JPH06290805A - Sealed storage battery - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A sealed type that does not need to positively compress the electrode plate group in the stacking direction before storing it in the cell chamber, and that can easily store the electrode plate group in the battery case body. Get a storage battery. [Structure] As the pressure spacer, a transformation pressure spacer 3 formed of a foam material that foams when heated is used. Thickness A of pressure spacer 3 before foaming and electrode plate group 2
The thickness dimension A of the pressure spacer 3 is set so that the dimension of the pressure chamber 3a and the inner dimension C of the cell chamber 1a in the width direction becomes smaller. The pressure spacer 3 and the electrode plate group 2 are superposed and housed in the cell chamber 1a. When the battery is placed in the heating furnace in order to cure the thermosetting adhesive applied to the joint between the lid 4 and the battery case body 1, the pressure spacer 3 foams and the volume occupied by the pressure spacer is reduced. And the electrode group 2 is pressed in the stacking direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sealed type storage battery, and more particularly to improvement of a pressure spacer for pressing electrode plates in the stacking direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional sealed storage battery such as a sealed lead-acid battery, the electrode plate and the retainer are laminated in order to sufficiently adhere the retainer and the electrode plate and allow the electrolyte solution in the retainer to penetrate into the electrode plate. The electrode plate group configured in this way is placed in a cell chamber whose inner dimension in the width direction is smaller than the thickness dimension of the electrode plate group, and the electrode plate group is pressed in the stacking direction by both widthwise walls of the cell chamber. There is. However, in such a storage battery, if the thickness of the electrode plate group becomes smaller than the inner dimension in the width direction of the cell chamber due to variations in the size of the electrode plate and the retainer, it becomes impossible to pressurize the electrode plate group. Therefore, a pressure spacer is arranged between the electrode plate group and the wall of the cell chamber to press the electrode plate group in the stacking direction. For example, in the case of using a sheet-like pressure spacer such as a sheet of the same material as the retainer or a rubber sheet, the required number of pressure spacers are stacked on the electrode plate group, and the pressure spacers are stored in the cell chamber together with the electrode plate group. To do. Further, there is also one in which a convex portion is provided on the inner wall portion of the cell chamber to serve as a pressure spacer.

[0003]

However, when using a sheet-like pressure spacer, it is necessary to adjust the number of pressure spacers in accordance with the thickness of the electrode plate group, which complicates battery assembly work. There was a problem of becoming. In addition, with conventional pressure spacers including other pressure spacers, the electrode plate group must be compressed to a thickness that can be stored before it can be stored in the cell chamber, so the workability of battery assembly is improved. There was a problem that was bad. Further, even when the electrode plate group is inserted into the cell chamber in a compressed state with a thickness that can be stored, it cannot be inserted into the cell chamber in a compressed state until the end, and the electrode plate group is inserted from the middle of insertion. With the compression of is released, the electrode group will be forced into the cell chamber. At this time, an unreasonable force is applied to the electrode plate group to drop the active material, or the pressure spacers are unevenly arranged, resulting in insufficient pressure.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the electrode plate group from being positively compressed in the stacking direction before being housed in the cell chamber, and yet to easily store the electrode plate group in a battery case. To provide.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a storage battery in which an electrode plate group and a pressure spacer for pressing the electrode plate group in a stacking direction are housed in a cell chamber is an object of improvement.
A transformation-type pressure spacer that deforms so that the occupied volume increases in the cell chamber is used as the pressure spacer.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the transformation type pressure spacer is formed of a foam material that foams when heated.

In the third aspect of the invention, the transformation type pressure spacer is formed of a material that expands by reacting with the electrolytic solution.

In the invention of claim 4, the transformation type pressure spacer is formed by the elastic body compressed by the releasable compression means.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the transformation type pressure spacer is formed of a shape memory alloy which deforms at a predetermined temperature.

