Abstract: A battery and straps for a battery are disclosed. The battery according to various embodiments comprises a number of straps which connect a number of battery cells in series. The battery straps may pass through cutouts provided in a cell divider wall. The cutouts and straps may define a common headspace. The battery may have five connecting straps and two end straps.

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery comprising a cover; a housing having a base, two side walls, and two end walls; a cell wall spanning between the first and second side walls defining two cells; a battery element provided within a cell, the battery element having a bottom; an element bottom gap, the element bottom gap defined in a first and second dimension by the cell width and length, and a third dimension by the distance between the base and bottom of the battery element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery having a conductive terminal extending beyond a surface of a battery cover, the conductive terminal having an internal portion and an external surface, wherein the internal portion comprises lead and external surface comprises a non-lead conductive material. Further disclosed is a method for producing such a battery.

Abstract: Disclosed is a non-lead conductive cap for a battery terminal and battery. The battery may comprise a battery housing and a positive and negative terminal, the positive and negative terminal being accessible through the battery housing; wherein the positive and negative terminal further comprise an electrically conductive cap mounted on both the positive and negative terminal, wherein the electrically conductive cap does not comprise lead.

Abstract: A battery plate assembly for a lead-acid battery is disclosed. The assembly includes a plates of opposing polarity each formed by an electrically conductive grid body having opposed top and bottom frame elements and opposed first and second side frame elements, the top frame element having a lug and an opposing enlarged conductive section extending toward the bottom frame element; a plurality of interconnecting electrically conductive grid elements defining a grid pattern defining a plurality of open areas, the grid elements including a plurality of radially extending vertical grid wire elements connected to the top frame element, and a plurality of horizontally extending grid wire elements, the grid body having an active material provided thereon. A highly absorbent separator is wrapped around at least a portion of the plate of a first polarity and extends to opposing plate faces. An electrolyte is provided, wherein substantially all of the electrolyte is absorbed by the separator or active material.

Abstract: A battery plate assembly for a lead-acid battery is disclosed. The assembly includes a plates of opposing polarity each formed by an electrically conductive grid body having opposed top and bottom frame elements and opposed first and second side frame elements, the top frame element having a lug and an opposing enlarged conductive section extending toward the bottom frame element; a plurality of interconnecting electrically conductive grid elements defining a grid pattern defining a plurality of open areas, the grid elements including a plurality of radially extending vertical grid wire elements connected to the top frame element, and a plurality of horizontally extending grid wire elements, the grid body having an active material provided thereon. A highly absorbent separator is wrapped around at least a portion of the plate of a first polarity and extends to opposing plate faces. An electrolye is provided, wherein substantially all of the electrolyte is absorbed by the separator or active material.

Abstract: A method for producing a negative grid for a battery which includes providing a strip of battery grid material and performing a punching operation on the battery grid material to remove material and form a grid. The punching operation produces a negative battery grid having a plurality of grid wires bounded by a frame. The battery grid includes a top frame member. A first side frame member is coupled to the top frame member at a first end thereof. A second side frame member is coupled to the top frame member at a second end thereof. A bottom frame member is spaced apart from the top frame member and coupled to the first side frame member and the second side frame member. The negative grid does not include exposed wire ends that may puncture a polymeric separator when the negative grid is provided within the separator.

Abstract: A battery plate assembly for a lead-acid battery is disclosed. The assembly includes a plates of opposing polarity each formed by an electrically conductive grid body having opposed top and bottom frame elements and opposed first and second side frame elements, the top frame element having a lug and an opposing enlarged conductive section extending toward the bottom frame element; a plurality of interconnecting electrically conductive grid elements defining a grid pattern defining a plurality of open areas, the grid elements including a plurality of radially extending vertical grid wire elements connected to the top frame element, and a plurality of horizontally extending grid wire elements, the grid body having an active material provided thereon. A highly absorbent separator is wrapped around at least a portion of the plate of a first polarity and extends to opposing plate faces. An electrolye is provided, wherein substantially all of the electrolyte is absorbed by the separator or active material.

Abstract: A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.

