# US 5,348,817 A · Bipolar lead-acid battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,348,817 A - Document ID: US5348817A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/072,414 - Filed: 1993-06-02 - Granted: 1994-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 1993-06-02 - Assignees: GNB Battery Technologies Inc. - Inventors: Purushothama Rao; Jing-Yih Cherng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5348817A ## CPC - H01M 10/18: with bipolar electrodes - H01M 4/14: Electrodes for lead-acid accumulators - H01M 4/68: for use in lead-acid accumulators - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A bipolar lead-acid is disclosed in which a conductive metal substrate is used for the bipolar plates which may comprise either a multi-layer metallic substrate defined as C/A/B/D, layer C having a layer of positive active material adhered thereto and layer D having a layer of negative active material adhered thereto, C can be lead or lead alloy or a conductive tin, titanium dioxide or ruthenium oxide, A is titanium or tin, B is copper or tin, and D is lead, a lead alloy or tin, or a conductive metal substrate-fiber or mesh composite in which the fiber may be glass fibers or the like. A preferred embodiment provides a bipolar lead-acid battery having enhanced capacity by utilizing a central bi-negative or bi-positive plate so that the capacity can be increased without increasing the size of the plates. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bipolar lead-acid battery having bipolar plates comprising a multi-layered metallic substrate defined as C/A/B/D, layer C having a layer of positive active material adhered thereto and layer D having a layer of negative material adhered thereto, C being a member selected from the group consisting of lead, a lead alloy and a conductive tin, titanium or ruthenium oxide, A being a member selected from the group consisting of titanium and tin, B being a member selected from the group consisting of copper and tin, and D being a member selected from the group consisting of lead, a lead alloy and tin. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 1 wherein C is lead, A is titanium, B is copper and D is lead. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 1 wherein said battery is a sealed battery. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 1 wherein D is tin and layer B is omitted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 1 wherein C is a conductive film of a tin, titanium or ruthenium oxide doped with Sb or F. ### Claim 6 A bipolar lead-acid battery having a desired voltage and capacity which comprises a set of end plates having a layer of positive or negative active material adhered thereto, a series of bipolar plates having a layer of positive active material adhered to one surface of said plates and a layer of negative active material adhered to the other surface and positioned between the set of end plates with the layer of active material of a polarity opposite to that of the active material adhered to the end plates facing said end plates and at least one central bi-plate being positioned between said bipolar plates and having a layer of active material on each surface opposite to that of the layer of active material on the end plates, the number of bipolar and central bi-plates being selected to provide the desired voltage and capacity for the battery, and a separator positioned between adjacent layers of active material of opposing polarity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 6 wherein said battery is a sealed bipolar lead-acid battery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 6 wherein said end, bipolar and central bi-plates each comprise a conductive metal substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 8 wherein the bipolar plates comprise a multi-layered metallic substrate defined as C/A/B/D, layer C having a layer of positive active material adhered thereto and layer D having a layer of negative active material adhered thereto, C being a member selected from the group consisting of lead, a lead alloy and conductive tin, titanium or ruthenium oxide, A being a member selected from the group consisting of titanium and tin, B being a member selected from the group consisting of copper and tin, and D being a member selected from the group consisting of lead, a lead alloy and tin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 8 wherein the bipolar plates comprise a conductive metal substrate-fiber or mesh composite, one surface having a layer of positive active material adhered thereto and having partially embedded therein a fiber or mesh selected from the group consisting of glass, titanium, tin dioxide-coated glass and copper. ### Claim 11 A bipolar lead-acid battery having bipolar plates comprising a conductive metal substrate having on one surface a layer of negative active material and on the other surface having at least an outer layer and an inner layer of positive active material, the density of the outer layer being in the range of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 g/cm.sup.3, the inner layer of positive active material being adhered to one surface of the conductive metal substrate and having a density in the range of from about 4.3 to about 4.5 g/cm.sup.3. ### Claim 12 A bipolar lead-acid battery having bipolar plates comprising a plastic frame forming a peripheral border having a top and bottom surface and a central open area, a conductive metal substrate embedded in the plastic frame and covering the central open area, a layer of negative active material on one surface of the conductive metal substrate and a layer of positive active material on the other surface of the conductive metal substrate, each layer of active material being discontinuous and having a plurality of spaced channels running from adjacent the bottom surface of the peripheral border to the top surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The bipolar lead-acid battery of claim 10, wherein the composite comprises lead or a lead alloy.