[0010]

In the modified pressure spacer used in the present invention, the occupied volume is increased in the cell chamber, in other words, the occupied volume is small before being inserted into the cell chamber. Therefore, according to the invention of claim 1, even when the pressure spacer is inserted into the cell chamber together with the electrode plate group, the electrode plate group need not be positively compressed in the stacking direction by using the transformation type pressure spacer. However, the electrode plate group can be easily inserted into the cell chamber. After the electrode group and the transformation type pressure spacer are housed in the cell chamber, if the transformation type pressure spacer is deformed so as to increase the occupied volume, an unreasonable force for dropping the active material from the electrode plate is applied. It does not join the group and the pressure spacers are not evenly arranged.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the transformation-type pressure spacer formed of the foam material that foams when heated is used, it is added when the lid is bonded to the battery case body having the cell chamber. The transformed pressure spacer can be deformed by the applied heat, and the transformed pressure spacer can be easily deformed without adding another working step.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the transformation type pressure spacer formed of a material that reacts with the electrolytic solution and expands is used, when the operation of injecting the electrolytic solution into the electrode plate group is performed,
Since the transformation type pressure spacer can be deformed, the transformation type pressure spacer can be easily deformed.

When the transformation type pressure spacer formed by the elastic body compressed by the releasable compression means is used, the transformation type pressure spacer serves as a cushioning material. When a transformation type pressure spacer formed of a shape memory alloy that deforms at a predetermined temperature is used as in the invention of claim 5, the occupied volume becomes small when the battery temperature rises above a predetermined value. If the shape is memorized, when the battery temperature rises due to heat escape, the pressure spacer deforms into a flat plate shape, weakening the pressure applied to the electrode plate group, and in the high temperature region that causes heat escape. There is an advantage that the electrochemical reaction can be suppressed.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a sealed lead storage battery. In this figure, only the electrode plate group inserted into one cell chamber is shown. In FIG. 1, 1 is a battery case body, 2 is an electrode plate group, 3 is a transformation type pressure spacer, and 4 is a lid part of the battery case body. The battery case body 1 is made of synthetic resin and has three cell chambers 1a. The electrode plate group 2 includes two anode plates 2a ...
And three cathode plates 2b ... Are laminated via a retainer 2c.
b ... are connected at their ears by straps 2d and 2e. The transformation-type pressure spacer 3 has a flat plate shape, and is housed in the cell chamber 1a in a state of being superposed on the electrode plate group 2. The transformation-type pressure spacer 3 is formed of a foam material that foams and expands in volume at a temperature equal to or lower than the curing temperature of the thermosetting adhesive that joins the battery case body 1 and the lid 4 as described later. ing. The transformation-type pressure spacer 3 is formed so that the dimension dimension A of the transformation-type pressure spacer 3 and the dimension dimension B of the electrode plate group 2 is smaller than the inner dimension C of the cell chamber 1a in the width direction. A thickness dimension A of 3 is defined. The lid portion 4 is joined to the open end portion of the battery case body 1 via a thermosetting adhesive layer so as to seal the electrode plate group 2 in the cell chambers 1a. The lid 4 is provided with injection ports 4a ... Injecting the electrolytic solution into the cell chambers 1a, respectively, corresponding to the cell chambers 1a.

When assembling the sealed lead-acid battery of this embodiment, the transformation type pressure spacer 3 and the electrode plate group 2 are superposed on each other and housed in the cell chamber 1a. Then, an adhesive is applied to the joint end surfaces of the lid portion 4 and the battery case body 1, and then the lid portion 4
Is placed on the battery case body 1 and left in a curing oven at about 60 ° C. for about 30 minutes. In the curing furnace, the adhesive is cured and the battery case body 1 and the lid portion 4 are adhered to each other, and the transformation type pressure spacer 3 expands about 5 times to increase the occupied volume. Pressurize. After the battery case body 1 to which the lid part 4 is joined is taken out from the curing furnace, it is naturally cooled, and after cooling, the injection port 4a
Inject the electrolyte from.

