Battery having a device for introducing replenishing electrolyte into the battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9368839-B2
Application number	US-99868309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2009
Priority date	Nov 18, 2008
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A battery includes a cathode, an anode, and a separating component interposed therebetween. The cathode, anode, and separating component are received within a housing of the battery which also contains at least one electrolyte. The battery also includes at least one electrolyte contained within the housing, and at least one device configured to dissipate and/or collect gases or vapors from the battery. The battery also includes at least one device configured to introduce at least one replenishing electrolyte into the battery.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery having a cathode, an anode, and a separating component interposed therebetween, the battery comprising:
a housing configured to receive the cathode, anode, and separating component of said battery and to contain electrolyte;
at least one electrolyte contained within the housing; and
at least one means configured to introduce at least one replenishing electrolyte into the battery, the at least one replenishing electrolyte separate from the at least one electrolyte, wherein:
the at least one means includes at least one supply container for the at least one replenishing electrolyte and at least one dispenser configured to introduce the at least one replenishing electrolyte from the at least one supply container into the battery, the at least one dispenser including at least one membrane, and
the at least one dispenser is configured to introduce the at least one replenishing electrolyte from the at least one supply container into the battery by tearing the at least one membrane.

2. The battery as defined by claim 1 , wherein the at least one membrane is torn by an overpressure in the at least one supply container.

3. The battery as defined by claim 1 , wherein tearing the at least one membrane is controllable by a semiconductor chip.

4. The battery as defined by claim 1 , wherein the at least one replenishing electrolyte is introduced from the at least one supply container into the battery by at least one capillary.

5. The battery as defined by claim 1 , further comprising at least one device configured to at least one of carry away and collect gases or vapors from the battery.

6. The battery as defined by claim 5 , wherein the at least one device includes at least one of an overpressure valve, a degassing conduit, and a gas collection chamber.

7. A battery having a cathode, an anode, and a separating component interposed therebetween, the battery comprising:
a housing configured to receive the cathode, anode, and separating component of said battery and to contain electrolyte;
at least one electrolyte contained within the housing; and
at least one means configured to introduce at least one replenishing electrolyte into the battery, wherein:
the at least one means includes at least one supply container for the at least one replenishing electrolyte and at least one dispenser configured to introduce the at least one replenishing electrolyte from the at least one supply container into the battery, the at least dispenser including at least one membrane, and
the at least one dispenser is configured to introduce the at least one replenishing electrolyte from the at least one supply container into the battery by melting the at least one membrane.

8. The battery as defined by claim 7 , wherein melting the at least one membrane is controllable by a semiconductor chip.

9. The battery as defined by claim 7 , wherein the at least one membrane is melted by electrical energy of the battery.

10. The battery as defined by claim 8 , wherein the semiconductor chip is supplied from electrical energy of the battery.

11. A battery module having a plurality of batteries, each battery of the plurality of batteries having a cathode, an anode, and a separating component interposed therebetween, the battery module comprising:
a housing for each battery of the plurality of batteries, each housing configured to receive the cathode, anode, and separating component of a respective battery and to contain at least one electrolyte;
at least one electrolyte contained within each of the housings;
a device configured to at least one of carry away and collect gases or vapors from at least one battery of the plurality of batteries; and
at least one means configured to introduce at least one replenishing electrolyte into at least one battery of the plurality of batteries, the at least one replenishing electrolyte separate from the at least one electrolyte, wherein:
the at least one means includes at least one supply container for the at least one replenishing electrolyte and at least one dispenser configured to introduce the at least one replenishing electrolyte from the at least one supply container into the battery, the at least dispenser including at least one membrane, and
the at least one dispenser is configured to introduce the at least one replenishing electrolyte from the at least one supply container into the battery by tearing the at least one membrane.

12. The battery membrane as defined by claim 11 , wherein tearing the at least one membrane is controllable by a semiconductor chip.

13. The battery module as defined by claim 11 , wherein the at least one membrane is torn by an overpressure in the at least one supply container.

14. The battery module as defined by claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor chip is supplied from electrical energy of the at least one battery of the plurality of batteries.

15. The battery module as defined by claim 11 , wherein the at least one replenishing electrolyte is introduced from the at least one supply container into the at least one battery of the plurality of batteries by at least one capillary.

Assignees

• Schumann Bernd
• Baba Niluefer
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Schumann Bernd
• Baba Niluefer

Classifications

• H01M50/618

  Pressure control · CPC title

• H01M2/362

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• Y02T10/7011

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M10/4242 Primary

  Regeneration of electrolyte or reactants · CPC title