Reinforced battery separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9799871-B2
Application number	US-200913003517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2009
Priority date	Jul 10, 2008
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Separators for use in batteries are disclosed. In various embodiments, the separators include one or more of raised shoulders, ribs in three or more sizes, thickened mini-ribs on shoulders, and ribs within the shoulder. The disclosed separators are more resistant to failure due to punctures or tears than conventional separators.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery separator comprising:
a backweb of separator material having a backweb thickness;
an odd number of major ribs symmetrically placed such that a single major rib divides the separator into two approximately equal dimensioned halves, the major ribs projecting beyond the backweb thickness a first distance, wherein the first distance is about 0.60 mm to about 1.90 mm;
a plurality of sub-major ribs provided between each of the major ribs and projecting beyond the backweb thickness a second distance, wherein the plurality of sub-major ribs consists of three sub-major ribs substantially evenly spaced between each of the major ribs; and
a first shoulder area provided between a first edge of the backweb and a nearest major rib, the first shoulder area having a plurality of enhanced shoulder mini-ribs projecting beyond the backweb thickness a third distance;
a second shoulder area provided between a second edge of the backweb and a nearest major rib, the second shoulder area having a plurality of enhanced shoulder mini-ribs projecting beyond the backweb thickness the third distance;
wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance, the second distance is at least two times greater than the third distance, the third distance is 0.15 mm, and the major ribs and sub-major ribs are approximately evenly spaced across a same surface of the backweb.

2. The battery separator of claim 1 wherein the three sub-major ribs and major ribs are identically spaced across the backweb.

3. The battery separator of claim 1 wherein the second distance is about 0.45 mm to about 0.60 mm.

4. The battery separator of claim 1 wherein the odd number of major ribs is five or more.

5. The battery separator of claim 4 wherein there are seven major ribs.

6. The battery separator of claim 1 wherein a major rib runs down the center of the separator.

7. A battery having the separator of claim 1 .

8. The battery separator of claim 1 , further comprising a sub-major rib provided in the shoulder area and projecting beyond the backweb thickness a second distance.

9. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of enhanced shoulder mini-ribs are evenly spaced along the shoulder area from the nearest major rib to the edge of the backweb.

10. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the shoulder element includes a raised portion that projects beyond the backweb thickness, and an unraised portion that does not project beyond the backweb thickness that is provided between the raised portion and the edge of the backweb of separator material.

11. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein all ribs that are smaller than the major and sub-major ribs are approximately the same height.

12. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein all ribs provided on the separator are either major, sub-major, or enhanced shoulder mini-ribs.

13. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the first shoulder has at least nine enhanced shoulder mini-ribs.

Assignees

• Pfanner Thom
• Ross William J
• Mendoza David
• Johns Frank-Thomas
• Heiman Jerome R
• La Croix Michael E
• Aguilar Carlos M
• Tsurumaki Maumi
• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Pfanner Thom
• Ross William J
• Mendoza David
• Johns Frank-Thomas
• Heiman Jerome R
• La Croix Michael E
• Aguilar Carlos M
• Tsurumaki Maumi

Classifications

• H01M10/12 Primary

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M10/14

  Assembling a group of electrodes or separators · CPC title

• H01M50/463

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M2/18 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/145

  Electricity · mapped topic