Abstract: In constructing assembled batteries by electrically connecting through a connecting bar the terminals of neighboring single cells by means of metallic parts of the terminals, by directly covering both sides of the connecting bar with the exception of the electrical connection with an insulating protecting layer of either natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or synthetic resin, and by directly or indirectly insulating and protecting the surface of the metallic parts for electrical connection, it was made possible to prevent corrosion of the connecting bar and the metallic parts for electrical connection, and to prevent capacity fluctuation due to heretofore observed leakage current of single cells composing electric vehicle batteries to be used under severe conditions for a long period and at a high operating voltage, thereby improving the reliability and dramatically reducing the maintenance load.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: In the paste type nickel positive electrode prepared by filling pores of a metal nickel plaque made of three-dimensional high porous sheet, or coating both sides or one side of a plaque made of either perforated nickel sheet or nickel plated steel sheet, with a paste type active material mainly composed of nickel hydroxide, by adding particles of cobalt hydroxide having the specific surface area of at least 10 m.sup.2 /g, average particle size of 1.7 microns or more, and content of fine particles with particle size of 1.0 micron or less of 20% or less, the utilization of positive electrode active material is enhanced, and by using this nickel positive electrode, the alkaline rechargeable battery, in particular, the nickel-metal hydride alkaline battery is enhanced in capacity and extended in service life.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery of the present invention employs a non-woven fabric having a double-layer structure of a dense and sparse layers as a separator to separate a positive electrode from a negative electrode, the sparse layer facing the negative electrode and being lower than the dense layer in fiber density.

Abstract: A connector for connecting a first cell and a second cell of a battery in series. Each one of the first cell and second cell has (a) a metal casing as the negative electrode, and (b) a metal electrode installed at one end of the casing, including a first flat portion as the positive electrode. The connector has a side wall capable of fitting the casing inside, and a second flat portion orthogonal to the side wall. A first projection for welding to the electrode member is installed on the second flat portion. A second projection for welding to the casing is installed on an inside surface of the wall. The first projection of the electrode abuts against the first surface of the first cell and are welded together. The side wall of the connector is coupled to the outside of the casing of the first cell, and the second projection of the connector abuts against the surface of the casing of the second cell, and are welded together.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: A power supply unit of the present invention comprises a group of batteries including plural rows of cells arranged in parallel, each row of cells including plural cylindrical cells connected in series. The power supply unit further comprises refrigerant passages comprising main refrigerant passages exposed to the cells arranged in each row of cells and auxiliary refrigerant passages, the upstream sides of the auxiliary refrigerant passages being isolated from the rows of cells, and the downstream sides thereof being connected to the main refrigerant passages at positions corresponding to the midstream or downstream sides of the rows of cells.

Abstract: A sealed secondary cell maintaining enclosed property and battery performance for a long period in a wide range of environments of use including high temperature, high humidity, and vibration is presented. A terminal pole is composed of a current collector, a flange with a flat top surface, and a pole formed on the flange upper surface projecting at right angle, a rotation arresting portion of the terminal pole is formed by the flange and lower side of a lid, an annular packing is disposed between the flange upper surface and lid lower side so as to surround the pole, an annular pressing spring is pressed in from above the pole, the annular packing interposed between the flange upper surface and lid lower side is compressed in the vertical direction by the elastic force of the annular pressing spring, the annular pressing spring is stopped on the outer circumferential edge of the pole at a position for sealing and fixing the terminal pole in the lid, and thereby the battery jar is enclosed.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: A long-life sealed rechargeable battery employing a plastic battery container in use for electric vehicles and the like, wherein at least one tube having the bottom is formed under the cover, the closed end of the tube is either brought as close as possible to the upper edge of the electrode group or put into direct contact with a lead tab of the positive or negative electrode, and a temperature sensor is inserted and fixed inside the tube in such a way that the temperature sensing part comes into direct contact with the inner surface of the closed end of the tube, thereby capable of measuring from the outside temperature variation in the cell so as to control charge and discharge.

Abstract: A sealed and prismatic storage battery characterized by such features as a high volumetric energy density, high compressivity and the like is provided. A battery case has an inner surface and an outer surface of each respective corner section formed of a curvature. The thickness of the corner section is 2.5 mm, a radius of curvature of the outer surface is 5.0 mm, a radius of curvature of the inner surface is 2.5 mm, and a thickness of a small thickness section between the corner section and the flat plane section is 2.0 mm. The position of the thinnest wall section coincides with a position where the radius of a circular arc forming the inner surface of the corner section crosses perpendicularly the outer side surface of the battery case.

Abstract: A casing of sealed alkaline storage battery to be stacked in plural number in one direction, each provided with a safety vent; each casing is made of a polymer alloy which mainly comprises polyphenylene ether, polystyrene and an elastomer; at least one outersurface of the casing has a plurality of vertical protrusion ribs thereby to form vertical ventilation spaces through which a cooling medium passes; the vertical ribs formed on an outer surface of the casing have a protrusion height of 1 to 2 mm, the interval between ribs of 7 to 15 mm, rib width of 3 to 10 mm; thickness of inter-rib portion of casing are 1 to 3 mm, and those at the parts of short side walls 2 to 4 mm.

