The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 27, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 20, 2000
Kenneth O. MacFadden, Hackettstown, NJ (US);
Gordon W. Jones, Toledo, OH (US);
Lixin L. Xue, Midilothian, VA (US);
Ronald P. Rohrbach, Flemington, NJ (US);
Daniel E. Bause, Flanders, NJ (US);
Peter D. Unger, Morristown, NJ (US);
Gary B. Zulauf, Findlay, OH (US);
Honeywell International Inc., Morristown, NJ (US);
Abstract
A battery separator, for placement between conductive plates within a battery, includes a non-woven fiber mat made up of one or more nonwoven fibers, which have a specific cross-sectional shape and exhibit a microcapillary action. The fibers are preferred to be made of a thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, fluoropolymers, polyimides, polysulfones, polyesters, polyamides, and mixtures thereof Each of the fibers includes an outer surface, a hollow internal cavity, and an extended slot. The hollow internal cavity communicates with the outer surface by way of the extended slot. Capillary forces within the fibers are greater than those on the fiber surface, such that a liquid electrolyte readily moves through the interior of the fiber via a wicking action. As a result, the battery separator tends to direct fluid to adjacent battery plates even when an electrolyte level, within the battery, drops below the tops of the plates.