Abstract:
An improved battery construction for increasing the life of a storage battery is disclosed, the storage battery including a lid addition integral with the battery case or jar which condenses escaping dielectric fluid and causes the condensed liquid to return to the main supply of dielectric fluid.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of abandoned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/108,997, filed Apr. 19, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 60/567,478, filed May 3, 2004. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to batteries and, more particularly, to a battery construction for increasing the useful life of a storage battery by a unique battery cover which provides a relatively large area for collecting drops of electrolyte entrained in the gases produced within the battery and returning the electrolyte to the main source. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various attempts have been made to produce electric storage batteries by providing a filter cap structure that separates and returns the droplets of electrolyte while allowing the discharge of internally produced gas. 
     During the operations of lead-acid electric storage batteries, gases are produced within the interior of the battery. More specifically, such batteries are comprised of a casing or jar containing multiple cells each of which contains anodes and cathodes separated by plates all immersed in an electrolyte. Such a battery includes a pair of terminals coupled to respective anodes and cathodes. During the operation of the battery, gases are generated from chemical reactions taking place within the battery. These gases entrap and entrain the electrolyte causing an escape of the electrolyte out of the respective cells of the battery which is detrimental to the battery performance and shortens life expectation. 
     While it would be ideal to solve the above problem by completely sealing the battery, practically this is impossible due to the pressure of the gases developed within the battery. Such internal pressure required that the battery be vented to accommodate the gases generated within the battery. Obviously, without proper ventilation battery explosion can result. 
     Vented filter cap and battery covers have been utilized in attempts to overcome the above problem with varying degrees of success. Typical amongst the prior art attempts was the design of a filter cap in the form of a hollow cylinder with small holes in the upper and lower circular faces. The interior of the cylinder was filled with small balls. The droplets of electrolyte condensed on the outer surface of the balls and collected to form larger drops which then were caused to be directed back into the battery cell. This attempt was less efficient than necessary in certain instances. 
     Other attempts have been made which, due to overloading of the filter caps, have necessitated the development of a structure capable of functioning at the desired and necessary efficiencies. 
     It is an object of the present invention to produce a novel vented battery cover to capture and return the electrolyte which has heretofore been allowed to escape from the battery cell with the gases produced and vented to the atmosphere. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above as well as other objects and advantages of the invention may typically be achieved by a storage battery including a jar containing an electrolyte and an electrolyte recycling cover characterized by the cover comprising a lid the peripheral edge of which is adapted to be heat sealed to the jar, the lid containing a depending chamber having a perforated floor defining a zone communicating with the interior of the jar wherein electrolyte escaping from the jar may be collected and returned to the jar. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above objects and advantages of the invention, as well as others, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of a storage battery showing an open top jar and a battery cover including a lid and a lid addition; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the lid addition illustrated in  FIG. 1  for retaining dielectric fluid entrained in gases escaping from the battery cell; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the lid addition illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the lid addition illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a lid addition according to another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , wherein there is shown a storage battery generally indicated by reference numeral  10  which includes a jar or case  12  and an associated lid  14 . Secured to and depending from the undersurface of the lid  14  is a lid addition  16 . It will be understood that the interior of the jar  12  contains a plurality of cooperating anodes and cathodes separated by a battery plate which in cooperation with respective positive and negative terminals and an appropriate liquid electrolyte form a battery cell. A typical battery cell has a nominal voltage of two (2) volts. A typical commercial or industrial battery is designed to produce twelve (12) volts. Thus, such a battery would contain six cells. However, for the sake of simplicity only a single cell battery is illustrated and described in the present description. 
     The lid addition  16 , as clearly illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 , includes a bottom wall  18  having three spaced apart apertures  20 ,  22 , and  24 . The endmost apertures  20  and  24  are provided to receive positive and negative terminals attached to the anode and cathode elements (not shown) of the battery  10 . The center aperture  22  defines the dielectric fill opening of the battery  10  which typically receives a fill tube  26  closed by a suitable vented cap or cover, not shown. The fill tube  26  is provided with at least a breather slot  27 , 
     An upstanding outer wall  28  is circumferentially surrounds the bottom wall  18 . An inner wall  30  surrounds the apertures  20 ,  22 , and  24 . The uppermost edge of the inner wall  30  is provided with a plurality of spaced apart notches  32 . The uppermost edge of the wall  30  also includes a bead  42  formed on at least a potion thereof. The portion of the bottom wall  18  between the outer wall  28  and the inner wall  30  is provided with a plurality of spaced apart upstanding members  38 . 