Abstract: A storage battery assembly includes a plurality of electrochemical cells bundled in side-by-side fashion together in a row and electrically connected in series with each other by means of generally elongated electroconductive connecting pieces each connecting a pole terminal of a pair of pole terminals of an electrochemical cell with another pole terminal of a pair of pole terminals of a next adjoining electrochemical cell. Each electrochemical cell includes a generally rectangular box-like electrolyte vessel having an opening, an electrode structure accommodated within the electrolyte vessel and including positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates, a quantity of electrolyte accommodated within the electrolyte vessel, a top lid enclosing the opening of the electrolyte vessel, and pole terminals protruding outwardly from the respective top lid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sealed alkaline storage battery comprising a container of polymer alloy mainly comprised of PPE and an olefin resin and containing PPE of 20-60 wt %, or a composite material of polymer alloy containing PPE and an inorganic powder of 5-50 wt %. Using this material as a container, it is possible to restrict decrease in an amount of electrolyte thereby providing a sealed alkaline storage battery having a long life, which is possible to guarantee a maintenance-free long life of 7-10 years.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery with a long cycle life is disclosed, in which an inadequate adjustment between some of the electrode plates in a cell and the difference in the deterioration resulting from the difference in the heat dissipating abilities of the plates in the cell has been obviated. The storage battery comprises an electrode group configured by piling up a plurality of positive electrodes and a plurality of negative electrodes alternately with separators interposed therebetween, wherein the capacities of the respective negative electrodes are larger than those of the adjacent positive electrodes, except for the negative electrodes positioned at both ends of the electrode group. The capacities of the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes in the central part of the electrode group are larger than those of the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes located closer to both ends of the electrode group.

Abstract: A layer-built sealed alkaline storage battery includes plural rectangular cell units 11. Those cell units 11 are arranged in a row and united together with a pair of end plates 1 and 2 arranged at the opposite sides of the assembly of the cells by belt-like clamp bands 37, 38 each extending cross from one of the end plates 1 through the cell units 11 to the other of the end plates 2 and being fixed at the end thereof on the end plates 1, 2. Each end plate 1 or 2 is of one-piece structure having 1) a generally rectangular panel portion or portions 26 and 2) a peripheral wall frame 26 and 3) reinforcement ribs 23a to 23c, so that the assembly of the cell can be united so as to be prevented from deformation due to expansion and vibration of the cells.

Abstract: A cell for sealed nickel-metal hydride storage battery having a high energy density and a long cycle life is disclosed. It comprises a battery casing made of a synthetic resin which accommodates a power-generating unit including a hydrogen storage alloy negative electrode whose hydrogen equilibrium pressure is 0.01-0.1 MPa at 45.degree. C., when H/M=0.5, and a lid for sealing an open end of the casing provided with a safety vent whose operation pressure is 0.2-0.8 MPa. A pressure-resistant strength of the battery casing is in a range of 0.7-2.0 MPa and set higher than the operation pressure of the safety vent by 0.5 MPa or more.

Abstract: An improved non-sintered type nickel positive electrode comprising a nickel hydroxide powder as an active material and a cobalt hydroxide powder for improving the utilization of the active material, and an alkaline storage battery configured with the positive electrode are disclosed. In the non-sintered type nickel positive electrode, at least part of the surfaces of the particles of the cobalt hydroxide powder is covered with a stabilizing agent of at least one member selected from the group consisting of a higher carboxylic acid, an ester of carboxylic acid, an aldehyde, a phenol and a vitamin.

Abstract: The tap density of nickel hydroxide powders is improved, the expansion of a positive electrode is inhibited and the energy density of the positive electrode and the cycle life characteristics are improved by specifying the shape of the nickel hydroxide powders and besides, adding to the nickel hydroxide powders at least one of Cd, Ca, Zn, Mg, Fe, Co and Mn. The nickel hydroxide active material powders contain 1-7 wt % of at least one of Cd, Ca, Zn, Mg, Fe, Co and Mn and comprise a mixture of spherical or nearly spherical particles and non-spherical particles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an alkaline secondary battery improved in the structure of the plate substrate, and provides an alkaline secondary battery which uses a three-dimensional porous substrate which is inexpensive, improved in stability in electrolyte and inhibited from shrinkage at sintering. The battery has such a construction comprising a sealed case containing positive electrodes mainly composed of a nickel oxide, negative electrodes mainly composed of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy or a cadmium oxide, an alkaline electrolyte containing at least one component selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide and separators, the substrate used for at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode being a three-dimensional porous iron sintered body on the surface of which is provided a nickel coating layer.