Support extension for flat pack rechargeable batteries

A recombinant lead-acid battery including upper and lower casing elements, said casing elements having a planar surface and a surrounding wall, the walls being arranged to form an enclosure when confronting edges thereof are joined together;

• a plurality of electrode elements disposed between the upper and lower casing elements, the electrodes including conductive substrates pasted with negative active paste material and conductive substrates pasted with positive active material;
• separators located between adjacent electrodes;
• electrolyte absorbed in the separators;
• a plurality of support members extending perpendicularly from one of the casing elements toward the other casing element, the length of the support members being less than the distance between the planar surfaces;
• a plate located between and parallel to the planar surfaces of the casing elements and between at least some the electrodes, the plate having openings therein establishing a common flow for electrolyte, a plurality of support members extending from the plate and attached to the casing element from which support members do not extend;
• and
• the surface of the plate opposite that from which its support members extend being joined to the upper ends of the support members extending from the casing element.