     The members  38  are configured to include an outer surface having a large surface area. The members  38  include a central upstanding main body having an outer surface formed with outwardly extending portions  40 . The members  38  are disposed in spaced relation to one another to provide labyrinth passageways therebetween. The facing wall surfaces of the members  38  are formed to increase the exposed wall surface area which may be conducted by the transient gases formed during the electrolysis which normally occurs in the known storage batteries. It should be understood that the outwardly extending portions  40  can be formed on a surface of the outer wall  28  and the inner wall  30 . 
     The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrates the outwardly extending portions  40  of the members  38  in the form of a plurality of juxtaposed upstanding cylindrically shaped elements of circular cross-section, generally referred to as right circular cylinders. However, other shapes could be employed such as for example columnar members having rectangular cross-sectional configuration. The main purpose of the outwardly extending portions  40  is to increase the overall surface area from a flat planar surface to a surface having outwardly projecting rib sections wherein an increased exposed surface area of the members  38  is produced. 
     The application of electrical energy to the positive and negative terminals of the storage battery  10  causes chemical reactions within the electrolyte of the battery resulting in the battery becoming charged with electrical energy, thus an electric storage battery. Some of these electrical reactions cause gases such as hydrogen and oxygen to be produced. Hydrogen is typically formed on the anode and oxygen is typically formed on the cathode. These gases accumulate as gas bubbles in the electrolyte rise to the surface of the electrolyte and pass out of the jar  12  through the breather slot  27  in the fill tube  26 . These gases are known to entrap and carry battery electrolyte out of the battery cell 
     While it is sometimes possible to replace the lost content of battery electrolyte by adding distilled water, it is a more difficult task to restore battery electrolyte which escapes from the typical battery. However, the present invention produces a means for reintroducing the escaped electrolyte by causing the escaping gases with the entrained electrolyte to travel upwardly through the breather slot  27  and thence into the lid addition  16 . The transient gases are allowed to easily flow through the channels between the members  38  and to contact the outer surfaces of members  38  disposed in the zone between the outer wall  28  and inner wall  30 . These members  38  may be formed of a plastic substance such as polypropylene, for example. The entrained electrolyte in the transient gases is typically in the form of small droplets, and will condense and agglomerate to form larger drops on the outer surfaces of the members  38 . The electrolyte will drip back down through the apertures  36  and return to the electrolyte content within the interior of the jar  12 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of the lid addition  16 . Structure similar to that illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4  includes the same reference numeral and a prime (′) symbol for clarity. In  FIG. 5 , an outer wall  28 ′ circumferentially surrounds a bottom wall  18 ′. An uppermost edge of the outer wall  28 ′ includes a plurality of spaced apart notches  50 . The uppermost edge of the outer wall  28 ′ also includes a bead  52  formed on at least a portion thereof. 
     The notches  50  provide a fluid flow path through the outer wall  28 ′ for the gases and entrained electrolyte that accumulate adjacent the undersurface of the lid  14 . The gases and entrained electrolyte flow through notches  50  into the zone between the outer wall  28 ′ and inner wall  30 ′ containing the members  38 ′. The entrained electrolyte will condense and agglomerate to form larger drops on the outer surfaces of the members  38 ′ . The condensed electrolyte will drip back down through the apertures  36 ′ and return to the electrolyte content within the interior of the jar  12 . The gases, now having a minimized electrolyte entrained therein, will flow through the notches  32 ′ out of the zone between the outer wall  28 ′ and inner wall  30 ′ and pass out of the jar  12  through the breather slot  27  in the fill tube  26  and the associated vented cap. 
     Due to the design of the dielectric fluid retention device of the invention, the beads  42 ′,  52  formed on the uppermost edges of the walls  30 ′,  28 ′, respectively, of the lid addition  16 ′ facilitate ultrasonic attachment of the lid addition  16 ′ to the undersurface of the lid  14 . 
     By removal of the associated vented cap or cover from the fill tube  26 , maintenance personnel may readily observe the level of the dielectric fluid within the battery case without any obstructions. 
     Further, the dielectric fluid retention system of the invention assists in maintaining the top of the battery free from moisture and will materially reduce the likelihood of any undesirable equipment grounding which otherwise might occur. 
     The present invention has produced an electric storage battery in which the loss of electrolyte is minimized and, therefore, extends the duty life of such batteries. 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment, However, it should be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.