Patents Assigned to VB Autobatterie GmbH
  • Publication number: 20150030904
    Abstract: The invention relates to a connecting pole (1) for a rechargeable battery (12) having the following features: a) the connecting pole (1) has a connecting section (2), in which a pole terminal can be fastened on the connecting pole (1), b) the connecting pole (1) has a fastening section (3), in which the connecting pole (1) can be fastened in a housing part (5) of the rechargeable battery (12), c) the fastening section (3) has a labyrinth section (4), d) the outer wall (6) of the connecting pole (1) has, in the labyrinth section (4), one or more peripheral projections (7, 8, 10), e) at least two adjacently arranged peripheral projections (70, 71, 72, 73, 80, 81, 82, 83) are flanged in pairs in the mutually facing direction, wherein a recess (11) is formed on each of the peripheral projections (70, 71, 72, 73, 80, 81, 82, 83) with respect to the outer wall (6) of the connecting pole (1) by the flanged region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: VB AUTOBATTERIE GMBH & CO., KGAA
    Inventors: Anne-Laure Ledoux, Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 8756798
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for fitting and equipping motor vehicle battery housings as a compact system, which comprises individual production stations and associated transport devices, wherein the battery plate packs to be processed are arranged in clamping cassettes and are provided to the device in the necessary pack width for the intended battery cells by a feeding station arranged upstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignees: Sasit Industrietechnik GmbH, VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGAA
    Inventors: Jochen Meier, Thomas Dörffel, Roger Loer
  • Publication number: 20130196200
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cover part (1) of an electrochemical accumulator (40), which cover part is designed to form an upper covering of the housing (1, 30) of the accumulator (40), the cover part (1) having a plurality of filling orifices (2, 3), to be closed by means of closing plugs, for filling the housing with liquid electrolyte, characterized in that the filling orifices (2, 3) are arranged so as to be offset to one another in at least two rows (8, 9) lying next to one another. The invention relates, moreover, to an accumulator having a cover part of this type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
  • Publication number: 20130052519
    Abstract: A connecting pole for a rechargeable battery is disclosed. The connecting pole (1) has a connecting section (2) in which a pole terminal can be attached to the connecting pole (1). The connecting pole (1) has an attachment section (3) in which the connecting pole (1) can be attached in a housing part (5) of the battery. The attachment section (3) has a labyrinth section (4). The outer wall (6) of the connecting pole (1) has at least one circumferential projection (7, 8) in the labyrinth section (4). The circumference of outer wall (6) of the connecting pole (1) increases in the direction pointing away from the connecting section (2) in a section of the labyrinth section (4) which is not provided with a circumferential projection (7, 8). Also disclosed is a rechargeable battery housing or a part of said rechargeable battery housing having at least one connecting pole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Peter Streuer, Anne-Laure Ledoux
  • Publication number: 20120240394
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for fitting and equipping motor vehicle battery housings as a compact system, which comprises individual production stations and associated transport devices, wherein the battery plate packs to be processed are arranged in clamping cassettes and are provided to the device in the necessary pack width for the intended battery cells by a feeding station arranged upstream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicants: VB AUTOBATTERIE GMBH & CO. KGAA, SASIT INDUSTRIETECHNIK GMBH ZWICKAU
    Inventors: Jochen Meier, Thomas Dörffel, Roger Loer
  • Publication number: 20120177962
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sealing plug arrangement (1, 2) for a battery, wherein the sealing plug arrangement comprises at least one plug part (1) and a plug retainer (2), and the plug retainer (2) has a hollow area (4) for accommodating at least one retaining section of the plug part (1), wherein the plug part (1) is designed to seal off at least one interior (73, 74) of the battery from the environment when the plug part is installed in the hollow area (4) of the plug retainer (2). Proceeding from this, an improved sealing plug arrangement is specified that can be realized at low cost and that is reliable. For this purpose, the plug retainer (2) comprises at least one flow channel (6) on the inside of the plug retainer in the hollow area (4), which flow channel extends at least along the area in which the plug part (1) is retained in the plug retainer (2) when the plug part is installed in the hollow area (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co., KGaA
    Inventors: Peter Streuer, Ingo Koch, Thorsten Werle, Eberhard Meissner
  • Patent number: 8168323
