Abstract: A battery separator for use in a flooded cell-type lead acid battery includes a separator that is wrapped around an electrode to form an enveloped electrode that is placed in a cell compartment having mud rests that separate mud deposited from the enveloped electrode so that the incidence of battery failure is minimized. The battery separator of the present invention includes (1) major ribs that provide the proper electrode spacing and a space in which free electrolyte resides and (2) submini-ribs patterned to prevent the separator backweb from rubbing against the mud rests and forming a hole. The resulting economically efficient battery assembly exhibits increased durability and compression resistance.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in a flooded cell-type lead acid battery includes a separator that is wrapped around an electrode to form an enveloped electrode that is placed in a cell compartment having mud rests that separate mud deposited from the enveloped electrode so that the incidence of battery failure is minimized. The battery separator of the present invention includes (1) major ribs that provide the proper electrode spacing and a space in which free electrolyte resides and (2) submini-ribs patterned to prevent the separator backweb from rubbing against the mud rests and forming a hole. The resulting economically efficient battery assembly exhibits increased durability and compression resistance.

Abstract: A battery separator assembly for use in a high-power recombinant battery has increased puncture resistance, mechanical integrity, and oxygen inhibition and includes an absorptive non-woven layer of material adhered to a microporous polymeric layer. The absorptive non-woven layer of material preferably includes absorbent glass mat (AGM), and the microporous polymeric layer preferably includes ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). In a first preferred embodiment, the absorptive non-woven layer of material is positioned adjacent to an electrode of a positive type. In a second preferred embodiment, the microporous polymeric layer is positioned adjacent to an electrode of a negative type.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in enveloping the plates of a flooded cell type lead acid battery. The separator has improved puncture resistance in the shoulder areas provided by a plurality of improved mini-ribs located therein. The mini-ribs have substantially flat upper surfaces, and the space between adjacent mini-ribs is less than about 0.0225 inch. The separator may also have a plurality of micro-ribs located on the backside.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in enveloping the plates of a flooded cell type lead acid battery. The separator has improved puncture resistance in the shoulder areas provided by a plurality of improved mini-ribs located therein. The mini-ribs have substantially flat upper surfaces, and the space between adjacent mini-ribs is less than about 0.0225 inch. The separator may also have a plurality of micro-ribs located on the backside.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising a backweb of a porous, acid resistant, embossable material with a plurality of major ribs and submini-ribs extending from at least one planar surface of the backweb and a lesser plurality of stop-ribs extending from the other planar surface. Each major rib overlies at least one submini-rib and a number less than all of the major ribs overlies the stop-ribs. Each major rib is an embossed corrugated structure comprised of alternating ridges and furrows. The ridges and furrows are in non-parallel alignment to the longitudinal dimension of the separator, and preferably perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising a backweb of a porous, acid resistant, embossable material with a plurality of major ribs and submini-ribs extending across the width of the backweb from at least one planar surface of the backweb. The submini-ribs extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the backweb. The major ribs extend in a direction that is diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the backweb. Each major rib is an embossed corrugated structure comprised of alternating ridges and furrows. The separator is particularly useful in a flooded cell type lead acid battery having tubular plates.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell and recombinant type lead acid batteries. The separator has a relatively thin backweb (between about 0.002 inch and about 0.008 inch). A plurality of submini-ribs extend from one or both planar faces of the backweb. The submini-ribs are substantially parallel to the longitudinal side edges of the backweb and are substantially evenly spaced across the width of the backweb. The submini-ribs are relatively short in height (between about 0.003 inch and about 0.009 inch above the adjacent planar surface of the backweb) and relatively closely spaced together (between about 0.025 inch and about 0.050 inch).

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising a backweb of a porous, acid resistant, embossable material with a plurality of major ribs and submini-ribs extending from at least one planar surface of the backweb. The ribs are located across the width of the backweb and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the backweb. Each major rib overlies at least one submini-rib and is an embossed corrugated structure comprised of alternating ridges and furrows. The ridges and furrows are in non-parallel alignment to the longitudinal dimension of the separator, and preferably perpendicular thereto. The major ribs are formed on a battery separator backweb having a plurality of submini-ribs extending from at least one planar surface thereof by passing the backweb through the nip formed by a pair of opposed embossing rollers and embossing the backweb in the area of at least one submini-rib.

Abstract: A method of enveloping and assembling positive and negative plates into a group suitable for use in an electrochemical cell by forming at least one row of alternating positive and negative plates of a predetermined number with the top edges of said plates in longitudinal alignment, enveloping the plates with a separator material by bringing a continuous sheet of separator material into contact with both planar faces of the plates and sealing the separator material along the side and bottom edges of the plates to thereby form a row of enveloped plates interconnected to each other by the separator material, assembling the interconnected row of enveloped plates into a folded group by folding the row in an accordion-like manner, and compressing the folded group into a cube of predetermined size. The product of this method is a group of plates located in interconnected pockets of separator material that has been folded in an accordion-like manner and compressed into a cube of predetermined size.