The transformation type pressure spacer 3 may be made of a material other than a foam material. For example, the transformation type pressure spacer may be formed of a material that expands by reacting with the electrolytic solution. As a specific example, a powder of lead monoxide (PbO) or the like that expands in volume by reacting with dilute sulfuric acid is solidified into a paste, and formed into a thin sheet, which is a transformation type pressure spacer for a sealed lead acid battery. Can be used as In this case, when the electrolytic solution made of dilute sulfuric acid is injected into the cell chamber, the transformation type pressurizing spacer expands in volume and the occupied volume increases,
As a result, the electrode plate group is pressed in the stacking direction.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transformation type pressure spacer 13 used in a sealed type storage battery according to another embodiment of the present invention before being transformed. The transformation-type pressure spacer 13 includes a vacuum pack 13b made of synthetic resin, which constitutes releasable compression means, and an elastic body 1.
3a is housed in a compressed state. To make the transformation-type pressure spacer 13, first, the vacuum pack 13
Sponge-like elastic body 13 in a vinyl bag forming b
After placing a, depressurize the bag. When the elastic body 13a is compressed to a predetermined thickness, the mouth of the bag is heat-welded and the elastic body 1
3a is sealed in a vacuum pack 13b. When this transformation-type pressure spacer 13 is used, after the transformation-type pressure spacer 13 is housed in the cell chamber together with the electrode plate group, a hole is made in the upper portion 13b1 of the vacuum pack 13b with a needle or the like to form the elastic body 13.
A is expanded to press the electrode group in the stacking direction.

3 (A) and 3 (B) are perspective views of the transformation type pressure spacer 23 used in the sealed battery of another embodiment of the present invention before and after transformation. Transformation type pressure spacer 23
Is formed by coating a shape memory alloy with a resin having heat resistance and elasticity. The shape-memory alloy used for the transformation-type pressure spacer 23 has a shape shown in FIG.
It has a flat shape as shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), the shape is stored so as to have a corrugated shape having irregularities in the thickness direction. In the case of using this transformation-type pressure spacer 23, first, the transformation-type pressure spacer 23 is heated to 60 ° C. or higher to have a flat shape, and then the transformation-type pressure spacer 23 is housed in the cell chamber together with the electrode plate group. . Then, as time passes, the transformation type pressurizing spacer 2
When 3 is returned to room temperature, the transformation type pressurizing spacer 23 becomes a corrugated shape and presses the electrode plate group in the stacking direction. If this transformation-type pressurizing spacer 23 is used, when the battery temperature rises to 60 ° C. or higher, the pressurizing spacer is deformed into a flat plate shape, the pressure applied to the electrode plate group is weakened, and in the high temperature region that causes heat escape. There is an advantage that the electrochemical reaction can be suppressed.

[0019]

According to the present invention, there is an advantage that the electrode plate group can be naturally inserted into the cell chamber without positively compressing the electrode plate group in the stacking direction. Further, after the electrode group and the transformation-type pressure spacers are housed in the cell chamber, the volume occupied by the transformation-type pressure spacers increases. Therefore, an unreasonable force such as dropping the active material from the electrodes is applied to the electrode plate group. Since no pressure is applied and the pressure spacers are not evenly arranged, a sufficient pressure can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sealed battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a modified pressure spacer used in a sealed battery according to another embodiment of the present invention before modification.

3A and 3B are perspective views of a transformation type pressure spacer used for a sealed battery according to still another embodiment of the present invention before and after transformation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a Cell chamber 2 Electrode plate group 3 Transformation type pressure spacer

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A sealed storage battery in which an electrode plate group and a pressurizing spacer for pressurizing the electrode plate group in a stacking direction are housed in a cell chamber, wherein an occupied volume in the cell chamber is as the pressurizing spacer. A sealed storage battery characterized by using a transformation-type pressure spacer that deforms to increase. 2. The sealed storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the transformation-type pressure spacer is formed of a foam material that foams when heated. 3. The sealed storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the transformation-type pressure spacer is made of a material that expands by reacting with an electrolytic solution. 4. The sealed storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the transformation-type pressure spacer is formed of an elastic body compressed by a releasable compression means. 5. The sealed storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the transformation-type pressure spacer is formed of a shape memory alloy that deforms at a predetermined temperature.