of each plate and a plurality of links each joining a pair of substantially coplanar, opposite polarity plates into a bipolar electrode in which the current collecting border of a positive polarity plate of a first cell element in one cell compartment is connected directly to the current collecting border of a negative polarity plate in a second cell element in an adjacent cell compartment comprising the steps of:

• forming a pair of opposing pockets in said section flanking said opening;
• securing a pair of electrically insulating bars to each side of a said electrode at opposite ends of said electrode's link such that the bars on the positive plate side of the link are spaced from the bars on the negative plate side of the link and define a region therebetween for receiving and retaining sealant injected thereinto, said bars each having end portions on the extremities thereof extending beyond the lateral extent of the link;
• stacking said bipolar electrodes in said container so as to form said cell elements in said compartments and such that (1) the link for each electrode is substantially aligned in said opening with other links from other electrodes, (2) the bars on adjacent electrodes passing through said opening abut one another in said opening so as to space the links of each said electrode from the links of adjacent electrodes in said opening and provide a barrier to the escape of sealant from said region and out of said mouths into said compartments, and (3) said end portions mate with said pockets;
• and
• injecting a sealant into said region so as to substantially fill said region and recesses and embed said links therein so as to prevent electrolyte leakage between said adjacent cell compartments through said opening.

A method of making a multicell electric storage battery having a container including a cover and comprising a plurality of walls defining a plurality of individual cell compartments, one of said walls being an intercell partition separating one cell compartment from the next and having a section which is thicker than the remainder of said partition and adapted to receive an intercell connector means therein, an opening through said section connecting adjacent cell compartments, a mouth at each end of said opening each confronting one of said compartments, a galvanic cell element in each of said compartments comprising a stack of positive and negative polarity plates alternately interleaved one with the other and separated one from the other by an electrolyte permeable separator, said plates each having a current collecting border along at least one edge thereof, and intercell connector means electrically series connecting adjacent said cell elements together through said opening and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive links each joining a pair of substantially coplanar, opposite polarity plates into a bipolar electrode in which the current collecting border of a positive polarity plate of a first cell element in one cell compartment is connected directly to the current collecting border of a negative polarity plate in a second cell element in adjacent cell compartment comprising the steps of:

• forming a pair of opposing pockets in said section flanking said opening;
• securing an electrically insulating bar to each side of each of said borders in said bipolar electrode such that the bars on the positive plate's border are spaced apart from the bars on the negative plate's border and define a region therebetween for receiving and retaining sealant injected thereinto, said bars each having end portions on the extremities thereof extending beyond said borders;
• stacking said bipolar electrodes in said container so as to form said cell elements in said compartments and such that (1) the link for each electrode is substantially aligned in said opening with other links from other electrodes, (2) the bars on adjacent electrodes passing through said opening abut one another in said opening so as to space the links of each said electrode from the links of adjacent electrodes in said opening and provide a barrier to the escape of sealant from said region and out of said mouths into said compartments, and (3) said end portions mate with said pockets;
• injecting a hardenable sealant into said region so as to substantially fill said region and pockets and embed said links in said sealant so as to substantially prevent leakage of electrolyte between said adjacent cell compartments;
• and
• allowing said sealant to harden.

A method of making a gas-recombinant multicell electric storage battery having a container including a cover and comprising a plurality of walls defining a plurality of individual cell compartments, one of said walls being an intercell partition separating one cell compartment from the next and having a section which is thicker than the remainder of said partition and adapted to receive intercell connector means therein, a galvanic cell element in each of said compartments comprising a stack of positive and negative polarity plates alternately interleaved one with the other and separated one from the other by a bibulous mat for absorbing and substantially immobilizing the battery's electrolyte while permitting oxygen transport between said plates, a current collecting border along at least one edge of each of said plates, an opening through said section in said partition providing a passage between adjacent cell compartments for electrically coupling said elements in said adjacent compartments, a mouth at each end of said opening each confronting one of said adjacent compartments and intercell connector means electrically series connecting adjacent said cell elements together through said opening and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive links each joining a pair of substantially coplanar, opposite polarity plates in adjacent elements into a bipolar electrode in which the current collecting border of a positive polarity plate of a first cell element in one cell compartment is connected directly to the current collecting border of a negative polarity plate in a second cell element in an adjacent cell compartment comprising the steps of:

• stacking said bipolar electrodes in said container so as to form said cell elements in said compartments and such that (1) the link for each electrode is substantially aligned in said opening with other links from other electrodes forming said adjacent cell elements, and (2) said current collecting borders compress the bibulous mats sufficiently at said mouths as to substantially prevent escape of sealant from said opening into said compartments during injection;
• and
• injecting a sealant into said opening so as to substantially fill said opening and embed said links in said sealant so as to substantially prevent leakage of electrolyte between said adjacent cell compartments.