    Abstract: A plastic battery cover for closing a battery housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface, at least one terminal extending through the battery cover, and a connecting flank extending from the at least one terminal, the connecting flank in contact with the battery cover. The connecting flank is configured such that a region between the at least one terminal and the top surface of the battery cover is adapted to prevent the formation of a gap between the terminal and the adjacent portion of the battery cover after the volume reduction of the plastic in this region during the manufacture of the battery cover by injection molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Gerolf Richter, Peter Streuer, Olaf Sielemann, Hans-Heinrich Schirmer
  • Patent number: 8168324
    Abstract: A grip arrangement for a battery box is provided. The grip arrangement includes a grip element which extends along a longitudinal axis. A cord passage is provided in the grip element, the cord passage includes a tapered section and is oriented along a passage axis provided transverse to the longitudinal axis. A locking chamber is provided in the grip element. An elongate slot provided offset from the cord passage is coupled to the locking chamber, the elongate slot is formed by an indent opened on one side of the locking chamber which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis toward the cord passage and transverse to the passage axis of the cord passage. A cord having an end piece is received by the cord passage and the elongate slot, wherein the end piece is received within the locking chamber and the cord is deflected twice from the cord passage through the elongate slot to the locking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Peter Streuer, Andreas Schulze-Beckinghausen
  • Publication number: 20110311849
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes a housing, a plurality of cells within the housing, and a cover which closes the housing. The battery also includes a plurality of filling openings arranged in the cover separated from one another by a distance and a plurality of plugs. Each of the plurality of plugs is configured to close one of the plurality of filling openings. A flexible connecting element connects at least two of the plugs. The flexible connecting element is configured such that the distance between the plugs which are connected to one another can be variably matched to the distance between their associated filling openings by rotating at least one of the plugs connected by the flexible connecting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Gerolf Richter, Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 7981534
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes a housing, a plurality of cells within the housing, and a cover which closes the housing. The battery also includes a plurality of filling openings arranged in the cover separated from one another by a distance and a plurality of plugs. Each of the plurality of plugs is configured to close one of the plurality of filling openings. A flexible connecting element connects at least two of the plugs. The flexible connecting element is configured such that the distance between the plugs which are connected to one another can be variably matched to the distance between their associated filling openings by rotating at least one of the plugs connected by the flexible connecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Gerolf Richter, Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 7897275
    Abstract: An electrical rechargeable battery having positive and negative electrodes arranged in a housing with separators between them, and having an electrolyte, at least one end pole is surrounded by a contact protection device in the form of a wall which surrounds the end pole, can rotate freely and is composed of insulating material. Electrical contact can be made only from above through a slot in the contact protection device, which surrounds the end pole. The end pole is protected against direct contact from above by means of an electrically insulating pole cap, which is screwed to the end pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Peter Streuer, Christian Rosenkranz, Gerolf Richter
  • Patent number: 7674551
    Abstract: A state of charge indicator for a battery having a liquid electrolyte includes a viewing rod having an observation surface at a first end, a conical reflection surface at a second end, and a generally cylindrical outer surface intermediate the first end and the second end. The viewing rod includes a central longitudinal axis. The state of charge indicator also includes a ball cage coupled to the second end of the viewing rod through which the electrolyte can flow and at least one ball guide channel provided in the ball cage and arranged obliquely with respect to the central longitudinal axis. The ball guide channel includes an upper boundary surface adjacent the conical reflection surface. The upper boundary surface is smoothly connected to the conical reflection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 7675292
    Abstract: A method of determining a stratification of an electrolyte in an active mass of positive electrode plates in rechargeable batteries includes determining a variation of at least one of a charging current and a charging voltage of the rechargeable battery occurring during charging of the rechargeable battery; and detecting a stratification of the electrolyte from an increased charging current consumption in the rechargeable battery as compared to an identical rechargeable battery without stratification when there is a fixed charging voltage variation or a reduced charging voltage when there is a fixed charging current variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Andreas Schulze-Beckinghausen, Ingo Koch
  • Publication number: 20100047675