Abstract: A battery plate assembly for a lead-acid battery is disclosed. The assembly includes a plates of opposing polarity each formed by an electrically conductive grid body having opposed top and bottom frame elements and opposed first and second side frame elements, the top frame element having a lug and an opposing enlarged conductive section extending toward the bottom frame element; a plurality of interconnecting electrically conductive grid elements defining a grid pattern defining a plurality of open areas, the grid elements including a plurality of radially extending vertical grid wire elements connected to the top frame element, and a plurality of horizontally extending grid wire elements, the grid body having an active material provided thereon. A highly absorbent separator is wrapped around at least a portion of the plate of a first polarity and extends to opposing plate faces. An electrolye is provided, wherein substantially all of the electrolyte is absorbed by the separator or active material.

Abstract: A battery plate assembly for a lead-acid battery is disclosed. The assembly includes a plates of opposing polarity each formed by an electrically conductive grid body having opposed top and bottom frame elements and opposed first and second side frame elements, the top frame element having a lug and an opposing enlarged conductive section extending toward the bottom frame element; a plurality of interconnecting electrically conductive grid elements defining a grid pattern defining a plurality of open areas, the grid elements including a plurality of radially extending vertical grid wire elements connected to the top frame element, and a plurality of horizontally extending grid wire elements, the grid body having an active material provided thereon. A highly absorbent separator is wrapped around at least a portion of the plate of a first polarity and extends to opposing plate faces. An electrolye is provided, wherein substantially all of the electrolyte is absorbed by the separator or active material.

Abstract: A method of forming battery grids or plates that includes the step of mechanically reshaping or refinishing battery grid wires to improve adhesion between the battery paste and the grid wires. The method is particularly useful in improving the past adhesion to battery grids formed by a continuous batter grid making process (such as strip expansion, strip stamping, continuous casting) that produces grid wires and nodes with smooth surfaces and rectangular cross-section. In a preferred version of the method, the grid wires of battery grids produced by a stamping process are deformed such that the grid wires have a cross-section other than the rectangular cross-section produced by the stamping process. The method increases the cycle life of a battery.

Abstract: A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.

Abstract: A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.

Abstract: A method of forming battery grids or plates that includes the step of mechanically reshaping or refinishing battery grid wires to improve adhesion between the battery paste and the grid wires. The method is particularly useful in improving the past adhesion to battery grids formed by a continuous batter grid making process (such as strip expansion, strip stamping, continuous casting) that produces grid wires and nodes with smooth surfaces and rectangular cross-section. In a preferred version of the method, the grid wires of battery grids produced by a stamping process are deformed such that the grid wires have a cross-section other than the rectangular cross-section produced by the stamping process. The method increases the cycle life of a battery.

Abstract: A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.

Abstract: A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.

Abstract: A method of forming battery grids or plates that includes the step of mechanically reshaping or refinishing battery grid wires to improve adhesion between the battery paste and the grid wires. The method is particularly useful in improving the paste adhesion to battery grids formed by a continuous battery grid making process (such as strip expansion, strip stamping, continuous casting) that produces grid wires and nodes with smooth surfaces and a rectangular cross-section. In a preferred version of the method, the grid wires of battery grids produced by a stamping process are deformed such that the grid wires have a cross-section other than the rectangular cross-section produced by the stamping process. The method increases the cycle life of a battery.

Abstract: A method for producing a negative grid for a battery which includes providing a strip of battery grid material and performing a punching operation on the battery grid material to remove material and form a grid. The punching operation produces a negative battery grid having a plurality of grid wires bounded by a frame. The battery grid includes a top frame member. A first side frame member is coupled to the top frame member at a first end thereof. A second side frame member is coupled to the top frame member at a second end thereof. A bottom frame member is spaced apart from the top frame member and coupled to the first side frame member and the second side frame member. The negative grid does not include exposed wire ends that may puncture a polymeric separator when the negative grid is provided within the separator.

Abstract: A method of making a battery includes forming a strip of interconnected grids from a grid material by feeding a continuous strip of the grid material along a linear path aligned with the longitudinal direction of the strip and punching grid material out of the strip. Each interconnected grid includes a plurality of wires, with each wire having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces. The method also includes modifying at least one of the wires at a position intermediate the opposed ends of the wire such that a first transverse cross-section taken intermediate the opposed ends of the wire differs from a second transverse cross-section of the wire taken at one of the opposed ends of the wire. The method further includes applying paste to the strip and cutting the strip to form a plurality of plates.