A method of making a gas-recombinant multicell electric storage battery having a container including a cover and comprising a plurality of walls defining a plurality of individual cell compartments, one of said walls being an intercell partition separating one cell compartment from the next having a section which is thicker than the remainder of said partition and adapted to receive intercell connector means therein, a galvanic cell element in each of said compartments comprising a stack of positive and negative polarity plates alternately interleaved one with the other and separated one from the other by a bibulous mat for absorbing and substantially immobilizing the battery's electrolyte while permitting oxygen transport between said plates, a current collecting border along at least one edge of each of said plates, an opening between adjacent cell compartments providing a passage therebetween for electrically coupling said elements in said adjacent compartment said opening having a mouth at each end thereof confronting one of said adjacent compartments, and intercell connector means electrically series connecting adjacent said cell elements together through said opening and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive links each joining a pair of substantially coplanar, opposite polarity plates in adjacent elements into a bipolar electrode in which the current collecting border of a positive polarity plate of a first cell element in one cell compartment is connected directly to the current collecting border of a negative polarity plate in a second cell element in an adjacent cell compartment comprising the steps of:

• forming a pair of pockets in said section flanking said opening;
• stacking said bipolar electrodes in said container so as to form said cell elements in said compartments and such that (1) the link for each electrode is substantially aligned in said opening with other links from other electrodes, and (2) said current collecting borders compress said bibulous mats sufficiently on both ends of said opening as to provide a barrier at each of said mouths sufficient to substantially prevent escape of sealant from said opening into said compartments during injection thereof into said opening;
• and
• injecting a sealant into said opening so as to substantially fill said opening and said pockets and embed said links in said sealant so as to substantially prevent electrolyte leakage between adjacent cell compartments.

A method of making a gas-recombinant multicell electric storage battery having a container including a cover and comprising a plurality of walls defining a plurality of individual cell compartments, one of said walls being an intercell partition separating one cell compartment from the next and having a section which is thicker than the remainder of said partition and adapted to receive intercell connector means therein, a galvanic cell element in each of said compartments comprising a stack of positive and negative polarity plates alternately interleaved one with the other and separated one from the other by a bibulous mat for absorbing and substantially immobilizing the battery's electrolyte while permitting oxygen transport between said plates, an opening through said section in said partition providing a passage between adjacent cell compartments for electrically coupling said elements in said adjacent compartments, a mouth at each end of said opening each confronting one of said adjacent compartments and intercell connector means electrically series connecting adjacent said cell elements together through said opening and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive links each joining a pair of substantially coplanar, opposite polarity plates in adjacent elements into a bipolar electrode in which a positive polarity plate of a first cell element in one cell compartment is connected directly to a negative polarity plate in a second cell element in an adjacent cell compartment comprising the steps of:

• stacking said bipolar electrodes in said container so as to form said cell elements in said compartments and such that (1) the link for each electrode is substantially aligned in said opening with other links from other electrodes, and (2) the bibulous mats are compressed sufficiently on both ends of said opening contiguous said mouths sufficient to provide a barrier against the escape of sealant from said opening into said compartments during injection of said sealant;
• injecting a sealant into said opening so as to substantially fill said opening and embed said links in said sealant so as to substantially prevent electrolyte leakage barrier between adjacent cell compartments.

A bipolar, multicell electric storage battery having a container comprising a plurality of walls defining a plurality of individual cell compartments, one of said walls being an intercell partition separating one cell compartment from the next and having a section which is thicker than the remainder of said partition and adapted to receive intercell connector means therein, a galvanic cell element in each of said compartments comprising a stack of positive and negative polarity plates alternately interleaved one with the other and separated one from the other by an electrolyte permeable separator, a passage through said section between adjacent cell compartments, said passage having a first end confronting one of said compartments and a second end confronting a second compartment adjacent said one compartment in said container, intercell connector means electrically series connecting adjacent said cell elements together through said passage and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive links each joining a pair of substantially coplanar, opposite polarity plates into a bipolar electrode in which the positive polarity plate of the bipolar electrode is located in a first cell element in one cell compartment and the negative polarity plate of the electrode is located in a second cell element in an adjacent cell compartment, barrier means extending between adjacent electrodes in said passage and contiguous with said ends for preventing injected sealant outflow from said passage during assembly, and sealant so filling said passage, embedding said links and forming a substantially electrolyte-tight seal between adjacent cell compartments as to substantially prevent electrolyte leakage between adjacent cell compartments.