    Abstract: An acid status indicator for a battery, in particular for a lead-acid rechargeable battery, having a sight glass and a holder for holding the sight glass and for attaching the acid status indicator to a housing of the battery, wherein the sight glass and the holder are produced by two-component injection molding, with the holder being produced by insert molding of the sight glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: VB AUTOBATTERIE GMBH & CO. KGAA
    Inventors: Gerolf Richter, Peter Streuer
  • Publication number: 20100003593
    Abstract: A battery, in particular a lead-acid rechargeable battery, having at least one battery cell connecting element, which has a connector, which has at least one side surface, for connection to at least one plate on a lower face of the connector, and a welding lug, which is electrically conductively connected to the connector and has a recess which is bounded by a boundary, wherein, in a section which is adjacent to the side surface of the connector, the boundary has a profile which corresponds to a contour of the side surface of the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: VB AUTOBATTERIE GMBH & CO. KGAA
    Inventors: Dirk Oldenburg, Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 7612535
    Abstract: A charge indicator for a battery includes a transparent inspection rod comprising an observation area at a first end and a tip formed by a conical reflection area at a second end. The charge indicator also includes a ball cage that includes a gas bubble collection channel beginning between the first upper channel boundary wall of the ball guidance channel and the tip, the gas bubble collection channel extending from the lower area of the ball cage to the tip and extending obliquely toward the top to the upper boundary wall oppositely to the adjoining ball guidance channel at least from the tip. The gas bubble collection channel has in an upper area of the gas bubble collection channel a plurality of gas diversion areas running to the outsides of the ball cage in the direction of the upper area of the ball cage, starting from a central plane level with the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Streuer
  • Patent number: 7609032
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining the temperature in an electrical battery includes determining at least one temperature value at a temperature measuring point outside the battery in the vicinity of the battery; determining at least one electrical power value in dependence on a characteristic power variable associated with the operation of the battery; weighting the power values and the temperature values with an assigned weighting factor; and ascertaining the temperature in the electrical battery from an energy balance in dependence on the at least one weighted temperature value and the weighted electrical power values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Helmut Laig-Hoerstebrock, Sepher Shirazi
  • Patent number: 7561978
    Abstract: A method for determining the state of a battery includes receiving measurements representative of at least one of a battery terminal voltage and a battery terminal current from a first unit and using a second unit to determine at least one characteristic variable for a battery state from at least one of the measured battery terminal voltage and the measured battery current. The method also includes using a microprocessor to statistically assess the at least one characteristic variable for the battery state by performing a statistical process check. The method further includes defining an observation window for the at least one characteristic variable within which the at least one characteristic variable is assumed to be steady-state and identifying an implausible value, which is not caused by the battery, for the at least one characteristic variable if the scatter of the at least one characteristic variable exceeds a defined scatter limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Ingo Koch, Eberhard Meissner
  • Patent number: 7517610
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes a cover and at least one connecting pole comprising a pole shank inserted into a pole sleeve having an inner casing. The connecting pole is closed from the outside of the rechargeable battery such that it is liquid-tight and gas-tight. The pole sleeve is electrically conductively connected to the pole shank and is held in a liquid-tight and gas-tight manner by the cover. A first section of the pole shank is electrically conductively connected in a gas-tight and liquid-tight manner to the inner casing of the pole sleeve. A sliding element is provided between a second section of the pole shank and the inner casing of the pole sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH
    Inventor: Karlo Popp
  • Patent number: 7504175
    Abstract: A battery includes a housing having a plurality of cell vessels and a plurality of positive and negative electrode plates provided within the cell vessels. The battery also includes a lower cover configured to close the cell vessels with a seal, the lower cover having openings for the cell vessels. The battery further includes a degassing channel system which is coupled to the lower cover by at least one member, the openings of the lower cover opening into the degassing channel system. Annular projections are integrally formed on each of the openings of the lower cover adjacent to the lower cover, and the at least one member is configured to couple the degassing channel system to the lower cover such that the projections seal the openings to the degassing channel system by surface pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: VB Autobatterie GmbH & Co. KGAA
    Inventor: Hans Mühe